🔗 Share this article Binge-Watching 2025's Festive Features: Highlights, Lowlights, and Unexpected Delights. It is the time of year to relax on the couch and demolish a box of mince pies in front of a great film, a bad movie, or one that’s awesomely awful. Once again, a crop of fresh Christmas films hopes to be part of our seasonal watchlist—potentially even finding a spot alongside timeless staples like Home Alone, Elf, Love Actually, and Die Hard (no arguments). Thus, in a vital public service to separate the winners from the losers, and to get into the festive feeling, I watched as many fresh Christmas films as possible in a single day. Early Morning: A Very Jonas Christmas Movie Beginning, hopefully, on a high. This release is the sole 2025 movie on a popular review site's list of the best 100 holiday films of all time. The musical trio are stranded in the UK after wrapping up their global concert series and must return for Christmas. Their efforts are hampered by an evil Santa, who bursts into melody to state they won’t get home until they “rediscover their sibling bond.” The back-and-forth between the bickering brothers is amusing even for the casual viewer, while fans will no doubt notice lots of references as they endeavor to get back using all transportation available. It’s private planes, trains and automobiles. 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 family members who are obliged to sit through it. 8.45am - Tinsel Town Hollywood star Kiefer Sutherland appears as a Hollywood star roped into a pantomime. “A panto-what??” asks Sutherland’s “temperamental” and aging lead Brad Mack, who has hit a rough patch and whose manager has tricked him into thinking he’s appearing in high-class London stage. His Aladdin fellow actors tell him he’s playing Buttons. “No I'm not,” he protests. You can guess their retort. Except if you’re not acquainted with traditional panto catchphrases. There are some very funny lines, some cockle-warming sub-plots, and the rest of the cast is excellent, too. It’s the kind of movie that would be a bit naff at another season, but is a highly enjoyable at Christmas. Christmas tree rating: 🎄🎄🎄🎄 A New Spin on Scrooge A familiar face appears at the outset of this film, too, insulting someone for the second film in a row. Could this be a new Christmas tradition? 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 Bend It Like Beckham’s Gurinder Chadha. The well-known tale develops as the tight-fisted Mr Sood is visited by the apparitions of Christmas past, present and future, 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 charismatic and Nayyar’s acting is flat—a problem when he’s so central to everything. Holiday verdict: 🎄🎄 12.04pm - Stuffed There's just enough time for a major broadcaster's original festive film—which stars Guz Khan as a endearingly grumpy man who “avoids Christmas.” But after he receives an £8,000 Christmas bonus at work, his wife (starring Morgana Robinson) convinces him splurging the cash on a vacation to Lapland. There’s just one snag—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 difference. Pleasant yet unmemorable. Festive score: 🎄🎄 A Classy Netflix Romance This is one of those holiday movies where the festive trappings are in the setting—Christmas is the scene 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 French chateau to negotiate a purchase for a sparkling wine company. On the way, she encounters a fellow in a book store who offers to show her Christmas in Paris. An expert recently claimed this is the best new Christmas film of the past few years. That’s a bit of a overstatement, but it is a holiday love story with a hint of sophistication and gives the necessary warm and fuzzy feels. The scene with a detailed conversation about Die Hard is notable too. Festive score: 🎄🎄🎄 Mid-Afternoon: Finding Father Christmas Teenage Chris, played by Lenny Rush, continues to believe in Father Christmas, regardless of the efforts of his dad (played by James Buckley) to tell him the truth. The secret is out there, and Chris embarks on a quest to find it with the guidance of a team of well-known figures. It’s low-key but endearing, and ideal viewing while anticipating Santa to visit. Holiday verdict: 🎄🎄🎄 4.39pm - Oh. What. Fun. Michelle Pfeiffer is the head of a quarrelling American family who gather for the holidays—including other Oscar nominee Felicity Jones, Chloe Grace Moretz, Jason Schwartzman, and dad Denis Leary. Pfeiffer opens by name-dropping classic festive films like National Lampoon’s Christmas Vacation, It’s A Wonderful Life and Home Alone, before saying: “They need to make a movie about the real champions of the holidays—moms.” So that’s the premise, but in practice it’s really a mash-up of those forerunner films, at least until Pfeiffer’s character at last comes into her own. Holiday verdict: 🎄🎄 6.43pm - A Scottish Christmas Secret The day’s waned in quality, but fortunately here’s a new entry in the packed genre of formulaic, schmaltzy, badly acted—and utterly watchable—festive fodder. It’s a tale as old as time: An American woman journeys to a far-off wintery locale and ends up stumbling across romance. In this case, Caprice Bourret plays a publisher
