🔗 Share this article Binge-Watching The Latest Holiday Movies: The Good, The Bad and The So-Bad-It's-Good. ‘Tis the time of year to lounge on the sofa and devour a box of holiday pastries in front of a terrific flick, a bad movie, or one that’s so bad it’s good. This year, a crop of new Christmas films hopes to be part of our festive viewing—maybe even joining the ranks alongside enduring classics like Home Alone, Elf, Love Actually, and Die Hard (don’t start). Thus, in a helpful attempt to sort the crackers from the turkeys, and to get into the festive feeling, I marathoned as many recent festive movies as possible in a single day. Early Morning: A Very Jonas Christmas Movie Starting, hopefully, on a good foot. This is the exclusive 2025 title on a well-known aggregator's list of the best 100 Christmas movies of all time. The musical trio are trapped in the UK after wrapping up their international trek and must return for Christmas. Their attempts are thwarted by an evil Santa, who breaks into song to declare they won’t get home until they “rekindle their brotherly magic.” The repartee between the arguing trio is enjoyable even for the uninitiated, while fans will no doubt pick up on lots of references as they endeavor to get back using any means of transport necessary. It’s a journey of epic proportions. It’s not an all-time classic, but is great for devotees and a solid start to the day. Holiday verdict: 🎄🎄🎄🎄🎄 for Jonas Brothers fans or 🎄🎄🎄 for their loved ones who must sit through it. 8.45am - Tinsel Town Hollywood star Kiefer Sutherland appears as a celebrity tricked into a traditional British stage show. “A panto-what?” asks Sutherland’s “difficult” and ageing lead Brad Mack, who has fallen on hard times and whose agent has deceived him into thinking he’s starring in high-class London stage. His pantomime cast-mates inform him he’s playing Buttons. “Oh no I’m not,” he insists angrily. You can guess their response. That is, unless you’re unfamiliar with traditional stage call-and-response. There are some great jokes, some cockle-warming side stories, and the rest of the cast is brilliant, too. It’s the type of film that would be a bit naff at another season, but is a great entertainment at Christmas. Holiday verdict: 🎄🎄🎄🎄 A New Spin on Scrooge A familiar face shows up at the beginning of this film, too, calling someone a mug for the second film in a row. Is this a new Christmas tradition? This time, he’s a musical taxi operator 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 develops as the miserly Mr Sood is haunted by the ghosts of Christmas yesterday, today, and tomorrow, played by Hugh Bonneville, Billy Porter, and Boy George. This South Asian reinterpretation is at least different from all the others, but regrettably he’s not very charismatic and Nayyar’s portrayal is flat—a significant issue when he’s so the main character. Christmas tree rating: 🎄🎄 Lunchtime: Stuffed There’s time for a network's holiday special—which stars Guz Khan as a charmingly cantankerous character who “isn't big on Christmas.” But after he is awarded an £8,000 Christmas bonus at work, his wife (starring Morgana Robinson) talks him into blowing the money on a family trip to Lapland. There’s just one snag—he discovers there was an error with his bonus, which should have been £800, and he has to determine how to reimburse the remainder. Fun while it lasts but not lasting. Festive score: 🎄🎄 A Classy Netflix Romance This is one of those Christmas films where the festive trappings are in the setting—Christmas is the environment of the film rather than its main point—but it feels comfortable and seasonal all the same. Ambitious executive Sydney (starring Minka Kelly) is assigned to a vineyard to do a deal for a champagne business. On the way, she meets a fellow in a bookshop who offers to show her the holidays in the City of Light. A commentator recently claimed this is the finest new Christmas film of the past few years. That’s a bit of a exaggeration, but it is a Christmas romance with a hint of sophistication and gives the necessary heartwarming sensation. The scene with a detailed conversation about Die Hard is notable too. Christmas tree rating: 🎄🎄🎄 A Charming Quest Sixteen-year-old Chris, played by Lenny Rush, continues to believe in Father Christmas, regardless of the persuasion of his dad (played by James Buckley) to tell him the truth. The truth is to be discovered, and Chris ventures forth to find it with the guidance of a team of well-known scientists and personalities. It’s low-key but sweet, and ideal viewing while anticipating Santa to visit. Festive score: 🎄🎄🎄 4.39pm - Oh. What. Fun. Michelle Pfeiffer is the matriarch of a dysfunctional American family who come back together for the holidays—including other Oscar nominee 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 true heroes of the holidays—moms.” So that’s what this is, but in execution it’s really a combination of those forerunner films, at least until Pfeiffer’s character finally finds her strength. Festive score: 🎄🎄 Evening: A Scottish Christmas Secret The day’s waned in quality, but fortunately here’s a new offering in the packed genre of predictable, sentimental, cheesy—and utterly watchable—holiday fare. It’s a tale as well-worn: An American woman travels to a picturesque cold country and ends up discovering romance. In this case, Caprice Bourret plays a publisher
