Binge-Watching The Latest Festive Features: Highlights, Lowlights, and Unexpected Delights.
It is the time of year to lounge on the sofa and consume a packet of mince pies in front of a good movie, a bad movie, or one that’s terrible yet terrific.
Once again, a selection of new seasonal stories strives to join part of our seasonal watchlist—maybe even finding a spot alongside timeless staples like Home Alone, Elf, Love Actually, and Die Hard (we won’t debate it).
Therefore, in a helpful attempt to distinguish the gems from the coal, and to embrace the festive feeling, I watched as many recent festive movies as possible in a single day.
7.17am - A Very Jonas Christmas Movie
Kicking off, optimistically, on a high. This is the only 2025 movie on a popular review site's list of the top 100 Christmas movies of all time.
The musical trio end up stuck in the UK after wrapping up their world tour and must make it back for Christmas. Their attempts are hampered by an malevolent Father Christmas, who sings to announce they won’t get home until they “rediscover their sibling bond.”
The back-and-forth between the arguing trio is enjoyable even for the casual viewer, while devotees will no doubt notice lots of references as they try to get back using any means of transport necessary.
It’s a journey of epic proportions.
It’s not legendary, but is superb for fans and a positive start to the day.
Festive score: 🎄🎄🎄🎄🎄 for Jonas Brothers fans or 🎄🎄🎄 for their loved ones who are obliged to sit through it.
8.45am - Tinsel Town
Famous performer Kiefer Sutherland appears as a Hollywood star roped into a traditional British stage show.
“A panto-what?” asks Sutherland’s “hard-to-work-with” and ageing action hero Brad Mack, who has hit a rough patch and whose manager has deceived him into thinking he’s starring in high-class London stage.
His pantomime co-stars inform him he’s playing Buttons. “Oh no I’m not,” he insists angrily. One can imagine their reply. Except if you’re not acquainted with traditional stage call-and-response.
There are some very funny lines, some heartwarming storylines, and the supporting actors is brilliant, too.
It’s the kind of movie that would be a bit tacky at another season, but is a great entertainment at Christmas.
Holiday verdict: 🎄🎄🎄🎄
A New Spin on Scrooge
An actor shows up at the beginning of this film, too, insulting someone for the second consecutive movie. Could this be a budding festive ritual?
This time, he’s a crooning chauffeur who picks up 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 the filmmaker behind Gurinder Chadha. The familiar story develops as the tight-fisted Mr Sood is confronted by the ghosts of Christmas past, present and future, played by Hugh Bonneville, Billy Porter, and Boy George.
This South Asian reinterpretation is at least distinct from all the others, but sadly he’s not very captivating and Nayyar’s acting is wooden—a major flaw when he’s so central to everything.
Christmas tree rating: 🎄🎄
Lunchtime: Stuffed
There’s 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 receives an £8,000 Christmas bonus at work, his wife (starring Morgana Robinson) persuades him blowing the money on a family trip to Lapland.
There’s just one problem—he finds out there was an error with his bonus, which should have been £800, and he has to figure out how to return the difference.
Pleasant yet unmemorable.
Christmas tree rating: 🎄🎄
Early Afternoon: Champagne Problems
This is one of those holiday movies where the tree, fairy lights and snow are in the backdrop—Christmas is the setting of the film rather than its main point—but it feels cosy and festive all the same.
Driven corporate star Sydney (played by Minka Kelly) is assigned to a French chateau to do a deal for a champagne business. En route, she meets a fellow in a book store who offers to show her a festive Paris.
A commentator recently declared this is the top new Christmas film of the past few years. That’s a bit of a exaggeration, but it is a holiday love story with a dash of elegance and gives the obligatory heartwarming sensation.
The scene with a detailed conversation about Die Hard is notable too.
Holiday verdict: 🎄🎄🎄
3.29pm - Finding Father Christmas
Sixteen-year-old Chris, played by Lenny Rush, continues to believe in Father Christmas, regardless of the efforts of his dad (starring James Buckley) to tell him the reality.
The truth is to be discovered, and Chris sets out to find it with the assistance of a panel of well-known figures.
It’s gentle but sweet, and good viewing while anticipating Santa to visit.
Holiday verdict: 🎄🎄🎄
A Star-Studded Family Drama
Michelle Pfeiffer is the matriarch of a bickering American family who gather for the holidays—including other acclaimed actress Felicity Jones, Chloe Grace Moretz, Jason Schwartzman, and dad Denis Leary.
Pfeiffer starts by mentioning 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 unsung heroes of the holidays—moms.”
So that’s what this is, but in execution it’s really a combination of those aforementioned movies, at least until Pfeiffer’s character at last takes center stage.
Christmas tree rating: 🎄🎄
6.43pm - 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—seasonal comfort food.
It’s a tale as familiar as can be: An American woman travels to a distant snowy land and ends up finding romance.
In this case, Caprice Bourret plays a publisher
