🔗 Share this article Marathon Viewing This Year's Holiday Movies: The Hits, The Misses, and The Guilty Pleasures. ‘Tis the time of year to slob out on the couch and consume a packet of holiday pastries in front of a good movie, a poor film, or one that’s terrible yet terrific. As always, a selection of new Christmas films strives to join part of our festive viewing—perhaps even earning a place alongside beloved favorites like Home Alone, Elf, Love Actually, and Die Hard (don’t start). So, in a helpful attempt to separate the winners from the losers, and to find the holiday mood, I watched as many fresh holiday releases as possible in a single day. First Up: The Jonas Brothers' Holiday Flick Starting, hopefully, on a positive note. This is the exclusive 2025 movie on a popular review site's list of the best 100 Christmas movies of all time. The musical trio end up stuck in the UK after finishing their global concert series and must return for Christmas. Their attempts are hampered by an malevolent Father Christmas, who breaks into song to announce they won’t get home until they “rediscover their brotherly magic.” The repartee between the squabbling siblings is enjoyable even for the uninitiated, while followers will certainly catch lots of easter eggs as they attempt to get back using all transportation available. It’s a journey of epic proportions. It’s not a timeless masterpiece, but is great for fans and a positive start to the day. Christmas tree rating: 🎄🎄🎄🎄🎄 for Jonas Brothers fans or 🎄🎄🎄 for their loved ones who must sit through it. 8.45am - Tinsel Town A-list actor Kiefer Sutherland appears as a movie actor cast a pantomime. “A panto-what?” asks Sutherland’s “temperamental” and older action hero Brad Mack, who has seen better days and whose agent has deceived him into thinking he’s appearing in renowned British drama. His Aladdin fellow actors inform him he’s playing Buttons. “No I'm not,” he insists angrily. One can imagine their response. That is, unless you’re unfamiliar with traditional British theatre traditions. There are some very funny lines, some touching side stories, and the ensemble is brilliant, too. It’s the kind of movie that would be a bit naff at a different time, but is a lot of fun at Christmas. Holiday verdict: 🎄🎄🎄🎄 Mid-Morning: Christmas Karma A familiar face appears at the beginning of this film, too, delivering a signature line for the next movie straight. Could this be a new Christmas tradition? This time, he’s a singing black cab driver who collects 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 Bend It Like Beckham’s Gurinder Chadha. The familiar story unfolds as the miserly Mr Sood is confronted by the ghosts 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 lifeless—a major flaw when he’s so the focal point. Festive score: 🎄🎄 Lunchtime: Stuffed There’s time for a channel's holiday special—which stars Guz Khan as a lovably grouchy guy who “avoids Christmas.” But after he gets an £8,000 Christmas bonus at work, his wife (starring Morgana Robinson) persuades him spending the sum on a vacation to Lapland. There’s just one issue—he finds out there was an mix-up with his bonus, which should have been £800, and he has to figure out how to return the remainder. Pleasant yet unmemorable. Holiday verdict: 🎄🎄 Early Afternoon: Champagne Problems This is one of those Christmas films where the decorations and snow are in the background—Christmas is the setting of the film rather than its core purpose—but it feels warm and holiday-like all the same. Driven corporate star Sydney (starring Minka Kelly) is dispatched to a vineyard to do a deal for a sparkling wine company. During her travels, she encounters a man in a literary haven who promises to show her a festive Paris. An expert recently stated this is the best new Christmas film of the last several seasons. That’s a bit of a stretch, but it is a holiday love story with a dash of elegance and gives the necessary cozy feelings. The scene with a extended debate about Die Hard is particularly strong too. Holiday verdict: 🎄🎄🎄 A Charming Quest Teenage Chris, played by Lenny Rush, continues to believe in Father Christmas, regardless of the attempts of his dad (played by James Buckley) to tell him the reality. The truth is somewhere, and Chris embarks on a quest to find it with the guidance of a team of well-known experts and celebrities. It’s low-key but sweet, and good viewing while expecting Santa to visit. Holiday verdict: 🎄🎄🎄 4.39pm - Oh. What. Fun. Michelle Pfeiffer is the mother of a quarrelling American family who reunite for the holidays—including other acclaimed actress 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 true heroes of the holidays—moms.” So that’s the premise, but in practice it’s really a mash-up of those aforementioned movies, at least until Pfeiffer’s character finally takes center stage. Holiday verdict: 🎄🎄 6.43pm - A Scottish Christmas Secret The day’s taken a dip, but thankfully here’s a new addition in the saturated market of predictable, sentimental, cheesy—and highly entertaining—holiday fare. It’s a story as familiar as can be: An American woman goes on a quest to a distant snowy land and ends up stumbling across romance. In this case, Caprice Bourret plays a publisher
