🔗 Share this article Marathon Viewing 2025's Holiday Movies: The Hits, The Misses, and The Guilty Pleasures. It is the time of year to lounge on the sofa and devour a tin of holiday pastries in front of a good movie, a bad movie, or one that’s so bad it’s good. Once again, a selection of fresh seasonal stories hopes to be part of our festive viewing—perhaps even joining the ranks alongside beloved favorites like Home Alone, Elf, Love Actually, and Die Hard (no arguments). Therefore, in a noble effort to sort the crackers from the turkeys, and to get into the festive feeling, I binged as many fresh festive movies as possible in a single day. 7.17am - A Very Jonas Christmas Movie Starting, hopefully, on a positive note. This is the exclusive 2025 entry on a well-known aggregator's list of the greatest 100 Christmas movies of all time. The musical trio are trapped in the UK after wrapping up their international trek and must get home for Christmas. Their endeavors are thwarted by an malevolent Father Christmas, who bursts into melody to declare they won’t get home until they “find their brotherly magic.” The repartee between the arguing trio is entertaining even for the non-fan, while fans will undoubtedly notice lots of easter eggs as they try to get back using all transportation available. It’s a journey of epic proportions. It’s not legendary, but is superb for fans and a positive 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 Famous performer Kiefer Sutherland stars as a celebrity roped into a "panto". “A panto-what?” asks Sutherland’s “temperamental” and older lead Brad Mack, who has fallen on hard times and whose agent has misled him into thinking he’s starring in high-class London stage. His Aladdin fellow actors inform him he’s playing Buttons. “Oh no I’m not,” he insists angrily. It's easy to predict their response. That is, unless you’re unfamiliar with traditional British theatre traditions. There are some great jokes, some touching side stories, and the supporting actors is excellent, too. It’s the kind of movie that would be a bit cheesy at a different time, but is a highly enjoyable at Christmas. Festive score: 🎄🎄🎄🎄 10.19am - Christmas Karma Danny Dyer appears at the start of this film, too, insulting someone for the second consecutive movie. Is this a new Christmas tradition? This time, he’s a musical taxi operator who picks up Mr Sood, the modern take 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 Bend It Like Beckham’s Gurinder Chadha. The classic narrative unfolds as the stingy Mr Sood is visited 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 distinct from all the others, but sadly he’s not very captivating and Nayyar’s portrayal is wooden—a problem when he’s so the focal point. Christmas tree rating: 🎄🎄 12.04pm - Stuffed There’s time for a channel's Christmas comedy-drama—which stars Guz Khan as a endearingly grumpy man who “isn't big on Christmas.” But after he is awarded an sizable holiday payout at work, his wife (starring Morgana Robinson) talks him into spending the sum on a holiday to Lapland. There’s just one problem—he finds out there was an mistake with his bonus, which should have been £800, and he has to determine how to return the difference. Fun while it lasts but not lasting. Holiday verdict: 🎄🎄 A Classy Netflix Romance This is one of those Christmas films where the decorations and snow are in the backdrop—Christmas is the environment of the film rather than its raison d’etre—but it feels comfortable and seasonal all the same. High-powered businesswoman Sydney (played by Minka Kelly) is assigned to a country estate to secure an acquisition for a champagne business. During her travels, she meets a fellow in a bookshop who vows to show her Christmas in Paris. A critic recently declared this is the best new Christmas film of the recent era. That’s a bit of a exaggeration, but it is a Christmas romance with a dash of elegance and gives the necessary warm and fuzzy feels. The scene with a detailed conversation 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 (starring James Buckley) to tell him the truth. The answer is out there, and Chris sets out to find it with the guidance of a panel of well-known figures. It’s gentle but endearing, and perfect viewing while expecting Santa to visit. Holiday verdict: 🎄🎄🎄 A Star-Studded Family Drama Michelle Pfeiffer is the mother of a dysfunctional American family who gather for the holidays—including other acclaimed actress Felicity Jones, Chloe Grace Moretz, Jason Schwartzman, and dad Denis Leary. Pfeiffer starts by mentioning classic festive films like National Lampoon’s Christmas Vacation, It’s A Wonderful Life and Home Alone, before declaring: “They need to make a movie about the true heroes of the holidays—moms.” So that’s what this is, but in execution it’s really a combination of those inspirations, at least until Pfeiffer’s character eventually finds her strength. Christmas tree rating: 🎄🎄 Formulaic Fun The day’s waned in quality, but happily here’s a new addition in the crowded field of cliched, saccharine, over-the-top—and highly entertaining—festive fodder. It’s a tale as well-worn: An American woman travels to a distant snowy land and ends up discovering romance. In this case, Caprice Bourret plays a publisher
