🔗 Share this article Marathon Viewing The Latest Christmas Films: The Hits, The Misses, and The Guilty Pleasures. It is the season to relax on the couch and demolish a box of holiday pastries in front of a terrific flick, a bad movie, or one that’s so bad it’s good. As always, a selection of fresh Christmas films hopes to be part of our seasonal watchlist—potentially even finding a spot alongside timeless staples like Home Alone, Elf, Love Actually, and Die Hard (don’t start). Thus, in a noble effort to distinguish the gems from the coal, and to find the Christmas spirit, I marathoned as many fresh festive movies as possible in a single day. First Up: The Jonas Brothers' Holiday Flick Starting, optimistically, on a high. This film is the sole 2025 title on a famous website's list of the top 100 festive features of all time. The Jonas Brothers are trapped in the UK after wrapping up their world tour and must return for Christmas. Their endeavors are thwarted by an malevolent Father Christmas, who bursts into melody to announce they won’t get home until they “rediscover their sibling bond.” The back-and-forth between the bickering brothers is enjoyable even for the non-fan, while devotees will no doubt pick up on lots of in-jokes as they try to get back using any means of transport necessary. It’s a travelogue of mishaps. It’s not a timeless masterpiece, but is great for fans and a good start to the day. Festive score: 🎄🎄🎄🎄🎄 for Jonas Brothers fans or 🎄🎄🎄 for their family members who will have to sit through it. Next: A Star in Panto Hollywood star Kiefer Sutherland has been cast as a celebrity tricked into a "panto". “A panto-what?” asks Sutherland’s “hard-to-work-with” and older action hero Brad Mack, who has fallen on hard times and whose agent has deceived him into thinking he’s appearing in renowned British drama. His Aladdin fellow actors let him know he’s playing Buttons. “Oh no I’m not,” he retorts. It's easy to predict their response. That is, unless you’re not acquainted with traditional stage call-and-response. There are some hilarious moments, some cockle-warming storylines, and the ensemble is excellent, too. It’s the type of film that would be a bit cheesy at any other time of year, but is a lot of fun at Christmas. Christmas tree rating: 🎄🎄🎄🎄 Mid-Morning: Christmas Karma A familiar face pops up at the outset of this film, too, delivering a signature line for the second film in a row. Could this be a budding festive ritual? 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 an actor from Kunal Nayyar and Christmas Karma is directed by the director of Gurinder Chadha. The well-known tale progresses as the stingy Mr Sood is haunted by the spirits of Christmas yesterday, today, and tomorrow, played by Hugh Bonneville, Billy Porter, and Boy George. This Indian Scrooge is at least distinct from all the others, but unfortunately he’s not very compelling and Nayyar’s portrayal is flat—a problem when he’s so central to everything. Christmas tree rating: 🎄🎄 Lunchtime: Stuffed There's just enough time for a channel's Christmas comedy-drama—which stars Guz Khan as a endearingly grumpy man who “avoids Christmas.” But after he gets an large festive windfall at work, his wife (starring Morgana Robinson) talks him into blowing the money on a holiday to Lapland. There’s just one issue—he discovers there was an error with his bonus, which should have been £800, and he has to devise a plan for how to pay back the difference. Enjoyable but forgettable. Holiday verdict: 🎄🎄 1.12pm - Champagne Problems This is one of those Christmas films where the festive trappings are in the background—Christmas is the setting of the film rather than its core purpose—but it feels cosy and festive all the same. Driven corporate star Sydney (played by Minka Kelly) is sent to a vineyard to do a deal for a champagne business. During her travels, she runs into a fellow in a book store who promises to show her Christmas in Paris. A commentator recently claimed this is the finest new Christmas film of the recent era. That’s a bit of a stretch, but it is a holiday love story with a hint of sophistication and gives the necessary heartwarming sensation. The scene with a extended debate about Die Hard is particularly strong too. Festive score: 🎄🎄🎄 A Charming Quest Sixteen-year-old Chris, played by Lenny Rush, continues to believe in Father Christmas, despite the attempts of his dad (played by James Buckley) to tell him otherwise. The secret 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 gentle but charming, and ideal 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 Oscar nominee 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 declaring: “They need to make a movie about the real champions of the holidays—moms.” So that’s the concept, but in execution it’s really a jumble of those forerunner films, at least until Pfeiffer’s character at last finds her strength. Christmas tree rating: 🎄🎄 Formulaic Fun The day’s taken a dip, but thankfully here’s a new addition in the crowded field of predictable, sentimental, cheesy—and strangely compelling—holiday fare. It’s a tale as familiar as can be: An American woman travels to a picturesque cold country and ends up discovering romance. In this case, Caprice Bourret plays a publisher
