🔗 Share this article Devouring 2025's Christmas Films: The Good, The Bad and The So-Bad-It's-Good. It is the season to relax on the sofa and demolish a packet of mince pies in front of a great film, a poor film, or one that’s so bad it’s good. Once again, a selection of fresh Christmas films hopes to be part of our festive viewing—maybe even earning a place alongside timeless staples like Home Alone, Elf, Love Actually, and Die Hard (don’t start). Therefore, in a noble effort to sort the crackers from the turkeys, and to embrace the holiday mood, I marathoned as many new Christmas films as possible in a single day. 7.17am - A Very Jonas Christmas Movie Beginning, ideally, on a high. This is the sole 2025 movie on a popular review site's list of the best 100 festive features of all time. The Jonas Brothers are stuck in the UK after wrapping up their world tour and must get home for Christmas. Their efforts are thwarted by an villainous Saint Nick, who breaks into song to state they won’t get home until they “rekindle their brotherly magic.” The banter between the arguing trio is entertaining even for the uninitiated, while followers will certainly notice lots of in-jokes as they endeavor to get back using all transportation available. It’s a travelogue of mishaps. 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 loved ones who are obliged to sit through it. 8.45am - Tinsel Town Hollywood star Kiefer Sutherland has been cast as a celebrity roped into a "panto". “A what's a panto??” asks Sutherland’s “temperamental” and older lead Brad Mack, who has hit a rough patch and whose agent has misled him into thinking he’s starring in prestigious English theatre. His pantomime co-stars let him know he’s playing Buttons. “No I'm not,” he retorts. One can imagine their response. That is, unless you’re ignorant of traditional British theatre traditions. There are some very funny lines, some touching storylines, and the ensemble is cracking, too. It’s the type of film that would be a bit tacky at any other time of year, but is a lot of fun at Christmas. Festive score: 🎄🎄🎄🎄 A New Spin on Scrooge An actor shows up at the start of this film, too, delivering a signature line for the second film in a row. Might this become a fresh holiday staple? This time, he’s a musical taxi operator who collects Mr Sood, the modern take 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 filmmaker behind Gurinder Chadha. The familiar story progresses as the tight-fisted Mr Sood is visited 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 sadly he’s not very charismatic and Nayyar’s portrayal is lifeless—a problem when he’s so the main character. Festive score: 🎄🎄 Noon: A BBC Special Before lunch for a channel's holiday special—which stars Guz Khan as a lovably grouchy guy who “doesn’t really do Christmas.” But after he receives an sizable holiday payout at work, his wife (portrayed by Morgana Robinson) talks him into splurging the cash on a family trip to Lapland. There’s just one problem—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 pay back the difference. Enjoyable but forgettable. Festive score: 🎄🎄 1.12pm - Champagne Problems This is one of those Christmas films where the festive trappings are in the background—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 (starring Minka Kelly) is assigned to a vineyard to do a deal for a champagne business. During her travels, she runs into a fellow in a literary haven who promises to show her the holidays in the City of Light. A critic recently stated this is the top new Christmas film of the last several seasons. That’s a bit of a stretch, 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. Christmas tree rating: 🎄🎄🎄 Mid-Afternoon: Finding Father Christmas Young Chris, played by Lenny Rush, continues to believe in Father Christmas, despite the persuasion of his dad (played by James Buckley) to tell him the reality. The secret is somewhere, and Chris sets out to find it with the guidance of a panel of well-known figures. It’s understated but sweet, and perfect viewing while waiting for Santa to visit. Festive score: 🎄🎄🎄 Late Afternoon: Oh. What. Fun. Michelle Pfeiffer is the matriarch 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 Christmas classics 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 what this is, but in reality it’s really a mash-up of those forerunner films, at least until Pfeiffer’s character at last comes into her own. Christmas tree rating: 🎄🎄 Evening: A Scottish Christmas Secret The day’s taken a dip, but thankfully here’s a new offering in the crowded field of cliched, saccharine, over-the-top—and highly entertaining—seasonal comfort food. It’s a story as old as time: An American woman goes on a quest to a far-off wintery locale and ends up stumbling across romance. In this case, Caprice Bourret plays a publisher
