🔗 Share this article Binge-Watching This Year's Holiday Movies: The Good, The Bad and The So-Bad-It's-Good. ‘Tis the season to relax on the sofa and demolish a box of mince pies in front of a good movie, a poor film, or one that’s so bad it’s good. Once again, a selection of new Christmas films aims to become part of our festive viewing—potentially even joining the ranks alongside timeless staples like Home Alone, Elf, Love Actually, and Die Hard (we won’t debate it). So, in a vital public service to sort the crackers from the turkeys, and to find the holiday mood, I binged as many recent festive movies as possible in a single day. Early Morning: A Very Jonas Christmas Movie Kicking off, optimistically, on a positive note. This film is the exclusive 2025 title on a well-known aggregator's list of the best 100 Christmas movies of all time. The musical trio are trapped in the UK after finishing their international trek and must return for Christmas. Their attempts are hampered by an malevolent Father Christmas, who sings to announce they won’t get home until they “rekindle their familial spark.” The banter between the bickering brothers is amusing even for the uninitiated, while followers will undoubtedly catch lots of references as they try to get back using every mode of travel possible. It’s a travelogue of mishaps. It’s not a timeless masterpiece, but is great for fans and a positive start to the day. Holiday verdict: 🎄🎄🎄🎄🎄 for Jonas Brothers fans or 🎄🎄🎄 for their relatives who must sit through it. 8.45am - Tinsel Town Hollywood star Kiefer Sutherland stars as a celebrity tricked into a "panto". “A what's a panto??” asks Sutherland’s “temperamental” and ageing star Brad Mack, who has hit a rough patch and whose manager has deceived him into thinking he’s performing in prestigious English theatre. His Aladdin co-stars inform him he’s playing Buttons. “Absolutely not,” he insists angrily. One can imagine their retort. Unless you’re unfamiliar with traditional British theatre traditions. There are some very funny lines, some cockle-warming storylines, and the ensemble is cracking, too. It’s the type of film that would be a bit tacky at another season, but is a great entertainment at Christmas. Festive score: 🎄🎄🎄🎄 A New Spin on Scrooge Danny Dyer appears at the beginning of this film, too, delivering a signature line for the second consecutive movie. Is this a budding festive ritual? This time, he’s a crooning chauffeur who encounters 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 Bend It Like Beckham’s Gurinder Chadha. The classic narrative progresses as the stingy Mr Sood is visited by the ghosts of Christmas yesterday, today, and tomorrow, played by Hugh Bonneville, Billy Porter, and Boy George. This cultural adaptation is at least unique from all the others, but unfortunately he’s not very captivating and Nayyar’s performance is wooden—a major flaw when he’s so central to everything. Holiday verdict: 🎄🎄 12.04pm - Stuffed There’s time for a channel's holiday special—which stars Guz Khan as a endearingly grumpy man who “isn't big on Christmas.” But after he gets an large festive windfall at work, his wife (played by Morgana Robinson) convinces him spending the sum on a holiday to Lapland. There’s just one issue—he learns there was an mix-up with his bonus, which should have been £800, and he has to devise a plan for how to reimburse the remainder. Enjoyable but forgettable. Festive score: 🎄🎄 Early Afternoon: 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 cosy and festive all the same. High-powered businesswoman Sydney (starring Minka Kelly) is sent to a French chateau to do a deal for a champagne business. On the way, she runs into a fellow in a bookshop who offers to show her the holidays in the City of Light. A critic recently stated this is the best new Christmas film of the past few years. That’s a bit of a overstatement, but it is a festive dalliance with a dash of elegance and gives the necessary heartwarming sensation. The scene with a lengthy discussion about Die Hard is particularly strong too. Festive score: 🎄🎄🎄 A Charming Quest Teenage Chris, played by Lenny Rush, continues to believe in Father Christmas, in spite of the attempts of his dad (starring James Buckley) to tell him otherwise. The truth is somewhere, and Chris embarks on a quest to find it with the assistance of a group of well-known scientists and personalities. It’s understated but endearing, and good viewing while anticipating Santa to visit. Christmas tree rating: 🎄🎄🎄 4.39pm - Oh. What. Fun. Michelle Pfeiffer is the mother of a quarrelling American family who come back together for the holidays—including fellow acclaimed actress Felicity Jones, Chloe Grace Moretz, Jason Schwartzman, and dad Denis Leary. Pfeiffer begins by referencing 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 the premise, but in practice it’s really a combination of those aforementioned movies, at least until Pfeiffer’s character at last comes into her own. Holiday verdict: 🎄🎄 Evening: A Scottish Christmas Secret The day’s waned in quality, but thankfully here’s a new addition in the packed genre of cliched, saccharine, over-the-top—and utterly watchable—seasonal comfort food. It’s a story as familiar as can be: An American woman travels to a far-off wintery locale and ends up stumbling across romance. In this case, Caprice Bourret plays a publisher
