🔗 Share this article Devouring 2025's Holiday Movies: The Good, The Bad and The So-Bad-It's-Good. ‘Tis the season to relax on the couch and demolish a packet of holiday pastries in front of a great film, a poor film, or one that’s awesomely awful. Once again, a crop of new Christmas films strives to join part of our holiday traditions—perhaps even joining the ranks alongside enduring classics like Home Alone, Elf, Love Actually, and Die Hard (no arguments). Therefore, in a noble effort to separate the winners from the losers, and to embrace the Christmas spirit, I binged as many new holiday releases as possible in a single day. First Up: The Jonas Brothers' Holiday Flick Kicking off, optimistically, on a high. This film is the only 2025 title on a well-known aggregator's list of the top 100 holiday films of all time. The popular band end up stuck in the UK after finishing their global concert series and must make it back for Christmas. Their attempts are thwarted by an evil Santa, who sings to state they won’t get home until they “rediscover their sibling bond.” The banter between the bickering brothers is entertaining even for the non-fan, while fans will no doubt notice lots of references as they endeavor 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 devotees and a positive start to the day. Christmas tree rating: 🎄🎄🎄🎄🎄 for Jonas Brothers fans or 🎄🎄🎄 for their loved ones who are obliged to sit through it. 8.45am - Tinsel Town Hollywood star Kiefer Sutherland has been cast as a celebrity roped into a "panto". “A what's a panto??” asks Sutherland’s “temperamental” and ageing lead Brad Mack, who has seen better days and whose manager has tricked him into thinking he’s performing in high-class London stage. His pantomime co-stars let him know he’s playing Buttons. “Oh no I’m not,” he protests. One can imagine their response. Unless you’re not acquainted with traditional stage call-and-response. There are some hilarious moments, some touching sub-plots, and the ensemble is cracking, too. It’s the type of film that would be a bit cheesy at a different time, but is a great entertainment at Christmas. Holiday verdict: 🎄🎄🎄🎄 A New Spin on Scrooge An actor pops up at the start of this film, too, calling someone a mug for the second film in a row. Is this a new Christmas tradition? This time, he’s a musical taxi operator who picks up Mr Sood, the modern take 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 the director of Gurinder Chadha. The classic narrative progresses as the tight-fisted Mr Sood is confronted 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 unfortunately he’s not very charismatic and Nayyar’s performance 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 “isn't big on Christmas.” But after he is awarded an £8,000 Christmas bonus at work, his wife (starring Morgana Robinson) convinces him splurging the cash on a holiday to Lapland. There’s just one snag—he learns there was an mistake with his bonus, which should have been £800, and he has to devise a plan for how to pay back the remainder. Enjoyable but forgettable. Christmas tree rating: 🎄🎄 A Classy Netflix Romance This is one of those Christmas films where the decorations and snow are in the backdrop—Christmas is the environment of the film rather than its raison d’etre—but it feels comfortable and seasonal all the same. Ambitious executive Sydney (starring Minka Kelly) is dispatched to a vineyard to secure an acquisition for a champagne business. On the way, she encounters a guy in a book store who offers to show her a festive Paris. An expert recently stated this is the best new Christmas film of the past few years. That’s a bit of a stretch, but it is a festive dalliance with a touch of class and gives the necessary cozy feelings. The scene with a lengthy discussion about Die Hard is very good too. Festive score: 🎄🎄🎄 A Charming Quest Sixteen-year-old Chris, played by Lenny Rush, continues to believe in Father Christmas, regardless of the efforts of his dad (starring James Buckley) to tell him the truth. The truth is to be discovered, and Chris sets out to find it with the expert help of a group of well-known figures. It’s low-key but endearing, and good viewing while anticipating Santa to visit. Festive score: 🎄🎄🎄 A Star-Studded Family Drama Michelle Pfeiffer is the mother of a bickering 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 classic festive films 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 concept, but in reality it’s really a mash-up of those forerunner films, at least until Pfeiffer’s character finally takes center stage. Christmas tree rating: 🎄🎄 6.43pm - A Scottish Christmas Secret The day’s gone downhill, but fortunately here’s a new offering in the packed genre of predictable, sentimental, cheesy—and strangely compelling—holiday fare. It’s a narrative as familiar as can be: An American woman travels to a far-off wintery locale and ends up stumbling across romance. In this case, Caprice Bourret plays a publisher
