Marathon Viewing This Year's Christmas Films: The Good, The Bad and The So-Bad-It's-Good.
It is the time of year to relax on the couch and devour a packet of holiday pastries in front of a great film, a poor film, or one that’s terrible yet terrific.
This year, a selection of fresh seasonal stories hopes to be part of our holiday traditions—maybe even joining the ranks alongside enduring classics like Home Alone, Elf, Love Actually, and Die Hard (no arguments).
Therefore, in a vital public service to separate the winners from the losers, and to find the Christmas spirit, I marathoned as many fresh Christmas films as possible in a single day.
First Up: The Jonas Brothers' Holiday Flick
Kicking off, optimistically, on a positive note. This film is the sole 2025 entry on a famous website's list of the top 100 Christmas movies of all time.
The Jonas Brothers are stuck in the UK after finishing their international trek and must get home for Christmas. Their efforts are hindered by an evil Santa, who breaks into song to announce they won’t get home until they “find their sibling bond.”
The repartee between the bickering brothers is enjoyable even for the non-fan, while fans will undoubtedly pick up on lots of easter eggs as they attempt 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 good start to the day.
Christmas tree rating: 🎄🎄🎄🎄🎄 for Jonas Brothers fans or 🎄🎄🎄 for their loved ones who will have to sit through it.
Late Morning: Tinsel Town
Famous performer Kiefer Sutherland has been cast as a movie actor tricked into a "panto".
“A what's a panto??” asks Sutherland’s “temperamental” and aging lead Brad Mack, who has seen better days and whose representative has tricked him into thinking he’s performing in renowned British drama.
His Aladdin fellow actors let him know he’s playing Buttons. “Absolutely not,” he insists angrily. It's easy to predict their retort. Unless you’re ignorant of traditional British theatre traditions.
There are some very funny lines, some cockle-warming storylines, and the rest of the cast is cracking, 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
A familiar face shows up at the beginning of this film, too, calling someone a mug for the next movie straight. Could this be a fresh holiday staple?
This time, he’s a crooning chauffeur who encounters Mr Sood, the modern take 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 filmmaker behind Gurinder Chadha. The classic narrative develops as the tight-fisted Mr Sood is visited by the ghosts of Christmas yesterday, today, and tomorrow, played by Hugh Bonneville, Billy Porter, and Boy George.
This South Asian reinterpretation is at least distinct from all the others, but regrettably he’s not very captivating and Nayyar’s performance is lifeless—a major flaw when he’s so the focal point.
Holiday verdict: 🎄🎄
Lunchtime: Stuffed
Before lunch for a major broadcaster's original festive film—which stars Guz Khan as a endearingly grumpy man who “doesn’t really do Christmas.”
But after he gets an large festive windfall at work, his wife (portrayed by Morgana Robinson) persuades him splurging the cash on a holiday to Lapland.
There’s just one problem—he finds out there was an mix-up with his bonus, which should have been £800, and he has to devise a plan for how to return the difference.
Enjoyable but forgettable.
Festive score: 🎄🎄
1.12pm - Champagne Problems
This is one of those Christmas films where the decorations and snow are in the backdrop—Christmas is the setting 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 country estate to do a deal for a sparkling wine company. On the way, she meets a man in a bookshop who offers to show her the holidays in the City of Light.
An expert recently stated this is the best new Christmas film of the past few years. That’s a bit of a exaggeration, but it is a festive dalliance with a touch of class and gives the required warm and fuzzy feels.
The scene with a extended debate about Die Hard is particularly strong too.
Festive score: 🎄🎄🎄
A Charming Quest
Young Chris, played by Lenny Rush, continues to believe in Father Christmas, despite the efforts of his dad (played by James Buckley) to tell him otherwise.
The secret is to be discovered, and Chris ventures forth to find it with the assistance of a team of well-known figures.
It’s gentle but sweet, and perfect viewing while anticipating Santa to visit.
Holiday verdict: 🎄🎄🎄
Late Afternoon: Oh. What. Fun.
Michelle Pfeiffer is the head of a bickering American family who gather for the holidays—including other Oscar nominee Felicity Jones, Chloe Grace Moretz, Jason Schwartzman, and dad Denis Leary.
Pfeiffer opens by name-dropping 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 unsung heroes of the holidays—moms.”
So that’s the concept, but in execution it’s really a jumble of those aforementioned movies, at least until Pfeiffer’s character at last takes center stage.
Holiday verdict: 🎄🎄
6.43pm - A Scottish Christmas Secret
The day’s waned in quality, but thankfully here’s a new addition in the packed genre of formulaic, schmaltzy, badly acted—and highly entertaining—holiday fare.
It’s a narrative as old as time: An American woman journeys to a distant snowy land and ends up discovering romance.
In this case, Caprice Bourret plays a publisher