🔗 Share this article Binge-Watching This Year's Holiday Movies: Highlights, Lowlights, and Unexpected Delights. ‘Tis the time of year to relax on the sofa and consume a packet of holiday pastries in front of a great film, a bad movie, or one that’s awesomely awful. As always, a selection of latest seasonal stories strives to join part of our seasonal watchlist—potentially even joining the ranks alongside enduring classics like Home Alone, Elf, Love Actually, and Die Hard (we won’t debate it). So, in a noble effort to separate the winners from the losers, and to get into the holiday mood, I marathoned as many new Christmas films as possible in a single day. Early Morning: A Very Jonas Christmas Movie Kicking off, optimistically, on a positive note. This film is the sole 2025 title on a well-known aggregator's list of the best 100 Christmas movies of all time. The popular band are stuck in the UK after finishing their world tour and must make it back for Christmas. Their attempts are hampered by an evil Santa, who bursts into melody to declare they won’t get home until they “find their familial spark.” The back-and-forth between the squabbling siblings is enjoyable even for the casual viewer, while devotees will undoubtedly notice lots of easter eggs as they attempt to get back using all transportation available. It’s a journey of epic proportions. It’s not legendary, but is great for devotees and a positive start to the day. Holiday verdict: 🎄🎄🎄🎄🎄 for Jonas Brothers fans or 🎄🎄🎄 for their loved ones who will have to sit through it. Next: A Star in Panto Hollywood star Kiefer Sutherland stars as a Hollywood star cast a traditional British stage show. “A panto-what??” asks Sutherland’s “difficult” and ageing star Brad Mack, who has seen better days and whose agent has misled him into thinking he’s appearing in high-class London stage. His Aladdin fellow actors inform him he’s playing Buttons. “Oh no I’m not,” he insists angrily. You can guess their reply. Except if you’re not acquainted with traditional British theatre traditions. There are some great jokes, some cockle-warming storylines, and the ensemble is cracking, too. It’s the sort of feature that would be a bit cheesy at any other time of year, but is a great entertainment at Christmas. Christmas tree rating: 🎄🎄🎄🎄 10.19am - Christmas Karma An actor shows up at the beginning of this film, too, delivering a signature line for the next movie straight. Could this be a budding festive ritual? This time, he’s a singing black cab driver 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 the filmmaker behind Gurinder Chadha. The classic narrative unfolds 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 sadly he’s not very charismatic and Nayyar’s acting is lifeless—a problem when he’s so central to everything. Christmas tree rating: 🎄🎄 12.04pm - Stuffed Before lunch for a major broadcaster's holiday special—which stars Guz Khan as a lovably grouchy guy who “isn't big on Christmas.” But after he gets an large festive windfall at work, his wife (portrayed by Morgana Robinson) talks him into splurging the cash on a vacation to Lapland. There’s just one snag—he learns there was an mix-up with his bonus, which should have been £800, and he has to determine how to reimburse the remainder. Pleasant yet unmemorable. Festive score: 🎄🎄 A Classy Netflix Romance This is one of those Christmas films where the decorations and snow are in the setting—Christmas is the setting of the film rather than its core purpose—but it feels cosy and festive all the same. High-powered businesswoman Sydney (starring Minka Kelly) is assigned to a French chateau to do a deal for a sparkling wine company. En route, she meets a fellow in a book store who vows to show her a festive Paris. A commentator recently declared this is the best new Christmas film of the past few years. That’s a bit of a overstatement, but it is a Christmas romance with a dash of elegance and gives the obligatory cozy feelings. The scene with a lengthy discussion about Die Hard is particularly strong too. Holiday verdict: 🎄🎄🎄 A Charming Quest Sixteen-year-old Chris, played by Lenny Rush, holds onto his belief in Father Christmas, regardless of the efforts of his dad (starring James Buckley) to tell him the reality. The truth is to be discovered, and Chris embarks on a quest to find it with the expert help of a panel of well-known scientists and personalities. It’s low-key but charming, and ideal viewing while anticipating Santa to visit. Festive score: 🎄🎄🎄 Late Afternoon: Oh. What. Fun. Michelle Pfeiffer is the matriarch of a bickering American family who come back together for the holidays—including other acclaimed actress Felicity Jones, Chloe Grace Moretz, Jason Schwartzman, and dad Denis Leary. Pfeiffer starts by mentioning Christmas classics like National Lampoon’s Christmas Vacation, It’s A Wonderful Life and Home Alone, before stating: “They need to make a movie about the unsung heroes of the holidays—moms.” So that’s the concept, but in practice it’s really a combination of those forerunner films, at least until Pfeiffer’s character finally comes into her own. Holiday verdict: 🎄🎄 Evening: A Scottish Christmas Secret The day’s taken a dip, but happily here’s a new addition in the saturated market of predictable, sentimental, cheesy—and strangely compelling—festive fodder. It’s a story as old as time: An American woman journeys to a far-off wintery locale and ends up discovering romance. In this case, Caprice Bourret plays a publisher
