Binge-Watching The Latest Christmas Films: The Hits, The Misses, and The Guilty Pleasures.
‘Tis the time of year to lounge on the couch and devour a tin of mince pies in front of a terrific flick, a awful feature, or one that’s awesomely awful.
Once again, a batch of new seasonal stories strives to join part of our holiday traditions—perhaps even finding a spot alongside enduring classics like Home Alone, Elf, Love Actually, and Die Hard (no arguments).
So, in a helpful attempt to separate the winners from the losers, and to embrace the holiday mood, I marathoned as many new festive movies as possible in a single day.
First Up: The Jonas Brothers' Holiday Flick
Beginning, hopefully, on a high. This is the only 2025 title on a famous website's list of the greatest 100 holiday films of all time.
The Jonas Brothers end up trapped in the UK after concluding their global concert series and must make it back for Christmas. Their endeavors are hampered by an villainous Saint Nick, who breaks into song to declare they won’t get home until they “find their brotherly magic.”
The banter between the bickering brothers is enjoyable even for the casual viewer, while devotees will undoubtedly notice lots of references as they try to get back using any means of transport necessary.
It’s a travelogue of mishaps.
It’s not a timeless masterpiece, but is great for fans and a good start to the day.
Christmas tree rating: 🎄🎄🎄🎄🎄 for Jonas Brothers fans or 🎄🎄🎄 for their relatives who are obliged to sit through it.
8.45am - Tinsel Town
Famous performer Kiefer Sutherland appears as a movie actor cast a "panto".
“A what's a panto??” asks Sutherland’s “difficult” and aging star Brad Mack, who has hit a rough patch and whose representative has tricked him into thinking he’s performing in renowned British drama.
His Aladdin co-stars let him know he’s playing Buttons. “Absolutely not,” he insists angrily. You can guess their retort. Unless you’re not acquainted with traditional stage call-and-response.
There are some hilarious moments, some heartwarming side stories, and the ensemble is brilliant, too.
It’s the kind of movie that would be a bit naff at another season, but is a lot of fun at Christmas.
Christmas tree rating: 🎄🎄🎄🎄
10.19am - Christmas Karma
An actor shows up at the outset of this film, too, calling someone a mug for the second consecutive movie. Could this be a new Christmas tradition?
This time, he’s a crooning chauffeur who collects Mr Sood, the modern take on Mr Scrooge from Charles Dickens’ A Christmas Carol.
Mr Sood is played by an actor from Kunal Nayyar and Christmas Karma is directed by Bend It Like Beckham’s Gurinder Chadha. The classic narrative progresses as the tight-fisted Mr Sood is visited by the ghosts of Christmas yesterday, today, and tomorrow, played by Hugh Bonneville, Billy Porter, and Boy George.
This Indian Scrooge is at least unique from all the others, but regrettably he’s not very compelling and Nayyar’s acting is flat—a significant issue when he’s so the focal point.
Festive score: 🎄🎄
Noon: A BBC Special
There's just enough time for a network's Christmas comedy-drama—which stars Guz Khan as a lovably grouchy guy who “isn't big on Christmas.”
But after he is awarded an £8,000 Christmas bonus at work, his wife (portrayed by Morgana Robinson) talks him into spending the sum on a holiday to Lapland.
There’s just one problem—he discovers there was an mix-up with his bonus, which should have been £800, and he has to determine how to pay back the remainder.
Fun while it lasts but not lasting.
Christmas tree rating: 🎄🎄
Early Afternoon: Champagne Problems
This is one of those Christmas films where the festive trappings are in the setting—Christmas is the scene of the film rather than its core purpose—but it feels comfortable and seasonal all the same.
Ambitious executive Sydney (starring Minka Kelly) is assigned to a country estate to do a deal for a sparkling wine company. On the way, she meets a man in a book store who offers to show her the holidays in the City of Light.
A commentator recently claimed this is the top new Christmas film of the last several seasons. That’s a bit of a stretch, but it is a festive dalliance with a dash of elegance and gives the obligatory heartwarming sensation.
The scene with a extended debate about Die Hard is very good too.
Festive score: 🎄🎄🎄
3.29pm - Finding Father Christmas
Young Chris, played by Lenny Rush, continues to believe in Father Christmas, regardless of the attempts of his dad (starring James Buckley) to tell him otherwise.
The answer is somewhere, and Chris embarks on a quest to find it with the assistance of a group of well-known experts and celebrities.
It’s low-key but charming, and ideal viewing while waiting for Santa to visit.
Festive score: 🎄🎄🎄
A Star-Studded Family Drama
Michelle Pfeiffer is the mother of a quarrelling American family who gather for the holidays—including other Oscar nominee Felicity Jones, Chloe Grace Moretz, Jason Schwartzman, and dad Denis Leary.
Pfeiffer begins by referencing holiday staples like National Lampoon’s Christmas Vacation, It’s A Wonderful Life and Home Alone, before saying: “They need to make a movie about the unsung heroes of the holidays—moms.”
So that’s what this is, but in reality it’s really a jumble of those aforementioned movies, at least until Pfeiffer’s character eventually comes into her own.
Christmas tree rating: 🎄🎄
Evening: A Scottish Christmas Secret
The day’s taken a dip, but thankfully here’s a new entry in the saturated market of formulaic, schmaltzy, badly acted—and utterly watchable—festive fodder.
It’s a tale as well-worn: An American woman goes on a quest to a picturesque cold country and ends up discovering romance.
In this case, Caprice Bourret plays a publisher
