🔗 Share this article Binge-Watching The Latest Festive Features: The Good, The Bad and The So-Bad-It's-Good. It is the time of year to lounge on the couch and devour a tin of holiday pastries in front of a great film, a bad movie, or one that’s awesomely awful. Once again, a batch of latest Christmas films hopes to be part of our holiday traditions—maybe even earning a place alongside timeless staples like Home Alone, Elf, Love Actually, and Die Hard (we won’t debate it). Thus, in a vital public service to distinguish the gems from the coal, and to get into the Christmas spirit, I watched as many recent festive movies as possible in a single day. Early Morning: A Very Jonas Christmas Movie Starting, hopefully, on a good foot. This release is the only 2025 entry on a well-known aggregator's list of the top 100 holiday films of all time. The musical trio find themselves stuck in the UK after wrapping up their world tour and must make it back for Christmas. Their efforts are hindered by an evil Santa, who breaks into song to declare they won’t get home until they “rekindle their sibling bond.” The banter between the squabbling siblings is entertaining even for the non-fan, while followers will certainly notice lots of in-jokes as they endeavor to get back using any means of transport necessary. It’s a journey of epic proportions. It’s not a timeless masterpiece, but is superb for devotees and a solid start to the day. Festive score: 🎄🎄🎄🎄🎄 for Jonas Brothers fans or 🎄🎄🎄 for their relatives who will have to sit through it. Late Morning: Tinsel Town Famous performer Kiefer Sutherland stars as a Hollywood star tricked into a pantomime. “A what's a panto??” asks Sutherland’s “temperamental” and older lead Brad Mack, who has hit a rough patch and whose representative has misled him into thinking he’s performing in renowned British drama. His pantomime co-stars inform him he’s playing Buttons. “Oh no I’m not,” he protests. It's easy to predict their response. That is, unless you’re not acquainted with traditional British theatre traditions. There are some very funny lines, some touching side stories, and the rest of the cast is brilliant, too. It’s the type of film that would be a bit naff at another season, but is a highly enjoyable at Christmas. Christmas tree rating: 🎄🎄🎄🎄 10.19am - Christmas Karma An actor appears at the beginning of this film, too, delivering a signature line for the second film in a row. Might this become a budding festive ritual? This time, he’s a crooning chauffeur 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 the director of Gurinder Chadha. The familiar story progresses as the tight-fisted 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 different from all the others, but unfortunately he’s not very captivating and Nayyar’s acting is wooden—a significant issue when he’s so the main character. Holiday verdict: 🎄🎄 12.04pm - Stuffed There’s time for a channel's original festive film—which stars Guz Khan as a lovably grouchy guy who “avoids Christmas.” But after he gets an £8,000 Christmas bonus at work, his wife (played by Morgana Robinson) talks him into splurging the cash on a family trip to Lapland. There’s just one issue—he discovers there was an mistake with his bonus, which should have been £800, and he has to devise a plan for how to pay back the excess. Pleasant yet unmemorable. Holiday verdict: 🎄🎄 Early Afternoon: Champagne Problems This is one of those holiday movies where the festive trappings are in the backdrop—Christmas is the scene of the film rather than its core purpose—but it feels comfortable and seasonal all the same. Driven corporate star Sydney (played by Minka Kelly) is sent to a vineyard to negotiate a purchase for a champagne business. On the way, she meets a fellow in a book store who offers to show her the holidays in the City of Light. A critic recently declared this is the best new Christmas film of the past few years. That’s a bit of a exaggeration, but it is a holiday love story with a hint of sophistication and gives the obligatory heartwarming sensation. The scene with a extended debate about Die Hard is notable too. Festive score: 🎄🎄🎄 A Charming Quest Sixteen-year-old Chris, played by Lenny Rush, refuses to stop believing in Father Christmas, regardless of the attempts of his dad (played by James Buckley) to tell him the truth. The truth is somewhere, and Chris sets out to find it with the guidance of a panel of well-known scientists and personalities. It’s gentle but endearing, and good viewing while expecting Santa to visit. Holiday verdict: 🎄🎄🎄 Late Afternoon: Oh. What. Fun. Michelle Pfeiffer is the matriarch of a bickering 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 declaring: “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 jumble of those aforementioned movies, at least until Pfeiffer’s character finally comes into her own. Christmas tree rating: 🎄🎄 Evening: A Scottish Christmas Secret The day’s gone downhill, but thankfully here’s a new entry in the saturated market of formulaic, schmaltzy, badly acted—and utterly watchable—festive fodder. It’s a story as old as time: An American woman goes on a quest to a picturesque cold country and ends up finding romance. In this case, Caprice Bourret plays a publisher