It is the time of year to lounge on the sofa and devour a tin of holiday pastries in front of a good movie, a bad movie, or one that’s so bad it’s good. Once again, a selection of fresh seasonal stories hopes to be part of our festive viewing—perhaps even joining the ranks alongside beloved favorites like Home Alone, Elf, Love Actually, and Die Hard (no arguments). Therefore, in a noble effort to sort the crackers from the turkeys, and to get into the festive feeling, I binged as many fresh festive movies as possible in a single day. 7.17am - A Very Jonas Christmas Movie Starting, hopefully, on a positive note. This is the exclusive 2025 entry on a well-known aggregator's list of the greatest 100 Christmas movies of all time. The musical trio are trapped in the UK after wrapping up their international trek and must get home for Christmas. Their endeavors are thwarted by an malevolent Father Christmas, who bursts into melody to declare they won’t get home until they “find their brotherly magic.” The repartee between the arguing trio is entertaining even for the non-fan, while fans will undoubtedly notice lots of easter eggs as they try to get back using all transportation available. It’s a journey of epic proportions. It’s not legendary, but is superb for fans and a positive 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 Famous performer Kiefer Sutherland stars as a celebrity roped into a "panto". “A panto-what?” asks Sutherland’s “temperamental” and older lead Brad Mack, who has fallen on hard times and whose agent has misled him into thinking he’s starring in high-class London stage. His Aladdin fellow actors inform him he’s playing Buttons. “Oh no I’m not,” he insists angrily. It's easy to predict their response. That is, unless you’re unfamiliar with traditional British theatre traditions. There are some great jokes, some touching side stories, and the supporting actors is excellent, too. It’s the kind of movie that would be a bit cheesy at a different time, but is a highly enjoyable at Christmas. Festive score: 🎄🎄🎄🎄 10.19am - Christmas Karma Danny Dyer appears at the start of this film, too, insulting someone for the second consecutive movie. Is this a new Christmas tradition? This time, he’s a musical taxi operator who picks up Mr Sood, the modern take 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 Bend It Like Beckham’s Gurinder Chadha. The classic narrative unfolds as the stingy Mr Sood is visited 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 distinct from all the others, but sadly he’s not very captivating and Nayyar’s portrayal is wooden—a problem when he’s so the focal point. Christmas tree rating: 🎄🎄 12.04pm - Stuffed There’s time for a channel's Christmas comedy-drama—which stars Guz Khan as a endearingly grumpy man who “isn't big on Christmas.” But after he is awarded an sizable holiday payout at work, his wife (starring Morgana Robinson) talks him into spending the sum on a holiday to Lapland. There’s just one problem—he finds out there was an mistake with his bonus, which should have been £800, and he has to determine how to return the difference. Fun while it lasts but not lasting. Holiday verdict: 🎄🎄 A Classy Netflix Romance This is one of those Christmas films where the decorations and snow are in the backdrop—Christmas is the environment of the film rather than its raison d’etre—but it feels comfortable and seasonal all the same. High-powered businesswoman Sydney (played by Minka Kelly) is assigned to a country estate to secure an acquisition for a champagne business. During her travels, she meets a fellow in a bookshop who vows to show her Christmas in Paris. A critic recently declared this is the best new Christmas film of the recent era. That’s a bit of a exaggeration, but it is a Christmas romance with a dash of elegance and gives the necessary warm and fuzzy feels. The scene with a detailed conversation 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 (starring James Buckley) to tell him the truth. The answer is out there, and Chris sets out to find it with the guidance of a panel of well-known figures. It’s gentle but endearing, and perfect viewing while expecting Santa to visit. Holiday verdict: 🎄🎄🎄 A Star-Studded Family Drama Michelle Pfeiffer is the mother of a dysfunctional American family who gather for the holidays—including other acclaimed actress Felicity Jones, Chloe Grace Moretz, Jason Schwartzman, and dad Denis Leary. Pfeiffer starts by mentioning classic festive films like National Lampoon’s Christmas Vacation, It’s A Wonderful Life and Home Alone, before declaring: “They need to make a movie about the true heroes of the holidays—moms.” So that’s what this is, but in execution it’s really a combination of those inspirations, at least until Pfeiffer’s character eventually finds her strength. Christmas tree rating: 🎄🎄 Formulaic Fun The day’s waned in quality, but happily here’s a new addition in the crowded field of cliched, saccharine, over-the-top—and highly entertaining—festive fodder. It’s a tale as well-worn: An American woman travels to a distant snowy land and ends up discovering romance. In this case, Caprice Bourret plays a publisher