🔗 Share this article Binge-Watching The Latest Holiday Movies: The Hits, The Misses, and The Guilty Pleasures. It is the season to lounge on the sofa and demolish a box of festive treats in front of a terrific flick, a awful feature, or one that’s awesomely awful. As always, a crop of new Christmas films strives to join part of our festive viewing—maybe even joining the ranks alongside beloved favorites like Home Alone, Elf, Love Actually, and Die Hard (we won’t debate it). Thus, in a helpful attempt to sort the crackers from the turkeys, and to embrace the festive feeling, I watched as many recent festive movies as possible in a single day. First Up: The Jonas Brothers' Holiday Flick Kicking off, ideally, on a high. This release is the exclusive 2025 title on a well-known aggregator's list of the best 100 holiday films of all time. The musical trio are stranded in the UK after wrapping up their global concert series and must return for Christmas. Their endeavors are hampered by an malevolent Father Christmas, who sings to declare they won’t get home until they “rekindle their sibling bond.” The banter between the arguing trio is entertaining even for the non-fan, while fans will no doubt notice lots of references as they attempt to get back using any means of transport necessary. It’s private planes, trains and automobiles. It’s not legendary, but is great for fans and a solid start to the day. Festive score: 🎄🎄🎄🎄🎄 for Jonas Brothers fans or 🎄🎄🎄 for their family members who are obliged to sit through it. Late Morning: Tinsel Town A-list actor Kiefer Sutherland has been cast as a celebrity tricked into a pantomime. “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 performing in high-class London stage. His pantomime fellow actors tell him he’s playing Buttons. “No I'm not,” he insists angrily. One can imagine their response. That is, unless you’re not acquainted with traditional panto catchphrases. There are some hilarious moments, some cockle-warming sub-plots, and the ensemble is brilliant, 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: 🎄🎄🎄🎄 10.19am - Christmas Karma Danny Dyer pops up at the beginning of this film, too, insulting someone for the second film in a row. Is this a new Christmas tradition? This time, he’s a singing black cab driver who collects 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 Bend It Like Beckham’s Gurinder Chadha. The classic narrative unfolds as the stingy Mr Sood is confronted by the spirits of Christmas past, present and future, played by Hugh Bonneville, Billy Porter, and Boy George. This Indian Scrooge is at least different from all the others, but unfortunately he’s not very charismatic and Nayyar’s acting is flat—a problem when he’s so the focal point. Christmas tree rating: 🎄🎄 Lunchtime: Stuffed There's just enough time for a major broadcaster's Christmas comedy-drama—which stars Guz Khan as a endearingly grumpy man who “isn't big on Christmas.” But after he receives an sizable holiday payout at work, his wife (starring Morgana Robinson) convinces him splurging the cash on a holiday to Lapland. There’s just one snag—he finds out there was an mistake with his bonus, which should have been £800, and he has to devise a plan for how to return the excess. Pleasant yet unmemorable. Holiday verdict: 🎄🎄 A Classy Netflix Romance This is one of those Christmas films where the decorations and snow are in the setting—Christmas is the scene of the film rather than its core purpose—but it feels comfortable and seasonal all the same. High-powered businesswoman Sydney (played by Minka Kelly) is sent to a vineyard to secure an acquisition for a champagne business. During her travels, she runs into a fellow in a bookshop who offers to show her Christmas in Paris. A critic recently declared this is the finest new Christmas film of the past few years. That’s a bit of a overstatement, but it is a holiday love story with a dash of elegance and gives the obligatory heartwarming sensation. The scene with a detailed conversation about Die Hard is particularly strong too. Holiday verdict: 🎄🎄🎄 3.29pm - Finding Father Christmas Sixteen-year-old Chris, played by Lenny Rush, holds onto his belief in Father Christmas, regardless of the efforts of his dad (played by James Buckley) to tell him otherwise. The answer is out there, and Chris sets out to find it with the expert help of a panel of well-known scientists and personalities. It’s gentle but charming, and ideal viewing while expecting Santa to visit. Christmas tree rating: 🎄🎄🎄 Late Afternoon: Oh. What. Fun. Michelle Pfeiffer is the matriarch of a quarrelling American family who reunite for the holidays—including fellow acclaimed actress Felicity Jones, Chloe Grace Moretz, Jason Schwartzman, and dad Denis Leary. Pfeiffer opens by name-dropping holiday staples 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 what this is, but in execution it’s really a mash-up of those inspirations, at least until Pfeiffer’s character eventually finds her strength. Holiday verdict: 🎄🎄 6.43pm - A Scottish Christmas Secret The day’s waned in quality, but happily here’s a new entry in the saturated market of cliched, saccharine, over-the-top—and strangely compelling—holiday fare. It’s a narrative as old as time: An American woman journeys to a far-off wintery locale and ends up finding romance. In this case, Caprice Bourret plays a publisher