It is the season to relax on the sofa and demolish a packet of mince pies in front of a great film, a poor film, or one that’s so bad it’s good. Once again, a selection of fresh Christmas films hopes to be part of our festive viewing—maybe even earning a place alongside timeless staples like Home Alone, Elf, Love Actually, and Die Hard (don’t start). Therefore, in a noble effort to sort the crackers from the turkeys, and to embrace the holiday mood, I marathoned as many new Christmas films as possible in a single day. 7.17am - A Very Jonas Christmas Movie Beginning, ideally, on a high. This is the sole 2025 movie on a popular review site's list of the best 100 festive features of all time. The Jonas Brothers are stuck in the UK after wrapping up their world tour and must get home for Christmas. Their efforts are thwarted by an villainous Saint Nick, who breaks into song to state they won’t get home until they “rekindle their brotherly magic.” The banter between the arguing trio is entertaining even for the uninitiated, while followers will certainly notice lots of in-jokes as they endeavor to get back using all transportation available. It’s a travelogue of mishaps. 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 loved ones who are obliged to sit through it. 8.45am - Tinsel Town Hollywood star Kiefer Sutherland has been cast as a celebrity roped into a "panto". “A what's a panto??” asks Sutherland’s “temperamental” and older lead Brad Mack, who has hit a rough patch and whose agent has misled him into thinking he’s starring in prestigious English theatre. His pantomime co-stars let him know he’s playing Buttons. “No I'm not,” he retorts. One can imagine their response. That is, unless you’re ignorant of traditional British theatre traditions. There are some very funny lines, some touching storylines, and the ensemble is cracking, too. It’s the type of film that would be a bit tacky at any other time of year, but is a lot of fun at Christmas. Festive score: 🎄🎄🎄🎄 A New Spin on Scrooge An actor shows up at the start of this film, too, delivering a signature line for the second film in a row. Might this become a fresh holiday staple? This time, he’s a musical taxi operator who collects Mr Sood, the modern take 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 filmmaker behind Gurinder Chadha. The familiar story progresses as the tight-fisted Mr Sood is visited 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 sadly he’s not very charismatic and Nayyar’s portrayal is lifeless—a problem when he’s so the main character. Festive score: 🎄🎄 Noon: A BBC Special Before lunch for a channel's holiday special—which stars Guz Khan as a lovably grouchy guy who “doesn’t really do Christmas.” But after he receives an sizable holiday payout at work, his wife (portrayed by Morgana Robinson) talks him into splurging the cash on a family trip to Lapland. There’s just one problem—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 pay back the difference. Enjoyable but forgettable. Festive score: 🎄🎄 1.12pm - Champagne Problems This is one of those Christmas films where the festive trappings are in the background—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 (starring Minka Kelly) is assigned to a vineyard to do a deal for a champagne business. During her travels, she runs into a fellow in a literary haven who promises to show her the holidays in the City of Light. A critic recently stated this is the top new Christmas film of the last several seasons. That’s a bit of a stretch, 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. Christmas tree rating: 🎄🎄🎄 Mid-Afternoon: Finding Father Christmas Young Chris, played by Lenny Rush, continues to believe in Father Christmas, despite the persuasion of his dad (played by James Buckley) to tell him the reality. The secret is somewhere, and Chris sets out to find it with the guidance of a panel of well-known figures. It’s understated but sweet, and perfect viewing while waiting for Santa to visit. Festive score: 🎄🎄🎄 Late Afternoon: Oh. What. Fun. Michelle Pfeiffer is the matriarch 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 Christmas classics 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 what this is, but in reality it’s really a mash-up of those forerunner films, at least until Pfeiffer’s character at last comes into her own. Christmas tree rating: 🎄🎄 Evening: A Scottish Christmas Secret The day’s taken a dip, but thankfully here’s a new offering in the crowded field of cliched, saccharine, over-the-top—and highly entertaining—seasonal comfort food. It’s a story as old as time: An American woman goes on a quest to a far-off wintery locale and ends up stumbling across romance. In this case, Caprice Bourret plays a publisher