🔗 Share this article Marathon Viewing This Year's Holiday Movies: The Good, The Bad and The So-Bad-It's-Good. It is the season to slob out on the couch and devour a packet of mince pies in front of a good movie, a bad movie, or one that’s awesomely awful. As always, a selection of latest holiday movies strives to join part of our seasonal watchlist—perhaps even finding a spot alongside enduring classics like Home Alone, Elf, Love Actually, and Die Hard (no arguments). So, in a noble effort to distinguish the gems from the coal, and to embrace the Christmas spirit, I binged as many new festive movies as possible in a single day. First Up: The Jonas Brothers' Holiday Flick Beginning, ideally, on a good foot. This film is the exclusive 2025 movie on a famous website's list of the top 100 Christmas movies of all time. The Jonas Brothers are stuck in the UK after finishing their global concert series and must make it back for Christmas. Their attempts are hampered by an malevolent Father Christmas, who bursts into melody to state they won’t get home until they “rediscover their brotherly magic.” The back-and-forth between the bickering brothers is enjoyable even for the casual viewer, while devotees will certainly pick up on lots of in-jokes as they attempt to get back using all transportation available. It’s a journey of epic proportions. It’s not legendary, but is superb for devotees and a positive start to the day. Christmas tree rating: 🎄🎄🎄🎄🎄 for Jonas Brothers fans or 🎄🎄🎄 for their family members who must sit through it. Next: A Star in Panto A-list actor Kiefer Sutherland stars as a movie actor tricked into a "panto". “A panto-what??” asks Sutherland’s “temperamental” and older star Brad Mack, who has hit a rough patch and whose agent has deceived him into thinking he’s performing in high-class London stage. His pantomime co-stars tell him he’s playing Buttons. “No I'm not,” he protests. You can guess their response. Unless you’re unfamiliar with traditional panto catchphrases. 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 great entertainment at Christmas. Festive score: 🎄🎄🎄🎄 10.19am - Christmas Karma An actor pops up at the outset of this film, too, calling someone a mug for the second consecutive movie. Could this be a fresh holiday staple? This time, he’s a singing black cab driver who collects Mr Sood, the newest interpretation 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 unfolds as the miserly Mr Sood is visited by the spirits of Christmas yesterday, today, and tomorrow, played by Hugh Bonneville, Billy Porter, and Boy George. This South Asian reinterpretation is at least unique from all the others, but unfortunately he’s not very charismatic and Nayyar’s portrayal is lifeless—a significant issue when he’s so the main character. Holiday verdict: 🎄🎄 Lunchtime: Stuffed Before lunch for a network's holiday special—which stars Guz Khan as a charmingly cantankerous character who “isn't big on Christmas.” But after he receives an £8,000 Christmas bonus at work, his wife (portrayed by Morgana Robinson) talks him into blowing the money on a family trip to Lapland. There’s just one problem—he finds out there was an error with his bonus, which should have been £800, and he has to figure out how to return the difference. Pleasant yet unmemorable. Festive score: 🎄🎄 1.12pm - Champagne Problems This is one of those Christmas films where the decorations and snow are in the backdrop—Christmas is the scene of the film rather than its core purpose—but it feels cosy and festive all the same. Driven corporate star Sydney (starring Minka Kelly) is assigned to a vineyard to secure an acquisition for a champagne business. En route, she meets a man in a book store who promises to show her Christmas in Paris. A critic 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 dash of elegance and gives the obligatory cozy feelings. The scene with a detailed conversation about Die Hard is very good too. Holiday verdict: 🎄🎄🎄 3.29pm - Finding Father Christmas Sixteen-year-old Chris, played by Lenny Rush, holds onto his belief in Father Christmas, in spite of the persuasion of his dad (starring James Buckley) to tell him otherwise. The truth is out there, and Chris embarks on a quest to find it with the expert help of a panel of well-known scientists and personalities. It’s gentle but sweet, and perfect viewing while waiting for Santa to visit. Christmas tree rating: 🎄🎄🎄 A Star-Studded Family Drama Michelle Pfeiffer is the head of a bickering American family who come back together for the holidays—including other Oscar nominee Felicity Jones, Chloe Grace Moretz, Jason Schwartzman, and dad Denis Leary. Pfeiffer starts by mentioning 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 reality it’s really a jumble of those forerunner films, at least until Pfeiffer’s character eventually comes into her own. Festive score: 🎄🎄 6.43pm - A Scottish Christmas Secret The day’s gone downhill, but thankfully here’s a new addition in the crowded field of formulaic, schmaltzy, badly acted—and utterly watchable—festive fodder. It’s a story as well-worn: An American woman journeys to a distant snowy land and ends up finding romance. In this case, Caprice Bourret plays a publisher
