🔗 Share this article Devouring This Year's Holiday Movies: Highlights, Lowlights, and Unexpected Delights. It is the season to lounge on the sofa and devour a packet of mince pies in front of a terrific flick, a awful feature, or one that’s terrible yet terrific. Once again, a selection of fresh holiday movies aims to become part of our festive viewing—maybe even earning a place alongside timeless staples like Home Alone, Elf, Love Actually, and Die Hard (we won’t debate it). So, in a helpful attempt to separate the winners from the losers, and to find the Christmas spirit, I marathoned as many fresh festive movies as possible in a single day. First Up: The Jonas Brothers' Holiday Flick Starting, optimistically, on a high. This release is the exclusive 2025 title on a famous website's list of the greatest 100 Christmas movies of all time. The popular band end up trapped in the UK after concluding their world tour and must return for Christmas. Their endeavors are hindered by an malevolent Father Christmas, who breaks into song to state they won’t get home until they “find their sibling bond.” The back-and-forth between the squabbling siblings is entertaining even for the casual viewer, while fans will undoubtedly pick up on lots of easter eggs as they try to get back using every mode of travel possible. It’s a journey of epic proportions. It’s not a timeless masterpiece, but is superb for fans 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. 8.45am - Tinsel Town A-list actor Kiefer Sutherland stars as a Hollywood star tricked into a "panto". “A panto-what??” asks Sutherland’s “temperamental” and ageing star Brad Mack, who has hit a rough patch and whose agent has deceived him into thinking he’s performing in renowned British drama. His Aladdin fellow actors tell him he’s playing Buttons. “Absolutely not,” he insists angrily. It's easy to predict their response. That is, unless you’re ignorant of traditional stage call-and-response. There are some very funny lines, some cockle-warming sub-plots, and the supporting actors is brilliant, too. It’s the type of film that would be a bit tacky at another season, but is a lot of fun at Christmas. Holiday verdict: 🎄🎄🎄🎄 A New Spin on Scrooge Danny Dyer shows up at the beginning of this film, too, insulting someone for the second consecutive movie. Is this a new Christmas tradition? This time, he’s a singing black cab driver who encounters Mr Sood, the newest interpretation 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 director of Gurinder Chadha. The well-known tale develops 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 Indian Scrooge is at least unique from all the others, but unfortunately he’s not very compelling and Nayyar’s portrayal is wooden—a problem when he’s so the main character. Festive score: 🎄🎄 Noon: A BBC Special There's just enough time for a major broadcaster's Christmas comedy-drama—which stars Guz Khan as a lovably grouchy guy who “doesn’t really do Christmas.” But after he receives an large festive windfall at work, his wife (starring Morgana Robinson) convinces him spending the sum on a holiday to Lapland. There’s just one snag—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 pay back the excess. Enjoyable but forgettable. Christmas tree rating: 🎄🎄 1.12pm - Champagne Problems This is one of those Christmas films where the decorations and snow are in the setting—Christmas is the scene of the film rather than its main point—but it feels comfortable and seasonal all the same. High-powered businesswoman Sydney (played by Minka Kelly) is assigned to a French chateau to do a deal for a sparkling wine company. En route, she encounters a fellow in a bookshop who vows to show her a festive Paris. A commentator recently declared this is the top new Christmas film of the recent era. That’s a bit of a stretch, but it is a festive dalliance with a touch of class and gives the obligatory warm and fuzzy feels. The scene with a lengthy discussion about Die Hard is very good too. Holiday verdict: 🎄🎄🎄 3.29pm - Finding Father Christmas Young Chris, played by Lenny Rush, holds onto his belief in Father Christmas, regardless of the persuasion of his dad (played by James Buckley) to tell him the reality. The answer is to be discovered, and Chris ventures forth to find it with the assistance of a group of well-known experts and celebrities. It’s gentle but sweet, and good viewing while anticipating Santa to visit. Holiday verdict: 🎄🎄🎄 4.39pm - Oh. What. Fun. Michelle Pfeiffer is the head of a dysfunctional 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 real champions of the holidays—moms.” So that’s the concept, but in practice 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 gone downhill, but thankfully here’s a new addition in the crowded field of predictable, sentimental, cheesy—and strangely compelling—holiday fare. It’s a narrative as well-worn: An American woman goes on a quest to a far-off wintery locale and ends up finding romance. In this case, Caprice Bourret plays a publisher
