🔗 Share this article Binge-Watching This Year's Holiday Movies: The Hits, The Misses, and The Guilty Pleasures. ‘Tis the season to slob out on the sofa and demolish a tin of mince pies in front of a terrific flick, a poor film, or one that’s terrible yet terrific. Once again, a crop of latest 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 (don’t start). Therefore, in a helpful attempt to sort the crackers from the turkeys, and to find the festive feeling, I marathoned as many new Christmas films as possible in a single day. First Up: The Jonas Brothers' Holiday Flick Beginning, hopefully, on a positive note. This is the only 2025 title on a well-known aggregator's list of the greatest 100 festive features of all time. The popular band find themselves stuck in the UK after wrapping up their global concert series and must get home for Christmas. Their efforts are thwarted by an evil Santa, who sings to state they won’t get home until they “find their sibling bond.” The repartee between the bickering brothers is amusing even for the uninitiated, while fans will certainly pick up on lots of easter eggs as they try to get back using every mode of travel possible. It’s a travelogue of mishaps. It’s not a timeless masterpiece, but is superb for fans and a solid start to the day. Festive score: 🎄🎄🎄🎄🎄 for Jonas Brothers fans or 🎄🎄🎄 for their loved ones who must sit through it. Next: A Star in Panto Famous performer Kiefer Sutherland stars as a movie actor tricked into a traditional British stage show. “A panto-what??” asks Sutherland’s “temperamental” and aging lead Brad Mack, who has hit a rough patch and whose manager has misled him into thinking he’s starring in renowned British drama. His Aladdin fellow actors tell him he’s playing Buttons. “Oh no I’m not,” he protests. It's easy to predict their response. That is, unless you’re not acquainted with traditional British theatre traditions. There are some very funny lines, some cockle-warming storylines, and the rest of the cast is brilliant, too. It’s the type of film that would be a bit cheesy at any other time of year, but is a great entertainment at Christmas. Christmas tree rating: 🎄🎄🎄🎄 10.19am - Christmas Karma An actor pops up at the beginning of this film, too, delivering a signature line for the second film in a row. Might this become a budding festive ritual? This time, he’s a singing black cab driver who picks up Mr Sood, the latest spin 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 progresses as the tight-fisted Mr Sood is confronted by the ghosts of Christmas past, present and future, 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 flat—a major flaw when he’s so the focal point. Festive score: 🎄🎄 12.04pm - Stuffed Before lunch for a network's original festive film—which stars Guz Khan as a endearingly grumpy man who “avoids Christmas.” But after he receives an sizable holiday payout at work, his wife (starring Morgana Robinson) talks him into spending the sum on a family trip to Lapland. There’s just one snag—he finds out there was an error with his bonus, which should have been £800, and he has to figure out how to pay back the remainder. Fun while it lasts but not lasting. Christmas tree rating: 🎄🎄 A Classy Netflix Romance This is one of those Christmas films where the decorations and snow are in the setting—Christmas is the environment of the film rather than its main point—but it feels cosy and festive all the same. Ambitious executive Sydney (played by Minka Kelly) is assigned to a French chateau to negotiate a purchase for a sparkling wine company. En route, she runs into a fellow in a bookshop who vows to show her Christmas in Paris. An expert recently claimed this is the top new Christmas film of the last several seasons. That’s a bit of a exaggeration, but it is a holiday love story with a dash of elegance and gives the necessary cozy feelings. The scene with a detailed conversation about Die Hard is very good too. Christmas tree rating: 🎄🎄🎄 Mid-Afternoon: Finding Father Christmas Teenage Chris, played by Lenny Rush, holds onto his belief in Father Christmas, despite the attempts of his dad (starring James Buckley) to tell him otherwise. The secret is somewhere, and Chris embarks on a quest to find it with the guidance 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: 🎄🎄🎄 A Star-Studded Family Drama Michelle Pfeiffer is the mother of a bickering American family who gather 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 declaring: “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 jumble of those forerunner films, at least until Pfeiffer’s character finally finds her strength. Holiday verdict: 🎄🎄 Evening: A Scottish Christmas Secret The day’s waned in quality, but happily here’s a new entry in the crowded field of formulaic, schmaltzy, badly acted—and utterly watchable—seasonal comfort food. It’s a tale as well-worn: An American woman travels to a far-off wintery locale and ends up discovering romance. In this case, Caprice Bourret plays a publisher
