🔗 Share this article Binge-Watching The Latest Christmas Films: Highlights, Lowlights, and Unexpected Delights. It is the time of year to relax on the couch and devour a packet of mince pies in front of a great film, a awful feature, or one that’s terrible yet terrific. As always, a crop of fresh holiday movies strives to join part of our holiday traditions—potentially even joining the ranks alongside enduring classics like Home Alone, Elf, Love Actually, and Die Hard (we won’t debate it). Therefore, in a noble effort to distinguish the gems from the coal, and to find the festive feeling, I binged as many fresh holiday releases as possible in a single day. 7.17am - A Very Jonas Christmas Movie Kicking off, hopefully, on a positive note. This film is the sole 2025 entry on a well-known aggregator's list of the best 100 holiday films of all time. The popular band are stuck in the UK after finishing their global concert series and must return for Christmas. Their endeavors are thwarted by an evil Santa, who sings to state they won’t get home until they “rediscover their brotherly magic.” The banter between the squabbling siblings is enjoyable even for the non-fan, while fans will no doubt notice lots of in-jokes as they attempt to get back using any means of transport necessary. It’s a travelogue of mishaps. It’s not an all-time classic, but is great for devotees and a positive start to the day. Holiday verdict: 🎄🎄🎄🎄🎄 for Jonas Brothers fans or 🎄🎄🎄 for their relatives who are obliged to sit through it. Late Morning: Tinsel Town Hollywood star Kiefer Sutherland appears as a movie actor cast a "panto". “A panto-what?” asks Sutherland’s “hard-to-work-with” and ageing lead Brad Mack, who has hit a rough patch and whose agent has tricked him into thinking he’s performing in prestigious English theatre. His Aladdin fellow actors let him know he’s playing Buttons. “No I'm not,” he retorts. You can guess their reply. That is, unless you’re ignorant of traditional British theatre traditions. There are some very funny lines, some cockle-warming storylines, and the ensemble is cracking, too. It’s the kind of movie that would be a bit tacky at a different time, but is a lot of fun at Christmas. Christmas tree rating: 🎄🎄🎄🎄 Mid-Morning: Christmas Karma An actor shows up at the beginning of this film, too, calling someone a mug for the next movie straight. Could this be a fresh holiday staple? This time, he’s a musical taxi operator who collects Mr Sood, the modern take 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 director of Gurinder Chadha. The well-known tale unfolds as the tight-fisted Mr Sood is visited by the apparitions of Christmas yesterday, today, and tomorrow, played by Hugh Bonneville, Billy Porter, and Boy George. This Indian Scrooge is at least different from all the others, but sadly he’s not very charismatic and Nayyar’s acting is wooden—a problem when he’s so central to everything. Festive score: 🎄🎄 Noon: A BBC Special Before lunch for a channel's holiday special—which stars Guz Khan as a endearingly grumpy man who “doesn’t really do Christmas.” But after he receives an £8,000 Christmas bonus at work, his wife (portrayed by Morgana Robinson) talks him into blowing the money on a family trip to Lapland. There’s just one problem—he finds out there was an mix-up with his bonus, which should have been £800, and he has to determine how to reimburse the excess. Pleasant yet unmemorable. Christmas tree rating: 🎄🎄 1.12pm - Champagne Problems This is one of those Christmas films where the decorations and snow are in the setting—Christmas is the environment of the film rather than its raison d’etre—but it feels cosy and festive all the same. High-powered businesswoman Sydney (starring Minka Kelly) is sent to a country estate to do a deal for a sparkling wine company. During her travels, she meets a man in a book store who vows to show her the holidays in the City of Light. A commentator recently declared this is the finest new Christmas film of the last several seasons. That’s a bit of a stretch, but it is a festive dalliance with a dash of elegance and gives the required cozy feelings. The scene with a extended debate about Die Hard is very good too. Festive score: 🎄🎄🎄 3.29pm - Finding Father Christmas Sixteen-year-old Chris, played by Lenny Rush, holds onto his belief in Father Christmas, in spite of the attempts of his dad (played by James Buckley) to tell him the reality. The secret is somewhere, and Chris ventures forth to find it with the assistance of a panel of well-known scientists and personalities. It’s low-key but charming, and good viewing while anticipating Santa to visit. Christmas tree rating: 🎄🎄🎄 Late Afternoon: Oh. What. Fun. Michelle Pfeiffer is the head of a dysfunctional American family who come back together for the holidays—including other Oscar nominee Felicity Jones, Chloe Grace Moretz, Jason Schwartzman, and dad Denis Leary. Pfeiffer opens by name-dropping 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 the concept, but in practice it’s really a combination of those inspirations, at least until Pfeiffer’s character finally finds her strength. Festive score: 🎄🎄 6.43pm - A Scottish Christmas Secret The day’s gone downhill, but happily here’s a new offering in the crowded field of formulaic, schmaltzy, badly acted—and highly entertaining—festive fodder. It’s a narrative as old as time: An American woman journeys to a distant snowy land and ends up finding romance. In this case, Caprice Bourret plays a publisher
