🔗 Share this article Marathon Viewing The Latest Holiday Movies: Highlights, Lowlights, and Unexpected Delights. It is the time of year to slob out on the sofa and consume a tin of holiday pastries in front of a terrific flick, a poor film, or one that’s terrible yet terrific. Once again, a batch of new Christmas films aims to become part of our festive viewing—maybe even finding a spot alongside timeless staples like Home Alone, Elf, Love Actually, and Die Hard (don’t start). Thus, in a helpful attempt to distinguish the gems from the coal, and to get into the festive feeling, I marathoned as many recent Christmas films as possible in a single day. Early Morning: A Very Jonas Christmas Movie Starting, ideally, on a high. This release is the sole 2025 title on a popular review site's list of the top 100 holiday films of all time. The musical trio end up stuck in the UK after finishing their international trek and must get home for Christmas. Their attempts are thwarted by an evil Santa, who breaks into song to announce they won’t get home until they “rediscover their brotherly magic.” The back-and-forth between the arguing trio is amusing even for the uninitiated, while fans will certainly catch lots of easter eggs as they endeavor to get back using every mode of travel possible. It’s private planes, trains and automobiles. It’s not an all-time classic, but is excellent for fans and a good start to the day. Holiday verdict: 🎄🎄🎄🎄🎄 for Jonas Brothers fans or 🎄🎄🎄 for their loved ones who will have to sit through it. Next: A Star in Panto Famous performer Kiefer Sutherland stars as a Hollywood star roped into a "panto". “A panto-what?” asks Sutherland’s “difficult” and ageing lead Brad Mack, who has fallen on hard times and whose representative has tricked him into thinking he’s starring in renowned British drama. His pantomime fellow actors tell him he’s playing Buttons. “Oh no I’m not,” he insists angrily. It's easy to predict their response. Unless you’re unfamiliar with traditional stage call-and-response. There are some very funny lines, some cockle-warming sub-plots, and the ensemble is excellent, too. It’s the sort of feature that would be a bit tacky at another season, but is a highly enjoyable at Christmas. Holiday verdict: 🎄🎄🎄🎄 A New Spin on Scrooge Danny Dyer appears at the outset of this film, too, calling someone a mug for the next movie straight. Might this become a budding festive ritual? This time, he’s a singing black cab driver who collects Mr Sood, the modern take 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 the director of Gurinder Chadha. The well-known tale unfolds as the tight-fisted Mr Sood is confronted by the spirits of Christmas yesterday, today, and tomorrow, played by Hugh Bonneville, Billy Porter, and Boy George. This Indian Scrooge is at least unique from all the others, but sadly he’s not very compelling and Nayyar’s portrayal is flat—a problem when he’s so the focal point. Festive score: 🎄🎄 Noon: A BBC Special There's just enough time for a channel's holiday special—which stars Guz Khan as a lovably grouchy guy who “isn't big on Christmas.” But after he gets an large festive windfall at work, his wife (portrayed by Morgana Robinson) talks him into blowing the money on a holiday to Lapland. There’s just one issue—he finds out there was an error with his bonus, which should have been £800, and he has to determine how to pay back the difference. Pleasant yet unmemorable. Holiday verdict: 🎄🎄 Early Afternoon: Champagne Problems This is one of those holiday movies where the decorations and snow are in the setting—Christmas is the environment of the film rather than its raison d’etre—but it feels comfortable and seasonal all the same. Driven corporate star Sydney (starring Minka Kelly) is dispatched to a country estate to secure an acquisition for a sparkling wine company. En route, she runs into a guy in a bookshop who offers to show her Christmas in Paris. 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 cozy feelings. The scene with a lengthy discussion about Die Hard is particularly strong too. Christmas tree rating: 🎄🎄🎄 A Charming Quest Young Chris, played by Lenny Rush, continues to believe in Father Christmas, despite the efforts of his dad (starring James Buckley) to tell him the reality. The secret is out there, and Chris sets out to find it with the expert help of a team of well-known experts and celebrities. It’s gentle but endearing, and ideal viewing while waiting for Santa to visit. Festive score: 🎄🎄🎄 Late Afternoon: Oh. What. Fun. Michelle Pfeiffer is the head of a bickering American family who gather for the holidays—including other Oscar nominee Felicity Jones, Chloe Grace Moretz, Jason Schwartzman, and dad Denis Leary. Pfeiffer opens by name-dropping Christmas classics like National Lampoon’s Christmas Vacation, It’s A Wonderful Life and Home Alone, before saying: “They need to make a movie about the real champions of the holidays—moms.” So that’s what this is, but in reality it’s really a mash-up of those aforementioned movies, at least until Pfeiffer’s character finally comes into her own. Festive score: 🎄🎄 Evening: A Scottish Christmas Secret The day’s waned in quality, but thankfully here’s a new entry in the crowded field of cliched, saccharine, over-the-top—and highly entertaining—holiday fare. It’s a tale as familiar as can be: An American woman travels to a distant snowy land and ends up stumbling across romance. In this case, Caprice Bourret plays a publisher
