🔗 Share this article Marathon Viewing The Latest Festive Features: Highlights, Lowlights, and Unexpected Delights. It is the season to lounge on the couch and demolish a box of holiday pastries in front of a good movie, a poor film, or one that’s terrible yet terrific. As always, a selection of fresh Christmas films strives to join part of our holiday traditions—potentially even earning a place alongside beloved favorites like Home Alone, Elf, Love Actually, and Die Hard (no arguments). Therefore, in a noble effort to distinguish the gems from the coal, and to get into the festive feeling, I binged as many new Christmas films as possible in a single day. Early Morning: A Very Jonas Christmas Movie Kicking off, hopefully, on a good foot. This release is the only 2025 entry on a popular review site's list of the top 100 festive features of all time. The Jonas Brothers end up stuck in the UK after concluding their global concert series and must get home 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 repartee between the squabbling siblings is enjoyable even for the non-fan, while followers will undoubtedly notice lots of easter eggs as they endeavor to get back using every mode of travel possible. It’s a journey of epic proportions. It’s not legendary, but is superb for fans and a positive start to the day. Festive score: 🎄🎄🎄🎄🎄 for Jonas Brothers fans or 🎄🎄🎄 for their loved ones who are obliged to sit through it. Late Morning: Tinsel Town Hollywood star Kiefer Sutherland stars as a celebrity tricked into a traditional British stage show. “A panto-what?” asks Sutherland’s “temperamental” and ageing star Brad Mack, who has seen better days and whose representative has deceived him into thinking he’s starring in prestigious English theatre. His pantomime cast-mates let him know he’s playing Buttons. “No I'm not,” he protests. You can guess their reply. Unless you’re unfamiliar with traditional stage call-and-response. There are some great jokes, some heartwarming sub-plots, and the supporting actors is cracking, too. It’s the kind of movie that would be a bit cheesy at any other time of year, but is a great entertainment at Christmas. Festive score: 🎄🎄🎄🎄 10.19am - Christmas Karma An actor appears at the outset of this film, too, insulting someone for the second consecutive movie. Could this be a budding festive ritual? This time, he’s a musical taxi operator who picks up 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 progresses as the stingy Mr Sood is visited by the ghosts 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 sadly he’s not very charismatic and Nayyar’s acting is lifeless—a problem when he’s so the main character. Holiday verdict: 🎄🎄 Noon: A BBC Special There’s 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 is awarded an £8,000 Christmas bonus at work, his wife (starring Morgana Robinson) talks him into blowing the money on a holiday to Lapland. There’s just one issue—he learns there was an mix-up with his bonus, which should have been £800, and he has to devise a plan for how to reimburse the remainder. Fun while it lasts but not lasting. Christmas tree rating: 🎄🎄 A Classy Netflix Romance This is one of those Christmas films where the festive trappings are in the setting—Christmas is the scene of the film rather than its raison d’etre—but it feels warm and holiday-like all the same. Ambitious executive Sydney (starring Minka Kelly) is assigned to a country estate to do a deal for a champagne business. En route, she runs into a fellow in a literary haven who vows to show her Christmas in Paris. A critic recently stated this is the finest new Christmas film of the recent era. That’s a bit of a exaggeration, but it is a Christmas romance with a hint of sophistication and gives the necessary cozy feelings. The scene with a extended debate about Die Hard is particularly strong too. Holiday verdict: 🎄🎄🎄 3.29pm - Finding Father Christmas Young Chris, played by Lenny Rush, holds onto his belief in Father Christmas, regardless of the efforts of his dad (starring James Buckley) to tell him the truth. The secret is somewhere, and Chris sets out to find it with the assistance of a group of well-known scientists and personalities. It’s low-key but endearing, and ideal viewing while anticipating Santa to visit. Holiday verdict: 🎄🎄🎄 4.39pm - Oh. What. Fun. Michelle Pfeiffer is the mother of a quarrelling 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 begins by referencing classic festive films like National Lampoon’s Christmas Vacation, It’s A Wonderful Life and Home Alone, before saying: “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 jumble of those forerunner films, at least until Pfeiffer’s character finally takes center stage. Christmas tree rating: 🎄🎄 Evening: A Scottish Christmas Secret The day’s gone downhill, but happily here’s a new offering in the saturated market of cliched, saccharine, over-the-top—and strangely compelling—festive fodder. It’s a narrative as familiar as can be: An American woman goes on a quest to a far-off wintery locale and ends up stumbling across romance. In this case, Caprice Bourret plays a publisher