It is the season to lounge on the sofa and demolish a box of festive treats in front of a terrific flick, a awful feature, or one that’s awesomely awful. As always, a crop of new Christmas films strives to join part of our festive viewing—maybe even joining the ranks alongside beloved favorites like Home Alone, Elf, Love Actually, and Die Hard (we won’t debate it). Thus, in a helpful attempt to sort the crackers from the turkeys, and to embrace the festive feeling, I watched as many recent festive movies as possible in a single day. First Up: The Jonas Brothers' Holiday Flick Kicking off, ideally, on a high. This release is the exclusive 2025 title on a well-known aggregator's list of the best 100 holiday films of all time. The musical trio are stranded in the UK after wrapping up their global concert series and must return for Christmas. Their endeavors are hampered by an malevolent Father Christmas, who sings to declare they won’t get home until they “rekindle their sibling bond.” The banter between the arguing trio is entertaining even for the non-fan, while fans will no doubt notice lots of references as they attempt to get back using any means of transport necessary. It’s private planes, trains and automobiles. It’s not legendary, but is great for fans and a solid start to the day. Festive score: 🎄🎄🎄🎄🎄 for Jonas Brothers fans or 🎄🎄🎄 for their family members who are obliged to sit through it. Late Morning: Tinsel Town A-list actor Kiefer Sutherland has been cast as a celebrity tricked into a pantomime. “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 performing in high-class London stage. His pantomime fellow actors tell him he’s playing Buttons. “No I'm not,” he insists angrily. One can imagine their response. That is, unless you’re not acquainted with traditional panto catchphrases. There are some hilarious moments, some cockle-warming sub-plots, and the ensemble is brilliant, 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: 🎄🎄🎄🎄 10.19am - Christmas Karma Danny Dyer pops up at the beginning of this film, too, insulting someone for the second film in a row. Is this a new Christmas tradition? This time, he’s a singing black cab driver who collects 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 Bend It Like Beckham’s Gurinder Chadha. The classic narrative unfolds as the stingy Mr Sood is confronted by the spirits of Christmas past, present and future, played by Hugh Bonneville, Billy Porter, and Boy George. This Indian Scrooge is at least different from all the others, but unfortunately he’s not very charismatic and Nayyar’s acting is flat—a problem when he’s so the focal point. Christmas tree rating: 🎄🎄 Lunchtime: Stuffed There's just enough time for a major broadcaster's Christmas comedy-drama—which stars Guz Khan as a endearingly grumpy man who “isn't big on Christmas.” But after he receives an sizable holiday payout at work, his wife (starring Morgana Robinson) convinces him splurging the cash on a holiday to Lapland. There’s just one snag—he finds out there was an mistake with his bonus, which should have been £800, and he has to devise a plan for how to return the excess. Pleasant yet unmemorable. Holiday verdict: 🎄🎄 A Classy Netflix Romance This is one of those Christmas films where the decorations and snow are in the setting—Christmas is the scene of the film rather than its core purpose—but it feels comfortable and seasonal all the same. High-powered businesswoman Sydney (played by Minka Kelly) is sent to a vineyard to secure an acquisition for a champagne business. During her travels, she runs into a fellow in a bookshop who offers to show her Christmas in Paris. A critic recently declared this is the finest new Christmas film of the past few years. That’s a bit of a overstatement, but it is a holiday love story with a dash of elegance and gives the obligatory heartwarming sensation. The scene with a detailed conversation about Die Hard is particularly strong too. Holiday verdict: 🎄🎄🎄 3.29pm - Finding Father Christmas Sixteen-year-old Chris, played by Lenny Rush, holds onto his belief in Father Christmas, regardless of the efforts of his dad (played by James Buckley) to tell him otherwise. The answer is out there, and Chris sets out to find it with the expert help of a panel of well-known scientists and personalities. It’s gentle but charming, and ideal viewing while expecting Santa to visit. Christmas tree rating: 🎄🎄🎄 Late Afternoon: Oh. What. Fun. Michelle Pfeiffer is the matriarch of a quarrelling American family who reunite for the holidays—including fellow acclaimed actress Felicity Jones, Chloe Grace Moretz, Jason Schwartzman, and dad Denis Leary. Pfeiffer opens by name-dropping holiday staples 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 what this is, but in execution it’s really a mash-up of those inspirations, at least until Pfeiffer’s character eventually finds her strength. Holiday verdict: 🎄🎄 6.43pm - A Scottish Christmas Secret The day’s waned in quality, but happily here’s a new entry in the saturated market of cliched, saccharine, over-the-top—and strangely compelling—holiday fare. It’s a narrative as old as time: An American woman journeys to a far-off wintery locale and ends up finding romance. In this case, Caprice Bourret plays a publisher