Marathon Viewing The Latest Festive Features: Highlights, Lowlights, and Unexpected Delights.
It is the time of year to lounge on the sofa and demolish a tin of festive treats in front of a terrific flick, a bad movie, or one that’s so bad it’s good.
As always, a batch of latest seasonal stories aims to become part of our holiday traditions—perhaps even joining the ranks alongside timeless staples like Home Alone, Elf, Love Actually, and Die Hard (don’t start).
So, in a helpful attempt to separate the winners from the losers, and to get into the holiday mood, I watched as many recent Christmas films as possible in a single day.
Early Morning: A Very Jonas Christmas Movie
Starting, ideally, on a positive note. This film is the only 2025 entry on a popular review site's list of the top 100 festive features of all time.
The musical trio end up stranded in the UK after finishing their international trek and must make it back for Christmas. Their efforts are hindered by an evil Santa, who breaks into song to state they won’t get home until they “rediscover their brotherly magic.”
The banter between the arguing trio is amusing even for the non-fan, while devotees will certainly pick up on lots of in-jokes as they endeavor to get back using every mode of travel possible.
It’s a travelogue of mishaps.
It’s not legendary, but is superb for fans and a positive start to the day.
Holiday verdict: 🎄🎄🎄🎄🎄 for Jonas Brothers fans or 🎄🎄🎄 for their relatives who must sit through it.
Late Morning: Tinsel Town
Famous performer Kiefer Sutherland stars as a movie actor cast a pantomime.
“A panto-what??” asks Sutherland’s “hard-to-work-with” and ageing lead 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 Aladdin co-stars tell him he’s playing Buttons. “Absolutely not,” he retorts. One can imagine their response. Except if you’re not acquainted with traditional panto catchphrases.
There are some great jokes, some cockle-warming storylines, and the supporting actors is brilliant, too.
It’s the kind of movie that would be a bit naff at a different time, but is a lot of fun at Christmas.
Festive score: 🎄🎄🎄🎄
Mid-Morning: Christmas Karma
An actor appears at the start 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 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 the director of Gurinder Chadha. The familiar story develops as the tight-fisted Mr Sood is confronted by the apparitions of Christmas yesterday, today, and tomorrow, played by Hugh Bonneville, Billy Porter, and Boy George.
This cultural adaptation is at least distinct from all the others, but unfortunately he’s not very compelling and Nayyar’s acting is lifeless—a major flaw when he’s so the focal point.
Holiday verdict: 🎄🎄
Lunchtime: Stuffed
There’s time for a network's Christmas comedy-drama—which stars Guz Khan as a endearingly grumpy man who “doesn’t really do Christmas.”
But after he is awarded an large festive windfall at work, his wife (played by Morgana Robinson) persuades him spending the sum 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 excess.
Pleasant yet unmemorable.
Festive score: 🎄🎄
1.12pm - Champagne Problems
This is one of those holiday movies where the decorations and snow are in the backdrop—Christmas is the scene of the film rather than its raison d’etre—but it feels warm and holiday-like all the same.
High-powered businesswoman Sydney (played by Minka Kelly) is sent to a country estate to secure an acquisition for a champagne business. During her travels, she runs into a guy in a book store who offers to show her Christmas in Paris.
A critic recently claimed this is the finest new Christmas film of the past few years. That’s a bit of a stretch, but it is a Christmas romance with a touch of class and gives the required cozy feelings.
The scene with a detailed conversation about Die Hard is very good too.
Christmas tree rating: 🎄🎄🎄
Mid-Afternoon: Finding Father Christmas
Teenage Chris, played by Lenny Rush, refuses to stop believing in Father Christmas, in spite of the efforts of his dad (played by James Buckley) to tell him the truth.
The secret is out there, and Chris ventures forth to find it with the assistance of a group of well-known figures.
It’s gentle but endearing, and perfect viewing while expecting Santa to visit.
Christmas tree rating: 🎄🎄🎄
Late Afternoon: Oh. What. Fun.
Michelle Pfeiffer is the head of a quarrelling American family who reunite for the holidays—including other acclaimed actress Felicity Jones, Chloe Grace Moretz, Jason Schwartzman, and dad Denis Leary.
Pfeiffer begins by referencing holiday staples 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 reality it’s really a combination of those inspirations, at least until Pfeiffer’s character at last finds her strength.
Festive score: 🎄🎄
6.43pm - A Scottish Christmas Secret
The day’s waned in quality, but fortunately here’s a new addition in the crowded field of formulaic, schmaltzy, badly acted—and utterly watchable—festive fodder.
It’s a tale as old as time: An American woman goes on a quest to a distant snowy land and ends up discovering romance.
In this case, Caprice Bourret plays a publisher