‘Tis the season to relax on the sofa and demolish a box of mince pies in front of a good movie, a poor film, or one that’s so bad it’s good. Once again, a selection of new Christmas films aims to become part of our festive viewing—potentially even joining the ranks alongside timeless staples like Home Alone, Elf, Love Actually, and Die Hard (we won’t debate it). So, in a vital public service to sort the crackers from the turkeys, and to find the holiday mood, I binged as many recent festive movies as possible in a single day. Early Morning: A Very Jonas Christmas Movie Kicking off, optimistically, on a positive note. This film is the exclusive 2025 title on a well-known aggregator's list of the best 100 Christmas movies of all time. The musical trio are trapped in the UK after finishing their international trek and must return for Christmas. Their attempts are hampered by an malevolent Father Christmas, who sings to announce they won’t get home until they “rekindle their familial spark.” The banter between the bickering brothers is amusing even for the uninitiated, while followers will undoubtedly catch lots of references as they try to get back using every mode of travel possible. It’s a travelogue of mishaps. It’s not a timeless masterpiece, but is great for fans and a positive start to the day. Holiday verdict: 🎄🎄🎄🎄🎄 for Jonas Brothers fans or 🎄🎄🎄 for their relatives who must sit through it. 8.45am - Tinsel Town Hollywood star Kiefer Sutherland stars as a celebrity tricked into a "panto". “A what's a panto??” asks Sutherland’s “temperamental” and ageing star Brad Mack, who has hit a rough patch and whose manager has deceived him into thinking he’s performing in prestigious English theatre. His Aladdin co-stars inform him he’s playing Buttons. “Absolutely not,” he insists angrily. One can imagine their retort. Unless you’re unfamiliar with traditional British theatre traditions. There are some very funny lines, some cockle-warming storylines, and the ensemble is cracking, too. It’s the type of film that would be a bit tacky at another season, but is a great entertainment at Christmas. Festive score: 🎄🎄🎄🎄 A New Spin on Scrooge Danny Dyer appears at the beginning of this film, too, delivering a signature line for the second consecutive movie. Is this a budding festive ritual? This time, he’s a crooning chauffeur who encounters 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 Bend It Like Beckham’s Gurinder Chadha. The classic narrative progresses as the stingy Mr Sood is visited by the ghosts of Christmas yesterday, today, and tomorrow, played by Hugh Bonneville, Billy Porter, and Boy George. This cultural adaptation is at least unique from all the others, but unfortunately he’s not very captivating and Nayyar’s performance is wooden—a major flaw when he’s so central to everything. Holiday verdict: 🎄🎄 12.04pm - Stuffed There’s time for a channel's holiday special—which stars Guz Khan as a endearingly grumpy man who “isn't big on Christmas.” But after he gets an large festive windfall at work, his wife (played by Morgana Robinson) convinces him spending the sum on a holiday to Lapland. There’s just one issue—he learns there was an mix-up with his bonus, which should have been £800, and he has to devise a plan for how to reimburse the remainder. Enjoyable but forgettable. Festive score: 🎄🎄 Early Afternoon: 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 cosy and festive all the same. High-powered businesswoman Sydney (starring Minka Kelly) is sent to a French chateau to do a deal for a champagne business. On the way, she runs into a fellow in a bookshop who offers to show her the holidays in the City of Light. A critic recently stated this is the best new Christmas film of the past few years. That’s a bit of a overstatement, but it is a festive dalliance with a dash of elegance and gives the necessary heartwarming sensation. The scene with a lengthy discussion about Die Hard is particularly strong too. Festive score: 🎄🎄🎄 A Charming Quest Teenage Chris, played by Lenny Rush, continues to believe in Father Christmas, in spite of the attempts of his dad (starring James Buckley) to tell him otherwise. The truth is somewhere, and Chris embarks on a quest to find it with the assistance of a group of well-known scientists and personalities. It’s understated but endearing, and good viewing while anticipating Santa to visit. Christmas tree rating: 🎄🎄🎄 4.39pm - Oh. What. Fun. Michelle Pfeiffer is the mother of a quarrelling American family who come back together for the holidays—including fellow acclaimed actress Felicity Jones, Chloe Grace Moretz, Jason Schwartzman, and dad Denis Leary. Pfeiffer begins by referencing 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 the premise, but in practice it’s really a combination of those aforementioned movies, at least until Pfeiffer’s character at last comes into her own. Holiday verdict: 🎄🎄 Evening: A Scottish Christmas Secret The day’s waned in quality, but thankfully here’s a new addition in the packed genre of cliched, saccharine, over-the-top—and utterly watchable—seasonal comfort food. It’s a story as familiar as can be: An American woman travels to a far-off wintery locale and ends up stumbling across romance. In this case, Caprice Bourret plays a publisher