Marathon Viewing This Year's Holiday Movies: The Good, The Bad and The So-Bad-It's-Good.
‘Tis the time of year to lounge on the sofa and devour a packet of holiday pastries in front of a terrific flick, a bad movie, or one that’s awesomely awful.
Once again, a selection of fresh holiday movies aims to become part of our seasonal watchlist—potentially even finding a spot alongside enduring classics like Home Alone, Elf, Love Actually, and Die Hard (no arguments).
Therefore, in a vital public service to sort the crackers from the turkeys, and to get into the holiday mood, I watched as many fresh holiday releases as possible in a single day.
First Up: The Jonas Brothers' Holiday Flick
Starting, optimistically, on a high. This is the exclusive 2025 entry on a popular review site's list of the best 100 holiday films of all time.
The popular band find themselves stranded in the UK after wrapping up their global concert series and must return for Christmas. Their endeavors are hampered by an malevolent Father Christmas, who bursts into melody to announce they won’t get home until they “find their brotherly magic.”
The repartee between the arguing trio is entertaining even for the uninitiated, while followers will no doubt catch lots of references as they try to get back using all transportation available.
It’s a travelogue of mishaps.
It’s not an all-time classic, but is superb for devotees and a solid start to the day.
Festive score: 🎄🎄🎄🎄🎄 for Jonas Brothers fans or 🎄🎄🎄 for their loved ones who are obliged to sit through it.
Next: A Star in Panto
Hollywood star Kiefer Sutherland appears as a movie actor tricked into a "panto".
“A what's a panto??” asks Sutherland’s “temperamental” and aging action hero Brad Mack, who has fallen on hard times and whose manager has deceived him into thinking he’s starring in high-class London stage.
His pantomime co-stars tell him he’s playing Buttons. “Absolutely not,” he insists angrily. One can imagine their response. That is, unless you’re not acquainted with traditional stage call-and-response.
There are some great jokes, some heartwarming storylines, and the rest of the cast is cracking, too.
It’s the type of film that would be a bit cheesy at another season, but is a highly enjoyable at Christmas.
Christmas tree rating: 🎄🎄🎄🎄
Mid-Morning: Christmas Karma
Danny Dyer pops up at the start of this film, too, calling someone a mug for the second consecutive movie. Is this a fresh holiday staple?
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 The Big Bang Theory’s Kunal Nayyar and Christmas Karma is directed by the director of Gurinder Chadha. The well-known tale progresses as the tight-fisted Mr Sood is haunted by the apparitions of Christmas yesterday, today, and tomorrow, played by Hugh Bonneville, Billy Porter, and Boy George.
This South Asian reinterpretation is at least unique from all the others, but sadly he’s not very captivating and Nayyar’s performance is wooden—a major flaw when he’s so the focal point.
Festive score: 🎄🎄
Lunchtime: Stuffed
There's just enough time for a major broadcaster's original festive film—which stars Guz Khan as a endearingly grumpy man who “isn't big on Christmas.”
But after he is awarded an sizable holiday payout at work, his wife (played by Morgana Robinson) persuades him splurging the cash on a holiday to Lapland.
There’s just one snag—he discovers 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 excess.
Pleasant yet unmemorable.
Christmas tree rating: 🎄🎄
1.12pm - 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 cosy and festive all the same.
Driven corporate star Sydney (played by Minka Kelly) is dispatched to a French chateau to do a deal for a champagne business. En route, she meets a man in a literary haven who offers to show her Christmas in Paris.
An expert recently stated this is the finest new Christmas film of the last several seasons. That’s a bit of a exaggeration, but it is a festive dalliance with a dash of elegance and gives the obligatory warm and fuzzy feels.
The scene with a extended debate about Die Hard is particularly strong too.
Festive score: 🎄🎄🎄
Mid-Afternoon: Finding Father Christmas
Sixteen-year-old Chris, played by Lenny Rush, refuses to stop believing in Father Christmas, despite the persuasion of his dad (played by James Buckley) to tell him otherwise.
The truth is to be discovered, and Chris sets out to find it with the guidance of a panel of well-known experts and celebrities.
It’s gentle but endearing, and good viewing while waiting for Santa to visit.
Christmas tree rating: 🎄🎄🎄
4.39pm - Oh. What. Fun.
Michelle Pfeiffer is the mother 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 starts by mentioning holiday staples 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 the concept, but in practice it’s really a jumble of those forerunner films, at least until Pfeiffer’s character finally takes center stage.
Festive score: 🎄🎄
Evening: A Scottish Christmas Secret
The day’s gone downhill, but thankfully here’s a new offering in the crowded field of formulaic, schmaltzy, badly acted—and utterly watchable—holiday fare.
It’s a tale as familiar as can be: An American woman travels to a distant snowy land and ends up stumbling across romance.
In this case, Caprice Bourret plays a publisher