It is the time of year to relax on the couch and devour a packet of mince pies in front of a great film, a awful feature, or one that’s terrible yet terrific. As always, a crop of fresh holiday movies strives to join part of our holiday traditions—potentially even joining the ranks alongside enduring classics like Home Alone, Elf, Love Actually, and Die Hard (we won’t debate it). Therefore, in a noble effort to distinguish the gems from the coal, and to find the festive feeling, I binged as many fresh holiday releases as possible in a single day. 7.17am - A Very Jonas Christmas Movie Kicking off, hopefully, on a positive note. This film is the sole 2025 entry on a well-known aggregator's list of the best 100 holiday films of all time. The popular band are stuck in the UK after finishing their global concert series and must return for Christmas. Their endeavors are thwarted by an evil Santa, who sings to state they won’t get home until they “rediscover their brotherly magic.” The banter between the squabbling siblings is enjoyable even for the non-fan, while fans will no doubt notice lots of in-jokes as they attempt to get back using any means of transport necessary. It’s a travelogue of mishaps. It’s not an all-time classic, but is great for devotees and a positive start to the day. Holiday verdict: 🎄🎄🎄🎄🎄 for Jonas Brothers fans or 🎄🎄🎄 for their relatives who are obliged to sit through it. Late Morning: Tinsel Town Hollywood star Kiefer Sutherland appears as a movie actor cast a "panto". “A panto-what?” asks Sutherland’s “hard-to-work-with” and ageing lead Brad Mack, who has hit a rough patch and whose agent has tricked him into thinking he’s performing in prestigious English theatre. His Aladdin fellow actors let him know he’s playing Buttons. “No I'm not,” he retorts. You can guess their reply. That is, unless you’re ignorant of traditional British theatre traditions. There are some very funny lines, some cockle-warming storylines, and the ensemble is cracking, too. It’s the kind of movie that would be a bit tacky at a different time, but is a lot of fun at Christmas. Christmas tree rating: 🎄🎄🎄🎄 Mid-Morning: Christmas Karma An actor shows up at the beginning of this film, too, calling someone a mug for the next movie straight. Could this be a fresh holiday staple? This time, he’s a musical taxi operator who collects Mr Sood, the modern take 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 director of Gurinder Chadha. The well-known tale unfolds as the tight-fisted Mr Sood is visited by the apparitions of Christmas yesterday, today, and tomorrow, played by Hugh Bonneville, Billy Porter, and Boy George. This Indian Scrooge is at least different from all the others, but sadly he’s not very charismatic and Nayyar’s acting is wooden—a problem when he’s so central to everything. Festive score: 🎄🎄 Noon: A BBC Special Before lunch for a channel's holiday special—which stars Guz Khan as a endearingly grumpy man who “doesn’t really do Christmas.” But after he receives an £8,000 Christmas bonus at work, his wife (portrayed by Morgana Robinson) talks him into blowing the money on a family trip to Lapland. There’s just one problem—he finds out there was an mix-up with his bonus, which should have been £800, and he has to determine how to reimburse the excess. Pleasant yet unmemorable. Christmas tree rating: 🎄🎄 1.12pm - Champagne Problems This is one of those Christmas films where the decorations and snow are in the setting—Christmas is the environment of the film rather than its raison d’etre—but it feels cosy and festive all the same. High-powered businesswoman Sydney (starring Minka Kelly) is sent to a country estate to do a deal for a sparkling wine company. During her travels, she meets a man in a book store who vows to show her the holidays in the City of Light. A commentator recently declared this is the finest new Christmas film of the last several seasons. That’s a bit of a stretch, but it is a festive dalliance with a dash of elegance and gives the required cozy feelings. The scene with a extended debate about Die Hard is very good too. Festive score: 🎄🎄🎄 3.29pm - Finding Father Christmas Sixteen-year-old Chris, played by Lenny Rush, holds onto his belief in Father Christmas, in spite of the attempts of his dad (played by James Buckley) to tell him the reality. The secret is somewhere, and Chris ventures forth to find it with the assistance of a panel of well-known scientists and personalities. It’s low-key but charming, and good viewing while anticipating Santa to visit. Christmas tree rating: 🎄🎄🎄 Late Afternoon: Oh. What. Fun. Michelle Pfeiffer is the head of a dysfunctional American family who come back together for the holidays—including other Oscar nominee Felicity Jones, Chloe Grace Moretz, Jason Schwartzman, and dad Denis Leary. Pfeiffer opens by name-dropping 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 the concept, but in practice it’s really a combination of those inspirations, at least until Pfeiffer’s character finally finds her strength. Festive score: 🎄🎄 6.43pm - A Scottish Christmas Secret The day’s gone downhill, but happily here’s a new offering in the crowded field of formulaic, schmaltzy, badly acted—and highly entertaining—festive fodder. It’s a narrative as old as time: An American woman journeys to a distant snowy land and ends up finding romance. In this case, Caprice Bourret plays a publisher