Devouring The Latest Holiday Movies: Highlights, Lowlights, and Unexpected Delights.
It is the season to slob out on the sofa and devour a packet of holiday pastries in front of a terrific flick, a bad movie, or one that’s so bad it’s good.
As always, a selection of latest holiday movies hopes to be part of our seasonal watchlist—maybe even joining the ranks alongside timeless staples like Home Alone, Elf, Love Actually, and Die Hard (no arguments).
Therefore, in a helpful attempt to sort the crackers from the turkeys, and to get into the festive feeling, I marathoned as many new holiday releases as possible in a single day.
First Up: The Jonas Brothers' Holiday Flick
Starting, hopefully, on a high. This is the exclusive 2025 title on a well-known aggregator's list of the best 100 holiday films of all time.
The musical trio find themselves trapped in the UK after finishing their global concert series and must return for Christmas. Their attempts are thwarted by an evil Santa, who bursts into melody to state they won’t get home until they “find their sibling bond.”
The back-and-forth between the bickering brothers is amusing even for the non-fan, while followers will undoubtedly notice lots of references as they try to get back using all transportation available.
It’s private planes, trains and automobiles.
It’s not an all-time classic, but is great for devotees and a solid start to the day.
Holiday verdict: 🎄🎄🎄🎄🎄 for Jonas Brothers fans or 🎄🎄🎄 for their loved ones who must sit through it.
8.45am - Tinsel Town
Hollywood star Kiefer Sutherland has been cast as a celebrity cast a "panto".
“A what's a panto??” asks Sutherland’s “difficult” and ageing lead Brad Mack, who has seen better days and whose agent has misled him into thinking he’s performing in high-class London stage.
His pantomime cast-mates tell him he’s playing Buttons. “Absolutely not,” he insists angrily. You can guess their retort. That is, unless you’re unfamiliar with traditional stage call-and-response.
There are some hilarious moments, some touching sub-plots, and the ensemble is cracking, too.
It’s the type of film that would be a bit cheesy at another season, but is a great entertainment at Christmas.
Christmas tree rating: 🎄🎄🎄🎄
10.19am - Christmas Karma
Danny Dyer pops up at the beginning of this film, too, delivering a signature line for the second film in a row. Is this a fresh holiday staple?
This time, he’s a singing black cab driver who picks up Mr Sood, the newest interpretation 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 Bend It Like Beckham’s 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 South Asian reinterpretation is at least unique from all the others, but regrettably he’s not very captivating and Nayyar’s performance is flat—a significant issue when he’s so central to everything.
Christmas tree rating: 🎄🎄
Noon: A BBC Special
There’s time for a network's original festive film—which stars Guz Khan as a charmingly cantankerous character who “avoids Christmas.”
But after he receives an £8,000 Christmas bonus at work, his wife (played by Morgana Robinson) persuades him spending the sum on a family trip to Lapland.
There’s just one issue—he learns there was an error with his bonus, which should have been £800, and he has to figure out how to pay back the remainder.
Enjoyable but forgettable.
Holiday verdict: 🎄🎄
A Classy Netflix Romance
This is one of those Christmas films where the decorations and snow are in the background—Christmas is the environment of the film rather than its core purpose—but it feels warm and holiday-like all the same.
Ambitious executive Sydney (played by Minka Kelly) is sent to a French chateau to negotiate a purchase for a sparkling wine company. During her travels, 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 finest new Christmas film of the past few years. That’s a bit of a stretch, but it is a festive dalliance with a touch of class and gives the necessary cozy feelings.
The scene with a extended debate about Die Hard is very good too.
Festive score: 🎄🎄🎄
3.29pm - Finding Father Christmas
Sixteen-year-old Chris, played by Lenny Rush, continues to believe in Father Christmas, regardless of the attempts of his dad (played by James Buckley) to tell him the truth.
The truth is to be discovered, and Chris embarks on a quest to find it with the guidance of a group of well-known figures.
It’s low-key but sweet, and perfect viewing while anticipating Santa to visit.
Festive score: 🎄🎄🎄
Late Afternoon: Oh. What. Fun.
Michelle Pfeiffer is the matriarch of a quarrelling American family who gather for the holidays—including fellow acclaimed actress Felicity Jones, Chloe Grace Moretz, Jason Schwartzman, and dad Denis Leary.
Pfeiffer opens by name-dropping holiday staples 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 what this is, but in practice it’s really a jumble of those forerunner films, at least until Pfeiffer’s character eventually comes into her own.
Holiday verdict: 🎄🎄
Evening: A Scottish Christmas Secret
The day’s waned in quality, but happily here’s a new entry in the packed genre of formulaic, schmaltzy, badly acted—and strangely compelling—seasonal comfort food.
It’s a story as familiar as can be: An American woman goes on a quest to a distant snowy land and ends up discovering romance.
In this case, Caprice Bourret plays a publisher