🔗 Share this article Devouring The Latest Christmas Films: The Hits, The Misses, and The Guilty Pleasures. ‘Tis the season to slob out on the couch and devour a packet of festive treats in front of a good movie, a poor film, or one that’s awesomely awful. This year, a selection of new holiday movies aims to become part of our holiday traditions—potentially even joining the ranks alongside timeless staples like Home Alone, Elf, Love Actually, and Die Hard (no arguments). So, in a helpful attempt to sort the crackers from the turkeys, and to get into the holiday mood, I marathoned as many recent Christmas films as possible in a single day. First Up: The Jonas Brothers' Holiday Flick Beginning, optimistically, on a good foot. This film is the only 2025 movie on a famous website's list of the top 100 festive features of all time. The Jonas Brothers are stranded in the UK after finishing their global concert series and must make it back for Christmas. Their endeavors are hindered by an malevolent Father Christmas, who breaks into song to state they won’t get home until they “rediscover their sibling bond.” The back-and-forth between the arguing trio is enjoyable even for the uninitiated, while followers will certainly notice lots of in-jokes as they endeavor to get back using all transportation available. It’s a travelogue of mishaps. It’s not a timeless masterpiece, but is excellent for devotees and a solid start to the day. Christmas tree rating: 🎄🎄🎄🎄🎄 for Jonas Brothers fans or 🎄🎄🎄 for their family members who must sit through it. Next: A Star in Panto Famous performer Kiefer Sutherland stars as a movie actor cast a "panto". “A panto-what?” asks Sutherland’s “temperamental” and aging star Brad Mack, who has hit a rough patch and whose manager has tricked him into thinking he’s appearing in high-class London stage. His pantomime fellow actors inform him he’s playing Buttons. “Absolutely not,” he protests. You can guess their reply. Unless you’re ignorant of traditional British theatre traditions. There are some very funny lines, some heartwarming side stories, and the rest of the cast is excellent, too. It’s the type of film that would be a bit cheesy at another season, but is a highly enjoyable at Christmas. Holiday verdict: 🎄🎄🎄🎄 A New Spin on Scrooge An actor shows up at the start of this film, too, calling someone a mug for the second film in a row. Could this be a fresh holiday staple? This time, he’s a crooning chauffeur who encounters Mr Sood, the latest spin 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 Bend It Like Beckham’s Gurinder Chadha. The well-known tale unfolds as the miserly Mr Sood is confronted by the apparitions of Christmas past, present and future, played by Hugh Bonneville, Billy Porter, and Boy George. This South Asian reinterpretation is at least different from all the others, but unfortunately he’s not very captivating and Nayyar’s portrayal is lifeless—a major flaw when he’s so the main character. Holiday verdict: 🎄🎄 Noon: A BBC Special There's just enough time for a network's original festive film—which stars Guz Khan as a charmingly cantankerous character who “isn't big on Christmas.” But after he gets an sizable holiday payout at work, his wife (portrayed by Morgana Robinson) convinces him blowing the money on a holiday to Lapland. There’s just one issue—he learns there was an mix-up with his bonus, which should have been £800, and he has to determine how to pay back the excess. Fun while it lasts but not lasting. Holiday verdict: 🎄🎄 Early Afternoon: Champagne Problems This is one of those Christmas films where the decorations and snow are in the backdrop—Christmas is the scene of the film rather than its raison d’etre—but it feels warm and holiday-like all the same. Driven corporate star Sydney (played by Minka Kelly) is assigned to a vineyard to negotiate a purchase for a champagne business. During her travels, she meets a man in a bookshop who promises to show her Christmas in Paris. An expert 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 lengthy discussion about Die Hard is notable too. Festive score: 🎄🎄🎄 Mid-Afternoon: 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 reality. The answer is out there, and Chris embarks on a quest to find it with the assistance of a group of well-known experts and celebrities. It’s understated but charming, and perfect viewing while expecting Santa to visit. Holiday verdict: 🎄🎄🎄 4.39pm - Oh. What. Fun. Michelle Pfeiffer is the head of a dysfunctional American family who gather for the holidays—including fellow acclaimed actress Felicity Jones, Chloe Grace Moretz, Jason Schwartzman, and dad Denis Leary. Pfeiffer opens by name-dropping Christmas classics like National Lampoon’s Christmas Vacation, It’s A Wonderful Life and Home Alone, before declaring: “They need to make a movie about the real champions of the holidays—moms.” So that’s the premise, but in reality it’s really a mash-up of those forerunner films, at least until Pfeiffer’s character eventually comes into her own. Festive score: 🎄🎄 Formulaic Fun The day’s taken a dip, but fortunately here’s a new addition in the packed genre of predictable, sentimental, cheesy—and strangely compelling—holiday fare. It’s a narrative as familiar as can be: An American woman journeys to a picturesque cold country and ends up stumbling across romance. In this case, Caprice Bourret plays a publisher