It is the time of year to lounge on the couch and devour a tin of holiday pastries in front of a great film, a bad movie, or one that’s awesomely awful. Once again, a batch of latest Christmas films hopes to be part of our holiday traditions—maybe even earning a place alongside timeless staples like Home Alone, Elf, Love Actually, and Die Hard (we won’t debate it). Thus, in a vital public service to distinguish the gems from the coal, and to get into the Christmas spirit, I watched as many recent festive movies as possible in a single day. Early Morning: A Very Jonas Christmas Movie Starting, hopefully, on a good foot. This release is the only 2025 entry on a well-known aggregator's list of the top 100 holiday films of all time. The musical trio find themselves stuck in the UK after wrapping up their world tour and must make it back for Christmas. Their efforts are hindered by an evil Santa, who breaks into song to declare they won’t get home until they “rekindle their sibling bond.” The banter between the squabbling siblings is entertaining even for the non-fan, while followers will certainly notice lots of in-jokes as they endeavor to get back using any means of transport necessary. It’s a journey of epic proportions. It’s not a timeless masterpiece, but is superb for devotees and a solid start to the day. Festive score: 🎄🎄🎄🎄🎄 for Jonas Brothers fans or 🎄🎄🎄 for their relatives who will have to sit through it. Late Morning: Tinsel Town Famous performer Kiefer Sutherland stars as a Hollywood star tricked into a pantomime. “A what's a panto??” asks Sutherland’s “temperamental” and older lead Brad Mack, who has hit a rough patch and whose representative has misled him into thinking he’s performing in renowned British drama. His pantomime co-stars inform him he’s playing Buttons. “Oh no I’m not,” he protests. It's easy to predict their response. That is, unless you’re not acquainted with traditional British theatre traditions. There are some very funny lines, some touching side stories, and the rest of the cast is brilliant, too. It’s the type of film that would be a bit naff at another season, but is a highly enjoyable at Christmas. Christmas tree rating: 🎄🎄🎄🎄 10.19am - Christmas Karma An actor appears at the beginning of this film, too, delivering a signature line for the second film in a row. Might this become a budding festive ritual? This time, he’s a crooning chauffeur 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 the director of Gurinder Chadha. The familiar story progresses as the tight-fisted 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 different from all the others, but unfortunately he’s not very captivating and Nayyar’s acting is wooden—a significant issue when he’s so the main character. Holiday verdict: 🎄🎄 12.04pm - Stuffed There’s time for a channel's original festive film—which stars Guz Khan as a lovably grouchy guy who “avoids Christmas.” But after he gets an £8,000 Christmas bonus at work, his wife (played by Morgana Robinson) talks him into splurging the cash on a family trip to Lapland. There’s just one issue—he discovers there was an mistake with his bonus, which should have been £800, and he has to devise a plan for how to pay back the excess. Pleasant yet unmemorable. Holiday verdict: 🎄🎄 Early Afternoon: Champagne Problems This is one of those holiday movies where the festive trappings are in the backdrop—Christmas is the scene of the film rather than its core purpose—but it feels comfortable and seasonal all the same. Driven corporate star Sydney (played by Minka Kelly) is sent to a vineyard to negotiate a purchase for a champagne business. On the way, she meets a fellow in a book store who offers to show her the holidays in the City of Light. A critic recently declared this is the best new Christmas film of the past few years. That’s a bit of a exaggeration, but it is a holiday love story with a hint of sophistication and gives the obligatory heartwarming sensation. The scene with a extended debate about Die Hard is notable too. Festive score: 🎄🎄🎄 A Charming Quest Sixteen-year-old Chris, played by Lenny Rush, refuses to stop believing in Father Christmas, regardless of the attempts of his dad (played by James Buckley) to tell him the truth. The truth is somewhere, and Chris sets out to find it with the guidance of a panel of well-known scientists and personalities. It’s gentle but endearing, and good viewing while expecting Santa to visit. Holiday verdict: 🎄🎄🎄 Late Afternoon: Oh. What. Fun. Michelle Pfeiffer is the matriarch of a bickering 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 declaring: “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 jumble of those aforementioned movies, at least until Pfeiffer’s character finally comes into her own. Christmas tree rating: 🎄🎄 Evening: A Scottish Christmas Secret The day’s gone downhill, but thankfully here’s a new entry in the saturated market of formulaic, schmaltzy, badly acted—and utterly watchable—festive fodder. It’s a story as old as time: An American woman goes on a quest to a picturesque cold country and ends up finding romance. In this case, Caprice Bourret plays a publisher