‘Tis the season to relax on the couch and demolish a packet of holiday pastries in front of a great film, a poor film, or one that’s awesomely awful. Once again, a crop of new Christmas films strives to join part of our holiday traditions—perhaps even joining the ranks alongside enduring classics like Home Alone, Elf, Love Actually, and Die Hard (no arguments). Therefore, in a noble effort to separate the winners from the losers, and to embrace the Christmas spirit, I binged as many new holiday releases as possible in a single day. First Up: The Jonas Brothers' Holiday Flick Kicking off, optimistically, on a high. This film is the only 2025 title on a well-known aggregator's list of the top 100 holiday films of all time. The popular band end up stuck in the UK after finishing their global concert series and must make it back for Christmas. Their attempts are thwarted by an evil Santa, who sings to state they won’t get home until they “rediscover their sibling bond.” The banter between the bickering brothers is entertaining even for the non-fan, while fans will no doubt notice lots of references as they endeavor 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 devotees and a positive start to the day. Christmas tree rating: 🎄🎄🎄🎄🎄 for Jonas Brothers fans or 🎄🎄🎄 for their loved ones who are obliged to sit through it. 8.45am - Tinsel Town Hollywood star Kiefer Sutherland has been cast as a celebrity roped into a "panto". “A what's a panto??” asks Sutherland’s “temperamental” and ageing lead Brad Mack, who has seen better days and whose manager has tricked him into thinking he’s performing in high-class London stage. His pantomime co-stars let him know he’s playing Buttons. “Oh no I’m not,” he protests. One can imagine their response. Unless you’re not acquainted with traditional stage call-and-response. There are some hilarious moments, some touching sub-plots, and the ensemble is cracking, too. It’s the type of film that would be a bit cheesy at a different time, but is a great entertainment at Christmas. Holiday verdict: 🎄🎄🎄🎄 A New Spin on Scrooge An actor pops up at the start of this film, too, calling someone a mug for the second film in a row. Is this a new Christmas tradition? This time, he’s a musical taxi operator who picks up Mr Sood, the modern take 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 the director of Gurinder Chadha. The classic narrative progresses as the tight-fisted Mr Sood is confronted 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 unfortunately he’s not very charismatic and Nayyar’s performance 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 “isn't big on Christmas.” But after he is awarded an £8,000 Christmas bonus at work, his wife (starring Morgana Robinson) convinces him splurging the cash on a holiday to Lapland. There’s just one snag—he learns there was an mistake with his bonus, which should have been £800, and he has to devise a plan for how to pay back the remainder. Enjoyable but forgettable. Christmas tree rating: 🎄🎄 A Classy Netflix Romance This is one of those Christmas films where the decorations and snow are in the backdrop—Christmas is the environment of the film rather than its raison d’etre—but it feels comfortable and seasonal all the same. Ambitious executive Sydney (starring Minka Kelly) is dispatched to a vineyard to secure an acquisition for a champagne business. On the way, she encounters a guy in a book store who offers to show her a festive Paris. An expert recently stated this is the best new Christmas film of the past few years. That’s a bit of a stretch, but it is a festive dalliance with a touch of class and gives the necessary cozy feelings. The scene with a lengthy discussion about Die Hard is very good too. Festive score: 🎄🎄🎄 A Charming Quest Sixteen-year-old Chris, played by Lenny Rush, continues to believe in Father Christmas, regardless of the efforts of his dad (starring James Buckley) to tell him the truth. The truth is to be discovered, and Chris sets out to find it with the expert help of a group of well-known figures. It’s low-key but endearing, and good viewing while anticipating Santa to visit. Festive score: 🎄🎄🎄 A Star-Studded Family Drama Michelle Pfeiffer is the mother of a bickering 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 classic festive films 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 concept, but in reality it’s really a mash-up of those forerunner films, at least until Pfeiffer’s character finally takes center stage. Christmas tree rating: 🎄🎄 6.43pm - A Scottish Christmas Secret The day’s gone downhill, but fortunately here’s a new offering in the packed genre of predictable, sentimental, cheesy—and strangely compelling—holiday fare. It’s a narrative as familiar as can be: An American woman travels to a far-off wintery locale and ends up stumbling across romance. In this case, Caprice Bourret plays a publisher