‘Tis the time of year to slob out on the couch and consume a packet of holiday pastries in front of a good movie, a poor film, or one that’s terrible yet terrific. As always, a selection of new Christmas films strives to join part of our festive viewing—perhaps even earning a place alongside beloved favorites like Home Alone, Elf, Love Actually, and Die Hard (don’t start). So, in a helpful attempt to separate the winners from the losers, and to find the holiday mood, I watched as many fresh holiday releases as possible in a single day. First Up: The Jonas Brothers' Holiday Flick Starting, hopefully, on a positive note. This is the exclusive 2025 movie on a popular review site's list of the best 100 Christmas movies of all time. The musical trio end up stuck in the UK after finishing their global concert series and must return for Christmas. Their attempts are hampered by an malevolent Father Christmas, who breaks into song to announce they won’t get home until they “rediscover their brotherly magic.” The repartee between the squabbling siblings is enjoyable even for the uninitiated, while followers will certainly catch lots of easter eggs as they attempt to get back using all transportation available. It’s a journey of epic proportions. It’s not a timeless masterpiece, but is great for fans and a positive start to the day. Christmas tree rating: 🎄🎄🎄🎄🎄 for Jonas Brothers fans or 🎄🎄🎄 for their loved ones who must sit through it. 8.45am - Tinsel Town A-list actor Kiefer Sutherland appears as a movie actor cast a pantomime. “A panto-what?” asks Sutherland’s “temperamental” and older action hero Brad Mack, who has seen better days and whose agent has deceived him into thinking he’s appearing in renowned British drama. His Aladdin fellow actors inform him he’s playing Buttons. “No I'm not,” he insists angrily. One can imagine their response. That is, unless you’re unfamiliar with traditional British theatre traditions. There are some very funny lines, some touching side stories, and the ensemble is brilliant, too. It’s the kind of movie that would be a bit naff at a different time, but is a lot of fun at Christmas. Holiday verdict: 🎄🎄🎄🎄 Mid-Morning: Christmas Karma A familiar face appears at the beginning of this film, too, delivering a signature line for the next movie straight. Could this be a new Christmas tradition? This time, he’s a singing black cab driver who collects 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 Bend It Like Beckham’s Gurinder Chadha. The familiar story unfolds as the miserly Mr Sood is confronted by the ghosts 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 lifeless—a major flaw when he’s so the focal point. Festive score: 🎄🎄 Lunchtime: Stuffed There’s time for a channel's holiday special—which stars Guz Khan as a lovably grouchy guy who “avoids Christmas.” But after he gets an £8,000 Christmas bonus at work, his wife (starring Morgana Robinson) persuades him spending the sum on a vacation to Lapland. There’s just one issue—he finds out there was an mix-up with his bonus, which should have been £800, and he has to figure out how to return the remainder. Pleasant yet unmemorable. Holiday verdict: 🎄🎄 Early Afternoon: Champagne Problems This is one of those Christmas films where the decorations and snow are in the background—Christmas is the setting of the film rather than its core purpose—but it feels warm and holiday-like all the same. Driven corporate star Sydney (starring Minka Kelly) is dispatched to a vineyard to do a deal for a sparkling wine company. During her travels, she encounters a man in a literary haven who promises to show her a festive Paris. An expert recently stated this is the best new Christmas film of the last several seasons. That’s a bit of a stretch, but it is a holiday love story with a dash of elegance and gives the necessary cozy feelings. The scene with a extended debate about Die Hard is particularly strong too. Holiday verdict: 🎄🎄🎄 A Charming Quest Teenage Chris, played by Lenny Rush, continues to believe in Father Christmas, regardless of the attempts of his dad (played by James Buckley) to tell him the reality. The truth is somewhere, and Chris embarks on a quest to find it with the guidance of a team of well-known experts and celebrities. It’s low-key but sweet, and good viewing while expecting Santa to visit. Holiday verdict: 🎄🎄🎄 4.39pm - Oh. What. Fun. Michelle Pfeiffer is the mother of a quarrelling American family who reunite for the holidays—including other acclaimed actress 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 true heroes of the holidays—moms.” So that’s the premise, but in practice it’s really a mash-up of those aforementioned movies, at least until Pfeiffer’s character finally takes center stage. Holiday verdict: 🎄🎄 6.43pm - A Scottish Christmas Secret The day’s taken a dip, but thankfully here’s a new addition in the saturated market of predictable, sentimental, cheesy—and highly entertaining—holiday fare. It’s a story as familiar as can be: An American woman goes on a quest to a distant snowy land and ends up stumbling across romance. In this case, Caprice Bourret plays a publisher