🔗 Share this article Marathon Viewing This Year's Christmas Films: The Good, The Bad and The So-Bad-It's-Good. ‘Tis the time of year to relax on the sofa and consume a box of mince pies in front of a terrific flick, a awful feature, or one that’s terrible yet terrific. This year, a selection of new seasonal stories aims to become part of our holiday traditions—perhaps even joining the ranks alongside timeless staples like Home Alone, Elf, Love Actually, and Die Hard (we won’t debate it). Therefore, in a noble effort to distinguish the gems from the coal, and to get into the festive feeling, I binged as many fresh Christmas films as possible in a single day. 7.17am - A Very Jonas Christmas Movie Beginning, hopefully, on a good foot. This film is the exclusive 2025 movie on a popular review site's list of the top 100 festive features of all time. The musical trio end up trapped in the UK after concluding their global concert series and must get home for Christmas. Their endeavors are hindered by an evil Santa, who breaks into song to state they won’t get home until they “find their brotherly magic.” The back-and-forth between the squabbling siblings is entertaining even for the non-fan, while followers will no doubt notice lots of in-jokes as they attempt to get back using any means of transport necessary. It’s a travelogue of mishaps. It’s not a timeless masterpiece, but is great for fans and a positive start to the day. Christmas tree rating: 🎄🎄🎄🎄🎄 for Jonas Brothers fans or 🎄🎄🎄 for their relatives who must sit through it. Next: A Star in Panto A-list actor Kiefer Sutherland appears as a movie actor tricked into a traditional British stage show. “A panto-what??” asks Sutherland’s “hard-to-work-with” and aging lead Brad Mack, who has hit a rough patch and whose agent has tricked him into thinking he’s performing in prestigious English theatre. His Aladdin cast-mates tell him he’s playing Buttons. “No I'm not,” he retorts. One can imagine their response. That is, unless you’re not acquainted with traditional British theatre traditions. There are some very funny lines, some cockle-warming sub-plots, and the rest of the cast is excellent, too. It’s the type of film that would be a bit naff at any other time of year, but is a great entertainment at Christmas. Holiday verdict: 🎄🎄🎄🎄 Mid-Morning: Christmas Karma An actor shows up at the start of this film, too, insulting someone for the second consecutive movie. Might this become a fresh holiday staple? This time, he’s a crooning chauffeur who collects Mr Sood, the newest interpretation on Mr Scrooge from Charles Dickens’ A Christmas Carol. Mr Sood is played by an actor from Kunal Nayyar and Christmas Karma is directed by Bend It Like Beckham’s Gurinder Chadha. The well-known tale unfolds as the stingy Mr Sood is confronted by the apparitions 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 compelling and Nayyar’s portrayal is lifeless—a significant issue when he’s so the focal point. Holiday verdict: 🎄🎄 Lunchtime: Stuffed 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 gets an sizable holiday payout at work, his wife (portrayed by Morgana Robinson) talks him into splurging the cash on a family trip 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 figure out how to reimburse the remainder. Pleasant yet unmemorable. Christmas tree rating: 🎄🎄 1.12pm - Champagne Problems This is one of those holiday movies where the festive trappings are in the backdrop—Christmas is the setting of the film rather than its main point—but it feels cosy and festive all the same. Driven corporate star Sydney (played by Minka Kelly) is assigned to a vineyard to negotiate a purchase for a sparkling wine company. During her travels, she runs into a fellow in a book store who promises to show her a festive Paris. A commentator recently declared this is the top new Christmas film of the last several seasons. That’s a bit of a overstatement, but it is a holiday love story with a hint of sophistication and gives the obligatory warm and fuzzy feels. The scene with a extended debate about Die Hard is particularly strong too. Holiday verdict: 🎄🎄🎄 3.29pm - Finding Father Christmas Teenage Chris, played by Lenny Rush, holds onto his belief in Father Christmas, in spite of the attempts of his dad (starring James Buckley) to tell him the reality. The truth is somewhere, and Chris ventures forth to find it with the expert help of a team of well-known scientists and personalities. It’s understated but endearing, and ideal viewing while anticipating Santa to visit. Festive score: 🎄🎄🎄 4.39pm - Oh. What. Fun. Michelle Pfeiffer is the mother of a quarrelling American family who gather 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 saying: “They need to make a movie about the real champions of the holidays—moms.” So that’s the premise, but in practice it’s really a combination of those forerunner films, at least until Pfeiffer’s character at last finds her strength. Christmas tree rating: 🎄🎄 Formulaic Fun The day’s taken a dip, but happily here’s a new offering in the saturated market of predictable, sentimental, cheesy—and utterly watchable—holiday fare. It’s a story as