It is the time of year to relax on the couch and demolish a box of mince pies in front of a great film, a bad movie, or one that’s awesomely awful. Once again, a crop of fresh Christmas films hopes to be part of our seasonal watchlist—potentially even finding a spot alongside timeless staples like Home Alone, Elf, Love Actually, and Die Hard (no arguments). Thus, in a vital public service to separate the winners from the losers, and to get into the festive feeling, I watched as many fresh Christmas films as possible in a single day. Early Morning: A Very Jonas Christmas Movie Beginning, hopefully, on a high. This release is the sole 2025 movie on a popular review site's list of the best 100 holiday films of all time. The musical trio are stranded in the UK after wrapping up their global concert series and must return for Christmas. Their efforts are hampered by an evil Santa, who bursts into melody to state they won’t get home until they “rediscover their sibling bond.” The back-and-forth between the bickering brothers is amusing even for the casual viewer, while fans will no doubt notice lots of references as they endeavor to get back using all transportation available. It’s private planes, trains and automobiles. 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 family members who are obliged to sit through it. 8.45am - Tinsel Town Hollywood star Kiefer Sutherland appears as a Hollywood star roped into a pantomime. “A panto-what??” asks Sutherland’s “temperamental” and aging lead Brad Mack, who has hit a rough patch and whose manager has tricked him into thinking he’s appearing in high-class London stage. His Aladdin fellow actors tell him he’s playing Buttons. “No I'm not,” he protests. You can guess their retort. Except if you’re not acquainted with traditional panto catchphrases. There are some very funny lines, some cockle-warming sub-plots, and the rest of the cast is excellent, too. It’s the kind of movie that would be a bit naff at another season, but is a highly enjoyable at Christmas. Christmas tree rating: 🎄🎄🎄🎄 A New Spin on Scrooge A familiar face appears at the outset of this film, too, insulting someone for the second film in a row. Could this be a new Christmas tradition? 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 Bend It Like Beckham’s Gurinder Chadha. The well-known tale develops as the tight-fisted Mr Sood is visited by the apparitions of Christmas past, present and future, 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 charismatic and Nayyar’s acting is flat—a problem when he’s so central to everything. Holiday verdict: 🎄🎄 12.04pm - Stuffed There's just enough time for a major broadcaster's original festive film—which stars Guz Khan as a endearingly grumpy man who “avoids Christmas.” But after he receives an £8,000 Christmas bonus at work, his wife (starring Morgana Robinson) convinces him splurging the cash on a vacation to Lapland. There’s just one snag—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 difference. Pleasant yet unmemorable. Festive score: 🎄🎄 A Classy Netflix Romance This is one of those holiday movies where the festive trappings are in the setting—Christmas is the scene 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 French chateau to negotiate a purchase for a sparkling wine company. On the way, she encounters a fellow in a book store who offers to show her Christmas in Paris. An expert recently claimed this is the best new Christmas film of the past few years. That’s a bit of a overstatement, but it is a holiday love story with a hint of sophistication and gives the necessary warm and fuzzy feels. The scene with a detailed conversation about Die Hard is notable too. Festive score: 🎄🎄🎄 Mid-Afternoon: Finding Father Christmas Teenage Chris, played by Lenny Rush, continues to believe in Father Christmas, regardless of the efforts of his dad (played by James Buckley) to tell him the truth. The secret is out there, and Chris embarks on a quest to find it with the guidance of a team of well-known figures. It’s low-key but endearing, and ideal viewing while anticipating Santa to visit. Holiday verdict: 🎄🎄🎄 4.39pm - Oh. What. Fun. Michelle Pfeiffer is the head of a quarrelling American family who gather for the holidays—including other Oscar nominee Felicity Jones, Chloe Grace Moretz, Jason Schwartzman, and dad Denis Leary. Pfeiffer opens by name-dropping classic festive films like National Lampoon’s Christmas Vacation, It’s A Wonderful Life and Home Alone, before saying: “They need to make a movie about the real champions of the holidays—moms.” So that’s the premise, but in practice it’s really a mash-up of those forerunner films, at least until Pfeiffer’s character at last comes into her own. Holiday verdict: 🎄🎄 6.43pm - A Scottish Christmas Secret The day’s waned in quality, but fortunately here’s a new entry in the packed genre of formulaic, schmaltzy, badly acted—and utterly watchable—festive fodder. It’s a tale as old as time: An American woman journeys to a far-off wintery locale and ends up stumbling across romance. In this case, Caprice Bourret plays a publisher