🔗 Share this article Marathon Viewing 2025's Holiday Movies: The Hits, The Misses, and The Guilty Pleasures. ‘Tis the season to slob out on the sofa and devour a box of mince pies in front of a good movie, a poor film, or one that’s so bad it’s good. This year, a crop of new Christmas films strives to join part of our seasonal watchlist—perhaps even earning a place alongside timeless staples like Home Alone, Elf, Love Actually, and Die Hard (we won’t debate it). Thus, in a vital public service to sort the crackers from the turkeys, and to get into the Christmas spirit, I watched as many new holiday releases as possible in a single day. 7.17am - A Very Jonas Christmas Movie Starting, optimistically, on a good foot. This is the only 2025 entry on a popular review site's list of the best 100 Christmas movies of all time. The Jonas Brothers end up trapped in the UK after wrapping up their world tour and must return for Christmas. Their efforts are hampered by an evil Santa, who sings to state they won’t get home until they “rekindle their brotherly magic.” The back-and-forth between the squabbling siblings is entertaining even for the casual viewer, while devotees will no doubt catch lots of easter eggs as they endeavor to get back using all transportation available. It’s a travelogue of mishaps. It’s not an all-time classic, but is great for fans and a good start to the day. Holiday verdict: 🎄🎄🎄🎄🎄 for Jonas Brothers fans or 🎄🎄🎄 for their family members who must sit through it. Late Morning: Tinsel Town Hollywood star Kiefer Sutherland has been cast as a movie actor roped into a pantomime. “A what's a panto??” asks Sutherland’s “hard-to-work-with” and older lead Brad Mack, who has seen better days and whose manager has misled him into thinking he’s appearing in high-class London stage. His Aladdin co-stars inform him he’s playing Buttons. “Absolutely not,” he protests. One can imagine their response. Except if you’re not acquainted with traditional panto catchphrases. There are some great jokes, some touching sub-plots, and the ensemble is excellent, too. It’s the sort of feature that would be a bit cheesy at another season, but is a lot of fun at Christmas. Holiday verdict: 🎄🎄🎄🎄 A New Spin on Scrooge A familiar face pops up at the beginning of this film, too, insulting someone for the next movie straight. Might this become a new Christmas tradition? This time, he’s a singing black cab driver who encounters 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 progresses as the miserly Mr Sood is confronted by the spirits of Christmas past, present and future, 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 performance is lifeless—a significant issue when he’s so the focal point. Festive score: 🎄🎄 Noon: A BBC Special There's just enough time for a major broadcaster's holiday special—which stars Guz Khan as a lovably grouchy guy who “isn't big on Christmas.” But after he receives an £8,000 Christmas bonus at work, his wife (starring Morgana Robinson) talks him into blowing the money on a holiday to Lapland. There’s just one snag—he learns there was an error with his bonus, which should have been £800, and he has to determine how to reimburse the difference. Fun while it lasts but not lasting. Festive score: 🎄🎄 A Classy Netflix Romance This is one of those Christmas films where the decorations and snow are in the background—Christmas is the setting of the film rather than its raison d’etre—but it feels warm and holiday-like all the same. High-powered businesswoman Sydney (played by Minka Kelly) is dispatched to a vineyard to secure an acquisition for a sparkling wine company. During her travels, she encounters a guy in a book store who promises to show her Christmas in Paris. An expert recently stated this is the best new Christmas film of the last several seasons. That’s a bit of a stretch, but it is a Christmas romance with a dash of elegance and gives the necessary cozy feelings. The scene with a extended debate about Die Hard is very good too. Christmas tree rating: 🎄🎄🎄 A Charming Quest Sixteen-year-old Chris, played by Lenny Rush, refuses to stop believing in Father Christmas, in spite of the persuasion of his dad (played by James Buckley) to tell him the reality. The truth is to be discovered, and Chris sets out to find it with the expert help of a team of well-known experts and celebrities. It’s understated but charming, and ideal viewing while waiting for Santa to visit. Festive score: 🎄🎄🎄 Late Afternoon: Oh. What. Fun. Michelle Pfeiffer is the matriarch of a dysfunctional American family who reunite for the holidays—including other acclaimed actress 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 saying: “They need to make a movie about the unsung heroes of the holidays—moms.” So that’s what this is, but in practice it’s really a combination of those aforementioned movies, at least until Pfeiffer’s character eventually comes into her own. Christmas tree rating: 🎄🎄 6.43pm - A Scottish Christmas Secret The day’s waned in quality, but happily here’s a new offering in the saturated market of cliched, saccharine, over-the-top—and highly