🔗 Share this article Binge-Watching The Latest Christmas Films: The Good, The Bad and The So-Bad-It's-Good. It is the season to lounge on the sofa and devour a tin of festive treats in front of a good movie, a bad movie, or one that’s awesomely awful. Once again, a crop of latest Christmas films aims to become part of our festive viewing—maybe even earning a place alongside enduring classics like Home Alone, Elf, Love Actually, and Die Hard (don’t start). So, in a helpful attempt to separate the winners from the losers, and to get into the Christmas spirit, I binged as many new holiday releases as possible in a single day. 7.17am - A Very Jonas Christmas Movie Kicking off, ideally, on a good foot. This release is the exclusive 2025 movie on a popular review site's list of the top 100 Christmas movies of all time. The musical trio find themselves stuck in the UK after wrapping up their international trek and must make it back for Christmas. Their attempts are hindered by an evil Santa, who sings to state they won’t get home until they “rekindle their sibling bond.” The repartee between the squabbling siblings is amusing even for the casual viewer, while devotees will undoubtedly notice lots of in-jokes as they try to get back using any means of transport necessary. It’s a journey of epic proportions. It’s not legendary, but is great for fans and a good start to the day. Holiday verdict: 🎄🎄🎄🎄🎄 for Jonas Brothers fans or 🎄🎄🎄 for their loved ones who will have to sit through it. 8.45am - Tinsel Town Hollywood star Kiefer Sutherland appears as a Hollywood star roped into a pantomime. “A panto-what??” asks Sutherland’s “difficult” and aging star Brad Mack, who has hit a rough patch and whose representative has deceived him into thinking he’s starring in prestigious English theatre. His pantomime co-stars tell him he’s playing Buttons. “Absolutely not,” he insists angrily. One can imagine their reply. That is, unless you’re ignorant of traditional panto catchphrases. There are some hilarious moments, some heartwarming 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 highly enjoyable at Christmas. Festive score: 🎄🎄🎄🎄 A New Spin on Scrooge An actor appears at the outset of this film, too, delivering a signature line for the second consecutive movie. Is this a new Christmas tradition? This time, he’s a singing black cab driver who collects 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 Bend It Like Beckham’s Gurinder Chadha. The familiar story progresses as the stingy Mr Sood is confronted by the spirits of Christmas past, present and future, played by Hugh Bonneville, Billy Porter, and Boy George. This cultural adaptation is at least distinct from all the others, but unfortunately he’s not very captivating and Nayyar’s acting is wooden—a significant issue when he’s so the focal point. Holiday verdict: 🎄🎄 12.04pm - Stuffed There's just enough time for a major broadcaster's original festive film—which stars Guz Khan as a charmingly cantankerous character who “avoids Christmas.” But after he receives an sizable holiday payout at work, his wife (starring Morgana Robinson) talks him into blowing the money on a family trip to Lapland. There’s just one problem—he learns there was an mix-up with his bonus, which should have been £800, and he has to devise a plan for how to pay back the excess. Fun while it lasts but not lasting. Holiday verdict: 🎄🎄 1.12pm - Champagne Problems This is one of those Christmas films where the tree, fairy lights and snow are in the setting—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 (played by Minka Kelly) is assigned to a country estate to secure an acquisition for a sparkling wine company. On the way, she meets a fellow in a bookshop who offers to show her Christmas in Paris. An expert recently declared this is the top new Christmas film of the last several seasons. That’s a bit of a exaggeration, but it is a festive dalliance with a hint of sophistication and gives the obligatory cozy feelings. The scene with a detailed conversation about Die Hard is very good too. Holiday verdict: 🎄🎄🎄 A Charming Quest Young Chris, played by Lenny Rush, refuses to stop believing in Father Christmas, in spite of the efforts of his dad (starring James Buckley) to tell him otherwise. The truth is to be discovered, and Chris embarks on a quest to find it with the guidance of a panel of well-known scientists and personalities. It’s understated but endearing, and ideal viewing while expecting Santa to visit. Christmas tree rating: 🎄🎄🎄 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 starts by mentioning classic festive films like National Lampoon’s Christmas Vacation, It’s A Wonderful Life and Home Alone, before stating: “They need to make a movie about the true heroes of the holidays—moms.” So that’s what this is, but in execution it’s really a jumble of those aforementioned movies, at least until Pfeiffer’s character at last finds her strength. Holiday verdict: 🎄🎄 Evening: A Scottish Christmas Secret The day’s waned in quality, but fortunately here’s a new addition in the crowded field of predictable, sentimental, cheesy—and strangely compelling—festive fodder. It’s a narrative as old as time: An American woman journeys to a far-off wintery locale and ends up stumbling across romance. In this case, Caprice Bourret plays a publisher
