🔗 Share this article Binge-Watching This Year's Christmas Films: Highlights, Lowlights, and Unexpected Delights. ‘Tis the season to slob out on the sofa and devour a tin of mince pies in front of a great film, a awful feature, or one that’s terrible yet terrific. As always, a selection of latest seasonal stories strives to join part of our holiday traditions—potentially even joining the ranks alongside timeless staples like Home Alone, Elf, Love Actually, and Die Hard (we won’t debate it). Thus, in a vital public service to separate the winners from the losers, and to find the holiday mood, I marathoned as many recent festive movies as possible in a single day. First Up: The Jonas Brothers' Holiday Flick Beginning, ideally, on a good foot. This film is the sole 2025 title on a famous website's list of the best 100 Christmas movies of all time. The Jonas Brothers are trapped in the UK after finishing their world tour and must get home for Christmas. Their attempts are hindered by an villainous Saint Nick, who breaks into song to declare they won’t get home until they “find their sibling bond.” The banter between the bickering brothers is entertaining even for the uninitiated, while followers will undoubtedly notice lots of in-jokes as they endeavor to get back using every mode of travel possible. It’s a travelogue of mishaps. It’s not legendary, but is excellent for devotees and a positive start to the day. Holiday verdict: 🎄🎄🎄🎄🎄 for Jonas Brothers fans or 🎄🎄🎄 for their relatives who are obliged to sit through it. 8.45am - Tinsel Town Famous performer Kiefer Sutherland stars as a movie actor roped into a pantomime. “A panto-what?” asks Sutherland’s “difficult” and ageing lead Brad Mack, who has fallen on hard times and whose representative has misled him into thinking he’s appearing in renowned British drama. His Aladdin cast-mates inform him he’s playing Buttons. “Oh no I’m not,” he insists angrily. It's easy to predict their response. Except if you’re ignorant of traditional British theatre traditions. There are some great jokes, some heartwarming storylines, and the ensemble is brilliant, too. It’s the kind of movie that would be a bit naff at a different time, but is a lot of fun at Christmas. Holiday verdict: 🎄🎄🎄🎄 A New Spin on Scrooge An actor pops up at the beginning of this film, too, calling someone a mug for the next movie straight. Could this be a budding festive ritual? This time, he’s a musical taxi operator who picks up 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 unfolds as the miserly Mr Sood is confronted by the spirits 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 unfortunately he’s not very captivating and Nayyar’s performance is flat—a significant issue when he’s so the focal point. Festive score: 🎄🎄 Noon: A BBC Special There's just enough time for a channel's holiday special—which stars Guz Khan as a endearingly grumpy man who “avoids Christmas.” But after he gets an £8,000 Christmas bonus at work, his wife (played by Morgana Robinson) persuades him splurging the cash on a holiday to Lapland. There’s just one problem—he discovers there was an mistake with his bonus, which should have been £800, and he has to determine how to return the difference. Fun while it lasts but not lasting. Christmas tree rating: 🎄🎄 Early Afternoon: Champagne Problems This is one of those holiday movies where the tree, fairy lights and snow are in the setting—Christmas is the setting of the film rather than its core purpose—but it feels comfortable and seasonal all the same. Driven corporate star Sydney (starring Minka Kelly) is dispatched to a French chateau to secure an acquisition for a champagne business. En route, she meets a guy in a literary haven who promises to show her Christmas in Paris. A commentator recently declared this is the top new Christmas film of the recent era. That’s a bit of a overstatement, but it is a festive dalliance with a hint of sophistication and gives the obligatory heartwarming sensation. 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, in spite of the persuasion of his dad (starring James Buckley) to tell him otherwise. The answer is somewhere, and Chris sets out to find it with the guidance of a group of well-known experts and celebrities. It’s low-key but sweet, and ideal viewing while anticipating Santa to visit. Holiday verdict: 🎄🎄🎄 Late Afternoon: Oh. What. Fun. Michelle Pfeiffer is the matriarch of a bickering American family who come back together for the holidays—including fellow 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 unsung heroes of the holidays—moms.” So that’s what this is, but in practice it’s really a combination of those inspirations, at least until Pfeiffer’s character finally finds her strength. Christmas tree rating: 🎄🎄 Evening: A Scottish Christmas Secret The day’s waned in quality, but fortunately here’s a new entry in the packed genre of cliched, saccharine, over-the-top—and utterly watchable—festive fodder. It’s a tale as familiar as can be: 