Devouring The Latest Christmas Films: The Hits, The Misses, and The Guilty Pleasures.
‘Tis the time of year to relax on the couch and consume a tin of festive treats in front of a good movie, a bad movie, or one that’s so bad it’s good.
Once again, a crop of latest Christmas films strives to join part of our festive viewing—maybe even earning a place alongside enduring classics like Home Alone, Elf, Love Actually, and Die Hard (don’t start).
Thus, in a noble effort to sort the crackers from the turkeys, and to embrace the holiday mood, I binged as many recent Christmas films as possible in a single day.
Early Morning: A Very Jonas Christmas Movie
Starting, hopefully, on a high. This film is the exclusive 2025 entry on a famous website's list of the greatest 100 festive features of all time.
The popular band are stuck in the UK after finishing their world tour and must get home for Christmas. Their endeavors are hampered by an villainous Saint Nick, who bursts into melody to state they won’t get home until they “find their brotherly magic.”
The back-and-forth between the bickering brothers is amusing even for the uninitiated, while followers will no doubt pick up on lots of in-jokes as they try to get back using any means of transport necessary.
It’s a travelogue of mishaps.
It’s not an all-time classic, but is superb for fans and a solid start to the day.
Holiday verdict: 🎄🎄🎄🎄🎄 for Jonas Brothers fans or 🎄🎄🎄 for their family members who must sit through it.
8.45am - Tinsel Town
Hollywood star Kiefer Sutherland appears as a Hollywood star tricked into a pantomime.
“A panto-what??” asks Sutherland’s “temperamental” and ageing lead Brad Mack, who has hit a rough patch and whose manager has tricked him into thinking he’s appearing in renowned British drama.
His pantomime cast-mates let him know he’s playing Buttons. “No I'm not,” he retorts. One can imagine their retort. That is, unless you’re not acquainted with traditional panto catchphrases.
There are some hilarious moments, some heartwarming storylines, and the ensemble is excellent, too.
It’s the type of film that would be a bit cheesy at a different time, but is a highly enjoyable at Christmas.
Festive score: 🎄🎄🎄🎄
Mid-Morning: Christmas Karma
A familiar face shows up at the beginning of this film, too, calling someone a mug for the second film in a row. Might this become a budding festive ritual?
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 an actor from Kunal Nayyar and Christmas Karma is directed by Bend It Like Beckham’s Gurinder Chadha. The well-known tale progresses as the tight-fisted Mr Sood is confronted 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 compelling and Nayyar’s performance is flat—a significant issue when he’s so the focal point.
Christmas tree rating: 🎄🎄
Lunchtime: Stuffed
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 gets an large festive windfall at work, his wife (played by Morgana Robinson) persuades him blowing the money on a family trip to Lapland.
There’s just one issue—he finds out there was an error with his bonus, which should have been £800, and he has to devise a plan for how to reimburse the remainder.
Pleasant yet unmemorable.
Holiday verdict: 🎄🎄
1.12pm - Champagne Problems
This is one of those Christmas films where the festive trappings are in the background—Christmas is the setting of the film rather than its core purpose—but it feels warm and holiday-like all the same.
Driven corporate star Sydney (played by Minka Kelly) is assigned to a country estate to negotiate a purchase for a sparkling wine company. On the way, she meets a guy in a literary haven who promises to show her Christmas in Paris.
An expert recently claimed this is the best new Christmas film of the last several seasons. That’s a bit of a exaggeration, but it is a festive dalliance with a hint of sophistication and gives the required warm and fuzzy feels.
The scene with a lengthy discussion about Die Hard is very good too.
Festive score: 🎄🎄🎄
Mid-Afternoon: Finding Father Christmas
Sixteen-year-old Chris, played by Lenny Rush, holds onto his belief in Father Christmas, despite the efforts of his dad (starring James Buckley) to tell him otherwise.
The truth is to be discovered, and Chris embarks on a quest to find it with the guidance of a team of well-known figures.
It’s understated but charming, and perfect viewing while expecting Santa to visit.
Festive score: 🎄🎄🎄
A Star-Studded Family Drama
Michelle Pfeiffer is the head 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 begins by referencing holiday staples like National Lampoon’s Christmas Vacation, It’s A Wonderful Life and Home Alone, before saying: “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 forerunner films, at least until Pfeiffer’s character finally comes into her own.
Holiday verdict: 🎄🎄
Formulaic Fun
The day’s gone downhill, but thankfully here’s a new entry in the saturated market of predictable, sentimental, cheesy—and highly entertaining—seasonal comfort food.
It’s a tale as old as time: An American woman travels to a distant snowy land and ends up finding romance.
In this case, Caprice Bourret plays a publisher
