🔗 Share this article Devouring This Year's Christmas Films: Highlights, Lowlights, and Unexpected Delights. ‘Tis the season to relax on the couch and devour a box of mince pies in front of a terrific flick, a bad movie, or one that’s so bad it’s good. As always, a crop of fresh holiday movies aims to become part of our holiday traditions—maybe even joining the ranks alongside enduring classics like Home Alone, Elf, Love Actually, and Die Hard (we won’t debate it). Thus, in a helpful attempt to sort the crackers from the turkeys, and to find the Christmas spirit, I watched as many new Christmas films as possible in a single day. First Up: The Jonas Brothers' Holiday Flick Kicking off, hopefully, on a positive note. This is the only 2025 title on a famous website's list of the best 100 Christmas movies of all time. The musical trio find themselves stuck in the UK after finishing their global concert series and must get home for Christmas. Their attempts are hampered by an villainous Saint Nick, who sings to announce they won’t get home until they “rediscover their sibling bond.” The banter between the arguing trio is amusing even for the uninitiated, while followers will certainly notice 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 great for devotees and a good start to the day. Holiday verdict: 🎄🎄🎄🎄🎄 for Jonas Brothers fans or 🎄🎄🎄 for their loved ones who must sit through it. Late Morning: Tinsel Town Hollywood star Kiefer Sutherland appears as a Hollywood star cast a traditional British stage show. “A what's a panto??” asks Sutherland’s “hard-to-work-with” and ageing action hero Brad Mack, who has fallen on hard times and whose manager has tricked him into thinking he’s performing in high-class London stage. His Aladdin fellow actors tell him he’s playing Buttons. “Absolutely not,” he retorts. It's easy to predict their retort. Unless you’re not acquainted with traditional British theatre traditions. There are some very funny lines, some cockle-warming side stories, and the supporting actors is cracking, too. It’s the kind of movie that would be a bit tacky at a different time, but is a great entertainment at Christmas. Festive score: 🎄🎄🎄🎄 10.19am - Christmas Karma An actor appears at the start of this film, too, calling someone a mug for the second film in a row. Is this a fresh holiday staple? This time, he’s a singing black cab driver who encounters Mr Sood, the newest interpretation on Mr Scrooge from Charles Dickens’ A Christmas Carol. Mr Sood is played by a star of Kunal Nayyar and Christmas Karma is directed by Bend It Like Beckham’s Gurinder Chadha. The familiar story unfolds as the tight-fisted Mr Sood is haunted 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 sadly he’s not very captivating and Nayyar’s acting is wooden—a major flaw when he’s so the focal point. Festive score: 🎄🎄 Noon: A BBC Special There's just enough time for a network's holiday special—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 (portrayed by Morgana Robinson) convinces him blowing the money on a holiday to Lapland. There’s just one problem—he discovers 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. Pleasant yet unmemorable. Festive score: 🎄🎄 Early Afternoon: Champagne Problems This is one of those Christmas films where the tree, fairy lights and snow are in the setting—Christmas is the setting of the film rather than its main point—but it feels comfortable and seasonal all the same. Driven corporate star Sydney (starring Minka Kelly) is assigned to a country estate to do a deal for a champagne business. En route, she encounters a man in a literary haven who promises to show her Christmas in Paris. A critic recently declared this is the best new Christmas film of the recent era. That’s a bit of a stretch, but it is a festive dalliance with a dash of elegance and gives the necessary heartwarming sensation. The scene with a lengthy discussion 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, in spite of the attempts of his dad (played by James Buckley) to tell him the truth. The truth is out there, and Chris sets out to find it with the assistance of a group of well-known figures. It’s understated but endearing, and good viewing while waiting for Santa to visit. Holiday verdict: 🎄🎄🎄 4.39pm - Oh. What. Fun. Michelle Pfeiffer is the head of a bickering American family who reunite for the holidays—including fellow acclaimed actress Felicity Jones, Chloe Grace Moretz, Jason Schwartzman, and dad Denis Leary. Pfeiffer opens by name-dropping 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 real champions of the holidays—moms.” So that’s the premise, but in execution it’s really a jumble of those forerunner films, at least until Pfeiffer’s character eventually finds her strength. Christmas tree rating: 🎄🎄 Evening: A Scottish Christmas Secret The day’s gone downhill, but happily here’s a new addition in the packed genre of formulaic, schmaltzy, badly acted—and highly entertaining—festive fodder. It’s a tale as familiar as can be: An American woman travels to a far-off wintery locale and ends up discovering romance. In this case, Caprice Bourret plays a publisher
