🔗 Share this article Devouring The Latest Christmas Films: The Good, The Bad and The So-Bad-It's-Good. ‘Tis the season to slob out on the couch and devour a packet of festive treats in front of a good movie, a bad movie, or one that’s awesomely awful. As always, a crop of latest seasonal stories strives to join part of our seasonal watchlist—maybe even earning a place alongside enduring classics like Home Alone, Elf, Love Actually, and Die Hard (don’t start). So, in a vital public service to separate the winners from the losers, and to embrace the holiday mood, I binged as many new Christmas films as possible in a single day. First Up: The Jonas Brothers' Holiday Flick Starting, optimistically, on a good foot. This film is the exclusive 2025 title on a well-known aggregator's list of the greatest 100 festive features of all time. The popular band end up stuck in the UK after wrapping up their world tour and must make it back for Christmas. Their attempts are hindered by an evil Santa, who breaks into song to declare they won’t get home until they “find their sibling bond.” The repartee between the bickering brothers is entertaining even for the casual viewer, while followers will no doubt notice lots of in-jokes as they try to get back using all transportation available. It’s private planes, trains and automobiles. It’s not an all-time classic, but is great for fans and a good start to the day. Christmas tree rating: 🎄🎄🎄🎄🎄 for Jonas Brothers fans or 🎄🎄🎄 for their family members who will have to sit through it. 8.45am - Tinsel Town A-list actor Kiefer Sutherland appears as a movie actor cast a pantomime. “A what's a panto??” asks Sutherland’s “temperamental” and ageing lead Brad Mack, who has hit a rough patch and whose representative has misled him into thinking he’s starring in renowned British drama. His pantomime fellow actors let him know he’s playing Buttons. “No I'm not,” he insists angrily. You can guess their response. Except if you’re ignorant of traditional British theatre traditions. There are some very funny lines, some cockle-warming storylines, and the rest of the cast is brilliant, too. It’s the sort of feature that would be a bit tacky at a different time, but is a lot of fun at Christmas. Holiday verdict: 🎄🎄🎄🎄 Mid-Morning: Christmas Karma A familiar face appears at the outset of this film, too, calling someone a mug for the second consecutive movie. Could this be a budding festive ritual? 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 spirits of Christmas yesterday, today, and tomorrow, played by Hugh Bonneville, Billy Porter, and Boy George. This cultural adaptation is at least distinct from all the others, but regrettably he’s not very captivating and Nayyar’s portrayal is lifeless—a problem when he’s so central to everything. Christmas tree rating: 🎄🎄 12.04pm - Stuffed There's just enough time for a major broadcaster's holiday special—which stars Guz Khan as a endearingly grumpy man who “avoids Christmas.” But after he is awarded an £8,000 Christmas bonus at work, his wife (portrayed by Morgana Robinson) convinces him spending the sum on a holiday to Lapland. There’s just one snag—he learns there was an error with his bonus, which should have been £800, and he has to determine how to return the remainder. Enjoyable but forgettable. Holiday verdict: 🎄🎄 1.12pm - Champagne Problems This is one of those Christmas films where the tree, fairy lights and snow are in the backdrop—Christmas is the setting of the film rather than its raison d’etre—but it feels warm and holiday-like all the same. Driven corporate star Sydney (starring Minka Kelly) is assigned to a vineyard to secure an acquisition for a champagne business. En route, she runs into a man in a book store who offers to show her Christmas in Paris. An expert recently stated this is the best new Christmas film of the recent era. That’s a bit of a stretch, but it is a holiday love story with a touch of class and gives the required heartwarming sensation. The scene with a lengthy discussion about Die Hard is notable too. Christmas tree rating: 🎄🎄🎄 A Charming Quest Sixteen-year-old Chris, played by Lenny Rush, continues to believe in Father Christmas, despite the persuasion of his dad (starring James Buckley) to tell him the reality. The truth is out there, and Chris sets out to find it with the expert help of a group of well-known scientists and personalities. It’s understated but endearing, and perfect viewing while anticipating Santa to visit. Festive score: 🎄🎄🎄 4.39pm - Oh. What. Fun. Michelle Pfeiffer is the head of a bickering American family who reunite 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 declaring: “They need to make a movie about the true heroes of the holidays—moms.” So that’s the concept, but in execution it’s really a combination of those inspirations, at least until Pfeiffer’s character finally takes center stage. Festive score: 🎄🎄 Evening: A Scottish Christmas Secret The day’s taken a dip, but happily here’s a new addition in the crowded field of predictable, sentimental, cheesy—and utterly watchable—holiday fare. It’s a narrative as familiar as can be: An American woman goes on a quest to a distant snowy land and ends up discovering romance. In this case, Caprice Bourret plays a publisher
