🔗 Share this article Marathon Viewing The Latest Holiday Movies: The Hits, The Misses, and The Guilty Pleasures. It is the time of year to lounge on the sofa and demolish a tin of festive treats in front of a good movie, a awful feature, or one that’s terrible yet terrific. This year, a batch of latest holiday movies strives to join part of our festive viewing—perhaps even finding a spot alongside enduring classics like Home Alone, Elf, Love Actually, and Die Hard (we won’t debate it). Therefore, in a noble effort to separate the winners from the losers, and to find the festive feeling, I marathoned as many recent holiday releases as possible in a single day. Early Morning: A Very Jonas Christmas Movie Starting, optimistically, on a good foot. This release is the only 2025 entry on a popular review site's list of the greatest 100 festive features of all time. The Jonas Brothers find themselves trapped in the UK after finishing their world tour and must make it back for Christmas. Their efforts are hampered by an villainous Saint Nick, who bursts into melody to announce they won’t get home until they “rediscover their familial spark.” The banter between the arguing trio is enjoyable even for the casual viewer, while fans will certainly notice lots of references as they endeavor to get back using any means of transport necessary. It’s private planes, trains and automobiles. It’s not a timeless masterpiece, but is superb for fans and a positive start to the day. Festive score: 🎄🎄🎄🎄🎄 for Jonas Brothers fans or 🎄🎄🎄 for their family members who will have to sit through it. Next: A Star in Panto A-list actor Kiefer Sutherland stars as a movie actor tricked into a "panto". “A panto-what??” asks Sutherland’s “hard-to-work-with” and older star Brad Mack, who has seen better days and whose representative has misled him into thinking he’s appearing in high-class London stage. His Aladdin co-stars inform him he’s playing Buttons. “Absolutely not,” he insists angrily. You can guess their response. That is, unless you’re not acquainted with traditional panto catchphrases. There are some very funny lines, some touching sub-plots, and the supporting actors is excellent, too. It’s the sort of feature that would be a bit naff at a different time, but is a great entertainment at Christmas. Christmas tree rating: 🎄🎄🎄🎄 A New Spin on Scrooge Danny Dyer shows up at the beginning of this film, too, calling someone a mug for the second consecutive movie. Is this 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 a star of Kunal Nayyar and Christmas Karma is directed by the filmmaker behind Gurinder Chadha. The familiar story progresses as the miserly Mr Sood is haunted by the apparitions of Christmas yesterday, today, and tomorrow, played by Hugh Bonneville, Billy Porter, and Boy George. This Indian Scrooge is at least unique from all the others, but unfortunately he’s not very captivating and Nayyar’s performance is flat—a problem when he’s so central to everything. Holiday verdict: 🎄🎄 Noon: A BBC Special There's just enough time for a network's original festive film—which stars Guz Khan as a charmingly cantankerous character who “doesn’t really do Christmas.” But after he receives an £8,000 Christmas bonus at work, his wife (starring Morgana Robinson) persuades 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 figure out how to reimburse the difference. Fun while it lasts but not lasting. Holiday verdict: 🎄🎄 Early Afternoon: Champagne Problems This is one of those holiday movies where the decorations and snow are in the backdrop—Christmas is the scene of the film rather than its raison d’etre—but it feels warm and holiday-like all the same. High-powered businesswoman Sydney (starring Minka Kelly) is dispatched to a vineyard to negotiate a purchase for a sparkling wine company. En route, she encounters a guy in a literary haven who vows to show her a festive Paris. A commentator recently claimed this is the best new Christmas film of the last several seasons. That’s a bit of a overstatement, but it is a festive dalliance with a dash of elegance and gives the required cozy feelings. The scene with a lengthy discussion about Die Hard is notable too. Holiday verdict: 🎄🎄🎄 3.29pm - Finding Father Christmas Teenage Chris, played by Lenny Rush, continues to believe in Father Christmas, regardless of the persuasion of his dad (starring James Buckley) to tell him otherwise. The truth is out there, and Chris embarks on a quest to find it with the assistance of a panel of well-known scientists and personalities. It’s understated but charming, and ideal viewing while expecting Santa to visit. Holiday verdict: 🎄🎄🎄 4.39pm - Oh. What. Fun. Michelle Pfeiffer is the matriarch of a quarrelling American family who gather for the holidays—including fellow Oscar nominee Felicity Jones, Chloe Grace Moretz, Jason Schwartzman, and dad Denis Leary. Pfeiffer starts by mentioning 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 true heroes of the holidays—moms.” So that’s the premise, but in reality it’s really a mash-up of those inspirations, at least until Pfeiffer’s character at last finds her strength. Holiday verdict: 🎄🎄 6.43pm - A Scottish Christmas Secret The day’s gone downhill, but thankfully here’s a new entry in the packed genre of predictable, sentimental, cheesy—and strangely compelling—festive fodder. It’s a narrative as familiar as can be: An American woman travels to a distant snowy land and ends up finding romance. In this case, Caprice Bourret plays a publisher