It is the season to lounge on the sofa and devour a packet of mince pies in front of a terrific flick, a awful feature, or one that’s terrible yet terrific. Once again, a selection of fresh holiday movies aims to become part of our festive viewing—maybe even earning a place alongside timeless staples like Home Alone, Elf, Love Actually, and Die Hard (we won’t debate it). So, in a helpful attempt to separate the winners from the losers, and to find the Christmas spirit, I marathoned as many fresh festive movies as possible in a single day. First Up: The Jonas Brothers' Holiday Flick Starting, optimistically, on a high. This release is the exclusive 2025 title on a famous website's list of the greatest 100 Christmas movies of all time. The popular band end up trapped in the UK after concluding their world tour and must return for Christmas. Their endeavors are hindered by an malevolent Father Christmas, who breaks into song to state they won’t get home until they “find their sibling bond.” The back-and-forth between the squabbling siblings is entertaining even for the casual viewer, while fans will undoubtedly pick up on lots of easter eggs as they try to get back using every mode of travel possible. It’s a journey of epic proportions. It’s not a timeless masterpiece, but is superb for fans 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. 8.45am - Tinsel Town A-list actor Kiefer Sutherland stars as a Hollywood star tricked into a "panto". “A panto-what??” asks Sutherland’s “temperamental” and ageing star Brad Mack, who has hit a rough patch and whose agent has deceived him into thinking he’s performing in renowned British drama. His Aladdin fellow actors tell him he’s playing Buttons. “Absolutely not,” he insists angrily. It's easy to predict their response. That is, unless you’re ignorant of traditional stage call-and-response. There are some very funny lines, some cockle-warming sub-plots, and the supporting actors is brilliant, too. It’s the type of film that would be a bit tacky at another season, but is a lot of fun at Christmas. Holiday verdict: 🎄🎄🎄🎄 A New Spin on Scrooge Danny Dyer shows up at the beginning of this film, too, insulting someone for the second consecutive movie. Is this a new Christmas tradition? This time, he’s a singing black cab driver who encounters Mr Sood, the newest interpretation 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 director of Gurinder Chadha. The well-known tale develops 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 Indian Scrooge is at least unique from all the others, but unfortunately he’s not very compelling and Nayyar’s portrayal is wooden—a problem when he’s so the main character. Festive score: 🎄🎄 Noon: A BBC Special There's just enough time for a major broadcaster's Christmas comedy-drama—which stars Guz Khan as a lovably grouchy guy who “doesn’t really do Christmas.” But after he receives an large festive windfall at work, his wife (starring Morgana Robinson) convinces him spending the sum on a holiday to Lapland. There’s just one snag—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 pay back the excess. Enjoyable but forgettable. Christmas tree rating: 🎄🎄 1.12pm - Champagne Problems This is one of those Christmas films where the decorations and snow are in the setting—Christmas is the scene of the film rather than its main point—but it feels comfortable and seasonal all the same. High-powered businesswoman Sydney (played by Minka Kelly) is assigned to a French chateau to do a deal for a sparkling wine company. En route, she encounters a fellow in a bookshop who vows to show her a festive Paris. A commentator recently declared this is the top new Christmas film of the recent era. That’s a bit of a stretch, but it is a festive dalliance with a touch of class and gives the obligatory warm and fuzzy feels. The scene with a lengthy discussion about Die Hard is very good too. Holiday verdict: 🎄🎄🎄 3.29pm - Finding Father Christmas Young Chris, played by Lenny Rush, holds onto his belief in Father Christmas, regardless of the persuasion of his dad (played by James Buckley) to tell him the reality. The answer is to be discovered, and Chris ventures forth to find it with the assistance of a group of well-known experts and celebrities. It’s gentle but sweet, and good viewing while anticipating Santa to visit. Holiday verdict: 🎄🎄🎄 4.39pm - Oh. What. Fun. Michelle Pfeiffer is the head of a dysfunctional 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 real champions of the holidays—moms.” So that’s the concept, but in practice 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 gone downhill, but thankfully here’s a new addition in the crowded field of predictable, sentimental, cheesy—and strangely compelling—holiday fare. It’s a narrative as well-worn: An American woman goes on a quest to a far-off wintery locale and ends up finding romance. In this case, Caprice Bourret plays a publisher