‘Tis the time of year to relax on the sofa and consume a packet of holiday pastries in front of a great film, a bad movie, or one that’s awesomely awful. As always, a selection of latest seasonal stories strives to join part of our seasonal watchlist—potentially even joining the ranks alongside enduring classics like Home Alone, Elf, Love Actually, and Die Hard (we won’t debate it). So, in a noble effort to separate the winners from the losers, and to get into the holiday mood, I marathoned as many new Christmas films as possible in a single day. Early Morning: A Very Jonas Christmas Movie Kicking off, optimistically, on a positive note. This film is the sole 2025 title on a well-known aggregator's list of the best 100 Christmas movies of all time. The popular band are stuck in the UK after finishing their world tour and must make it back for Christmas. Their attempts are hampered by an evil Santa, who bursts into melody to declare they won’t get home until they “find their familial spark.” The back-and-forth between the squabbling siblings is enjoyable even for the casual viewer, while devotees will undoubtedly notice lots of easter eggs as they attempt to get back using all transportation available. It’s a journey of epic proportions. It’s not legendary, but is great for devotees and a positive start to the day. Holiday verdict: 🎄🎄🎄🎄🎄 for Jonas Brothers fans or 🎄🎄🎄 for their loved ones who will have to sit through it. Next: A Star in Panto Hollywood star Kiefer Sutherland stars as a Hollywood star cast a traditional British stage show. “A panto-what??” asks Sutherland’s “difficult” and ageing star Brad Mack, who has seen better days and whose agent has misled him into thinking he’s appearing in high-class London stage. His Aladdin fellow actors inform him he’s playing Buttons. “Oh no I’m not,” he insists angrily. You can guess their reply. Except if you’re not acquainted with traditional British theatre traditions. There are some great jokes, some cockle-warming storylines, and the ensemble is cracking, too. It’s the sort of feature that would be a bit cheesy at any other time of year, but is a great entertainment at Christmas. Christmas tree rating: 🎄🎄🎄🎄 10.19am - Christmas Karma An actor shows up at the beginning of this film, too, delivering a signature line for the next movie straight. Could this be a budding festive ritual? This time, he’s a singing black cab driver 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 the filmmaker behind Gurinder Chadha. The classic narrative unfolds 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 sadly he’s not very charismatic and Nayyar’s acting is lifeless—a problem when he’s so central to everything. Christmas tree rating: 🎄🎄 12.04pm - Stuffed Before lunch for a major broadcaster's holiday special—which stars Guz Khan as a lovably grouchy guy who “isn't big on Christmas.” But after he gets an large festive windfall at work, his wife (portrayed by Morgana Robinson) talks him into splurging the cash on a vacation to Lapland. There’s just one snag—he learns there was an mix-up with his bonus, which should have been £800, and he has to determine how to reimburse the remainder. Pleasant yet unmemorable. Festive score: 🎄🎄 A Classy Netflix Romance This is one of those Christmas films where the decorations and snow are in the setting—Christmas is the setting of the film rather than its core purpose—but it feels cosy and festive all the same. High-powered businesswoman Sydney (starring Minka Kelly) is assigned to a French chateau to do a deal for a sparkling wine company. En route, she meets a fellow in a book store who vows to show her a festive Paris. A commentator recently declared this is the best new Christmas film of the past few years. That’s a bit of a overstatement, but it is a Christmas romance with a dash of elegance and gives the obligatory cozy feelings. The scene with a lengthy discussion about Die Hard is particularly strong too. Holiday verdict: 🎄🎄🎄 A Charming Quest Sixteen-year-old Chris, played by Lenny Rush, holds onto his belief in Father Christmas, regardless of the efforts of his dad (starring James Buckley) to tell him the reality. The truth is to be discovered, and Chris embarks on a quest to find it with the expert help of a panel of well-known scientists and personalities. It’s low-key but charming, and ideal viewing while anticipating Santa to visit. Festive score: 🎄🎄🎄 Late Afternoon: Oh. What. Fun. Michelle Pfeiffer is the matriarch of a bickering American family who come back together for the holidays—including other acclaimed actress Felicity Jones, Chloe Grace Moretz, Jason Schwartzman, and dad Denis Leary. Pfeiffer starts by mentioning Christmas classics like National Lampoon’s Christmas Vacation, It’s A Wonderful Life and Home Alone, before stating: “They need to make a movie about the unsung heroes of the holidays—moms.” So that’s the concept, but in practice it’s really a combination of those forerunner films, at least until Pfeiffer’s character finally comes into her own. Holiday verdict: 🎄🎄 Evening: A Scottish Christmas Secret The day’s taken a dip, but happily here’s a new addition in the saturated market of predictable, sentimental, cheesy—and strangely compelling—festive fodder. It’s a story as old as time: An American woman journeys to a far-off wintery locale and ends up discovering romance. In this case, Caprice Bourret plays a publisher