‘Tis the season to slob out on the couch and devour a packet of festive treats in front of a good movie, a bad movie, or one that’s awesomely awful. As always, a crop of latest seasonal stories strives to join part of our seasonal watchlist—maybe even earning a place alongside enduring classics like Home Alone, Elf, Love Actually, and Die Hard (don’t start). So, in a vital public service to separate the winners from the losers, and to embrace the holiday mood, I binged as many new Christmas films as possible in a single day. First Up: The Jonas Brothers' Holiday Flick Starting, optimistically, on a good foot. This film is the exclusive 2025 title on a well-known aggregator's list of the greatest 100 festive features of all time. The popular band end up stuck in the UK after wrapping up their world tour and must make it back for Christmas. Their attempts are hindered by an evil Santa, who breaks into song to declare they won’t get home until they “find their sibling bond.” The repartee between the bickering brothers is entertaining even for the casual viewer, while followers will no doubt notice lots of in-jokes as they try to get back using all transportation available. It’s private planes, trains and automobiles. It’s not an all-time classic, but is great for fans and a good start to the day. Christmas tree rating: 🎄🎄🎄🎄🎄 for Jonas Brothers fans or 🎄🎄🎄 for their family members who will have to sit through it. 8.45am - Tinsel Town A-list actor Kiefer Sutherland appears as a movie actor cast a pantomime. “A what's a panto??” asks Sutherland’s “temperamental” and ageing lead Brad Mack, who has hit a rough patch and whose representative has misled him into thinking he’s starring in renowned British drama. His pantomime fellow actors let him know he’s playing Buttons. “No I'm not,” he insists angrily. You can guess their response. Except if you’re ignorant of traditional British theatre traditions. There are some very funny lines, some cockle-warming storylines, and the rest of the cast is brilliant, too. It’s the sort of feature that would be a bit tacky at a different time, but is a lot of fun at Christmas. Holiday verdict: 🎄🎄🎄🎄 Mid-Morning: Christmas Karma A familiar face appears at the outset of this film, too, calling someone a mug for the second consecutive movie. Could this be a budding festive ritual? 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 spirits of Christmas yesterday, today, and tomorrow, played by Hugh Bonneville, Billy Porter, and Boy George. This cultural adaptation is at least distinct from all the others, but regrettably he’s not very captivating and Nayyar’s portrayal is lifeless—a problem when he’s so central to everything. Christmas tree rating: 🎄🎄 12.04pm - Stuffed There's just enough time for a major broadcaster's holiday special—which stars Guz Khan as a endearingly grumpy man who “avoids Christmas.” But after he is awarded an £8,000 Christmas bonus at work, his wife (portrayed by Morgana Robinson) convinces him spending the sum on a holiday to Lapland. There’s just one snag—he learns there was an error with his bonus, which should have been £800, and he has to determine how to return the remainder. Enjoyable but forgettable. Holiday verdict: 🎄🎄 1.12pm - Champagne Problems This is one of those Christmas films where the tree, fairy lights and snow are in the backdrop—Christmas is the setting of the film rather than its raison d’etre—but it feels warm and holiday-like all the same. Driven corporate star Sydney (starring Minka Kelly) is assigned to a vineyard to secure an acquisition for a champagne business. En route, she runs into a man in a book store who offers to show her Christmas in Paris. An expert recently stated this is the best new Christmas film of the recent era. That’s a bit of a stretch, but it is a holiday love story with a touch of class and gives the required heartwarming sensation. The scene with a lengthy discussion about Die Hard is notable too. Christmas tree rating: 🎄🎄🎄 A Charming Quest Sixteen-year-old Chris, played by Lenny Rush, continues to believe in Father Christmas, despite the persuasion of his dad (starring James Buckley) to tell him the reality. The truth is out there, and Chris sets out to find it with the expert help of a group of well-known scientists and personalities. It’s understated but endearing, and perfect viewing while anticipating Santa to visit. Festive score: 🎄🎄🎄 4.39pm - Oh. What. Fun. Michelle Pfeiffer is the head of a bickering American family who reunite 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 declaring: “They need to make a movie about the true heroes of the holidays—moms.” So that’s the concept, but in execution it’s really a combination of those inspirations, at least until Pfeiffer’s character finally takes center stage. Festive score: 🎄🎄 Evening: A Scottish Christmas Secret The day’s taken a dip, but happily here’s a new addition in the crowded field of predictable, sentimental, cheesy—and utterly watchable—holiday fare. It’s a narrative as familiar as can be: An American woman goes on a quest to a distant snowy land and ends up discovering romance. In this case, Caprice Bourret plays a publisher