🔗 Share this article Marathon Viewing The Latest Festive Features: Highlights, Lowlights, and Unexpected Delights. It is the season to lounge on the couch and consume a box of holiday pastries in front of a terrific flick, a awful feature, or one that’s terrible yet terrific. Once again, a crop of fresh Christmas films strives to join part of our holiday traditions—potentially even joining the ranks alongside timeless staples like Home Alone, Elf, Love Actually, and Die Hard (don’t start). Thus, in a helpful attempt to sort the crackers from the turkeys, and to get into the holiday mood, I binged as many fresh Christmas films as possible in a single day. First Up: The Jonas Brothers' Holiday Flick Kicking off, hopefully, on a high. This is the sole 2025 movie on a well-known aggregator's list of the best 100 Christmas movies of all time. The Jonas Brothers are trapped in the UK after concluding their global concert series and must get home for Christmas. Their attempts are thwarted by an evil Santa, who sings to declare they won’t get home until they “rediscover their sibling bond.” The back-and-forth between the bickering brothers is amusing even for the uninitiated, while devotees will certainly notice lots of in-jokes as they try to get back using all transportation available. It’s a travelogue of mishaps. It’s not a timeless masterpiece, but is great for devotees and a positive start to the day. Holiday verdict: 🎄🎄🎄🎄🎄 for Jonas Brothers fans or 🎄🎄🎄 for their relatives who must sit through it. Late Morning: Tinsel Town Famous performer Kiefer Sutherland appears as a celebrity cast a traditional British stage show. “A panto-what?” asks Sutherland’s “temperamental” and aging star Brad Mack, who has seen better days and whose agent has misled him into thinking he’s appearing in prestigious English theatre. His Aladdin cast-mates tell him he’s playing Buttons. “Absolutely not,” he retorts. You can guess their retort. Unless you’re unfamiliar with traditional stage call-and-response. There are some hilarious moments, some heartwarming side stories, and the ensemble is cracking, too. It’s the kind of movie that would be a bit cheesy at a different time, but is a highly enjoyable at Christmas. Christmas tree rating: 🎄🎄🎄🎄 10.19am - Christmas Karma Danny Dyer pops up at the start of this film, too, calling someone a mug for the second consecutive movie. Could this be a budding festive ritual? This time, he’s a singing black cab driver who encounters Mr Sood, the modern take 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 the filmmaker behind Gurinder Chadha. The well-known tale progresses as the miserly Mr Sood is confronted by the spirits of Christmas yesterday, today, and tomorrow, 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 wooden—a major flaw when he’s so the focal point. Christmas tree rating: 🎄🎄 Lunchtime: Stuffed Before lunch for a major broadcaster's holiday special—which stars Guz Khan as a lovably grouchy guy who “avoids Christmas.” But after he receives an large festive windfall at work, his wife (played by Morgana Robinson) talks him into splurging the cash on a vacation to Lapland. There’s just one problem—he discovers there was an mistake with his bonus, which should have been £800, and he has to devise a plan for how to return the remainder. Fun while it lasts but not lasting. Holiday verdict: 🎄🎄 1.12pm - Champagne Problems This is one of those Christmas films where the decorations 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 vineyard to negotiate a purchase for a sparkling wine company. During her travels, she runs into a fellow in a literary haven who promises to show her a festive Paris. A commentator recently stated this is the best new Christmas film of the last several seasons. That’s a bit of a exaggeration, but it is a holiday love story with a dash of elegance and gives the obligatory warm and fuzzy feels. The scene with a extended debate about Die Hard is particularly strong too. Festive score: 🎄🎄🎄 Mid-Afternoon: Finding Father Christmas Young Chris, played by Lenny Rush, continues to believe in Father Christmas, in spite of the efforts of his dad (played by James Buckley) to tell him the truth. The truth is to be discovered, and Chris embarks on a quest to find it with the guidance of a team of well-known figures. It’s gentle but sweet, and ideal viewing while anticipating Santa to visit. Christmas tree rating: 🎄🎄🎄 A Star-Studded Family Drama Michelle Pfeiffer is the head of a dysfunctional American family who reunite for the holidays—including other acclaimed actress Felicity Jones, Chloe Grace Moretz, Jason Schwartzman, and dad Denis Leary. Pfeiffer opens by name-dropping 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 unsung heroes of the holidays—moms.” So that’s what this is, but in reality it’s really a mash-up of those forerunner films, at least until Pfeiffer’s character at last finds her strength. Festive score: 🎄🎄 Evening: A Scottish Christmas Secret The day’s gone downhill, but thankfully here’s a new offering in the crowded field of predictable, sentimental, cheesy—and strangely compelling—festive fodder. It’s a narrative as old as time: An American woman travels to a picturesque cold country and ends up finding romance. In this case, Caprice Bourret plays a publisher
