🔗 Share this article Binge-Watching 2025's Holiday Movies: Highlights, Lowlights, and Unexpected Delights. It is the time of year to lounge on the sofa and demolish a tin of mince pies in front of a great film, a bad movie, or one that’s so bad it’s good. This year, a batch of fresh Christmas films strives to join part of our seasonal watchlist—maybe even joining the ranks alongside timeless staples like Home Alone, Elf, Love Actually, and Die Hard (we won’t debate it). So, in a noble effort to sort the crackers from the turkeys, and to embrace the festive feeling, I binged as many fresh Christmas films as possible in a single day. Early Morning: A Very Jonas Christmas Movie Kicking off, optimistically, on a positive note. This release is the exclusive 2025 title on a famous website's list of the best 100 festive features of all time. The musical trio end up stranded in the UK after finishing their world tour and must return for Christmas. Their efforts are hampered by an evil Santa, who bursts into melody to declare they won’t get home until they “rediscover their brotherly magic.” The banter between the bickering brothers is enjoyable even for the uninitiated, while fans will undoubtedly notice lots of in-jokes as they endeavor to get back using all transportation available. It’s a journey of epic proportions. It’s not an all-time classic, but is superb for devotees and a solid start to the day. Festive score: 🎄🎄🎄🎄🎄 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 Hollywood star cast a traditional British stage show. “A panto-what??” asks Sutherland’s “hard-to-work-with” and ageing lead Brad Mack, who has hit a rough patch and whose representative has deceived him into thinking he’s performing in renowned British drama. His Aladdin fellow actors tell him he’s playing Buttons. “Oh no I’m not,” he retorts. One can imagine their reply. Unless you’re unfamiliar with traditional British theatre traditions. There are some very funny lines, some touching sub-plots, and the supporting actors is excellent, too. It’s the type of film that would be a bit tacky at another season, but is a lot of fun at Christmas. Festive score: 🎄🎄🎄🎄 Mid-Morning: Christmas Karma Danny Dyer pops up at the beginning of this film, too, delivering a signature line for the second consecutive movie. Could this be a fresh holiday staple? This time, he’s a musical taxi operator who collects Mr Sood, the modern take on Mr Scrooge from Charles Dickens’ A Christmas Carol. Mr Sood is played by a star of Kunal Nayyar and Christmas Karma is directed by the filmmaker behind Gurinder Chadha. The well-known tale unfolds as the tight-fisted Mr Sood is visited by the apparitions of Christmas past, present and future, played by Hugh Bonneville, Billy Porter, and Boy George. This South Asian reinterpretation is at least different from all the others, but regrettably he’s not very captivating and Nayyar’s portrayal is wooden—a problem when he’s so the focal point. Holiday verdict: 🎄🎄 12.04pm - Stuffed There’s time for a network's original festive film—which stars Guz Khan as a endearingly grumpy man who “isn't big on Christmas.” But after he gets an £8,000 Christmas bonus at work, his wife (starring Morgana Robinson) talks him into spending the sum on a vacation to Lapland. There’s just one problem—he finds out there was an mix-up with his bonus, which should have been £800, and he has to devise a plan for how to return the difference. Pleasant yet unmemorable. Christmas tree rating: 🎄🎄 Early Afternoon: Champagne Problems This is one of those holiday movies where the decorations and snow are in the background—Christmas is the environment of the film rather than its main point—but it feels warm and holiday-like all the same. High-powered businesswoman Sydney (played by Minka Kelly) is dispatched to a French chateau to negotiate a purchase for a sparkling wine company. During her travels, she meets a fellow in a book store who vows to show her the holidays in the City of Light. An expert recently declared this is the top new Christmas film of the last several seasons. That’s a bit of a overstatement, but it is a Christmas romance with a touch of class and gives the required heartwarming sensation. The scene with a lengthy discussion about Die Hard is very good too. Christmas tree rating: 🎄🎄🎄 A Charming Quest Sixteen-year-old Chris, played by Lenny Rush, refuses to stop believing in Father Christmas, despite the attempts of his dad (played by James Buckley) to tell him otherwise. The truth is to be discovered, and Chris sets out to find it with the assistance of a team of well-known figures. It’s understated but sweet, and ideal viewing while expecting Santa to visit. Festive score: 🎄🎄🎄 4.39pm - Oh. What. Fun. Michelle Pfeiffer is the matriarch of a dysfunctional American family who come back together for the holidays—including fellow Oscar nominee 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 true heroes of the holidays—moms.” So that’s the premise, but in practice it’s really a jumble of those inspirations, at least until Pfeiffer’s character finally finds her strength. Christmas tree rating: 🎄🎄 Evening: A Scottish Christmas Secret The day’s waned in quality, but fortunately here’s a new entry in the crowded field of formulaic, schmaltzy, badly acted—and utterly watchable—festive fodder. It’s a narrative as well-worn: An American woman journeys to a picturesque cold country and ends up stumbling across romance. In this case, Caprice Bourret plays a publisher