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 devour a tin of mince pies in front of a great film, a awful feature, or one that’s terrible yet terrific. As always, a selection of latest seasonal stories strives to join part of our holiday traditions—potentially even joining the ranks alongside timeless staples like Home Alone, Elf, Love Actually, and Die Hard (we won’t debate it). Thus, in a vital public service to separate the winners from the losers, and to find the holiday mood, I marathoned as many recent festive movies as possible in a single day. First Up: The Jonas Brothers' Holiday Flick Beginning, ideally, on a good foot. This film is the sole 2025 title on a famous website's list of the best 100 Christmas movies of all time. The Jonas Brothers are trapped in the UK after finishing their world tour and must get home for Christmas. Their attempts are hindered by an villainous Saint Nick, who breaks into song to declare they won’t get home until they “find their sibling bond.” The banter between the bickering brothers is entertaining even for the uninitiated, while followers will undoubtedly notice lots of in-jokes as they endeavor to get back using every mode of travel possible. It’s a travelogue of mishaps. It’s not legendary, but is excellent for devotees and a positive start to the day. Holiday verdict: 🎄🎄🎄🎄🎄 for Jonas Brothers fans or 🎄🎄🎄 for their relatives who are obliged to sit through it. 8.45am - Tinsel Town Famous performer Kiefer Sutherland stars as a movie actor roped into a pantomime. “A panto-what?” asks Sutherland’s “difficult” and ageing lead Brad Mack, who has fallen on hard times and whose representative has misled him into thinking he’s appearing in renowned British drama. His Aladdin cast-mates inform him he’s playing Buttons. “Oh no I’m not,” he insists angrily. It's easy to predict their response. Except if you’re ignorant of traditional British theatre traditions. There are some great jokes, some heartwarming storylines, and the ensemble is brilliant, too. It’s the kind of movie that would be a bit naff at a different time, but is a lot of fun at Christmas. Holiday verdict: 🎄🎄🎄🎄 A New Spin on Scrooge An actor pops up at the beginning of this film, too, calling someone a mug for the next movie straight. Could this be a budding festive ritual? This time, he’s a musical taxi operator who picks up 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 unfolds as the miserly Mr Sood is confronted by the spirits 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 unfortunately he’s not very captivating and Nayyar’s performance is flat—a significant issue when he’s so the focal point. Festive score: 🎄🎄 Noon: A BBC Special There's just enough time for a channel's holiday special—which stars Guz Khan as a endearingly grumpy man who “avoids Christmas.” But after he gets an £8,000 Christmas bonus at work, his wife (played by Morgana Robinson) persuades him splurging the cash on a holiday to Lapland. There’s just one problem—he discovers there was an mistake with his bonus, which should have been £800, and he has to determine how to return the difference. Fun while it lasts but not lasting. Christmas tree rating: 🎄🎄 Early Afternoon: Champagne Problems This is one of those holiday movies where the tree, fairy lights and snow are in the setting—Christmas is the setting of the film rather than its core purpose—but it feels comfortable and seasonal all the same. Driven corporate star Sydney (starring Minka Kelly) is dispatched to a French chateau to secure an acquisition for a champagne business. En route, she meets a guy in a literary haven who promises to show her Christmas in Paris. A commentator recently declared this is the top new Christmas film of the recent era. That’s a bit of a overstatement, but it is a festive dalliance with a hint of sophistication and gives the obligatory heartwarming sensation. 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, in spite of the persuasion of his dad (starring James Buckley) to tell him otherwise. The answer is somewhere, and Chris sets out to find it with the guidance of a group of well-known experts and celebrities. It’s low-key but sweet, and ideal viewing while anticipating Santa to visit. Holiday verdict: 🎄🎄🎄 Late Afternoon: Oh. What. Fun. Michelle Pfeiffer is the matriarch of a bickering American family who come back together for the holidays—including fellow 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 unsung heroes of the holidays—moms.” So that’s what this is, but in practice it’s really a combination of those inspirations, at least until Pfeiffer’s character finally finds her strength. Christmas tree rating: 🎄🎄 Evening: A Scottish Christmas Secret The day’s waned in quality, but fortunately here’s a new entry in the packed genre of cliched, saccharine, over-the-top—and utterly watchable—festive fodder. It’s a tale as familiar as can be: An American woman travels to a far-off wintery locale and ends up discovering romance. In this case, Caprice Bourret plays a publisher