‘Tis the season to slob out on the couch and devour a packet of festive treats in front of a good movie, a poor film, or one that’s awesomely awful. This year, a selection of new holiday movies aims to become part of our holiday traditions—potentially even joining the ranks alongside timeless staples like Home Alone, Elf, Love Actually, and Die Hard (no arguments). So, in a helpful attempt to sort the crackers from the turkeys, and to get into the holiday mood, I marathoned as many recent Christmas films as possible in a single day. First Up: The Jonas Brothers' Holiday Flick Beginning, optimistically, on a good foot. This film is the only 2025 movie on a famous website's list of the top 100 festive features of all time. The Jonas Brothers are stranded in the UK after finishing their global concert series and must make it back for Christmas. Their endeavors are hindered by an malevolent Father Christmas, who breaks into song to state they won’t get home until they “rediscover their sibling bond.” The back-and-forth between the arguing trio is enjoyable even for the uninitiated, while followers will certainly notice lots of in-jokes as they endeavor to get back using all transportation available. It’s a travelogue of mishaps. It’s not a timeless masterpiece, but is excellent for devotees and a solid start to the day. Christmas tree rating: 🎄🎄🎄🎄🎄 for Jonas Brothers fans or 🎄🎄🎄 for their family members who must sit through it. Next: A Star in Panto Famous performer Kiefer Sutherland stars as a movie actor cast a "panto". “A panto-what?” asks Sutherland’s “temperamental” and aging star Brad Mack, who has hit a rough patch and whose manager has tricked him into thinking he’s appearing in high-class London stage. His pantomime fellow actors inform him he’s playing Buttons. “Absolutely not,” he protests. You can guess their reply. Unless you’re ignorant of traditional British theatre traditions. There are some very funny lines, some heartwarming side stories, and the rest of the cast is excellent, too. It’s the type of film that would be a bit cheesy at another season, but is a highly enjoyable at Christmas. Holiday verdict: 🎄🎄🎄🎄 A New Spin on Scrooge An actor shows up at the start of this film, too, calling someone a mug for the second film in a row. Could this be a fresh holiday staple? This time, he’s a crooning chauffeur who encounters Mr Sood, the latest spin 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 Bend It Like Beckham’s Gurinder Chadha. The well-known tale unfolds as the miserly Mr Sood is confronted by the apparitions of Christmas past, present and future, played by Hugh Bonneville, Billy Porter, and Boy George. This South Asian reinterpretation is at least different from all the others, but unfortunately he’s not very captivating and Nayyar’s portrayal is lifeless—a major flaw when he’s so the main character. Holiday verdict: 🎄🎄 Noon: A BBC Special There's just enough time for a network's original festive film—which stars Guz Khan as a charmingly cantankerous character who “isn't big on Christmas.” But after he gets an sizable holiday payout at work, his wife (portrayed by Morgana Robinson) convinces him blowing the money on a holiday to Lapland. There’s just one issue—he learns there was an mix-up with his bonus, which should have been £800, and he has to determine how to pay back the excess. Fun while it lasts but not lasting. Holiday verdict: 🎄🎄 Early Afternoon: Champagne Problems This is one of those Christmas films where the decorations and snow are in the backdrop—Christmas is the scene of the film rather than its raison d’etre—but it feels warm and holiday-like all the same. Driven corporate star Sydney (played by Minka Kelly) is assigned to a vineyard to negotiate a purchase for a champagne business. During her travels, she meets a man in a bookshop who promises to show her Christmas in Paris. An expert 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 lengthy discussion about Die Hard is notable too. Festive score: 🎄🎄🎄 Mid-Afternoon: 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 reality. The answer is out there, and Chris embarks on a quest to find it with the assistance of a group of well-known experts and celebrities. It’s understated but charming, and perfect viewing while expecting Santa to visit. Holiday verdict: 🎄🎄🎄 4.39pm - Oh. What. Fun. Michelle Pfeiffer is the head of a dysfunctional American family who gather for the holidays—including fellow acclaimed actress Felicity Jones, Chloe Grace Moretz, Jason Schwartzman, and dad Denis Leary. Pfeiffer opens by name-dropping Christmas classics like National Lampoon’s Christmas Vacation, It’s A Wonderful Life and Home Alone, before declaring: “They need to make a movie about the real champions of the holidays—moms.” So that’s the premise, but in reality it’s really a mash-up of those forerunner films, at least until Pfeiffer’s character eventually comes into her own. Festive score: 🎄🎄 Formulaic Fun The day’s taken a dip, but fortunately here’s a new addition in the packed genre of predictable, sentimental, cheesy—and strangely compelling—holiday fare. It’s a narrative as familiar as can be: An American woman journeys to a picturesque cold country and ends up stumbling across romance. In this case, Caprice Bourret plays a publisher