Marathon Viewing This Year's Holiday Movies: Highlights, Lowlights, and Unexpected Delights.
‘Tis the time of year to lounge on the couch and consume a packet of holiday pastries in front of a terrific flick, a bad movie, or one that’s awesomely awful.
Once again, a selection of fresh holiday movies aims to become part of our seasonal watchlist—perhaps even finding a spot alongside beloved favorites like Home Alone, Elf, Love Actually, and Die Hard (we won’t debate it).
Thus, in a vital public service to sort the crackers from the turkeys, and to get into the Christmas spirit, I binged as many fresh festive movies as possible in a single day.
7.17am - A Very Jonas Christmas Movie
Kicking off, ideally, on a high. This film is the exclusive 2025 movie on a famous website's list of the best 100 holiday films of all time.
The Jonas Brothers are trapped in the UK after wrapping up their international trek and must make it back for Christmas. Their endeavors are hampered by an malevolent Father Christmas, who breaks into song to state they won’t get home until they “find their familial spark.”
The banter between the arguing trio is enjoyable even for the casual viewer, while fans will certainly catch lots of in-jokes as they endeavor 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 good start to the day.
Christmas tree rating: 🎄🎄🎄🎄🎄 for Jonas Brothers fans or 🎄🎄🎄 for their loved ones who are obliged to sit through it.
Next: A Star in Panto
Hollywood star Kiefer Sutherland appears as a celebrity roped into a "panto".
“A panto-what??” asks Sutherland’s “temperamental” and ageing lead Brad Mack, who has hit a rough patch and whose representative has tricked him into thinking he’s performing in prestigious English theatre.
His Aladdin co-stars tell him he’s playing Buttons. “Oh no I’m not,” he protests. You can guess their retort. Except if you’re ignorant of traditional British theatre traditions.
There are some hilarious moments, some cockle-warming storylines, and the supporting actors is brilliant, too.
It’s the sort of feature that would be a bit naff at a different time, but is a lot of fun at Christmas.
Holiday verdict: 🎄🎄🎄🎄
A New Spin on Scrooge
Danny Dyer appears at the start of this film, too, delivering a signature line for the next movie straight. Could this be a new Christmas tradition?
This time, he’s a singing black cab driver who collects 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 the director of Gurinder Chadha. The familiar story unfolds as the stingy Mr Sood is haunted by the ghosts of Christmas yesterday, today, and tomorrow, played by Hugh Bonneville, Billy Porter, and Boy George.
This South Asian reinterpretation is at least distinct from all the others, but regrettably he’s not very compelling and Nayyar’s performance is wooden—a major flaw when he’s so central to everything.
Festive score: 🎄🎄
12.04pm - Stuffed
Before lunch for a major broadcaster's holiday special—which stars Guz Khan as a lovably grouchy guy who “doesn’t really do Christmas.”
But after he is awarded an £8,000 Christmas bonus at work, his wife (starring Morgana Robinson) convinces him blowing the money on a vacation to Lapland.
There’s just one issue—he finds out there was an error with his bonus, which should have been £800, and he has to figure out how to pay back the difference.
Enjoyable but forgettable.
Holiday verdict: 🎄🎄
1.12pm - Champagne Problems
This is one of those Christmas films where the festive trappings are in the backdrop—Christmas is the setting 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 French chateau to secure an acquisition for a champagne business. On the way, she runs into a fellow in a literary haven who promises 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 stretch, but it is a Christmas romance with a touch of class and gives the obligatory cozy feelings.
The scene with a detailed conversation about Die Hard is very good too.
Christmas tree rating: 🎄🎄🎄
3.29pm - Finding Father Christmas
Young Chris, played by Lenny Rush, holds onto his belief in Father Christmas, in spite of the persuasion of his dad (played by James Buckley) to tell him the truth.
The answer is out there, and Chris sets out to find it with the guidance of a team of well-known scientists and personalities.
It’s understated but sweet, and good viewing while anticipating Santa to visit.
Christmas tree rating: 🎄🎄🎄
4.39pm - Oh. What. Fun.
Michelle Pfeiffer is the head of a dysfunctional American family who reunite for the holidays—including fellow acclaimed actress Felicity Jones, Chloe Grace Moretz, Jason Schwartzman, and dad Denis Leary.
Pfeiffer starts by mentioning holiday staples like National Lampoon’s Christmas Vacation, It’s A Wonderful Life and Home Alone, before stating: “They need to make a movie about the unsung heroes of the holidays—moms.”
So that’s the concept, but in execution it’s really a combination of those inspirations, at least until Pfeiffer’s character at last comes into her own.
Festive score: 🎄🎄
6.43pm - A Scottish Christmas Secret
The day’s waned in quality, but thankfully here’s a new offering in the packed genre of formulaic, schmaltzy, badly acted—and strangely compelling—holiday fare.
It’s a narrative as well-worn: An American woman journeys to a far-off wintery locale and ends up stumbling across romance.
In this case, Caprice Bourret plays a publisher