It is the time of year to slob out on the sofa and consume a tin of holiday pastries in front of a terrific flick, a poor film, or one that’s terrible yet terrific. Once again, a batch of new Christmas films aims to become part of our festive viewing—maybe even finding a spot alongside timeless staples like Home Alone, Elf, Love Actually, and Die Hard (don’t start). Thus, in a helpful attempt to distinguish the gems from the coal, and to get into the festive feeling, I marathoned as many recent Christmas films as possible in a single day. Early Morning: A Very Jonas Christmas Movie Starting, ideally, on a high. This release is the sole 2025 title on a popular review site's list of the top 100 holiday films of all time. The musical trio end up stuck in the UK after finishing their international trek and must get home for Christmas. Their attempts are thwarted by an evil Santa, who breaks into song to announce they won’t get home until they “rediscover their brotherly magic.” The back-and-forth between the arguing trio is amusing even for the uninitiated, while fans will certainly catch lots of easter eggs as they endeavor to get back using every mode of travel possible. It’s private planes, trains and automobiles. It’s not an all-time classic, but is excellent for fans and a good start to the day. Holiday verdict: 🎄🎄🎄🎄🎄 for Jonas Brothers fans or 🎄🎄🎄 for their loved ones who will have to sit through it. Next: A Star in Panto Famous performer Kiefer Sutherland stars as a Hollywood star roped into a "panto". “A panto-what?” asks Sutherland’s “difficult” and ageing lead Brad Mack, who has fallen on hard times and whose representative has tricked him into thinking he’s starring in renowned British drama. His pantomime fellow actors tell him he’s playing Buttons. “Oh no I’m not,” he insists angrily. It's easy to predict their response. Unless you’re unfamiliar with traditional stage call-and-response. There are some very funny lines, some cockle-warming sub-plots, and the ensemble is excellent, too. It’s the sort of feature that would be a bit tacky at another season, but is a highly enjoyable at Christmas. Holiday verdict: 🎄🎄🎄🎄 A New Spin on Scrooge Danny Dyer appears at the outset of this film, too, calling someone a mug for the next movie straight. Might this become a budding festive ritual? This time, he’s a singing black cab driver who collects Mr Sood, the modern take 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 the director of Gurinder Chadha. The well-known tale unfolds as the tight-fisted Mr Sood is confronted by the spirits of Christmas yesterday, today, and tomorrow, played by Hugh Bonneville, Billy Porter, and Boy George. This Indian Scrooge is at least unique from all the others, but sadly he’s not very compelling and Nayyar’s portrayal is flat—a problem when he’s so the focal point. Festive score: 🎄🎄 Noon: A BBC Special There's just enough time for a channel's holiday special—which stars Guz Khan as a lovably grouchy guy who “isn't big on Christmas.” But after he gets an large festive windfall at work, his wife (portrayed by Morgana Robinson) talks him into blowing the money on a holiday to Lapland. There’s just one issue—he finds out there was an error with his bonus, which should have been £800, and he has to determine how to pay back the difference. Pleasant yet unmemorable. Holiday verdict: 🎄🎄 Early Afternoon: Champagne Problems This is one of those holiday movies where the decorations and snow are in the setting—Christmas is the environment of the film rather than its raison d’etre—but it feels comfortable and seasonal all the same. Driven corporate star Sydney (starring Minka Kelly) is dispatched to a country estate to secure an acquisition for a sparkling wine company. En route, she runs into a guy in a bookshop who offers to show her Christmas in Paris. 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 cozy feelings. The scene with a lengthy discussion about Die Hard is particularly strong too. Christmas tree rating: 🎄🎄🎄 A Charming Quest Young Chris, played by Lenny Rush, continues to believe in Father Christmas, despite the efforts of his dad (starring James Buckley) to tell him the reality. The secret is out there, and Chris sets out to find it with the expert help of a team of well-known experts and celebrities. It’s gentle but endearing, and ideal viewing while waiting for Santa to visit. Festive score: 🎄🎄🎄 Late Afternoon: Oh. What. Fun. Michelle Pfeiffer is the head of a bickering American family who gather for the holidays—including other Oscar nominee Felicity Jones, Chloe Grace Moretz, Jason Schwartzman, and dad Denis Leary. Pfeiffer opens by name-dropping Christmas classics like National Lampoon’s Christmas Vacation, It’s A Wonderful Life and Home Alone, before saying: “They need to make a movie about the real champions of the holidays—moms.” So that’s what this is, but in reality it’s really a mash-up of those aforementioned movies, at least until Pfeiffer’s character finally comes into her own. Festive score: 🎄🎄 Evening: A Scottish Christmas Secret The day’s waned in quality, but thankfully here’s a new entry in the crowded field of cliched, saccharine, over-the-top—and highly entertaining—holiday fare. It’s a tale as familiar as can be: An American woman travels to a distant snowy land and ends up stumbling across romance. In this case, Caprice Bourret plays a publisher