🔗 Share this article Marathon Viewing The Latest Festive Features: Highlights, Lowlights, and Unexpected Delights. ‘Tis the season to slob out on the sofa and demolish a packet of holiday pastries in front of a terrific flick, a poor film, or one that’s terrible yet terrific. Once again, a selection of fresh holiday movies aims to become part of our holiday traditions—maybe even joining the ranks alongside timeless staples like Home Alone, Elf, Love Actually, and Die Hard (we won’t debate it). Thus, in a helpful attempt to distinguish the gems from the coal, and to get into the holiday mood, I watched as many recent festive movies as possible in a single day. First Up: The Jonas Brothers' Holiday Flick Kicking off, optimistically, on a positive note. This is the sole 2025 movie on a famous website's list of the greatest 100 Christmas movies of all time. The Jonas Brothers find themselves trapped in the UK after wrapping up their world tour and must make it back for Christmas. Their efforts are hindered by an villainous Saint Nick, who sings to state they won’t get home until they “find their familial spark.” The banter between the arguing trio is entertaining even for the casual viewer, while fans will undoubtedly notice lots of references as they attempt to get back using any means of transport necessary. It’s a travelogue of mishaps. It’s not a timeless masterpiece, but is excellent for fans and a solid 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 A-list actor Kiefer Sutherland stars as a celebrity tricked into a "panto". “A what's a panto??” asks Sutherland’s “difficult” and ageing lead Brad Mack, who has hit a rough patch and whose representative has misled him into thinking he’s performing in renowned British drama. His pantomime co-stars tell him he’s playing Buttons. “Oh no I’m not,” he insists angrily. One can imagine their retort. Unless you’re not acquainted with traditional British theatre traditions. There are some very funny lines, some touching sub-plots, and the supporting actors is cracking, too. It’s the type of film that would be a bit cheesy at another season, but is a lot of fun at Christmas. Christmas tree rating: 🎄🎄🎄🎄 10.19am - Christmas Karma A familiar face pops up at the outset of this film, too, calling someone a mug for the second film in a row. Might this become a budding festive ritual? This time, he’s a crooning chauffeur who picks up 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 miserly Mr Sood is haunted by the apparitions of Christmas yesterday, today, and tomorrow, played by Hugh Bonneville, Billy Porter, and Boy George. This cultural adaptation is at least different from all the others, but sadly he’s not very charismatic and Nayyar’s acting is wooden—a significant issue when he’s so central to everything. Festive score: 🎄🎄 Noon: A BBC Special There’s time for a channel's holiday special—which stars Guz Khan as a lovably grouchy guy who “doesn’t really do Christmas.” But after he receives an sizable holiday payout at work, his wife (played by Morgana Robinson) persuades him spending the sum on a family trip to Lapland. There’s just one issue—he learns there was an error with his bonus, which should have been £800, and he has to devise a plan for how to return the difference. Fun while it lasts but not lasting. 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 scene of the film rather than its core purpose—but it feels warm and holiday-like all the same. Driven corporate star Sydney (starring Minka Kelly) is dispatched to a country estate to do a deal for a sparkling wine company. En route, she runs into a guy in a bookshop who promises to show her a festive Paris. A commentator recently stated this is the top new Christmas film of the past few years. That’s a bit of a overstatement, but it is a Christmas romance with a touch of class and gives the necessary warm and fuzzy feels. The scene with a lengthy discussion about Die Hard is particularly strong too. Christmas tree rating: 🎄🎄🎄 3.29pm - Finding Father Christmas Teenage Chris, played by Lenny Rush, refuses to stop believing in Father Christmas, in spite of the persuasion of his dad (played by James Buckley) to tell him the truth. The truth is somewhere, and Chris embarks on a quest to find it with the guidance of a team of well-known experts and celebrities. It’s gentle but sweet, and ideal viewing while expecting Santa to visit. Holiday verdict: 🎄🎄🎄 A Star-Studded Family Drama Michelle Pfeiffer is the matriarch of a dysfunctional American family who gather for the holidays—including other acclaimed actress Felicity Jones, Chloe Grace Moretz, Jason Schwartzman, and dad Denis Leary. Pfeiffer starts by mentioning classic festive films 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 premise, but in practice it’s really a combination of those forerunner films, at least until Pfeiffer’s character finally finds her strength. Festive score: 🎄🎄 6.43pm - A Scottish Christmas Secret The day’s waned in quality, but thankfully here’s a new entry in the saturated market of predictable, sentimental, cheesy—and utterly watchable—holiday fare. It’s a story as well-worn: An American woman goes on a quest to a far-off wintery locale and ends up discovering romance. In this case, Caprice Bourret plays a publisher
