🔗 Share this article Binge-Watching The Latest Christmas Films: The Good, The Bad and The So-Bad-It's-Good. ‘Tis the season to relax on the sofa and consume a box of mince pies in front of a terrific flick, a poor film, or one that’s awesomely awful. This year, a selection of fresh holiday movies strives to join part of our holiday traditions—potentially even earning a place alongside beloved favorites like Home Alone, Elf, Love Actually, and Die Hard (no arguments). So, in a noble effort to distinguish the gems from the coal, and to find the Christmas spirit, I watched as many new holiday releases as possible in a single day. Early Morning: A Very Jonas Christmas Movie Kicking off, ideally, on a good foot. This is the sole 2025 title on a popular review site's list of the top 100 holiday films of all time. The musical trio end up stuck in the UK after finishing their international trek and must return for Christmas. Their attempts are thwarted by an evil Santa, who sings to announce they won’t get home until they “find their brotherly magic.” The banter between the arguing trio is enjoyable even for the non-fan, while devotees will no doubt notice lots of in-jokes as they attempt to get back using every mode of travel possible. It’s private planes, trains and automobiles. It’s not a timeless masterpiece, but is excellent for devotees and a positive start to the day. Festive score: 🎄🎄🎄🎄🎄 for Jonas Brothers fans or 🎄🎄🎄 for their family members who will have to sit through it. Next: A Star in Panto Famous performer Kiefer Sutherland has been cast as a celebrity roped into a pantomime. “A panto-what?” asks Sutherland’s “hard-to-work-with” and aging star Brad Mack, who has fallen on hard times and whose agent has deceived him into thinking he’s starring in renowned British drama. His Aladdin cast-mates let him know he’s playing Buttons. “Oh no I’m not,” he protests. It's easy to predict their reply. Unless you’re not acquainted with traditional stage call-and-response. There are some great jokes, some touching sub-plots, and the rest of the cast is brilliant, too. It’s the kind of movie that would be a bit naff at any other time of year, but is a highly enjoyable at Christmas. Holiday verdict: 🎄🎄🎄🎄 Mid-Morning: Christmas Karma A familiar face pops up at the beginning of this film, too, delivering a signature line for the second consecutive movie. Might this become a budding festive ritual? This time, he’s a musical taxi operator who encounters Mr Sood, the modern take on Mr Scrooge from Charles Dickens’ A Christmas Carol. Mr Sood is played by a star of Kunal Nayyar and Christmas Karma is directed by Bend It Like Beckham’s Gurinder Chadha. The familiar story progresses as the miserly Mr Sood is confronted by the apparitions of Christmas past, present and future, played by Hugh Bonneville, Billy Porter, and Boy George. This South Asian reinterpretation is at least unique from all the others, but regrettably he’s not very compelling and Nayyar’s portrayal is lifeless—a significant issue when he’s so central to everything. Holiday verdict: 🎄🎄 12.04pm - Stuffed Before lunch for a network's holiday special—which stars Guz Khan as a endearingly grumpy man who “avoids Christmas.” But after he is awarded an £8,000 Christmas bonus at work, his wife (played by Morgana Robinson) persuades him blowing the money on a holiday to Lapland. There’s just one snag—he discovers there was an mix-up with his bonus, which should have been £800, and he has to devise a plan for how to return the remainder. Pleasant yet unmemorable. Festive score: 🎄🎄 1.12pm - Champagne Problems This is one of those Christmas films where the tree, fairy lights and snow are in the backdrop—Christmas is the environment of the film rather than its main point—but it feels warm and holiday-like all the same. Ambitious executive Sydney (played by Minka Kelly) is dispatched to a country estate to secure an acquisition for a champagne business. En route, she runs into a guy in a literary haven who vows to show her the holidays in the City of Light. A commentator recently claimed this is the finest new Christmas film of the past few years. That’s a bit of a stretch, but it is a holiday love story with a dash of elegance and gives the necessary cozy feelings. The scene with a lengthy discussion about Die Hard is very good 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 persuasion of his dad (starring James Buckley) to tell him the reality. The truth is out there, and Chris sets out to find it with the guidance of a panel of well-known figures. It’s gentle but sweet, and good viewing while anticipating Santa to visit. Holiday verdict: 🎄🎄🎄 Late Afternoon: Oh. What. Fun. Michelle Pfeiffer is the matriarch of a bickering American family who gather for the holidays—including fellow acclaimed actress Felicity Jones, Chloe Grace Moretz, Jason Schwartzman, and dad Denis Leary. Pfeiffer begins by referencing Christmas classics like National Lampoon’s Christmas Vacation, It’s A Wonderful Life and Home Alone, before stating: “They need to make a movie about the real champions of the holidays—moms.” So that’s the concept, but in practice it’s really a jumble of those inspirations, at least until Pfeiffer’s character finally finds her strength. Christmas tree rating: 🎄🎄 6.43pm - A Scottish Christmas Secret The day’s waned in quality, but happily here’s a new entry in the crowded field of formulaic, schmaltzy, badly acted—and strangely compelling—holiday fare. It’s a story as familiar as can be: An American woman travels to a distant snowy land and ends up discovering romance. In this case, Caprice Bourret plays a publisher
