Marathon Viewing The Latest Christmas Films: The Hits, The Misses, and The Guilty Pleasures.
‘Tis the season to relax on the couch and devour a tin of festive treats in front of a terrific flick, a bad movie, or one that’s terrible yet terrific.
Once again, a selection of fresh seasonal stories strives to join part of our seasonal watchlist—potentially 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 Christmas spirit, I binged as many new Christmas films as possible in a single day.
Early Morning: A Very Jonas Christmas Movie
Kicking off, hopefully, on a good foot. This release is the only 2025 title on a popular review site's list of the greatest 100 Christmas movies of all time.
The musical trio are trapped in the UK after finishing their world tour and must get home for Christmas. Their endeavors are hindered by an malevolent Father Christmas, who sings to announce they won’t get home until they “rekindle their brotherly magic.”
The repartee between the squabbling siblings is enjoyable even for the non-fan, while devotees will undoubtedly catch lots of references as they attempt to get back using every mode of travel possible.
It’s a journey of epic proportions.
It’s not legendary, but is superb for devotees and a good start to the day.
Festive score: 🎄🎄🎄🎄🎄 for Jonas Brothers fans or 🎄🎄🎄 for their family members who are obliged to sit through it.
Next: A Star in Panto
A-list actor Kiefer Sutherland stars as a celebrity tricked into a traditional British stage show.
“A panto-what??” asks Sutherland’s “temperamental” and older star Brad Mack, who has hit a rough patch and whose representative has deceived him into thinking he’s appearing in high-class London stage.
His Aladdin cast-mates inform him he’s playing Buttons. “Absolutely not,” he protests. It's easy to predict their response. Unless you’re unfamiliar with traditional panto catchphrases.
There are some great jokes, some heartwarming sub-plots, and the ensemble is brilliant, too.
It’s the kind of movie that would be a bit naff at any other time of year, but is a great entertainment at Christmas.
Holiday verdict: 🎄🎄🎄🎄
A New Spin on Scrooge
A familiar face pops up at the start of this film, too, insulting someone for the second consecutive movie. Is this a budding festive ritual?
This time, he’s a musical taxi operator who picks up Mr Sood, the newest interpretation 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 Bend It Like Beckham’s Gurinder Chadha. The familiar story unfolds 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 Indian Scrooge is at least unique from all the others, but regrettably he’s not very charismatic and Nayyar’s performance is lifeless—a problem when he’s so the main character.
Holiday verdict: 🎄🎄
Noon: A BBC Special
Before lunch for a major broadcaster's original festive film—which stars Guz Khan as a charmingly cantankerous character who “doesn’t really do Christmas.”
But after he gets an large festive windfall at work, his wife (portrayed by Morgana Robinson) convinces him spending the sum on a holiday 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: 🎄🎄
A Classy Netflix Romance
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 main point—but it feels comfortable and seasonal all the same.
Ambitious executive Sydney (starring Minka Kelly) is assigned to a country estate to do a deal for a sparkling wine company. En route, she runs into a fellow in a bookshop who vows to show her a festive Paris.
A critic recently stated this is the best new Christmas film of the last several seasons. That’s a bit of a overstatement, but it is a Christmas romance with a dash of elegance and gives the obligatory warm and fuzzy feels.
The scene with a lengthy discussion about Die Hard is particularly strong too.
Festive score: 🎄🎄🎄
A Charming Quest
Teenage Chris, played by Lenny Rush, holds onto his belief in Father Christmas, regardless of the attempts of his dad (played by James Buckley) to tell him the reality.
The answer is to be discovered, and Chris ventures forth to find it with the assistance of a group of well-known figures.
It’s low-key but sweet, and ideal viewing while expecting Santa to visit.
Festive score: 🎄🎄🎄
Late Afternoon: Oh. What. Fun.
Michelle Pfeiffer is the matriarch of a quarrelling American family who reunite for the holidays—including fellow acclaimed actress Felicity Jones, Chloe Grace Moretz, Jason Schwartzman, and dad Denis Leary.
Pfeiffer begins by referencing classic festive films like National Lampoon’s Christmas Vacation, It’s A Wonderful Life and Home Alone, before declaring: “They need to make a movie about the true heroes of the holidays—moms.”
So that’s the concept, but in practice it’s really a mash-up of those inspirations, at least until Pfeiffer’s character eventually takes center stage.
Holiday verdict: 🎄🎄
Formulaic Fun
The day’s gone downhill, but fortunately here’s a new entry in the crowded field of formulaic, schmaltzy, badly acted—and strangely compelling—seasonal comfort food.
It’s a tale as well-worn: An American woman journeys to a picturesque cold country and ends up finding romance.
In this case, Caprice Bourret plays a publisher