🔗 Share this article Marathon Viewing The Latest Holiday Movies: The Hits, The Misses, and The Guilty Pleasures. It is the season to relax on the sofa and demolish a tin of festive treats in front of a terrific flick, a bad movie, or one that’s terrible yet terrific. As always, a batch of new holiday movies strives to join part of our holiday traditions—perhaps even earning a place alongside timeless staples like Home Alone, Elf, Love Actually, and Die Hard (no arguments). Therefore, in a vital public service to sort the crackers from the turkeys, and to find the Christmas spirit, I marathoned as many fresh festive movies as possible in a single day. First Up: The Jonas Brothers' Holiday Flick Beginning, optimistically, on a high. This release is the only 2025 title on a well-known aggregator's list of the best 100 holiday films of all time. The Jonas Brothers are stranded in the UK after wrapping up their global concert series and must return for Christmas. Their endeavors are thwarted by an evil Santa, who breaks into song to state they won’t get home until they “rediscover their sibling bond.” The repartee between the bickering brothers is amusing even for the uninitiated, while followers will no doubt catch lots of references as they endeavor to get back using all transportation available. It’s a journey of epic proportions. It’s not a timeless masterpiece, but is excellent for devotees and a positive start to the day. Holiday verdict: 🎄🎄🎄🎄🎄 for Jonas Brothers fans or 🎄🎄🎄 for their family members who are obliged to sit through it. Late Morning: Tinsel Town Famous performer Kiefer Sutherland has been cast as a celebrity roped into a "panto". “A what's a panto??” asks Sutherland’s “hard-to-work-with” and aging lead Brad Mack, who has hit a rough patch and whose representative has deceived him into thinking he’s appearing in high-class London stage. His pantomime fellow actors tell him he’s playing Buttons. “No I'm not,” he retorts. You can guess their response. Except if you’re not acquainted with traditional stage call-and-response. There are some great jokes, some heartwarming sub-plots, and the supporting actors is cracking, too. It’s the sort of feature that would be a bit cheesy at a different time, but is a lot of fun at Christmas. Holiday verdict: 🎄🎄🎄🎄 10.19am - Christmas Karma Danny Dyer pops up at the start of this film, too, calling someone a mug for the next movie straight. Could this be 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 a star of Kunal Nayyar and Christmas Karma is directed by the director of Gurinder Chadha. The familiar story unfolds as the tight-fisted Mr Sood is haunted by the apparitions of Christmas past, present and future, played by Hugh Bonneville, Billy Porter, and Boy George. This Indian Scrooge is at least different from all the others, but unfortunately he’s not very captivating and Nayyar’s acting is lifeless—a problem when he’s so the main character. Christmas tree rating: 🎄🎄 12.04pm - Stuffed There's just enough time for a major broadcaster's Christmas comedy-drama—which stars Guz Khan as a lovably grouchy guy who “doesn’t really do Christmas.” But after he receives an £8,000 Christmas bonus at work, his wife (starring Morgana Robinson) convinces him blowing the money on a holiday to Lapland. There’s just one issue—he finds out there was an mix-up with his bonus, which should have been £800, and he has to determine how to pay back the excess. Fun while it lasts but not lasting. Festive score: 🎄🎄 1.12pm - Champagne Problems This is one of those holiday movies where the tree, fairy lights and snow are in the backdrop—Christmas is the environment of the film rather than its main point—but it feels comfortable and seasonal all the same. Driven corporate star Sydney (starring Minka Kelly) is sent to a vineyard to secure an acquisition for a sparkling wine company. En route, she encounters a guy in a bookshop who vows to show her a festive Paris. An expert recently stated this is the top new Christmas film of the last several seasons. That’s a bit of a overstatement, but it is a festive dalliance with a dash of elegance and gives the required heartwarming sensation. The scene with a detailed conversation about Die Hard is notable too. Christmas tree rating: 🎄🎄🎄 3.29pm - Finding Father Christmas Teenage Chris, played by Lenny Rush, refuses to stop believing in Father Christmas, despite the efforts of his dad (played by James Buckley) to tell him otherwise. The truth is somewhere, and Chris ventures forth to find it with the assistance of a group of well-known scientists and personalities. It’s low-key but endearing, and ideal viewing while anticipating Santa to visit. Festive score: 🎄🎄🎄 Late Afternoon: Oh. What. Fun. Michelle Pfeiffer is the mother of a dysfunctional American family who come back together for the holidays—including fellow 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 stating: “They need to make a movie about the real champions of the holidays—moms.” So that’s what this is, but in practice it’s really a combination of those forerunner films, at least until Pfeiffer’s character eventually comes into her own. Festive score: 🎄🎄 Formulaic Fun The day’s waned in quality, but happily here’s a new offering in the packed genre of cliched, saccharine, over-the-top—and strangely compelling—holiday fare. It’s a tale as old as time: An American woman journeys to a picturesque cold country and ends up discovering romance. In this case, Caprice Bourret plays a publisher
