🔗 Share this article Marathon Viewing The Latest Christmas Films: Highlights, Lowlights, and Unexpected Delights. It is the season to relax on the couch and consume a packet of festive treats in front of a good movie, a poor film, or one that’s terrible yet terrific. As always, a batch of fresh seasonal stories hopes to be part of our seasonal watchlist—potentially even finding a spot alongside beloved favorites like Home Alone, Elf, Love Actually, and Die Hard (we won’t debate it). Therefore, in a noble effort to separate the winners from the losers, and to find the Christmas spirit, I binged as many fresh holiday releases as possible in a single day. First Up: The Jonas Brothers' Holiday Flick Starting, hopefully, on a high. This is the sole 2025 movie on a well-known aggregator's list of the best 100 Christmas movies of all time. The popular band end up stranded in the UK after wrapping up their world tour and must return for Christmas. Their endeavors are thwarted by an malevolent Father Christmas, who bursts into melody to declare they won’t get home until they “rekindle their sibling bond.” The back-and-forth between the arguing trio is entertaining even for the casual viewer, while followers will undoubtedly pick up on lots of references as they endeavor to get back using all transportation available. It’s private planes, trains and automobiles. It’s not legendary, but is excellent for devotees and a good start to the day. Holiday verdict: 🎄🎄🎄🎄🎄 for Jonas Brothers fans or 🎄🎄🎄 for their family members who are obliged to sit through it. Next: A Star in Panto Famous performer Kiefer Sutherland has been cast as a movie actor cast a pantomime. “A panto-what?” asks Sutherland’s “hard-to-work-with” and older action hero Brad Mack, who has hit a rough patch and whose representative has tricked him into thinking he’s appearing in renowned British drama. His Aladdin fellow actors tell him he’s playing Buttons. “Oh no I’m not,” he protests. One can imagine their reply. That is, unless you’re not acquainted with traditional British theatre traditions. There are some hilarious moments, some cockle-warming side stories, and the supporting actors is brilliant, too. It’s the kind of movie that would be a bit cheesy at a different time, but is a great entertainment at Christmas. Holiday verdict: 🎄🎄🎄🎄 10.19am - Christmas Karma A familiar face shows up at the outset of this film, too, delivering a signature line for the second consecutive movie. Could this be a budding festive ritual? This time, he’s a singing black cab driver who picks up Mr Sood, the latest spin on Mr Scrooge from Charles Dickens’ A Christmas Carol. Mr Sood is played by The Big Bang Theory’s Kunal Nayyar and Christmas Karma is directed by the filmmaker behind Gurinder Chadha. The classic narrative progresses as the miserly Mr Sood is haunted by the ghosts of Christmas past, present and future, played by Hugh Bonneville, Billy Porter, and Boy George. This Indian Scrooge is at least distinct from all the others, but sadly he’s not very charismatic and Nayyar’s acting is lifeless—a problem when he’s so the focal point. Christmas tree rating: 🎄🎄 Lunchtime: Stuffed There’s time for a channel's original festive film—which stars Guz Khan as a charmingly cantankerous character who “avoids Christmas.” But after he gets an large festive windfall at work, his wife (played by Morgana Robinson) talks him into spending the sum on a holiday to Lapland. There’s just one problem—he finds out there was an mistake with his bonus, which should have been £800, and he has to figure out how to reimburse the remainder. Enjoyable but forgettable. Festive score: 🎄🎄 Early Afternoon: Champagne Problems This is one of those holiday movies where the tree, fairy lights and snow are in the background—Christmas is the scene of the film rather than its core purpose—but it feels comfortable and seasonal all the same. Ambitious executive Sydney (played by Minka Kelly) is sent to a country estate to secure an acquisition for a sparkling wine company. During her travels, she meets a man in a literary haven who offers to show her a festive Paris. A critic recently stated this is the best new Christmas film of the recent era. That’s a bit of a exaggeration, but it is a festive dalliance with a hint of sophistication and gives the required heartwarming sensation. The scene with a extended debate about Die Hard is very good too. Christmas tree rating: 🎄🎄🎄 3.29pm - Finding Father Christmas Sixteen-year-old Chris, played by Lenny Rush, continues to believe in Father Christmas, regardless of the attempts of his dad (starring James Buckley) to tell him the truth. The secret is to be discovered, and Chris sets out to find it with the guidance of a team of well-known scientists and personalities. It’s low-key but charming, and good viewing while anticipating Santa to visit. Festive score: 🎄🎄🎄 A Star-Studded Family Drama Michelle Pfeiffer is the head of a quarrelling American family who gather for the holidays—including fellow Oscar nominee Felicity Jones, Chloe Grace Moretz, Jason Schwartzman, and dad Denis Leary. Pfeiffer opens by name-dropping Christmas classics like National Lampoon’s Christmas Vacation, It’s A Wonderful Life and Home Alone, before saying: “They need to make a movie about the real champions of the holidays—moms.” So that’s what this is, but in execution it’s really a mash-up of those forerunner films, at least until Pfeiffer’s character at last takes center stage. Festive score: 🎄🎄 Formulaic Fun The day’s gone downhill, but fortunately here’s a new offering in the crowded field of predictable, sentimental, cheesy—and utterly watchable—holiday fare. It’s a tale as old as time: 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