‘Tis the season to slob out on the sofa and demolish a tin of mince pies in front of a terrific flick, a poor film, or one that’s terrible yet terrific. Once again, a crop of latest 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 (don’t start). Therefore, in a helpful attempt to sort the crackers from the turkeys, and to find the festive feeling, I marathoned as many new Christmas films as possible in a single day. First Up: The Jonas Brothers' Holiday Flick Beginning, hopefully, on a positive note. This is the only 2025 title on a well-known aggregator's list of the greatest 100 festive features of all time. The popular band find themselves stuck in the UK after wrapping up their global concert series and must get home for Christmas. Their efforts are thwarted by an evil Santa, who sings to state they won’t get home until they “find their sibling bond.” The repartee between the bickering brothers is amusing even for the uninitiated, while fans will certainly pick up on lots of easter eggs as they try to get back using every mode of travel possible. It’s a travelogue of mishaps. It’s not a timeless masterpiece, but is superb for fans and a solid start to the day. Festive score: 🎄🎄🎄🎄🎄 for Jonas Brothers fans or 🎄🎄🎄 for their loved ones who must sit through it. Next: A Star in Panto Famous performer Kiefer Sutherland stars as a movie actor tricked into a traditional British stage show. “A panto-what??” asks Sutherland’s “temperamental” and aging lead Brad Mack, who has hit a rough patch and whose manager has misled him into thinking he’s starring in renowned British drama. His Aladdin fellow actors tell him he’s playing Buttons. “Oh no I’m not,” he protests. It's easy to predict their response. That is, unless you’re not acquainted with traditional British theatre traditions. There are some very funny lines, some cockle-warming storylines, and the rest of the cast is brilliant, too. It’s the type of film that would be a bit cheesy at any other time of year, but is a great entertainment at Christmas. Christmas tree rating: 🎄🎄🎄🎄 10.19am - Christmas Karma An actor pops up at the beginning of this film, too, delivering a signature line for the second film in a row. Might this become a budding festive ritual? This time, he’s a singing black cab driver who picks up Mr Sood, the latest spin 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 progresses as the tight-fisted Mr Sood is confronted by the ghosts of Christmas past, present and future, 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 flat—a major flaw when he’s so the focal point. Festive score: 🎄🎄 12.04pm - Stuffed Before lunch for a network's original festive film—which stars Guz Khan as a endearingly grumpy man who “avoids Christmas.” But after he receives an sizable holiday payout at work, his wife (starring Morgana Robinson) talks him into spending the sum on a family trip to Lapland. There’s just one snag—he finds out there was an error with his bonus, which should have been £800, and he has to figure out how to pay back the remainder. Fun while it lasts but not lasting. Christmas tree rating: 🎄🎄 A Classy Netflix Romance This is one of those Christmas films where the decorations and snow are in the setting—Christmas is the environment of the film rather than its main point—but it feels cosy and festive all the same. Ambitious executive Sydney (played by Minka Kelly) is assigned to a French chateau to negotiate a purchase for a sparkling wine company. En route, she runs into a fellow in a bookshop who vows to show her Christmas in Paris. An expert recently claimed this is the top new Christmas film of the last several seasons. That’s a bit of a exaggeration, but it is a holiday love story with a dash of elegance and gives the necessary cozy feelings. The scene with a detailed conversation about Die Hard is very good too. Christmas tree rating: 🎄🎄🎄 Mid-Afternoon: Finding Father Christmas Teenage Chris, played by Lenny Rush, holds onto his belief in Father Christmas, despite the attempts of his dad (starring James Buckley) to tell him otherwise. The secret is somewhere, and Chris embarks on a quest to find it with the guidance 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: 🎄🎄🎄 A Star-Studded Family Drama Michelle Pfeiffer is the mother of a bickering American family who gather 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 declaring: “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 jumble of those forerunner films, at least until Pfeiffer’s character finally finds her strength. Holiday verdict: 🎄🎄 Evening: A Scottish Christmas Secret The day’s waned in quality, but happily here’s a new entry in the crowded field of formulaic, schmaltzy, badly acted—and utterly watchable—seasonal comfort food. It’s a tale as well-worn: An American woman travels to a far-off wintery locale and ends up discovering romance. In this case, Caprice Bourret plays a publisher