🔗 Share this article Marathon Viewing This Year's Holiday Movies: The Good, The Bad and The So-Bad-It's-Good. ‘Tis the season to relax on the sofa and devour a tin of mince pies in front of a terrific flick, a awful feature, or one that’s so bad it’s good. As always, a crop of fresh Christmas films hopes to be part of our festive viewing—maybe even finding a spot alongside enduring classics like Home Alone, Elf, Love Actually, and Die Hard (no arguments). So, in a noble effort to distinguish the gems from the coal, and to get into the festive feeling, I watched as many new Christmas films as possible in a single day. 7.17am - A Very Jonas Christmas Movie Starting, ideally, on a positive note. This release is the only 2025 entry on a famous website's list of the top 100 Christmas movies of all time. The popular band find themselves stuck in the UK after finishing their global concert series and must get home for Christmas. Their endeavors are hampered by an villainous Saint Nick, who breaks into song to declare they won’t get home until they “rekindle their brotherly magic.” The back-and-forth between the squabbling siblings is enjoyable even for the casual viewer, while followers will undoubtedly catch lots of easter eggs as they attempt to get back using all transportation available. It’s a travelogue of mishaps. It’s not legendary, but is excellent for devotees 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. 8.45am - Tinsel Town A-list actor Kiefer Sutherland has been cast as a Hollywood star roped into a pantomime. “A panto-what?” asks Sutherland’s “hard-to-work-with” and older lead Brad Mack, who has hit a rough patch and whose agent has misled him into thinking he’s appearing in renowned British drama. His pantomime cast-mates tell him he’s playing Buttons. “Oh no I’m not,” he retorts. You can guess their reply. That is, unless you’re not acquainted with traditional British theatre traditions. There are some hilarious moments, some cockle-warming sub-plots, and the supporting actors is cracking, too. It’s the kind of movie that would be a bit tacky at another season, but is a highly enjoyable at Christmas. Christmas tree rating: 🎄🎄🎄🎄 A New Spin on Scrooge A familiar face appears at the beginning of this film, too, insulting someone for the second consecutive movie. Is this a new Christmas tradition? This time, he’s a musical taxi operator who picks up Mr Sood, the modern take 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 the director of Gurinder Chadha. The classic narrative 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 regrettably he’s not very compelling and Nayyar’s portrayal is wooden—a problem when he’s so the main character. Christmas tree rating: 🎄🎄 Noon: A BBC Special Before lunch for a channel's Christmas comedy-drama—which stars Guz Khan as a charmingly cantankerous character who “isn't big on Christmas.” But after he is awarded an sizable holiday payout at work, his wife (played by Morgana Robinson) talks him into blowing the money on a family trip 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 figure out how to pay back the difference. Pleasant yet unmemorable. Holiday verdict: 🎄🎄 A Classy Netflix Romance This is one of those holiday movies where the festive trappings are in the background—Christmas is the scene of the film rather than its main point—but it feels warm and holiday-like all the same. Driven corporate star Sydney (starring Minka Kelly) is dispatched to a vineyard to do a deal for a champagne business. En route, she runs into a fellow in a literary haven who offers to show her a festive Paris. An expert recently declared this is the top new Christmas film of the past few years. That’s a bit of a exaggeration, but it is a festive dalliance with a hint of sophistication and gives the required heartwarming sensation. The scene with a detailed conversation about Die Hard is very good too. Holiday verdict: 🎄🎄🎄 3.29pm - Finding Father Christmas Young Chris, played by Lenny Rush, holds onto his belief in Father Christmas, regardless of the persuasion of his dad (played by James Buckley) to tell him the truth. The answer is to be discovered, and Chris sets out to find it with the guidance of a panel of well-known experts and celebrities. It’s gentle but charming, and ideal viewing while anticipating Santa to visit. Festive score: 🎄🎄🎄 4.39pm - Oh. What. Fun. Michelle Pfeiffer is the mother of a bickering American family who reunite for the holidays—including other acclaimed actress 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 stating: “They need to make a movie about the unsung heroes 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 at last takes center stage. Holiday verdict: 🎄🎄 Evening: A Scottish Christmas Secret The day’s taken a dip, but happily here’s a new addition in the packed genre of cliched, saccharine, over-the-top—and utterly watchable—festive fodder. It’s a tale as familiar as can be: 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