It is the season to lounge on the sofa and devour a tin of festive treats in front of a good movie, a bad movie, or one that’s awesomely awful. Once again, a crop of latest Christmas films aims to become part of our festive viewing—maybe even earning a place alongside enduring classics like Home Alone, Elf, Love Actually, and Die Hard (don’t start). So, in a helpful attempt to separate the winners from the losers, and to get into the Christmas spirit, I binged as many new holiday releases as possible in a single day. 7.17am - A Very Jonas Christmas Movie Kicking off, ideally, on a good foot. This release is the exclusive 2025 movie on a popular review site's list of the top 100 Christmas movies of all time. The musical trio find themselves stuck in the UK after wrapping up their international trek and must make it back for Christmas. Their attempts are hindered by an evil Santa, who sings to state they won’t get home until they “rekindle their sibling bond.” The repartee between the squabbling siblings is amusing even for the casual viewer, while devotees will undoubtedly notice lots of in-jokes as they try to get back using any means of transport necessary. It’s a journey of epic proportions. It’s not legendary, but is great for fans and a good start to the day. Holiday verdict: 🎄🎄🎄🎄🎄 for Jonas Brothers fans or 🎄🎄🎄 for their loved ones who will have to sit through it. 8.45am - Tinsel Town Hollywood star Kiefer Sutherland appears as a Hollywood star roped into a pantomime. “A panto-what??” asks Sutherland’s “difficult” and aging star Brad Mack, who has hit a rough patch and whose representative has deceived him into thinking he’s starring in prestigious English theatre. His pantomime co-stars tell him he’s playing Buttons. “Absolutely not,” he insists angrily. One can imagine their reply. That is, unless you’re ignorant of traditional panto catchphrases. There are some hilarious moments, some heartwarming 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 highly enjoyable at Christmas. Festive score: 🎄🎄🎄🎄 A New Spin on Scrooge An actor appears at the outset of this film, too, delivering a signature line for the second consecutive movie. Is this a new Christmas tradition? This time, he’s a singing black cab driver who collects 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 Bend It Like Beckham’s Gurinder Chadha. The familiar story progresses as the stingy Mr Sood is confronted by the spirits of Christmas past, present and future, played by Hugh Bonneville, Billy Porter, and Boy George. This cultural adaptation is at least distinct from all the others, but unfortunately he’s not very captivating and Nayyar’s acting is wooden—a significant issue when he’s so the focal point. Holiday verdict: 🎄🎄 12.04pm - Stuffed There's just enough time for a major broadcaster's original festive film—which stars Guz Khan as a charmingly cantankerous character who “avoids Christmas.” But after he receives an sizable holiday payout at work, his wife (starring Morgana Robinson) talks him into blowing the money on a family trip to Lapland. There’s just one problem—he learns there was an mix-up with his bonus, which should have been £800, and he has to devise a plan for how to pay back the excess. Fun while it lasts but not lasting. Holiday verdict: 🎄🎄 1.12pm - Champagne Problems This is one of those Christmas films where the tree, fairy lights and snow are in the setting—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 (played by Minka Kelly) is assigned to a country estate to secure an acquisition for a sparkling wine company. On the way, she meets a fellow in a bookshop who offers to show her Christmas in Paris. An expert recently declared this is the top new Christmas film of the last several seasons. That’s a bit of a exaggeration, but it is a festive dalliance with a hint of sophistication and gives the obligatory cozy feelings. The scene with a detailed conversation about Die Hard is very good too. Holiday verdict: 🎄🎄🎄 A Charming Quest Young Chris, played by Lenny Rush, refuses to stop believing in Father Christmas, in spite of the efforts of his dad (starring James Buckley) to tell him otherwise. The truth is to be discovered, and Chris embarks on a quest to find it with the guidance of a panel of well-known scientists and personalities. It’s understated but endearing, and ideal viewing while expecting Santa to visit. Christmas tree rating: 🎄🎄🎄 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 starts by mentioning classic festive films like National Lampoon’s Christmas Vacation, It’s A Wonderful Life and Home Alone, before stating: “They need to make a movie about the true heroes of the holidays—moms.” So that’s what this is, but in execution it’s really a jumble of those aforementioned movies, at least until Pfeiffer’s character at last finds her strength. Holiday verdict: 🎄🎄 Evening: A Scottish Christmas Secret The day’s waned in quality, but fortunately here’s a new addition in the crowded field of predictable, sentimental, cheesy—and strangely compelling—festive fodder. It’s a narrative as old as time: An American woman journeys to a far-off wintery locale and ends up stumbling across romance. In this case, Caprice Bourret plays a publisher