It is the time of year to lounge on the sofa and demolish a tin of festive treats in front of a good movie, a awful feature, or one that’s terrible yet terrific. This year, a batch of latest holiday movies strives to join part of our festive viewing—perhaps even finding a spot alongside enduring classics like Home Alone, Elf, Love Actually, and Die Hard (we won’t debate it). Therefore, in a noble effort to separate the winners from the losers, and to find the festive feeling, I marathoned as many recent holiday releases as possible in a single day. Early Morning: A Very Jonas Christmas Movie Starting, optimistically, on a good foot. This release is the only 2025 entry on a popular review site's list of the greatest 100 festive features of all time. The Jonas Brothers find themselves trapped in the UK after finishing their world tour and must make it back for Christmas. Their efforts are hampered by an villainous Saint Nick, who bursts into melody to announce they won’t get home until they “rediscover their familial spark.” The banter between the arguing trio is enjoyable even for the casual viewer, while fans will certainly notice lots of references as they endeavor to get back using any means of transport necessary. It’s private planes, trains and automobiles. It’s not a timeless masterpiece, but is superb for fans and a positive start to the day. Festive score: 🎄🎄🎄🎄🎄 for Jonas Brothers fans or 🎄🎄🎄 for their family members who will have to sit through it. Next: A Star in Panto A-list actor Kiefer Sutherland stars as a movie actor tricked into a "panto". “A panto-what??” asks Sutherland’s “hard-to-work-with” and older star Brad Mack, who has seen better days and whose representative has misled him into thinking he’s appearing in high-class London stage. His Aladdin co-stars inform him he’s playing Buttons. “Absolutely not,” he insists angrily. You can guess their response. That is, unless you’re not acquainted with traditional panto catchphrases. There are some very funny lines, some touching sub-plots, and the supporting actors is excellent, too. It’s the sort of feature that would be a bit naff at a different time, but is a great entertainment at Christmas. Christmas tree rating: 🎄🎄🎄🎄 A New Spin on Scrooge Danny Dyer shows up at the beginning of this film, too, calling someone a mug for the second consecutive movie. Is this 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 a star of Kunal Nayyar and Christmas Karma is directed by the filmmaker behind Gurinder Chadha. The familiar story progresses as the miserly Mr Sood is haunted by the apparitions of Christmas yesterday, today, and tomorrow, played by Hugh Bonneville, Billy Porter, and Boy George. This Indian Scrooge is at least unique from all the others, but unfortunately he’s not very captivating and Nayyar’s performance is flat—a problem when he’s so central to everything. Holiday verdict: 🎄🎄 Noon: A BBC Special There's just enough time for a network's original festive film—which stars Guz Khan as a charmingly cantankerous character who “doesn’t really do Christmas.” But after he receives an £8,000 Christmas bonus at work, his wife (starring Morgana Robinson) persuades 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 figure out how to reimburse the difference. Fun while it lasts but not lasting. Holiday verdict: 🎄🎄 Early Afternoon: Champagne Problems This is one of those holiday movies where the decorations and snow are in the backdrop—Christmas is the scene of the film rather than its raison d’etre—but it feels warm and holiday-like all the same. High-powered businesswoman Sydney (starring Minka Kelly) is dispatched to a vineyard to negotiate a purchase for a sparkling wine company. En route, she encounters a guy in a literary haven who vows to show her a festive Paris. A commentator recently claimed this is the best new Christmas film of the last several seasons. That’s a bit of a overstatement, but it is a festive dalliance with a dash of elegance and gives the required cozy feelings. The scene with a lengthy discussion about Die Hard is notable too. Holiday verdict: 🎄🎄🎄 3.29pm - Finding Father Christmas Teenage Chris, played by Lenny Rush, continues to believe in Father Christmas, regardless of the persuasion of his dad (starring James Buckley) to tell him otherwise. The truth is out there, and Chris embarks on a quest to find it with the assistance of a panel of well-known scientists and personalities. It’s understated but charming, and ideal viewing while expecting Santa to visit. Holiday verdict: 🎄🎄🎄 4.39pm - Oh. What. Fun. Michelle Pfeiffer is the matriarch of a quarrelling American family who gather for the holidays—including fellow Oscar nominee Felicity Jones, Chloe Grace Moretz, Jason Schwartzman, and dad Denis Leary. Pfeiffer starts by mentioning 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 true heroes of the holidays—moms.” So that’s the premise, but in reality it’s really a mash-up of those inspirations, at least until Pfeiffer’s character at last finds her strength. Holiday verdict: 🎄🎄 6.43pm - A Scottish Christmas Secret The day’s gone downhill, but thankfully here’s a new entry in the packed genre of predictable, sentimental, cheesy—and strangely compelling—festive fodder. It’s a narrative as familiar as can be: An American woman travels to a distant snowy land and ends up finding romance. In this case, Caprice Bourret plays a publisher