It is the season to relax on the sofa and demolish a tin of festive treats in front of a terrific flick, a bad movie, or one that’s terrible yet terrific. As always, a batch of new holiday movies strives to join part of our holiday traditions—perhaps even earning a place alongside timeless staples like Home Alone, Elf, Love Actually, and Die Hard (no arguments). Therefore, in a vital public service to sort the crackers from the turkeys, and to find the Christmas spirit, I marathoned as many fresh festive movies as possible in a single day. First Up: The Jonas Brothers' Holiday Flick Beginning, optimistically, on a high. This release is the only 2025 title on a well-known aggregator's list of the best 100 holiday films of all time. The Jonas Brothers are stranded in the UK after wrapping up their global concert series and must return for Christmas. Their endeavors are thwarted by an evil Santa, who breaks into song to state they won’t get home until they “rediscover their sibling bond.” The repartee between the bickering brothers is amusing even for the uninitiated, while followers will no doubt catch lots of references as they endeavor to get back using all transportation available. It’s a journey of epic proportions. It’s not a timeless masterpiece, but is excellent for devotees and a positive start to the day. Holiday verdict: 🎄🎄🎄🎄🎄 for Jonas Brothers fans or 🎄🎄🎄 for their family members who are obliged to sit through it. Late Morning: Tinsel Town Famous performer Kiefer Sutherland has been cast as a celebrity roped into a "panto". “A what's a panto??” asks Sutherland’s “hard-to-work-with” and aging lead Brad Mack, who has hit a rough patch and whose representative has deceived him into thinking he’s appearing in high-class London stage. His pantomime fellow actors tell him he’s playing Buttons. “No I'm not,” he retorts. You can guess their response. Except if you’re not acquainted with traditional stage call-and-response. There are some great jokes, some heartwarming sub-plots, and the supporting actors is cracking, too. It’s the sort of feature that would be a bit cheesy at a different time, but is a lot of fun at Christmas. Holiday verdict: 🎄🎄🎄🎄 10.19am - Christmas Karma Danny Dyer pops up at the start of this film, too, calling someone a mug for the next movie straight. Could this be 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 a star of Kunal Nayyar and Christmas Karma is directed by the director of Gurinder Chadha. The familiar story unfolds as the tight-fisted Mr Sood is haunted by the apparitions of Christmas past, present and future, played by Hugh Bonneville, Billy Porter, and Boy George. This Indian Scrooge is at least different from all the others, but unfortunately he’s not very captivating and Nayyar’s acting is lifeless—a problem when he’s so the main character. Christmas tree rating: 🎄🎄 12.04pm - Stuffed There's just enough time for a major broadcaster's Christmas comedy-drama—which stars Guz Khan as a lovably grouchy guy who “doesn’t really do Christmas.” But after he receives an £8,000 Christmas bonus at work, his wife (starring Morgana Robinson) convinces him blowing the money on a holiday to Lapland. There’s just one issue—he finds out there was an mix-up with his bonus, which should have been £800, and he has to determine how to pay back the excess. Fun while it lasts but not lasting. Festive score: 🎄🎄 1.12pm - Champagne Problems This is one of those holiday movies where the tree, fairy lights and snow are in the backdrop—Christmas is the environment of the film rather than its main point—but it feels comfortable and seasonal all the same. Driven corporate star Sydney (starring Minka Kelly) is sent to a vineyard to secure an acquisition for a sparkling wine company. En route, she encounters a guy in a bookshop who vows to show her a festive Paris. An expert recently stated this is the top new Christmas film of the last several seasons. That’s a bit of a overstatement, but it is a festive dalliance with a dash of elegance and gives the required heartwarming sensation. The scene with a detailed conversation about Die Hard is notable too. Christmas tree rating: 🎄🎄🎄 3.29pm - Finding Father Christmas Teenage Chris, played by Lenny Rush, refuses to stop believing in Father Christmas, despite the efforts of his dad (played by James Buckley) to tell him otherwise. The truth is somewhere, and Chris ventures forth to find it with the assistance of a group of well-known scientists and personalities. It’s low-key but endearing, and ideal viewing while anticipating Santa to visit. Festive score: 🎄🎄🎄 Late Afternoon: Oh. What. Fun. Michelle Pfeiffer is the mother of a dysfunctional American family who come back together for the holidays—including fellow 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 stating: “They need to make a movie about the real champions of the holidays—moms.” So that’s what this is, but in practice it’s really a combination of those forerunner films, at least until Pfeiffer’s character eventually comes into her own. Festive score: 🎄🎄 Formulaic Fun The day’s waned in quality, but happily here’s a new offering in the packed genre of cliched, saccharine, over-the-top—and strangely compelling—holiday fare. It’s a tale as old as time: An American woman journeys to a picturesque cold country and ends up discovering romance. In this case, Caprice Bourret plays a publisher