🔗 Share this article Marathon Viewing 2025's Christmas Films: The Good, The Bad and The So-Bad-It's-Good. ‘Tis the time of year to lounge on the sofa and consume a box of holiday pastries in front of a good movie, a bad movie, or one that’s awesomely awful. Once again, a batch of new holiday movies hopes to be part of our holiday traditions—potentially even finding a spot alongside beloved favorites like Home Alone, Elf, Love Actually, and Die Hard (we won’t debate it). Thus, in a helpful attempt to separate the winners from the losers, and to find the festive feeling, I binged as many recent Christmas films as possible in a single day. Early Morning: A Very Jonas Christmas Movie Beginning, optimistically, on a good foot. This film is the exclusive 2025 movie on a famous website's list of the best 100 festive features of all time. The musical trio are stuck in the UK after concluding their world tour and must return for Christmas. Their endeavors are hampered by an malevolent Father Christmas, who sings to announce they won’t get home until they “rekindle their sibling bond.” The banter between the bickering brothers is amusing even for the uninitiated, while devotees will no doubt notice lots of references as they attempt to get back using any means of transport necessary. It’s a journey of epic proportions. 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 relatives who will have to sit through it. Late Morning: Tinsel Town A-list actor Kiefer Sutherland stars as a celebrity tricked into a "panto". “A panto-what??” asks Sutherland’s “temperamental” and aging star Brad Mack, who has hit a rough patch and whose agent has deceived him into thinking he’s performing in high-class London stage. His pantomime cast-mates let him know he’s playing Buttons. “Oh no I’m not,” he protests. It's easy to predict their retort. Except if you’re unfamiliar with traditional British theatre traditions. There are some hilarious moments, some touching sub-plots, and the supporting actors is cracking, too. It’s the kind of movie that would be a bit tacky at a different time, but is a great entertainment at Christmas. Festive score: 🎄🎄🎄🎄 A New Spin on Scrooge An actor appears at the outset of this film, too, insulting someone for the second film in a row. Is this a budding festive ritual? This time, he’s a crooning chauffeur who encounters 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 the director of Gurinder Chadha. The classic narrative develops as the tight-fisted Mr Sood is confronted by the ghosts of Christmas yesterday, today, and tomorrow, played by Hugh Bonneville, Billy Porter, and Boy George. This cultural adaptation is at least different from all the others, but unfortunately he’s not very charismatic and Nayyar’s acting is lifeless—a significant issue when he’s so the main character. Festive score: 🎄🎄 Noon: A BBC Special Before lunch for a channel's holiday special—which stars Guz Khan as a lovably grouchy guy who “isn't big on Christmas.” But after he gets an large festive windfall at work, his wife (starring Morgana Robinson) talks him into blowing the money on a holiday to Lapland. There’s just one problem—he finds out there was an error with his bonus, which should have been £800, and he has to determine how to reimburse the difference. Fun while it lasts but not lasting. Holiday verdict: 🎄🎄 Early Afternoon: Champagne Problems This is one of those Christmas films where the decorations and snow are in the backdrop—Christmas is the scene of the film rather than its main point—but it feels warm and holiday-like all the same. High-powered businesswoman Sydney (played by Minka Kelly) is dispatched to a French chateau to negotiate a purchase for a champagne business. During her travels, she meets a guy in a book store who promises to show her a festive Paris. A critic recently declared this is the top new Christmas film of the past few years. That’s a bit of a stretch, but it is a festive dalliance with a hint of sophistication and gives the required warm and fuzzy feels. The scene with a detailed conversation about Die Hard is very good too. Holiday verdict: 🎄🎄🎄 3.29pm - Finding Father Christmas Sixteen-year-old Chris, played by Lenny Rush, holds onto his belief in Father Christmas, despite the attempts of his dad (played by James Buckley) to tell him otherwise. The answer is to be discovered, and Chris ventures forth to find it with the expert help of a team of well-known scientists and personalities. It’s low-key but charming, and ideal viewing while waiting for Santa to visit. Festive score: 🎄🎄🎄 4.39pm - Oh. What. Fun. Michelle Pfeiffer is the matriarch of a quarrelling American family who come back together for the holidays—including other acclaimed actress 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 stating: “They need to make a movie about the real champions of the holidays—moms.” So that’s what this is, but in execution it’s really a combination of those forerunner films, at least until Pfeiffer’s character finally comes into her own. Christmas tree rating: 🎄🎄 6.43pm - A Scottish Christmas Secret The day’s waned in quality, but fortunately here’s a new entry in the packed genre of predictable, sentimental, cheesy—and strangely compelling—holiday fare. It’s a tale as well-worn: An American woman goes on a quest to a far-off wintery locale and ends up discovering romance. In this case, Caprice Bourret plays a publisher
