Marathon Viewing This Year's Christmas Films: The Hits, The Misses, and The Guilty Pleasures.
‘Tis the season to slob out on the couch and demolish a packet of festive treats in front of a great film, a poor film, or one that’s so bad it’s good.
This year, a batch of new seasonal stories hopes to be part of our holiday traditions—potentially even earning a place alongside enduring classics like Home Alone, Elf, Love Actually, and Die Hard (don’t start).
Therefore, in a vital public service to sort the crackers from the turkeys, and to embrace the Christmas spirit, I binged as many recent festive movies as possible in a single day.
First Up: The Jonas Brothers' Holiday Flick
Kicking off, hopefully, on a good foot. This release is the sole 2025 title on a famous website's list of the best 100 Christmas movies of all time.
The popular band are trapped in the UK after wrapping up their world tour and must make it back for Christmas. Their efforts are hampered by an villainous Saint Nick, who breaks into song to declare they won’t get home until they “rediscover their familial spark.”
The repartee between the bickering brothers is entertaining even for the uninitiated, while fans will certainly notice lots of in-jokes as they try to get back using all transportation available.
It’s a journey of epic proportions.
It’s not a timeless masterpiece, but is excellent for fans and a positive start to the day.
Festive score: 🎄🎄🎄🎄🎄 for Jonas Brothers fans or 🎄🎄🎄 for their relatives who must sit through it.
8.45am - Tinsel Town
Hollywood star Kiefer Sutherland stars as a celebrity cast a pantomime.
“A panto-what??” asks Sutherland’s “difficult” and aging star Brad Mack, who has seen better days and whose manager has deceived him into thinking he’s starring in renowned British drama.
His Aladdin co-stars tell him he’s playing Buttons. “No I'm not,” he retorts. It's easy to predict their retort. Except if you’re not acquainted with traditional stage call-and-response.
There are some hilarious moments, some cockle-warming storylines, and the rest of the cast is excellent, too.
It’s the type of film that would be a bit naff at any other time of year, but is a lot of fun at Christmas.
Christmas tree rating: 🎄🎄🎄🎄
10.19am - Christmas Karma
An actor pops up at the outset of this film, too, delivering a signature line for the second film in a row. Could this be a fresh holiday staple?
This time, he’s a crooning chauffeur who picks up Mr Sood, the newest interpretation on Mr Scrooge from Charles Dickens’ A Christmas Carol.
Mr Sood is played by The Big Bang Theory’s Kunal Nayyar and Christmas Karma is directed by the filmmaker behind Gurinder Chadha. The familiar story progresses as the stingy 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 unfortunately he’s not very compelling and Nayyar’s portrayal is wooden—a significant issue when he’s so the focal point.
Festive score: 🎄🎄
Noon: A BBC Special
There’s time for a major broadcaster's Christmas comedy-drama—which stars Guz Khan as a endearingly grumpy man who “avoids Christmas.”
But after he gets an large festive windfall at work, his wife (played by Morgana Robinson) persuades him blowing the money on a vacation to Lapland.
There’s just one snag—he learns there was an mistake with his bonus, which should have been £800, and he has to figure out how to reimburse the difference.
Enjoyable but forgettable.
Festive score: 🎄🎄
Early Afternoon: Champagne Problems
This is one of those holiday movies where the tree, fairy lights and snow are in the setting—Christmas is the environment of the film rather than its main point—but it feels cosy and festive all the same.
High-powered businesswoman Sydney (played by Minka Kelly) is dispatched to a country estate to do a deal for a sparkling wine company. En route, she runs into a man in a bookshop who vows to show her the holidays in the City of Light.
A commentator recently claimed this is the top new Christmas film of the last several seasons. That’s a bit of a stretch, but it is a festive dalliance with a touch of class and gives the required warm and fuzzy feels.
The scene with a lengthy discussion about Die Hard is notable too.
Holiday verdict: 🎄🎄🎄
A Charming Quest
Teenage Chris, played by Lenny Rush, holds onto his belief in Father Christmas, regardless of the persuasion of his dad (played by James Buckley) to tell him the truth.
The secret is somewhere, and Chris sets out to find it with the guidance of a panel of well-known figures.
It’s understated but charming, and perfect viewing while anticipating Santa to visit.
Holiday verdict: 🎄🎄🎄
A Star-Studded Family Drama
Michelle Pfeiffer is the head of a bickering American family who reunite for the holidays—including fellow Oscar nominee Felicity Jones, Chloe Grace Moretz, Jason Schwartzman, and dad Denis Leary.
Pfeiffer begins by referencing holiday staples like National Lampoon’s Christmas Vacation, It’s A Wonderful Life and Home Alone, before saying: “They need to make a movie about the real champions of the holidays—moms.”
So that’s the premise, but in execution it’s really a combination of those forerunner films, at least until Pfeiffer’s character finally comes into her own.
Festive score: 🎄🎄
6.43pm - A Scottish Christmas Secret
The day’s taken a dip, but thankfully here’s a new entry in the saturated market of cliched, saccharine, over-the-top—and strangely compelling—holiday fare.
It’s a story as old as time: An American woman travels to a far-off wintery locale and ends up finding romance.
In this case, Caprice Bourret plays a publisher
