🔗 Share this article Marathon Viewing The Latest Festive Features: Highlights, Lowlights, and Unexpected Delights. It is the season to slob out on the sofa and demolish a packet of mince pies in front of a good movie, a bad movie, or one that’s terrible yet terrific. This year, a selection of latest Christmas films strives to join part of our festive viewing—perhaps even finding a spot alongside enduring classics like Home Alone, Elf, Love Actually, and Die Hard (we won’t debate it). Thus, in a helpful attempt to distinguish the gems from the coal, and to get into the holiday mood, I watched as many new holiday releases as possible in a single day. First Up: The Jonas Brothers' Holiday Flick Kicking off, optimistically, on a good foot. This film is the exclusive 2025 movie on a famous website's list of the best 100 holiday films of all time. The Jonas Brothers are stuck in the UK after finishing their global concert series and must make it back for Christmas. Their endeavors are hindered by an villainous Saint Nick, who sings to announce they won’t get home until they “find their familial spark.” The banter between the bickering brothers is enjoyable even for the uninitiated, while followers will no doubt catch lots of easter eggs as they endeavor to get back using every mode of travel possible. It’s private planes, trains and automobiles. It’s not legendary, but is great for devotees and a solid start to the day. Holiday verdict: 🎄🎄🎄🎄🎄 for Jonas Brothers fans or 🎄🎄🎄 for their relatives who are obliged to sit through it. Late Morning: Tinsel Town A-list actor Kiefer Sutherland stars as a celebrity tricked into a pantomime. “A panto-what?” asks Sutherland’s “hard-to-work-with” and older lead Brad Mack, who has fallen on hard times and whose representative has deceived him into thinking he’s appearing in prestigious English theatre. His Aladdin fellow actors tell him he’s playing Buttons. “No I'm not,” he insists angrily. One can imagine their response. Except if you’re ignorant of traditional British theatre traditions. There are some great jokes, some heartwarming side stories, and the rest of the cast is brilliant, too. It’s the kind of movie that would be a bit tacky at any other time of year, but is a lot of fun at Christmas. Festive score: 🎄🎄🎄🎄 10.19am - Christmas Karma A familiar face shows up at the beginning of this film, too, calling someone a mug for the second consecutive movie. Might this become a budding festive ritual? This time, he’s a crooning chauffeur 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 familiar story unfolds as the tight-fisted Mr Sood is visited by the spirits 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 sadly he’s not very charismatic and Nayyar’s portrayal is lifeless—a problem when he’s so the main character. Holiday verdict: 🎄🎄 Lunchtime: Stuffed There’s time for a major broadcaster's holiday special—which stars Guz Khan as a charmingly cantankerous character who “doesn’t really do Christmas.” But after he gets an £8,000 Christmas bonus 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 pay back the difference. Enjoyable but forgettable. Christmas tree rating: 🎄🎄 Early Afternoon: Champagne Problems 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 core purpose—but it feels cosy and festive all the same. Driven corporate star Sydney (played by Minka Kelly) is assigned to a vineyard to secure an acquisition for a champagne business. During her travels, she runs into a guy in a literary haven who offers to show her a festive Paris. A commentator recently declared this is the top new Christmas film of the recent era. That’s a bit of a overstatement, but it is a festive dalliance with a hint of sophistication and gives the necessary heartwarming sensation. The scene with a extended debate about Die Hard is particularly strong too. Holiday verdict: 🎄🎄🎄 Mid-Afternoon: Finding Father Christmas Young Chris, played by Lenny Rush, holds onto his belief in Father Christmas, despite the persuasion of his dad (starring James Buckley) to tell him the truth. The truth is out there, and Chris ventures forth to find it with the expert help of a group of well-known figures. It’s low-key but sweet, and ideal viewing while anticipating Santa to visit. Christmas tree rating: 🎄🎄🎄 Late Afternoon: Oh. What. Fun. Michelle Pfeiffer is the matriarch of a bickering American family who reunite for the holidays—including fellow 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 saying: “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 combination of those aforementioned movies, at least until Pfeiffer’s character finally finds her strength. Festive score: 🎄🎄 Formulaic Fun The day’s taken a dip, but thankfully here’s a new entry in the saturated market of cliched, saccharine, over-the-top—and utterly watchable—seasonal comfort food. It’s a story as familiar as can be: An American woman journeys to a picturesque cold country and ends up stumbling across romance. In this case, Caprice Bourret plays a publisher