It is the time of year to lounge on the sofa and demolish a tin of mince pies in front of a great film, a bad movie, or one that’s so bad it’s good. This year, a batch of fresh Christmas films strives to join part of our seasonal watchlist—maybe even joining the ranks alongside timeless staples like Home Alone, Elf, Love Actually, and Die Hard (we won’t debate it). So, in a noble effort to sort the crackers from the turkeys, and to embrace the festive feeling, I binged as many fresh Christmas films as possible in a single day. Early Morning: A Very Jonas Christmas Movie Kicking off, optimistically, on a positive note. This release is the exclusive 2025 title on a famous website's list of the best 100 festive features of all time. The musical trio end up stranded in the UK after finishing their world tour and must return for Christmas. Their efforts are hampered by an evil Santa, who bursts into melody to declare they won’t get home until they “rediscover their brotherly magic.” The banter between the bickering brothers is enjoyable even for the uninitiated, while fans will undoubtedly notice lots of in-jokes as they endeavor to get back using all transportation available. It’s a journey of epic proportions. It’s not an all-time classic, but is superb for devotees and a solid start to the day. Festive score: 🎄🎄🎄🎄🎄 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 Hollywood star cast a traditional British stage show. “A panto-what??” asks Sutherland’s “hard-to-work-with” and ageing lead Brad Mack, who has hit a rough patch and whose representative has deceived him into thinking he’s performing in renowned British drama. His Aladdin fellow actors tell him he’s playing Buttons. “Oh no I’m not,” he retorts. One can imagine their reply. Unless you’re unfamiliar with traditional British theatre traditions. There are some very funny lines, some touching sub-plots, and the supporting actors is excellent, too. It’s the type of film that would be a bit tacky at another season, but is a lot of fun at Christmas. Festive score: 🎄🎄🎄🎄 Mid-Morning: Christmas Karma Danny Dyer pops up at the beginning of this film, too, delivering a signature line for the second consecutive movie. Could this be a fresh holiday staple? This time, he’s a musical taxi operator who collects Mr Sood, the modern take on Mr Scrooge from Charles Dickens’ A Christmas Carol. Mr Sood is played by a star of Kunal Nayyar and Christmas Karma is directed by the filmmaker behind Gurinder Chadha. The well-known tale unfolds as the tight-fisted Mr Sood is visited by the apparitions of Christmas past, present and future, played by Hugh Bonneville, Billy Porter, and Boy George. This South Asian reinterpretation is at least different from all the others, but regrettably he’s not very captivating and Nayyar’s portrayal is wooden—a problem when he’s so the focal point. Holiday verdict: 🎄🎄 12.04pm - Stuffed There’s time for a network's original festive film—which stars Guz Khan as a endearingly grumpy man who “isn't big on Christmas.” But after he gets an £8,000 Christmas bonus at work, his wife (starring Morgana Robinson) talks him into spending the sum on a vacation to Lapland. There’s just one problem—he finds out there was an mix-up with his bonus, which should have been £800, and he has to devise a plan for how to return the difference. Pleasant yet unmemorable. Christmas tree rating: 🎄🎄 Early Afternoon: Champagne Problems This is one of those holiday movies where the decorations and snow are in the background—Christmas is the environment of the film rather than its main point—but it feels warm and holiday-like all the same. High-powered businesswoman Sydney (played by Minka Kelly) is dispatched to a French chateau to negotiate a purchase for a sparkling wine company. During her travels, she meets a fellow in a book store who vows to show her the holidays in the City of Light. An expert recently declared this is the top new Christmas film of the last several seasons. That’s a bit of a overstatement, but it is a Christmas romance with a touch of class and gives the required heartwarming sensation. The scene with a lengthy discussion about Die Hard is very good too. Christmas tree rating: 🎄🎄🎄 A Charming Quest Sixteen-year-old Chris, played by Lenny Rush, refuses to stop believing in Father Christmas, despite the attempts of his dad (played by James Buckley) to tell him otherwise. The truth is to be discovered, and Chris sets out to find it with the assistance of a team of well-known figures. It’s understated but sweet, and ideal viewing while expecting Santa to visit. Festive score: 🎄🎄🎄 4.39pm - Oh. What. Fun. Michelle Pfeiffer is the matriarch of a dysfunctional American family who come back together for the holidays—including fellow Oscar nominee 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 true heroes of the holidays—moms.” So that’s the premise, but in practice it’s really a jumble of those inspirations, at least until Pfeiffer’s character finally finds her strength. Christmas tree rating: 🎄🎄 Evening: A Scottish Christmas Secret The day’s waned in quality, but fortunately here’s a new entry in the crowded field of formulaic, schmaltzy, badly acted—and utterly watchable—festive fodder. It’s a narrative as well-worn: An American woman journeys to a picturesque cold country and ends up stumbling across romance. In this case, Caprice Bourret plays a publisher