‘Tis the time of year to lounge on the sofa and consume a box of holiday pastries in front of a good movie, a bad movie, or one that’s awesomely awful. Once again, a batch of new holiday movies hopes to be part of our holiday traditions—potentially even finding a spot alongside beloved favorites like Home Alone, Elf, Love Actually, and Die Hard (we won’t debate it). Thus, in a helpful attempt to separate the winners from the losers, and to find the festive feeling, I binged as many recent Christmas films as possible in a single day. Early Morning: A Very Jonas Christmas Movie Beginning, optimistically, on a good foot. This film is the exclusive 2025 movie on a famous website's list of the best 100 festive features of all time. The musical trio are stuck in the UK after concluding their world tour and must return for Christmas. Their endeavors are hampered by an malevolent Father Christmas, who sings to announce they won’t get home until they “rekindle their sibling bond.” The banter between the bickering brothers is amusing even for the uninitiated, while devotees will no doubt notice lots of references as they attempt to get back using any means of transport necessary. It’s a journey of epic proportions. 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 relatives who will have to sit through it. Late Morning: Tinsel Town A-list actor Kiefer Sutherland stars as a celebrity tricked into a "panto". “A panto-what??” asks Sutherland’s “temperamental” and aging star Brad Mack, who has hit a rough patch and whose agent has deceived him into thinking he’s performing in high-class London stage. His pantomime cast-mates let him know he’s playing Buttons. “Oh no I’m not,” he protests. It's easy to predict their retort. Except if you’re unfamiliar with traditional British theatre traditions. There are some hilarious moments, some touching sub-plots, and the supporting actors is cracking, too. It’s the kind of movie that would be a bit tacky at a different time, but is a great entertainment at Christmas. Festive score: 🎄🎄🎄🎄 A New Spin on Scrooge An actor appears at the outset of this film, too, insulting someone for the second film in a row. Is this a budding festive ritual? This time, he’s a crooning chauffeur who encounters 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 the director of Gurinder Chadha. The classic narrative develops as the tight-fisted Mr Sood is confronted by the ghosts of Christmas yesterday, today, and tomorrow, played by Hugh Bonneville, Billy Porter, and Boy George. This cultural adaptation is at least different from all the others, but unfortunately he’s not very charismatic and Nayyar’s acting is lifeless—a significant issue when he’s so the main character. Festive score: 🎄🎄 Noon: A BBC Special Before lunch for a channel's holiday special—which stars Guz Khan as a lovably grouchy guy who “isn't big on Christmas.” But after he gets an large festive windfall at work, his wife (starring Morgana Robinson) talks him into blowing the money on a holiday to Lapland. There’s just one problem—he finds out there was an error with his bonus, which should have been £800, and he has to determine how to reimburse the difference. Fun while it lasts but not lasting. Holiday verdict: 🎄🎄 Early Afternoon: Champagne Problems This is one of those Christmas films where the decorations and snow are in the backdrop—Christmas is the scene of the film rather than its main point—but it feels warm and holiday-like all the same. High-powered businesswoman Sydney (played by Minka Kelly) is dispatched to a French chateau to negotiate a purchase for a champagne business. During her travels, she meets a guy in a book store who promises to show her a festive Paris. A critic recently declared this is the top new Christmas film of the past few years. That’s a bit of a stretch, but it is a festive dalliance with a hint of sophistication and gives the required warm and fuzzy feels. The scene with a detailed conversation about Die Hard is very good too. Holiday verdict: 🎄🎄🎄 3.29pm - Finding Father Christmas Sixteen-year-old Chris, played by Lenny Rush, holds onto his belief in Father Christmas, despite the attempts of his dad (played by James Buckley) to tell him otherwise. The answer is to be discovered, and Chris ventures forth to find it with the expert help of a team of well-known scientists and personalities. It’s low-key but charming, and ideal viewing while waiting for Santa to visit. Festive score: 🎄🎄🎄 4.39pm - Oh. What. Fun. Michelle Pfeiffer is the matriarch of a quarrelling American family who come back together for the holidays—including other acclaimed actress 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 stating: “They need to make a movie about the real champions of the holidays—moms.” So that’s what this is, but in execution it’s really a combination of those forerunner films, at least until Pfeiffer’s character finally comes into her own. Christmas tree rating: 🎄🎄 6.43pm - A Scottish Christmas Secret The day’s waned in quality, but fortunately here’s a new entry in the packed genre of predictable, sentimental, cheesy—and strangely compelling—holiday fare. It’s a tale as well-worn: An American woman goes on a quest to a far-off wintery locale and ends up discovering romance. In this case, Caprice Bourret plays a publisher