It is the season to relax on the couch and consume a packet of festive treats in front of a good movie, a poor film, or one that’s terrible yet terrific. As always, a batch of fresh seasonal stories hopes to be part of our seasonal watchlist—potentially even finding a spot alongside beloved favorites like Home Alone, Elf, Love Actually, and Die Hard (we won’t debate it). Therefore, in a noble effort to separate the winners from the losers, and to find the Christmas spirit, I binged as many fresh holiday releases as possible in a single day. First Up: The Jonas Brothers' Holiday Flick Starting, hopefully, on a high. This is the sole 2025 movie on a well-known aggregator's list of the best 100 Christmas movies of all time. The popular band end up stranded in the UK after wrapping up their world tour and must return for Christmas. Their endeavors are thwarted by an malevolent Father Christmas, who bursts into melody to declare they won’t get home until they “rekindle their sibling bond.” The back-and-forth between the arguing trio is entertaining even for the casual viewer, while followers will undoubtedly pick up on lots of references as they endeavor to get back using all transportation available. It’s private planes, trains and automobiles. It’s not legendary, but is excellent for devotees and a good start to the day. Holiday verdict: 🎄🎄🎄🎄🎄 for Jonas Brothers fans or 🎄🎄🎄 for their family members who are obliged to sit through it. Next: A Star in Panto Famous performer Kiefer Sutherland has been cast as a movie actor cast a pantomime. “A panto-what?” asks Sutherland’s “hard-to-work-with” and older action hero Brad Mack, who has hit a rough patch and whose representative has tricked him into thinking he’s appearing in renowned British drama. His Aladdin fellow actors tell him he’s playing Buttons. “Oh no I’m not,” he protests. One can imagine their reply. That is, unless you’re not acquainted with traditional British theatre traditions. There are some hilarious moments, some cockle-warming side stories, and the supporting actors is brilliant, too. It’s the kind of movie that would be a bit cheesy at a different time, but is a great entertainment at Christmas. Holiday verdict: 🎄🎄🎄🎄 10.19am - Christmas Karma A familiar face shows up at the outset of this film, too, delivering a signature line for the second consecutive movie. Could this be a budding festive ritual? This time, he’s a singing black cab driver who picks up Mr Sood, the latest spin on Mr Scrooge from Charles Dickens’ A Christmas Carol. Mr Sood is played by The Big Bang Theory’s Kunal Nayyar and Christmas Karma is directed by the filmmaker behind Gurinder Chadha. The classic narrative progresses as the miserly Mr Sood is haunted by the ghosts of Christmas past, present and future, played by Hugh Bonneville, Billy Porter, and Boy George. This Indian Scrooge is at least distinct from all the others, but sadly he’s not very charismatic and Nayyar’s acting is lifeless—a problem when he’s so the focal point. Christmas tree rating: 🎄🎄 Lunchtime: Stuffed There’s time for a channel's original festive film—which stars Guz Khan as a charmingly cantankerous character who “avoids Christmas.” But after he gets an large festive windfall at work, his wife (played by Morgana Robinson) talks him into spending the sum on a holiday to Lapland. There’s just one problem—he finds out there was an mistake with his bonus, which should have been £800, and he has to figure out how to reimburse the remainder. Enjoyable but forgettable. Festive score: 🎄🎄 Early Afternoon: Champagne Problems This is one of those holiday movies where the tree, fairy lights and snow are in the background—Christmas is the scene of the film rather than its core purpose—but it feels comfortable and seasonal all the same. Ambitious executive Sydney (played by Minka Kelly) is sent to a country estate to secure an acquisition for a sparkling wine company. During her travels, she meets a man in a literary haven who offers to show her a festive Paris. A critic recently stated this is the best new Christmas film of the recent era. That’s a bit of a exaggeration, but it is a festive dalliance with a hint of sophistication and gives the required heartwarming sensation. The scene with a extended debate about Die Hard is very good too. Christmas tree rating: 🎄🎄🎄 3.29pm - Finding Father Christmas Sixteen-year-old Chris, played by Lenny Rush, continues to believe in Father Christmas, regardless of the attempts of his dad (starring James Buckley) to tell him the truth. The secret is to be discovered, and Chris sets out to find it with the guidance of a team of well-known scientists and personalities. It’s low-key but charming, and good viewing while anticipating Santa to visit. Festive score: 🎄🎄🎄 A Star-Studded Family Drama Michelle Pfeiffer is the head of a quarrelling American family who gather for the holidays—including fellow Oscar nominee Felicity Jones, Chloe Grace Moretz, Jason Schwartzman, and dad Denis Leary. Pfeiffer opens by name-dropping Christmas classics like National Lampoon’s Christmas Vacation, It’s A Wonderful Life and Home Alone, before saying: “They need to make a movie about the real champions of the holidays—moms.” So that’s what this is, but in execution it’s really a mash-up of those forerunner films, at least until Pfeiffer’s character at last takes center stage. Festive score: 🎄🎄 Formulaic Fun The day’s gone downhill, but fortunately here’s a new offering in the crowded field of predictable, sentimental, cheesy—and utterly watchable—holiday fare. It’s a tale as old as time: 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