Marathon Viewing The Latest Christmas Films: The Hits, The Misses, and The Guilty Pleasures.
It is the time of year to relax on the couch and demolish a box of holiday pastries in front of a great film, a awful feature, or one that’s awesomely awful.
As always, a selection of latest Christmas films aims to become part of our seasonal watchlist—maybe even earning a place alongside timeless staples like Home Alone, Elf, Love Actually, and Die Hard (we won’t debate it).
Therefore, in a vital public service to distinguish the gems from the coal, and to find the holiday mood, I marathoned as many new holiday releases as possible in a single day.
Early Morning: A Very Jonas Christmas Movie
Kicking off, ideally, on a high. This release is the sole 2025 title on a famous website's list of the top 100 holiday films of all time.
The popular band end up stuck in the UK after finishing their international trek and must return for Christmas. Their endeavors are hindered by an villainous Saint Nick, who sings to announce they won’t get home until they “rediscover their sibling bond.”
The back-and-forth between the bickering brothers is amusing even for the non-fan, while followers will certainly pick up on lots of references as they try to get back using any means of transport necessary.
It’s private planes, trains and automobiles.
It’s not an all-time classic, but is excellent for devotees and a good start to the day.
Festive score: 🎄🎄🎄🎄🎄 for Jonas Brothers fans or 🎄🎄🎄 for their family members who will have to sit through it.
Late Morning: Tinsel Town
A-list actor Kiefer Sutherland appears as a movie actor cast a traditional British stage show.
“A what's a panto??” asks Sutherland’s “hard-to-work-with” and ageing star Brad Mack, who has seen better days and whose agent has tricked him into thinking he’s appearing in high-class London stage.
His Aladdin co-stars let him know he’s playing Buttons. “Oh no I’m not,” he retorts. You can guess their reply. That is, unless you’re unfamiliar with traditional British theatre traditions.
There are some great jokes, some cockle-warming sub-plots, and the ensemble is brilliant, too.
It’s the sort of feature that would be a bit naff at any other time of year, but is a great entertainment at Christmas.
Christmas tree rating: 🎄🎄🎄🎄
A New Spin on Scrooge
An actor shows up at the beginning of this film, too, insulting someone for the next movie straight. Is this a new Christmas tradition?
This time, he’s a musical taxi operator who encounters Mr Sood, the newest interpretation 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 classic narrative unfolds as the stingy 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 distinct 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 main character.
Festive score: 🎄🎄
12.04pm - Stuffed
Before lunch for a major broadcaster's Christmas comedy-drama—which stars Guz Khan as a endearingly grumpy man who “avoids Christmas.”
But after he is awarded an £8,000 Christmas bonus at work, his wife (portrayed by Morgana Robinson) talks him into splurging the cash on a holiday to Lapland.
There’s just one snag—he discovers there was an mistake with his bonus, which should have been £800, and he has to determine how to return the difference.
Enjoyable but forgettable.
Christmas tree rating: 🎄🎄
1.12pm - Champagne Problems
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 core purpose—but it feels comfortable and seasonal all the same.
Driven corporate star Sydney (starring Minka Kelly) is dispatched to a French chateau to do a deal for a sparkling wine company. On the way, she runs into a guy in a book store who vows to show her Christmas in 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 dash of elegance and gives the necessary heartwarming sensation.
The scene with a detailed conversation about Die Hard is notable too.
Festive score: 🎄🎄🎄
3.29pm - Finding Father Christmas
Teenage Chris, played by Lenny Rush, refuses to stop believing in Father Christmas, despite the persuasion of his dad (played by James Buckley) to tell him the truth.
The answer is somewhere, and Chris sets out to find it with the assistance of a panel of well-known scientists and personalities.
It’s low-key but endearing, and good viewing while anticipating Santa to visit.
Holiday verdict: 🎄🎄🎄
Late Afternoon: Oh. What. Fun.
Michelle Pfeiffer is the matriarch of a bickering American family who gather for the holidays—including other Oscar nominee Felicity Jones, Chloe Grace Moretz, Jason Schwartzman, and dad Denis Leary.
Pfeiffer starts by mentioning holiday staples 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 concept, but in reality it’s really a combination of those inspirations, at least until Pfeiffer’s character finally comes into her own.
Christmas tree rating: 🎄🎄
Formulaic Fun
The day’s gone downhill, but thankfully here’s a new entry in the packed genre of cliched, saccharine, over-the-top—and utterly watchable—seasonal comfort food.
It’s a narrative as well-worn: An American woman travels to a picturesque cold country and ends up finding romance.
In this case, Caprice Bourret plays a publisher