‘Tis the season to relax on the sofa and devour a tin of mince pies in front of a terrific flick, a awful feature, or one that’s so bad it’s good. As always, a crop of fresh Christmas films hopes to be part of our festive viewing—maybe even finding a spot alongside enduring classics like Home Alone, Elf, Love Actually, and Die Hard (no arguments). So, in a noble effort to distinguish the gems from the coal, and to get into the festive feeling, I watched as many new Christmas films as possible in a single day. 7.17am - A Very Jonas Christmas Movie Starting, ideally, on a positive note. This release is the only 2025 entry on a famous website's list of the top 100 Christmas movies of all time. The popular band find themselves stuck in the UK after finishing their global concert series and must get home for Christmas. Their endeavors are hampered by an villainous Saint Nick, who breaks into song to declare they won’t get home until they “rekindle their brotherly magic.” The back-and-forth between the squabbling siblings is enjoyable even for the casual viewer, while followers will undoubtedly catch lots of easter eggs as they attempt to get back using all transportation available. It’s a travelogue of mishaps. It’s not legendary, but is excellent for devotees 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. 8.45am - Tinsel Town A-list actor Kiefer Sutherland has been cast as a Hollywood star roped into a pantomime. “A panto-what?” asks Sutherland’s “hard-to-work-with” and older lead Brad Mack, who has hit a rough patch and whose agent has misled him into thinking he’s appearing in renowned British drama. His pantomime cast-mates tell him he’s playing Buttons. “Oh no I’m not,” he retorts. You can guess their reply. That is, unless you’re not acquainted with traditional British theatre traditions. There are some hilarious moments, some cockle-warming sub-plots, and the supporting actors is cracking, too. It’s the kind of movie that would be a bit tacky at another season, but is a highly enjoyable at Christmas. Christmas tree rating: 🎄🎄🎄🎄 A New Spin on Scrooge A familiar face appears at the beginning of this film, too, insulting someone for the second consecutive movie. Is this a new Christmas tradition? This time, he’s a musical taxi operator who picks up Mr Sood, the modern take 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 the director of Gurinder Chadha. The classic narrative 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 regrettably he’s not very compelling and Nayyar’s portrayal is wooden—a problem when he’s so the main character. Christmas tree rating: 🎄🎄 Noon: A BBC Special Before lunch for a channel's Christmas comedy-drama—which stars Guz Khan as a charmingly cantankerous character who “isn't big on Christmas.” But after he is awarded an sizable holiday payout at work, his wife (played by Morgana Robinson) talks him into blowing the money on a family trip 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 figure out how to pay back the difference. Pleasant yet unmemorable. Holiday verdict: 🎄🎄 A Classy Netflix Romance This is one of those holiday movies where the festive trappings are in the background—Christmas is the scene of the film rather than its main point—but it feels warm and holiday-like all the same. Driven corporate star Sydney (starring Minka Kelly) is dispatched to a vineyard to do a deal for a champagne business. En route, she runs into a fellow in a literary haven who offers to show her a festive Paris. An expert recently declared this is the top new Christmas film of the past few years. That’s a bit of a exaggeration, but it is a festive dalliance with a hint of sophistication and gives the required heartwarming sensation. The scene with a detailed conversation about Die Hard is very good too. Holiday verdict: 🎄🎄🎄 3.29pm - Finding Father Christmas Young Chris, played by Lenny Rush, holds onto his belief in Father Christmas, regardless of the persuasion of his dad (played by James Buckley) to tell him the truth. The answer is to be discovered, and Chris sets out to find it with the guidance of a panel of well-known experts and celebrities. It’s gentle but charming, and ideal viewing while anticipating Santa to visit. Festive score: 🎄🎄🎄 4.39pm - Oh. What. Fun. Michelle Pfeiffer is the mother of a bickering American family who reunite for the holidays—including other acclaimed actress 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 stating: “They need to make a movie about the unsung heroes 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 at last takes center stage. Holiday verdict: 🎄🎄 Evening: A Scottish Christmas Secret The day’s taken a dip, but happily here’s a new addition in the packed genre of cliched, saccharine, over-the-top—and utterly watchable—festive fodder. It’s a tale as familiar as can be: 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