‘Tis the season to slob out on the sofa and demolish a packet of holiday pastries in front of a terrific flick, a poor film, or one that’s terrible yet terrific. Once again, a selection of fresh holiday movies aims to become part of our holiday traditions—maybe even joining the ranks alongside timeless staples like Home Alone, Elf, Love Actually, and Die Hard (we won’t debate it). Thus, in a helpful attempt to distinguish the gems from the coal, and to get into the holiday mood, I watched as many recent festive movies as possible in a single day. First Up: The Jonas Brothers' Holiday Flick Kicking off, optimistically, on a positive note. This is the sole 2025 movie on a famous website's list of the greatest 100 Christmas movies of all time. The Jonas Brothers find themselves trapped in the UK after wrapping up their world tour and must make it back for Christmas. Their efforts are hindered by an villainous Saint Nick, who sings to state they won’t get home until they “find their familial spark.” The banter between the arguing trio is entertaining even for the casual viewer, while fans will undoubtedly notice lots of references as they attempt to get back using any means of transport necessary. It’s a travelogue of mishaps. It’s not a timeless masterpiece, but is excellent for fans and a solid 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 A-list actor Kiefer Sutherland stars as a celebrity tricked into a "panto". “A what's a panto??” asks Sutherland’s “difficult” and ageing lead Brad Mack, who has hit a rough patch and whose representative has misled him into thinking he’s performing in renowned British drama. His pantomime co-stars tell him he’s playing Buttons. “Oh no I’m not,” he insists angrily. One can imagine their retort. Unless you’re not acquainted with traditional British theatre traditions. There are some very funny lines, some touching sub-plots, and the supporting actors is cracking, too. It’s the type of film that would be a bit cheesy at another season, but is a lot of fun at Christmas. Christmas tree rating: 🎄🎄🎄🎄 10.19am - Christmas Karma A familiar face pops up at the outset of this film, too, calling someone a mug for the second film in a row. Might this become a budding festive ritual? This time, he’s a crooning chauffeur who picks up 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 miserly Mr Sood is haunted by the apparitions of Christmas yesterday, today, and tomorrow, played by Hugh Bonneville, Billy Porter, and Boy George. This cultural adaptation is at least different from all the others, but sadly he’s not very charismatic and Nayyar’s acting is wooden—a significant issue when he’s so central to everything. Festive score: 🎄🎄 Noon: A BBC Special There’s time for a channel's holiday special—which stars Guz Khan as a lovably grouchy guy who “doesn’t really do Christmas.” But after he receives an sizable holiday payout at work, his wife (played by Morgana Robinson) persuades him spending the sum on a family trip to Lapland. There’s just one issue—he learns there was an error with his bonus, which should have been £800, and he has to devise a plan for how to return the difference. Fun while it lasts but not lasting. 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 scene of the film rather than its core purpose—but it feels warm and holiday-like all the same. Driven corporate star Sydney (starring Minka Kelly) is dispatched to a country estate to do a deal for a sparkling wine company. En route, she runs into a guy in a bookshop who promises to show her a festive Paris. A commentator recently stated this is the top new Christmas film of the past few years. That’s a bit of a overstatement, but it is a Christmas romance with a touch of class and gives the necessary warm and fuzzy feels. The scene with a lengthy discussion about Die Hard is particularly strong too. Christmas tree rating: 🎄🎄🎄 3.29pm - Finding Father Christmas Teenage Chris, played by Lenny Rush, refuses to stop believing in Father Christmas, in spite of the persuasion of his dad (played by James Buckley) to tell him the truth. The truth is somewhere, and Chris embarks on a quest to find it with the guidance of a team of well-known experts and celebrities. It’s gentle but sweet, and ideal viewing while expecting Santa to visit. Holiday verdict: 🎄🎄🎄 A Star-Studded Family Drama Michelle Pfeiffer is the matriarch of a dysfunctional American family who gather for the holidays—including other acclaimed actress Felicity Jones, Chloe Grace Moretz, Jason Schwartzman, and dad Denis Leary. Pfeiffer starts by mentioning classic festive films 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 premise, but in practice it’s really a combination of those forerunner films, at least until Pfeiffer’s character finally finds her strength. Festive score: 🎄🎄 6.43pm - A Scottish Christmas Secret The day’s waned in quality, but thankfully here’s a new entry in the saturated market of predictable, sentimental, cheesy—and utterly watchable—holiday fare. It’s a story as well-worn: An American woman goes on a quest to a far-off wintery locale and ends up discovering romance. In this case, Caprice Bourret plays a publisher