well-worn: 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 time of year to relax on the sofa and consume a box of mince pies in front of a terrific flick, a awful feature, or one that’s terrible yet terrific. This year, a selection of new seasonal stories aims to become part of our holiday traditions—perhaps even joining the ranks alongside timeless staples like Home Alone, Elf, Love Actually, and Die Hard (we won’t debate it). Therefore, in a noble effort to distinguish the gems from the coal, and to get into the festive feeling, I binged as many fresh Christmas films as possible in a single day. 7.17am - A Very Jonas Christmas Movie Beginning, hopefully, on a good foot. This film is the exclusive 2025 movie on a popular review site's list of the top 100 festive features of all time. The musical trio end up trapped in the UK after concluding their global concert series and must get home for Christmas. Their endeavors are hindered by an evil Santa, who breaks into song to state they won’t get home until they “find their brotherly magic.” The back-and-forth between the squabbling siblings is entertaining even for the non-fan, while followers will no doubt notice lots of in-jokes as they attempt to get back using any means of transport necessary. It’s a travelogue of mishaps. It’s not a timeless masterpiece, but is great for fans and a positive start to the day. Christmas tree rating: 🎄🎄🎄🎄🎄 for Jonas Brothers fans or 🎄🎄🎄 for their relatives who must sit through it. Next: A Star in Panto A-list actor Kiefer Sutherland appears as a movie actor tricked into a traditional British stage show. “A panto-what??” asks Sutherland’s “hard-to-work-with” and aging lead Brad Mack, who has hit a rough patch and whose agent has tricked him into thinking he’s performing in prestigious English theatre. His Aladdin cast-mates tell him he’s playing Buttons. “No I'm not,” he retorts. One can imagine their response. That is, unless you’re not acquainted with traditional British theatre traditions. There are some very funny lines, some cockle-warming sub-plots, and the rest of the cast is excellent, too. It’s the type of film that would be a bit naff at any other time of year, but is a great entertainment at Christmas. Holiday verdict: 🎄🎄🎄🎄 Mid-Morning: Christmas Karma An actor shows up at the start of this film, too, insulting someone for the second consecutive movie. Might this become a fresh holiday staple? This time, he’s a crooning chauffeur who collects Mr Sood, the newest interpretation on Mr Scrooge from Charles Dickens’ A Christmas Carol. Mr Sood is played by an actor from Kunal Nayyar and Christmas Karma is directed by Bend It Like Beckham’s Gurinder Chadha. The well-known tale unfolds as the stingy Mr Sood is confronted by the apparitions 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 compelling and Nayyar’s portrayal is lifeless—a significant issue when he’s so the focal point. Holiday verdict: 🎄🎄 Lunchtime: Stuffed 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 gets an sizable holiday payout at work, his wife (portrayed by Morgana Robinson) talks him into splurging the cash on a family trip 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 figure out how to reimburse the remainder. Pleasant yet unmemorable. Christmas tree rating: 🎄🎄 1.12pm - Champagne Problems This is one of those holiday movies where the festive trappings are in the backdrop—Christmas is the setting of the film rather than its main point—but it feels cosy and festive all the same. Driven corporate star Sydney (played by Minka Kelly) is assigned to a vineyard to negotiate a purchase for a sparkling wine company. During her travels, she runs into a fellow in a book store who promises to show her a festive Paris. A commentator recently declared this is the top new Christmas film of the last several seasons. That’s a bit of a overstatement, but it is a holiday love story with a hint of sophistication and gives the obligatory warm and fuzzy feels. The scene with a extended debate about Die Hard is particularly strong too. Holiday verdict: 🎄🎄🎄 3.29pm - Finding Father Christmas Teenage Chris, played by Lenny Rush, holds onto his belief in Father Christmas, in spite of the attempts of his dad (starring James Buckley) to tell him the reality. The truth is somewhere, and Chris ventures forth to find it with the expert help of a team of well-known scientists and personalities. It’s understated but endearing, and ideal viewing while anticipating Santa to visit. Festive score: 🎄🎄🎄 4.39pm - Oh. What. Fun. Michelle Pfeiffer is the mother of a quarrelling American family who gather 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 saying: “They need to make a movie about the real champions of the holidays—moms.” So that’s the premise, but in practice it’s really a combination of those forerunner films, at least until Pfeiffer’s character at last finds her strength. Christmas tree rating: 🎄🎄 Formulaic Fun The day’s taken a dip, but happily here’s a new offering in the saturated market of predictable, sentimental, cheesy—and utterly watchable—holiday fare. It’s a story as well-worn: 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