‘Tis the season to relax on the couch and devour a box of mince pies in front of a terrific flick, a bad movie, or one that’s so bad it’s good. As always, a crop of fresh holiday movies aims to become part of our holiday traditions—maybe even joining the ranks alongside enduring classics like Home Alone, Elf, Love Actually, and Die Hard (we won’t debate it). Thus, in a helpful attempt to sort the crackers from the turkeys, and to find the Christmas spirit, I watched as many new Christmas films as possible in a single day. First Up: The Jonas Brothers' Holiday Flick Kicking off, hopefully, on a positive note. This is the only 2025 title on a famous website's list of the best 100 Christmas movies of all time. The musical trio find themselves stuck in the UK after finishing their global concert series and must get home for Christmas. Their attempts are hampered by an villainous Saint Nick, who sings to announce they won’t get home until they “rediscover their sibling bond.” The banter between the arguing trio is amusing even for the uninitiated, while followers will certainly notice 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 great for devotees and a good start to the day. Holiday verdict: 🎄🎄🎄🎄🎄 for Jonas Brothers fans or 🎄🎄🎄 for their loved ones who must sit through it. Late Morning: Tinsel Town Hollywood star Kiefer Sutherland appears as a Hollywood star cast a traditional British stage show. “A what's a panto??” asks Sutherland’s “hard-to-work-with” and ageing action hero Brad Mack, who has fallen on hard times and whose manager has tricked him into thinking he’s performing in high-class London stage. His Aladdin fellow actors tell him he’s playing Buttons. “Absolutely not,” he retorts. It's easy to predict their retort. Unless you’re not acquainted with traditional British theatre traditions. There are some very funny lines, some cockle-warming side stories, and the supporting actors is cracking, too. It’s the kind of movie that would be a bit tacky at a different time, but is a great entertainment at Christmas. Festive score: 🎄🎄🎄🎄 10.19am - Christmas Karma An actor appears at the start of this film, too, calling someone a mug for the second film in a row. Is this a fresh holiday staple? This time, he’s a singing black cab driver who encounters Mr Sood, the newest interpretation on Mr Scrooge from Charles Dickens’ A Christmas Carol. Mr Sood is played by a star of Kunal Nayyar and Christmas Karma is directed by Bend It Like Beckham’s Gurinder Chadha. The familiar story unfolds as the tight-fisted Mr Sood is haunted 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 sadly he’s not very captivating and Nayyar’s acting is wooden—a major flaw when he’s so the focal point. Festive score: 🎄🎄 Noon: A BBC Special There's just enough time for a network's holiday special—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 (portrayed by Morgana Robinson) convinces him blowing the money on a holiday to Lapland. There’s just one problem—he discovers 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. Pleasant yet unmemorable. Festive score: 🎄🎄 Early Afternoon: Champagne Problems This is one of those Christmas films where the tree, fairy lights and snow are in the setting—Christmas is the setting of the film rather than its main point—but it feels comfortable and seasonal all the same. Driven corporate star Sydney (starring Minka Kelly) is assigned to a country estate to do a deal for a champagne business. En route, she encounters a man in a literary haven who promises to show her Christmas in Paris. A critic recently declared this is the best new Christmas film of the recent era. That’s a bit of a stretch, but it is a festive dalliance with a dash of elegance and gives the necessary heartwarming sensation. The scene with a lengthy discussion 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, in spite of the attempts of his dad (played by James Buckley) to tell him the truth. The truth is out there, and Chris sets out to find it with the assistance of a group of well-known figures. It’s understated but endearing, and good viewing while waiting for Santa to visit. Holiday verdict: 🎄🎄🎄 4.39pm - Oh. What. Fun. Michelle Pfeiffer is the head of a bickering American family who reunite for the holidays—including fellow acclaimed actress Felicity Jones, Chloe Grace Moretz, Jason Schwartzman, and dad Denis Leary. Pfeiffer opens by name-dropping 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 real champions of the holidays—moms.” So that’s the premise, but in execution it’s really a jumble of those forerunner films, at least until Pfeiffer’s character eventually finds her strength. Christmas tree rating: 🎄🎄 Evening: A Scottish Christmas Secret The day’s gone downhill, but happily here’s a new addition in the packed genre of formulaic, schmaltzy, badly acted—and highly entertaining—festive fodder. It’s a tale as familiar as can be: An American woman travels to a far-off wintery locale and ends up discovering romance. In this case, Caprice Bourret plays a publisher