It is the season to slob out on the sofa and demolish a packet of mince pies in front of a good movie, a bad movie, or one that’s terrible yet terrific. This year, a selection of latest Christmas films strives to join part of our festive viewing—perhaps even finding a spot alongside enduring classics like Home Alone, Elf, Love Actually, and Die Hard (we won’t debate it). Thus, in a helpful attempt to distinguish the gems from the coal, and to get into the holiday mood, I watched as many new holiday releases as possible in a single day. First Up: The Jonas Brothers' Holiday Flick Kicking off, optimistically, on a good foot. This film is the exclusive 2025 movie on a famous website's list of the best 100 holiday films of all time. The Jonas Brothers are stuck in the UK after finishing their global concert series and must make it back for Christmas. Their endeavors are hindered by an villainous Saint Nick, who sings to announce they won’t get home until they “find their familial spark.” The banter between the bickering brothers is enjoyable even for the uninitiated, while followers will no doubt catch lots of easter eggs as they endeavor to get back using every mode of travel possible. It’s private planes, trains and automobiles. It’s not legendary, but is great for devotees and a solid start to the day. Holiday verdict: 🎄🎄🎄🎄🎄 for Jonas Brothers fans or 🎄🎄🎄 for their relatives who are obliged to sit through it. Late Morning: Tinsel Town A-list actor Kiefer Sutherland stars as a celebrity tricked into a pantomime. “A panto-what?” asks Sutherland’s “hard-to-work-with” and older lead Brad Mack, who has fallen on hard times and whose representative has deceived him into thinking he’s appearing in prestigious English theatre. His Aladdin fellow actors tell him he’s playing Buttons. “No I'm not,” he insists angrily. One can imagine their response. Except if you’re ignorant of traditional British theatre traditions. There are some great jokes, some heartwarming side stories, and the rest of the cast is brilliant, too. It’s the kind of movie that would be a bit tacky at any other time of year, but is a lot of fun at Christmas. Festive score: 🎄🎄🎄🎄 10.19am - Christmas Karma A familiar face shows up at the beginning of this film, too, calling someone a mug for the second consecutive movie. Might this become a budding festive ritual? This time, he’s a crooning chauffeur 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 familiar story unfolds as the tight-fisted Mr Sood is visited by the spirits 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 sadly he’s not very charismatic and Nayyar’s portrayal is lifeless—a problem when he’s so the main character. Holiday verdict: 🎄🎄 Lunchtime: Stuffed There’s time for a major broadcaster's holiday special—which stars Guz Khan as a charmingly cantankerous character who “doesn’t really do Christmas.” But after he gets an £8,000 Christmas bonus 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 pay back the difference. Enjoyable but forgettable. Christmas tree rating: 🎄🎄 Early Afternoon: Champagne Problems 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 core purpose—but it feels cosy and festive all the same. Driven corporate star Sydney (played by Minka Kelly) is assigned to a vineyard to secure an acquisition for a champagne business. During her travels, she runs into a guy in a literary haven who offers to show her a festive Paris. A commentator recently declared this is the top new Christmas film of the recent era. That’s a bit of a overstatement, but it is a festive dalliance with a hint of sophistication and gives the necessary heartwarming sensation. The scene with a extended debate about Die Hard is particularly strong too. Holiday verdict: 🎄🎄🎄 Mid-Afternoon: Finding Father Christmas Young Chris, played by Lenny Rush, holds onto his belief in Father Christmas, despite the persuasion of his dad (starring James Buckley) to tell him the truth. The truth is out there, and Chris ventures forth to find it with the expert help of a group of well-known figures. It’s low-key but sweet, and ideal viewing while anticipating Santa to visit. Christmas tree rating: 🎄🎄🎄 Late Afternoon: Oh. What. Fun. Michelle Pfeiffer is the matriarch of a bickering American family who reunite for the holidays—including fellow 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 saying: “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 combination of those aforementioned movies, at least until Pfeiffer’s character finally finds her strength. Festive score: 🎄🎄 Formulaic Fun The day’s taken a dip, but thankfully here’s a new entry in the saturated market of cliched, saccharine, over-the-top—and utterly watchable—seasonal comfort food. It’s a story as familiar as can be: An American woman journeys to a picturesque cold country and ends up stumbling across romance. In this case, Caprice Bourret plays a publisher