Marathon Viewing The Latest Festive Features: Highlights, Lowlights, and Unexpected Delights.
‘Tis the season to lounge on the couch and demolish a packet of mince pies in front of a good movie, a poor film, or one that’s awesomely awful.
Once again, a selection of new holiday movies strives to join part of our seasonal watchlist—potentially even joining the ranks alongside beloved favorites like Home Alone, Elf, Love Actually, and Die Hard (we won’t debate it).
Therefore, in a helpful attempt to sort the crackers from the turkeys, and to embrace the festive feeling, I binged as many new holiday releases as possible in a single day.
First Up: The Jonas Brothers' Holiday Flick
Starting, ideally, on a good foot. This release is the sole 2025 movie on a famous website's list of the best 100 Christmas movies of all time.
The musical trio are trapped in the UK after wrapping up their global concert series and must return for Christmas. Their endeavors are hindered by an evil Santa, who sings to announce they won’t get home until they “rediscover their brotherly magic.”
The back-and-forth between the arguing trio is enjoyable even for the casual viewer, while fans will no doubt catch lots of references as they endeavor to get back using all transportation available.
It’s a journey of epic proportions.
It’s not an all-time classic, but is great for devotees and a positive start to the day.
Festive score: 🎄🎄🎄🎄🎄 for Jonas Brothers fans or 🎄🎄🎄 for their relatives who are obliged to sit through it.
Next: A Star in Panto
Famous performer Kiefer Sutherland has been cast as a Hollywood star tricked into a pantomime.
“A panto-what?” asks Sutherland’s “hard-to-work-with” and ageing star Brad Mack, who has hit a rough patch and whose manager has deceived him into thinking he’s performing in prestigious English theatre.
His pantomime cast-mates tell him he’s playing Buttons. “Oh no I’m not,” he protests. It's easy to predict their retort. Unless you’re not acquainted with traditional British theatre traditions.
There are some very funny lines, some heartwarming sub-plots, and the ensemble is excellent, too.
It’s the type of film that would be a bit tacky at any other time of year, but is a highly enjoyable at Christmas.
Christmas tree rating: 🎄🎄🎄🎄
Mid-Morning: Christmas Karma
A familiar face pops up at the outset of this film, too, delivering a signature line for the next movie straight. Might this become 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 a star of Kunal Nayyar and Christmas Karma is directed by the filmmaker behind Gurinder Chadha. The well-known tale develops as the miserly Mr Sood is visited by the spirits of Christmas past, present and future, 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 captivating and Nayyar’s acting is wooden—a problem when he’s so the main character.
Christmas tree rating: 🎄🎄
12.04pm - Stuffed
There’s time for a channel's Christmas comedy-drama—which stars Guz Khan as a endearingly grumpy man who “isn't big on Christmas.”
But after he is awarded an £8,000 Christmas bonus at work, his wife (starring Morgana Robinson) persuades him blowing the money on a holiday to Lapland.
There’s just one snag—he learns there was an mix-up with his bonus, which should have been £800, and he has to devise a plan for how to reimburse the excess.
Enjoyable but forgettable.
Holiday verdict: 🎄🎄
A Classy Netflix Romance
This is one of those holiday movies where the festive trappings 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.
High-powered businesswoman Sydney (starring Minka Kelly) is assigned to a vineyard to negotiate a purchase for a champagne business. En route, she runs into a fellow in a book store who vows to show her Christmas in Paris.
A commentator recently declared this is the finest new Christmas film of the recent era. That’s a bit of a stretch, but it is a holiday love story with a hint of sophistication and gives the required cozy feelings.
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, refuses to stop believing in Father Christmas, regardless of the efforts of his dad (starring James Buckley) to tell him otherwise.
The secret is to be discovered, and Chris ventures forth to find it with the guidance of a panel of well-known figures.
It’s understated but charming, and ideal viewing while waiting for Santa to visit.
Festive score: 🎄🎄🎄
4.39pm - Oh. What. Fun.
Michelle Pfeiffer is the matriarch of a bickering American family who come back together for the holidays—including other acclaimed actress Felicity Jones, Chloe Grace Moretz, Jason Schwartzman, and dad Denis Leary.
Pfeiffer starts by mentioning classic festive films 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 what this is, but in execution it’s really a mash-up of those forerunner films, at least until Pfeiffer’s character eventually takes center stage.
Christmas tree rating: 🎄🎄
Evening: A Scottish Christmas Secret
The day’s waned in quality, but thankfully here’s a new entry in the packed genre of cliched, saccharine, over-the-top—and highly entertaining—seasonal comfort food.
It’s a story as old as time: An American woman goes on a quest to a far-off wintery locale and ends up discovering romance.
In this case, Caprice Bourret plays a publisher