‘Tis the season to relax on the sofa and consume a box of mince pies in front of a terrific flick, a poor film, or one that’s awesomely awful. This year, a selection of fresh holiday movies strives to join part of our holiday traditions—potentially even earning a place alongside beloved favorites like Home Alone, Elf, Love Actually, and Die Hard (no arguments). So, in a noble effort to distinguish the gems from the coal, and to find the Christmas spirit, I watched as many new holiday releases as possible in a single day. Early Morning: A Very Jonas Christmas Movie Kicking off, ideally, on a good foot. This is the sole 2025 title on a popular review site's list of the top 100 holiday films of all time. The musical trio end up stuck in the UK after finishing their international trek and must return for Christmas. Their attempts are thwarted by an evil Santa, who sings to announce they won’t get home until they “find their brotherly magic.” The banter between the arguing trio is enjoyable even for the non-fan, while devotees will no doubt notice lots of in-jokes as they attempt to get back using every mode of travel possible. It’s private planes, trains and automobiles. It’s not a timeless masterpiece, but is excellent for devotees and a positive start to the day. Festive score: 🎄🎄🎄🎄🎄 for Jonas Brothers fans or 🎄🎄🎄 for their family members who will have to sit through it. Next: A Star in Panto Famous performer Kiefer Sutherland has been cast as a celebrity roped into a pantomime. “A panto-what?” asks Sutherland’s “hard-to-work-with” and aging star Brad Mack, who has fallen on hard times and whose agent has deceived him into thinking he’s starring in renowned British drama. His Aladdin cast-mates let him know he’s playing Buttons. “Oh no I’m not,” he protests. It's easy to predict their reply. Unless you’re not acquainted with traditional stage call-and-response. There are some great jokes, some touching sub-plots, and the rest of the cast is brilliant, too. It’s the kind of movie that would be a bit naff at any other time of year, but is a highly enjoyable at Christmas. Holiday verdict: 🎄🎄🎄🎄 Mid-Morning: Christmas Karma A familiar face pops up at the beginning of this film, too, delivering a signature line for the second consecutive movie. Might this become a budding festive ritual? This time, he’s a musical taxi operator who encounters Mr Sood, the modern take on Mr Scrooge from Charles Dickens’ A Christmas Carol. Mr Sood is played by a star of Kunal Nayyar and Christmas Karma is directed by Bend It Like Beckham’s Gurinder Chadha. The familiar story progresses as the miserly Mr Sood is confronted by the apparitions of Christmas past, present and future, played by Hugh Bonneville, Billy Porter, and Boy George. This South Asian reinterpretation is at least unique from all the others, but regrettably he’s not very compelling and Nayyar’s portrayal is lifeless—a significant issue when he’s so central to everything. Holiday verdict: 🎄🎄 12.04pm - Stuffed Before lunch for a network's holiday special—which stars Guz Khan as a endearingly grumpy man who “avoids Christmas.” But after he is awarded an £8,000 Christmas bonus at work, his wife (played by Morgana Robinson) persuades him blowing the money on a holiday to Lapland. There’s just one snag—he discovers there was an mix-up with his bonus, which should have been £800, and he has to devise a plan for how to return the remainder. Pleasant yet unmemorable. Festive score: 🎄🎄 1.12pm - Champagne Problems This is one of those Christmas films where the tree, fairy lights and snow are in the backdrop—Christmas is the environment of the film rather than its main point—but it feels warm and holiday-like all the same. Ambitious executive Sydney (played by Minka Kelly) is dispatched to a country estate to secure an acquisition for a champagne business. En route, she runs into a guy in a literary haven who vows to show her the holidays in the City of Light. A commentator recently claimed this is the finest new Christmas film of the past few years. That’s a bit of a stretch, but it is a holiday love story with a dash of elegance and gives the necessary cozy feelings. The scene with a lengthy discussion about Die Hard is very good 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 persuasion of his dad (starring James Buckley) to tell him the reality. The truth is out there, and Chris sets out to find it with the guidance of a panel of well-known figures. It’s gentle but sweet, and good viewing while anticipating Santa to visit. Holiday verdict: 🎄🎄🎄 Late Afternoon: Oh. What. Fun. Michelle Pfeiffer is the matriarch of a bickering American family who gather for the holidays—including fellow acclaimed actress Felicity Jones, Chloe Grace Moretz, Jason Schwartzman, and dad Denis Leary. Pfeiffer begins by referencing Christmas classics like National Lampoon’s Christmas Vacation, It’s A Wonderful Life and Home Alone, before stating: “They need to make a movie about the real champions of the holidays—moms.” So that’s the concept, but in practice it’s really a jumble of those inspirations, at least until Pfeiffer’s character finally finds her strength. Christmas tree rating: 🎄🎄 6.43pm - A Scottish Christmas Secret The day’s waned in quality, but happily here’s a new entry in the crowded field of formulaic, schmaltzy, badly acted—and strangely compelling—holiday fare. It’s a story as familiar as can be: An American woman travels to a distant snowy land and ends up discovering romance. In this case, Caprice Bourret plays a publisher