entertaining—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 slob out on the sofa and devour a box of mince pies in front of a good movie, a poor film, or one that’s so bad it’s good. This year, a crop of new Christmas films strives to join part of our seasonal watchlist—perhaps even earning a place alongside timeless staples like Home Alone, Elf, Love Actually, and Die Hard (we won’t debate it). Thus, in a vital public service to sort the crackers from the turkeys, and to get into the Christmas spirit, I watched as many new holiday releases as possible in a single day. 7.17am - A Very Jonas Christmas Movie Starting, optimistically, on a good foot. This is the only 2025 entry on a popular review site's list of the best 100 Christmas movies of all time. The Jonas Brothers end up trapped in the UK after wrapping up their world tour and must return for Christmas. Their efforts are hampered by an evil Santa, who sings to state they won’t get home until they “rekindle their brotherly magic.” The back-and-forth between the squabbling siblings is entertaining even for the casual viewer, while devotees will no doubt catch lots of easter eggs as they endeavor to get back using all transportation available. It’s a travelogue of mishaps. It’s not an all-time classic, but is great for fans and a good start to the day. Holiday verdict: 🎄🎄🎄🎄🎄 for Jonas Brothers fans or 🎄🎄🎄 for their family members who must sit through it. Late Morning: Tinsel Town Hollywood star Kiefer Sutherland has been cast as a movie actor roped into a pantomime. “A what's a panto??” asks Sutherland’s “hard-to-work-with” and older lead Brad Mack, who has seen better days and whose manager has misled him into thinking he’s appearing in high-class London stage. His Aladdin co-stars inform him he’s playing Buttons. “Absolutely not,” he protests. One can imagine their response. Except if you’re not acquainted with traditional panto catchphrases. There are some great jokes, some touching sub-plots, and the ensemble is excellent, too. It’s the sort of feature that would be a bit cheesy at another season, but is a lot of fun at Christmas. Holiday verdict: 🎄🎄🎄🎄 A New Spin on Scrooge A familiar face pops up at the beginning of this film, too, insulting someone for the next movie straight. Might this become a new Christmas tradition? This time, he’s a singing black cab driver who encounters 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 progresses as the miserly Mr Sood is confronted by the spirits of Christmas past, present and future, 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 performance is lifeless—a significant issue when he’s so the focal point. Festive score: 🎄🎄 Noon: A BBC Special There's just enough time for a major broadcaster's holiday special—which stars Guz Khan as a lovably grouchy guy who “isn't big on Christmas.” But after he receives an £8,000 Christmas bonus at work, his wife (starring Morgana Robinson) talks him into blowing the money on a holiday to Lapland. There’s just one snag—he learns there was an error with his bonus, which should have been £800, and he has to determine how to reimburse the difference. Fun while it lasts but not lasting. Festive score: 🎄🎄 A Classy Netflix Romance This is one of those Christmas films where the decorations and snow are in the background—Christmas is the setting of the film rather than its raison d’etre—but it feels warm and holiday-like all the same. High-powered businesswoman Sydney (played by Minka Kelly) is dispatched to a vineyard to secure an acquisition for a sparkling wine company. During her travels, she encounters a guy in a book store who promises to show her Christmas in Paris. An expert recently stated this is the best new Christmas film of the last several seasons. That’s a bit of a stretch, but it is a Christmas romance with a dash of elegance and gives the necessary cozy feelings. The scene with a extended debate about Die Hard is very good too. Christmas tree rating: 🎄🎄🎄 A Charming Quest Sixteen-year-old Chris, played by Lenny Rush, refuses to stop believing in Father Christmas, in spite of the persuasion of his dad (played by James Buckley) to tell him the reality. The truth is to be discovered, and Chris sets out to find it with the expert help of a team of well-known experts and celebrities. It’s understated but charming, and ideal viewing while waiting for Santa to visit. Festive score: 🎄🎄🎄 Late Afternoon: Oh. What. Fun. Michelle Pfeiffer is the matriarch of a dysfunctional American family who reunite for the holidays—including other acclaimed actress 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 saying: “They need to make a movie about the unsung heroes of the holidays—moms.” So that’s what this is, but in practice it’s really a combination of those aforementioned movies, at least until Pfeiffer’s character eventually comes into her own. Christmas tree rating: 🎄🎄 6.43pm - A Scottish Christmas Secret The day’s waned in quality, but happily here’s a new offering in the saturated market of cliched, saccharine, over-the-top—and highly entertaining—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