It is the season to relax on the couch and consume a tin of festive treats in front of a great film, a poor film, or one that’s awesomely awful.
As always, a crop of fresh holiday movies hopes to be part of our seasonal watchlist—potentially even finding a spot alongside timeless staples like Home Alone, Elf, Love Actually, and Die Hard (we won’t debate it).
Thus, in a vital public service to separate the winners from the losers, and to get into the holiday mood, I binged as many new holiday releases as possible in a single day.
Starting, optimistically, on a good foot. This film is the only 2025 entry on a famous website's list of the top 100 Christmas movies of all time.
The Jonas Brothers find themselves trapped in the UK after wrapping up their global concert series and must make it back for Christmas. Their efforts are hampered by an malevolent Father Christmas, who breaks into song to state they won’t get home until they “find their familial spark.”
The back-and-forth between the bickering brothers is amusing even for the uninitiated, while devotees will certainly notice lots of easter eggs as they attempt to get back using any means of transport necessary.
It’s private planes, trains and automobiles.
It’s not a timeless masterpiece, but is great 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.
Hollywood star Kiefer Sutherland appears as a Hollywood star cast 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 tricked him into thinking he’s starring in high-class London stage.
His pantomime co-stars inform him he’s playing Buttons. “Absolutely not,” he retorts. It's easy to predict their response. Except if you’re not acquainted with traditional panto catchphrases.
There are some very funny lines, some heartwarming sub-plots, and the supporting actors is excellent, too.
It’s the kind of movie that would be a bit cheesy at another season, but is a highly enjoyable at Christmas.
Holiday verdict: 🎄🎄🎄🎄
An actor appears at the outset of this film, too, calling someone a mug for the second film in a row. Might this become a new Christmas tradition?
This time, he’s a singing black cab driver 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 Bend It Like Beckham’s Gurinder Chadha. The familiar story progresses as the miserly 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 sadly he’s not very charismatic and Nayyar’s performance is flat—a problem when he’s so the focal point.
Holiday verdict: 🎄🎄
There's just enough time for a channel's Christmas comedy-drama—which stars Guz Khan as a endearingly grumpy man who “avoids Christmas.”
But after he is awarded 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 finds out there was an mistake with his bonus, which should have been £800, and he has to figure out how to return the difference.
Pleasant yet unmemorable.
Christmas tree rating: 🎄🎄
This is one of those Christmas films where the decorations and snow are in the backdrop—Christmas is the scene of the film rather than its raison d’etre—but it feels cosy and festive all the same.
Driven corporate star Sydney (starring Minka Kelly) is assigned to a vineyard to negotiate a purchase for a sparkling wine company. During her travels, she meets a man in a book store who offers to show her the holidays in the City of Light.
A critic recently stated this is the best new Christmas film of the past few years. That’s a bit of a overstatement, but it is a holiday love story with a hint of sophistication and gives the necessary heartwarming sensation.
The scene with a lengthy discussion about Die Hard is particularly strong too.
Festive score: 🎄🎄🎄
Teenage Chris, played by Lenny Rush, holds onto his belief in Father Christmas, despite the efforts of his dad (played by James Buckley) to tell him the truth.
The secret is out there, and Chris sets out to find it with the assistance of a panel of well-known figures.
It’s gentle but sweet, and good viewing while anticipating Santa to visit.
Holiday verdict: 🎄🎄🎄
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 starts by mentioning 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 true heroes of the holidays—moms.”
So that’s the premise, but in reality it’s really a mash-up of those inspirations, at least until Pfeiffer’s character eventually comes into her own.
Festive score: 🎄🎄
The day’s waned in quality, but thankfully here’s a new offering in the saturated market of formulaic, schmaltzy, badly acted—and utterly watchable—holiday fare.
It’s a narrative as old as time: An American woman journeys to a picturesque cold country and ends up stumbling across romance.
In this case, Caprice Bourret plays a publisher
