Devouring The Latest Christmas Films: The Hits, The Misses, and The Guilty Pleasures.
‘Tis the time of year to lounge on the sofa and demolish a box of mince pies in front of a terrific flick, a awful feature, or one that’s awesomely awful.
This year, a batch of latest Christmas films 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 (no arguments).
Thus, in a vital public service to sort the crackers from the turkeys, and to find the holiday mood, I binged as many fresh festive movies as possible in a single day.
7.17am - A Very Jonas Christmas Movie
Starting, hopefully, on a high. This is the exclusive 2025 title on a famous website's list of the best 100 holiday films of all time.
The Jonas Brothers find themselves stranded in the UK after concluding their world tour and must make it back for Christmas. Their endeavors are hindered by an evil Santa, who sings to announce they won’t get home until they “rekindle their familial spark.”
The banter between the arguing trio is entertaining even for the uninitiated, while followers will undoubtedly notice lots of easter eggs as they try to get back using any means of transport necessary.
It’s a journey of epic proportions.
It’s not a timeless masterpiece, but is great for fans and a solid start to the day.
Holiday verdict: 🎄🎄🎄🎄🎄 for Jonas Brothers fans or 🎄🎄🎄 for their family members who are obliged to sit through it.
8.45am - Tinsel Town
Famous performer Kiefer Sutherland has been cast as a celebrity cast a traditional British stage show.
“A what's a panto??” asks Sutherland’s “hard-to-work-with” and older action hero Brad Mack, who has fallen on hard times and whose agent has misled him into thinking he’s appearing in renowned British drama.
His pantomime cast-mates let him know he’s playing Buttons. “No I'm not,” he retorts. One can imagine their response. Except if 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 cheesy at a different time, but is a lot of fun at Christmas.
Holiday verdict: 🎄🎄🎄🎄
Mid-Morning: Christmas Karma
An actor pops up at the start of this film, too, delivering a signature line for the second consecutive movie. Might this become a fresh holiday staple?
This time, he’s a crooning chauffeur who picks up Mr Sood, the latest spin 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 director of Gurinder Chadha. The classic narrative develops as the miserly Mr Sood is haunted by the ghosts of Christmas past, present and future, played by Hugh Bonneville, Billy Porter, and Boy George.
This South Asian reinterpretation is at least unique from all the others, but regrettably he’s not very captivating and Nayyar’s acting is flat—a major flaw when he’s so the focal point.
Holiday verdict: 🎄🎄
Noon: A BBC Special
There's just enough time for a channel's Christmas comedy-drama—which stars Guz Khan as a charmingly cantankerous character who “isn't big on Christmas.”
But after he gets an £8,000 Christmas bonus at work, his wife (played by Morgana Robinson) talks him into blowing the money on a family trip to Lapland.
There’s just one issue—he learns there was an mistake with his bonus, which should have been £800, and he has to devise a plan for how to reimburse the difference.
Fun while it lasts but not lasting.
Christmas tree rating: 🎄🎄
1.12pm - Champagne Problems
This is one of those Christmas films where the decorations and snow are in the background—Christmas is the environment of the film rather than its main point—but it feels comfortable and seasonal all the same.
Driven corporate star Sydney (played by Minka Kelly) is assigned to a vineyard to negotiate a purchase for a champagne business. En route, she encounters a man in a bookshop who promises to show her a festive Paris.
A critic recently stated this is the finest new Christmas film of the recent era. That’s a bit of a overstatement, but it is a holiday love story with a touch of class and gives the required heartwarming sensation.
The scene with a detailed conversation about Die Hard is particularly strong too.
Festive score: 🎄🎄🎄
Mid-Afternoon: Finding Father Christmas
Young Chris, played by Lenny Rush, refuses to stop believing in Father Christmas, despite the persuasion of his dad (played by James Buckley) to tell him the reality.
The secret is to be discovered, and Chris sets out to find it with the expert help of a group of well-known scientists and personalities.
It’s low-key but charming, and perfect viewing while expecting Santa to visit.
Christmas tree rating: 🎄🎄🎄
A Star-Studded Family Drama
Michelle Pfeiffer is the mother of a dysfunctional American family who come back together for the holidays—including fellow acclaimed actress 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 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 at last takes center stage.
Festive score: 🎄🎄
Evening: A Scottish Christmas Secret
The day’s gone downhill, but happily here’s a new offering in the saturated market of formulaic, schmaltzy, badly acted—and utterly watchable—holiday fare.
It’s a story as old as time: An American woman travels to a distant snowy land and ends up discovering romance.
In this case, Caprice Bourret plays a publisher