It is the season to lounge on the couch and demolish a box of holiday pastries in front of a good movie, a poor film, or one that’s terrible yet terrific. As always, a selection of fresh Christmas films strives to join part of our holiday traditions—potentially even earning a place alongside beloved favorites like Home Alone, Elf, Love Actually, and Die Hard (no arguments). Therefore, in a noble effort to distinguish the gems from the coal, and to get into the festive feeling, I binged as many new Christmas films as possible in a single day. Early Morning: A Very Jonas Christmas Movie Kicking off, hopefully, on a good foot. This release is the only 2025 entry on a popular review site's list of the top 100 festive features of all time. The Jonas Brothers end up stuck in the UK after concluding their global concert series and must get home 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 repartee between the squabbling siblings is enjoyable even for the non-fan, while followers will undoubtedly notice lots of easter eggs as they endeavor to get back using every mode of travel possible. It’s a journey of epic proportions. It’s not legendary, but is superb for fans and a positive start to the day. Festive score: 🎄🎄🎄🎄🎄 for Jonas Brothers fans or 🎄🎄🎄 for their loved ones who are obliged to sit through it. Late Morning: Tinsel Town Hollywood star Kiefer Sutherland stars as a celebrity tricked into a traditional British stage show. “A panto-what?” asks Sutherland’s “temperamental” and ageing star Brad Mack, who has seen better days and whose representative has deceived him into thinking he’s starring in prestigious English theatre. His pantomime cast-mates let him know he’s playing Buttons. “No I'm not,” he protests. You can guess their reply. Unless you’re unfamiliar with traditional stage call-and-response. There are some great jokes, some heartwarming sub-plots, and the supporting actors is cracking, too. It’s the kind of movie that would be a bit cheesy at any other time of year, but is a great entertainment at Christmas. Festive score: 🎄🎄🎄🎄 10.19am - Christmas Karma An actor appears at the outset of this film, too, insulting someone for the second consecutive movie. Could this be a budding festive ritual? This time, he’s a musical taxi operator who picks up 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 progresses as the stingy Mr Sood is visited by the ghosts 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 sadly he’s not very charismatic and Nayyar’s acting is lifeless—a problem when he’s so the main character. Holiday verdict: 🎄🎄 Noon: A BBC Special There’s 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 is awarded an £8,000 Christmas bonus at work, his wife (starring Morgana Robinson) talks him into blowing the money on a holiday to Lapland. There’s just one issue—he learns there was an mix-up with his bonus, which should have been £800, and he has to devise a plan for how to reimburse the remainder. Fun while it lasts but not lasting. Christmas tree rating: 🎄🎄 A Classy Netflix Romance This is one of those Christmas films where the festive trappings are in the setting—Christmas is the scene of the film rather than its raison d’etre—but it feels warm and holiday-like all the same. Ambitious executive Sydney (starring Minka Kelly) is assigned to a country estate to do a deal for a champagne business. En route, she runs into a fellow in a literary haven who vows to show her Christmas in Paris. A critic recently stated this is the finest new Christmas film of the recent era. That’s a bit of a exaggeration, but it is a Christmas romance with a hint of sophistication and gives the necessary cozy feelings. The scene with a extended debate about Die Hard is particularly strong too. Holiday verdict: 🎄🎄🎄 3.29pm - Finding Father Christmas Young Chris, played by Lenny Rush, holds onto his belief in Father Christmas, regardless of the efforts of his dad (starring James Buckley) to tell him the truth. The secret is somewhere, and Chris sets out to find it with the assistance of a group of well-known scientists and personalities. It’s low-key but endearing, and ideal viewing while anticipating Santa to visit. Holiday verdict: 🎄🎄🎄 4.39pm - Oh. What. Fun. Michelle Pfeiffer is the mother of a quarrelling 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 begins by referencing classic festive films like National Lampoon’s Christmas Vacation, It’s A Wonderful Life and Home Alone, before saying: “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 jumble of those forerunner films, at least until Pfeiffer’s character finally takes center stage. Christmas tree rating: 🎄🎄 Evening: A Scottish Christmas Secret The day’s gone downhill, but happily here’s a new offering in the saturated market of cliched, saccharine, over-the-top—and strangely compelling—festive fodder. It’s a narrative as familiar as can be: An American woman goes on a quest to a far-off wintery locale and ends up stumbling across romance. In this case, Caprice Bourret plays a publisher