It is the season to relax on the couch and demolish a box of holiday pastries in front of a terrific flick, a bad movie, or one that’s so bad it’s good. As always, a selection of fresh Christmas films hopes to be part of our seasonal watchlist—potentially even finding a spot alongside timeless staples like Home Alone, Elf, Love Actually, and Die Hard (don’t start). Thus, in a noble effort to distinguish the gems from the coal, and to find the Christmas spirit, I marathoned as many fresh festive movies as possible in a single day. First Up: The Jonas Brothers' Holiday Flick Starting, optimistically, on a high. This film is the sole 2025 title on a famous website's list of the top 100 festive features of all time. The Jonas Brothers are trapped in the UK after wrapping up their world tour and must return for Christmas. Their endeavors are thwarted by an malevolent Father Christmas, who bursts into melody to announce they won’t get home until they “rediscover their sibling bond.” The back-and-forth between the bickering brothers is enjoyable even for the non-fan, while devotees will no doubt pick up on lots of in-jokes as they try to get back using any means of transport necessary. It’s a travelogue of mishaps. It’s not a timeless masterpiece, but is great for fans and a good start to the day. Festive score: 🎄🎄🎄🎄🎄 for Jonas Brothers fans or 🎄🎄🎄 for their family members who will have to sit through it. Next: A Star in Panto Hollywood star Kiefer Sutherland has been cast as a celebrity tricked into a "panto". “A panto-what?” asks Sutherland’s “hard-to-work-with” and older action hero Brad Mack, who has fallen on hard times and whose agent has deceived him into thinking he’s appearing in renowned British drama. His Aladdin fellow actors let him know he’s playing Buttons. “Oh no I’m not,” he retorts. It's easy to predict their response. That is, unless you’re not acquainted with traditional stage call-and-response. There are some hilarious moments, some cockle-warming storylines, and the ensemble is excellent, too. It’s the type of film that would be a bit cheesy at any other time of year, but is a lot of fun at Christmas. Christmas tree rating: 🎄🎄🎄🎄 Mid-Morning: Christmas Karma A familiar face pops up at the outset of this film, too, delivering a signature line for the second film in a row. Could this be a budding festive ritual? 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 an actor from Kunal Nayyar and Christmas Karma is directed by the director of Gurinder Chadha. The well-known tale progresses as the stingy Mr Sood is haunted by the spirits of Christmas yesterday, today, and tomorrow, played by Hugh Bonneville, Billy Porter, and Boy George. This Indian Scrooge is at least distinct from all the others, but unfortunately he’s not very compelling and Nayyar’s portrayal is flat—a problem when he’s so central to everything. Christmas tree rating: 🎄🎄 Lunchtime: Stuffed There's just enough time for a channel's Christmas comedy-drama—which stars Guz Khan as a endearingly grumpy man who “avoids Christmas.” But after he gets an large festive windfall at work, his wife (starring Morgana Robinson) talks him into blowing the money on a holiday to Lapland. There’s just one issue—he discovers there was an error with his bonus, which should have been £800, and he has to devise a plan for how to pay back the difference. Enjoyable but forgettable. Holiday verdict: 🎄🎄 1.12pm - Champagne Problems This is one of those Christmas films where the festive trappings are in the background—Christmas is the setting of the film rather than its core purpose—but it feels cosy and festive all the same. Driven corporate star Sydney (played by Minka Kelly) is sent to a vineyard to do a deal for a champagne business. During her travels, she runs into a fellow in a book store who promises to show her Christmas in Paris. A commentator recently claimed this is the finest new Christmas film of the recent era. That’s a bit of a stretch, but it is a holiday love story with a hint of sophistication and gives the necessary heartwarming sensation. The scene with a extended debate about Die Hard is particularly strong too. Festive score: 🎄🎄🎄 A Charming Quest Sixteen-year-old Chris, played by Lenny Rush, continues to believe in Father Christmas, despite the attempts of his dad (played by James Buckley) to tell him otherwise. The secret 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 gentle but charming, and ideal 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 Oscar nominee 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 declaring: “They need to make a movie about the real champions of the holidays—moms.” So that’s the concept, but in execution it’s really a jumble of those forerunner films, at least until Pfeiffer’s character at last finds her strength. Christmas tree rating: 🎄🎄 Formulaic Fun The day’s taken a dip, but thankfully here’s a new addition in the crowded field of predictable, sentimental, cheesy—and strangely compelling—holiday fare. It’s a tale as familiar as can be: An American woman travels to a picturesque cold country and ends up discovering romance. In this case, Caprice Bourret plays a publisher