It is the season to slob out on the couch and devour a packet of mince pies in front of a good movie, a bad movie, or one that’s awesomely awful. As always, a selection of latest holiday movies strives to join part of our seasonal watchlist—perhaps even finding a spot alongside enduring classics like Home Alone, Elf, Love Actually, and Die Hard (no arguments). So, in a noble effort to distinguish the gems from the coal, and to embrace the Christmas spirit, I binged as many new festive movies as possible in a single day. First Up: The Jonas Brothers' Holiday Flick Beginning, ideally, on a good foot. This film is the exclusive 2025 movie on a famous website's list of the top 100 Christmas movies of all time. The Jonas Brothers are stuck in the UK after finishing their global concert series and must make it back for Christmas. Their attempts are hampered by an malevolent Father Christmas, who bursts into melody to state they won’t get home until they “rediscover their brotherly magic.” The back-and-forth between the bickering brothers is enjoyable even for the casual viewer, while devotees will certainly pick up on lots of in-jokes as they attempt to get back using all transportation available. It’s a journey of epic proportions. It’s not legendary, but is superb for devotees and a positive start to the day. Christmas tree rating: 🎄🎄🎄🎄🎄 for Jonas Brothers fans or 🎄🎄🎄 for their family members who must sit through it. Next: A Star in Panto A-list actor Kiefer Sutherland stars as a movie actor tricked into a "panto". “A panto-what??” asks Sutherland’s “temperamental” and older star Brad Mack, who has hit a rough patch and whose agent has deceived him into thinking he’s performing in high-class London stage. His pantomime co-stars tell him he’s playing Buttons. “No I'm not,” he protests. You can guess their response. Unless you’re unfamiliar with traditional panto catchphrases. 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 great entertainment at Christmas. Festive score: 🎄🎄🎄🎄 10.19am - Christmas Karma An actor pops up at the outset of this film, too, calling someone a mug for the second consecutive movie. Could this be a fresh holiday staple? This time, he’s a singing black cab driver who collects Mr Sood, the newest interpretation 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 unfolds as the miserly Mr Sood is visited by the spirits of Christmas yesterday, today, and tomorrow, played by Hugh Bonneville, Billy Porter, and Boy George. This South Asian reinterpretation is at least unique from all the others, but unfortunately he’s not very charismatic and Nayyar’s portrayal is lifeless—a significant issue when he’s so the main character. Holiday verdict: 🎄🎄 Lunchtime: Stuffed Before lunch for a network's holiday special—which stars Guz Khan as a charmingly cantankerous character who “isn't big on Christmas.” But after he receives an £8,000 Christmas bonus at work, his wife (portrayed by Morgana Robinson) talks him into blowing the money on a family trip to Lapland. There’s just one problem—he finds out there was an error with his bonus, which should have been £800, and he has to figure out how to return the difference. Pleasant yet unmemorable. Festive score: 🎄🎄 1.12pm - Champagne Problems This is one of those Christmas films where the decorations and snow are in the backdrop—Christmas is the scene of the film rather than its core purpose—but it feels cosy and festive all the same. Driven corporate star Sydney (starring Minka Kelly) is assigned to a vineyard to secure an acquisition for a champagne business. En route, she meets a man in a book store who promises to show her Christmas in Paris. A critic 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 dash of elegance and gives the obligatory cozy feelings. The scene with a detailed conversation about Die Hard is very good too. Holiday verdict: 🎄🎄🎄 3.29pm - Finding Father Christmas Sixteen-year-old Chris, played by Lenny Rush, holds onto his belief in Father Christmas, in spite of the persuasion of his dad (starring James Buckley) to tell him otherwise. The truth is out there, and Chris embarks on a quest to find it with the expert help of a panel of well-known scientists and personalities. It’s gentle but sweet, and perfect viewing while waiting for Santa to visit. Christmas tree rating: 🎄🎄🎄 A Star-Studded Family Drama Michelle Pfeiffer is the head of a bickering American family who come back together for the holidays—including other Oscar nominee Felicity Jones, Chloe Grace Moretz, Jason Schwartzman, and dad Denis Leary. Pfeiffer starts by mentioning 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 reality it’s really a jumble of those forerunner films, at least until Pfeiffer’s character eventually comes into her own. Festive score: 🎄🎄 6.43pm - A Scottish Christmas Secret The day’s gone downhill, but thankfully here’s a new addition in the crowded field of formulaic, schmaltzy, badly acted—and utterly watchable—festive fodder. It’s a story as well-worn: An American woman journeys to a distant snowy land and ends up finding romance. In this case, Caprice Bourret plays a publisher