‘Tis the time of year to lounge on the sofa and devour a box of holiday pastries in front of a terrific flick, a bad movie, or one that’s so bad it’s good. This year, a crop of new Christmas films hopes to be part of our festive viewing—maybe even joining the ranks alongside enduring classics like Home Alone, Elf, Love Actually, and Die Hard (don’t start). Thus, in a helpful attempt to sort the crackers from the turkeys, and to get into the festive feeling, I marathoned as many recent festive movies as possible in a single day. Early Morning: A Very Jonas Christmas Movie Starting, hopefully, on a good foot. This is the exclusive 2025 title on a well-known aggregator's list of the best 100 Christmas movies of all time. The musical trio are trapped in the UK after wrapping up their international trek and must return for Christmas. Their attempts are thwarted by an evil Santa, who breaks into song to declare they won’t get home until they “rekindle their brotherly magic.” The repartee between the arguing trio is enjoyable even for the uninitiated, while fans will no doubt pick up on lots of references as they endeavor to get back using any means of transport necessary. It’s a journey of epic proportions. It’s not an all-time classic, but is great for devotees and a solid start to the day. Holiday verdict: 🎄🎄🎄🎄🎄 for Jonas Brothers fans or 🎄🎄🎄 for their loved ones who must sit through it. 8.45am - Tinsel Town Hollywood star Kiefer Sutherland appears as a celebrity tricked into a traditional British stage show. “A panto-what?” asks Sutherland’s “difficult” and ageing lead Brad Mack, who has fallen on hard times and whose agent has deceived him into thinking he’s starring in high-class London stage. His pantomime cast-mates inform him he’s playing Buttons. “Oh no I’m not,” he insists angrily. You can guess their response. That is, unless you’re unfamiliar with traditional stage call-and-response. There are some great jokes, some cockle-warming side stories, and the rest of the cast is brilliant, too. It’s the type of film that would be a bit naff at another season, but is a great entertainment at Christmas. Holiday verdict: 🎄🎄🎄🎄 A New Spin on Scrooge A familiar face shows up at the beginning of this film, too, calling someone a mug for the second film in a row. Is this a new Christmas tradition? This time, he’s a musical taxi operator 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 develops as the miserly Mr Sood is haunted by the ghosts of Christmas yesterday, today, and tomorrow, played by Hugh Bonneville, Billy Porter, and Boy George. This South Asian reinterpretation is at least different from all the others, but regrettably he’s not very charismatic and Nayyar’s portrayal is flat—a significant issue when he’s so the main character. Christmas tree rating: 🎄🎄 Lunchtime: Stuffed There’s time for a network's holiday special—which stars Guz Khan as a charmingly cantankerous character who “isn't big on Christmas.” But after he is awarded an £8,000 Christmas bonus at work, his wife (starring Morgana Robinson) talks him into blowing the money on a family trip to Lapland. There’s just one snag—he discovers there was an error with his bonus, which should have been £800, and he has to determine how to reimburse the remainder. Fun while it lasts but not lasting. Festive score: 🎄🎄 A Classy Netflix Romance This is one of those Christmas films where the festive trappings are in the setting—Christmas is the environment of the film rather than its main point—but it feels comfortable and seasonal all the same. Ambitious executive Sydney (starring Minka Kelly) is assigned to a vineyard to do a deal for a champagne business. On the way, she meets a fellow in a bookshop who offers to show her the holidays in the City of Light. A commentator recently claimed this is the finest new Christmas film of the past few years. That’s a bit of a exaggeration, but it is a Christmas romance with a hint of sophistication and gives the necessary heartwarming sensation. The scene with a detailed conversation about Die Hard is notable too. Christmas tree rating: 🎄🎄🎄 A Charming Quest Sixteen-year-old Chris, played by Lenny Rush, continues to believe in Father Christmas, regardless of the persuasion of his dad (played by James Buckley) to tell him the truth. The truth is to be discovered, and Chris ventures forth to find it with the guidance of a team of well-known scientists and personalities. It’s low-key but sweet, and ideal viewing while anticipating Santa to visit. Festive score: 🎄🎄🎄 4.39pm - Oh. What. Fun. Michelle Pfeiffer is the matriarch of a dysfunctional American family who come back together for the holidays—including other Oscar nominee 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 true heroes of the holidays—moms.” So that’s what this is, but in execution it’s really a combination of those forerunner films, at least until Pfeiffer’s character finally finds her strength. Festive score: 🎄🎄 Evening: A Scottish Christmas Secret The day’s waned in quality, but fortunately here’s a new offering in the packed genre of predictable, sentimental, cheesy—and utterly watchable—holiday fare. It’s a tale as well-worn: An American woman travels to a picturesque cold country and ends up discovering romance. In this case, Caprice Bourret plays a publisher