It is the season to lounge on the couch and consume a box of holiday pastries in front of a terrific flick, a awful feature, or one that’s terrible yet terrific. Once again, a crop of fresh Christmas films strives to join part of our holiday traditions—potentially even joining the ranks alongside timeless staples like Home Alone, Elf, Love Actually, and Die Hard (don’t start). Thus, in a helpful attempt to sort the crackers from the turkeys, and to get into the holiday mood, I binged as many fresh Christmas films as possible in a single day. First Up: The Jonas Brothers' Holiday Flick Kicking off, hopefully, on a high. This is the sole 2025 movie on a well-known aggregator's list of the best 100 Christmas movies of all time. The Jonas Brothers are trapped in the UK after concluding their global concert series and must get home for Christmas. Their attempts are thwarted by an evil Santa, who sings to declare they won’t get home until they “rediscover their sibling bond.” The back-and-forth between the bickering brothers is amusing even for the uninitiated, while devotees will certainly notice lots of in-jokes as they try to get back using all transportation available. It’s a travelogue of mishaps. It’s not a timeless masterpiece, but is great for devotees and a positive start to the day. Holiday verdict: 🎄🎄🎄🎄🎄 for Jonas Brothers fans or 🎄🎄🎄 for their relatives who must sit through it. Late Morning: Tinsel Town Famous performer Kiefer Sutherland appears as a celebrity cast a traditional British stage show. “A panto-what?” asks Sutherland’s “temperamental” and aging star Brad Mack, who has seen better days and whose agent has misled him into thinking he’s appearing in prestigious English theatre. His Aladdin cast-mates tell him he’s playing Buttons. “Absolutely not,” he retorts. You can guess their retort. Unless you’re unfamiliar with traditional stage call-and-response. There are some hilarious moments, some heartwarming side stories, and the ensemble is cracking, too. It’s the kind of movie that would be a bit cheesy at a different time, but is a highly enjoyable at Christmas. Christmas tree rating: 🎄🎄🎄🎄 10.19am - Christmas Karma Danny Dyer pops up at the start of this film, too, calling someone a mug for the second consecutive movie. Could this be a budding festive ritual? This time, he’s a singing black cab driver who encounters Mr Sood, the modern take 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 the filmmaker behind Gurinder Chadha. The well-known tale progresses as the miserly Mr Sood is confronted by the spirits of Christmas yesterday, today, and tomorrow, 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 wooden—a major flaw when he’s so the focal point. Christmas tree rating: 🎄🎄 Lunchtime: Stuffed Before lunch for a major broadcaster's holiday special—which stars Guz Khan as a lovably grouchy guy who “avoids Christmas.” But after he receives an large festive windfall at work, his wife (played by Morgana Robinson) talks him into splurging the cash on a vacation to Lapland. There’s just one problem—he discovers there was an mistake with his bonus, which should have been £800, and he has to devise a plan for how to return the remainder. Fun while it lasts but not lasting. Holiday verdict: 🎄🎄 1.12pm - Champagne Problems This is one of those Christmas films where the decorations 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 vineyard to negotiate a purchase for a sparkling wine company. During her travels, she runs into a fellow in a literary haven who promises to show her a festive Paris. A commentator recently stated this is the best new Christmas film of the last several seasons. That’s a bit of a exaggeration, but it is a holiday love story with a dash of elegance and gives the obligatory warm and fuzzy feels. The scene with a extended debate about Die Hard is particularly strong too. Festive score: 🎄🎄🎄 Mid-Afternoon: Finding Father Christmas Young Chris, played by Lenny Rush, continues to believe in Father Christmas, in spite of the efforts of his dad (played by James Buckley) to tell him the truth. The truth is to be discovered, and Chris embarks on a quest to find it with the guidance of a team of well-known figures. It’s gentle but sweet, and ideal viewing while anticipating Santa to visit. Christmas tree rating: 🎄🎄🎄 A Star-Studded Family Drama Michelle Pfeiffer is the head of a dysfunctional American family who reunite for the holidays—including other acclaimed actress Felicity Jones, Chloe Grace Moretz, Jason Schwartzman, and dad Denis Leary. Pfeiffer opens by name-dropping 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 unsung heroes of the holidays—moms.” So that’s what this is, but in reality it’s really a mash-up of those forerunner films, at least until Pfeiffer’s character at last finds her strength. Festive score: 🎄🎄 Evening: A Scottish Christmas Secret The day’s gone downhill, but thankfully here’s a new offering in the crowded field of predictable, sentimental, cheesy—and strangely compelling—festive fodder. It’s a narrative as old as time: An American woman travels to a picturesque cold country and ends up finding romance. In this case, Caprice Bourret plays a publisher