🔗 Share this article Marathon Viewing This Year's Festive Features: The Hits, The Misses, and The Guilty Pleasures. ‘Tis the time of year to relax on the sofa and devour a tin of festive treats in front of a terrific flick, 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—perhaps even joining the ranks alongside timeless staples like Home Alone, Elf, Love Actually, and Die Hard (no arguments). Therefore, in a helpful attempt to sort the crackers from the turkeys, and to embrace the Christmas spirit, I marathoned as many recent holiday releases as possible in a single day. Early Morning: A Very Jonas Christmas Movie Beginning, hopefully, on a positive note. This film is the only 2025 title on a famous website's list of the greatest 100 Christmas movies of all time. The musical trio end up stuck in the UK after finishing their world tour and must return for Christmas. Their attempts are hampered by an evil Santa, who breaks into song to announce they won’t get home until they “find their brotherly magic.” The back-and-forth between the arguing trio is entertaining even for the non-fan, while devotees will certainly notice lots of easter eggs as they try to get back using any means of transport necessary. It’s private planes, trains and automobiles. It’s not an all-time classic, but is excellent 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. Next: A Star in Panto Hollywood star Kiefer Sutherland stars as a movie actor cast a pantomime. “A what's a panto??” asks Sutherland’s “difficult” and older lead Brad Mack, who has hit a rough patch and whose manager has deceived him into thinking he’s starring in high-class London stage. His pantomime fellow actors let him know he’s playing Buttons. “No I'm not,” he retorts. One can imagine their retort. Unless you’re not acquainted with traditional stage call-and-response. There are some very funny lines, some touching sub-plots, and the supporting actors is cracking, too. It’s the sort of feature that would be a bit tacky at any other time of year, but is a highly enjoyable at Christmas. Christmas tree rating: 🎄🎄🎄🎄 A New Spin on Scrooge Danny Dyer shows up at the outset of this film, too, calling someone a mug for the second consecutive movie. Might this become a fresh holiday staple? This time, he’s a singing black cab driver who collects 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 Bend It Like Beckham’s Gurinder Chadha. The classic narrative unfolds as the stingy Mr Sood is visited by the ghosts of Christmas yesterday, today, and tomorrow, played by Hugh Bonneville, Billy Porter, and Boy George. This South Asian reinterpretation is at least unique from all the others, but unfortunately he’s not very charismatic and Nayyar’s acting is lifeless—a problem when he’s so the focal point. Festive score: 🎄🎄 12.04pm - Stuffed Before lunch for a network's holiday special—which stars Guz Khan as a charmingly cantankerous character who “isn't big on Christmas.” But after he receives an sizable holiday payout at work, his wife (played by Morgana Robinson) talks him into spending the sum on a holiday to Lapland. There’s just one issue—he finds out there was an mistake with his bonus, which should have been £800, and he has to figure out how to reimburse the remainder. Enjoyable but forgettable. Holiday verdict: 🎄🎄 1.12pm - Champagne Problems This is one of those holiday movies where the decorations and snow 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 (starring Minka Kelly) is sent to a French chateau to secure an acquisition for a sparkling wine company. During her travels, she runs into a fellow in a book store who offers to show her the holidays in the City of Light. A critic 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 Christmas romance with a touch of class and gives the required warm and fuzzy feels. The scene with a extended debate about Die Hard is very good too. Holiday verdict: 🎄🎄🎄 A Charming Quest Sixteen-year-old Chris, played by Lenny Rush, refuses to stop believing in Father Christmas, regardless of the persuasion of his dad (played by James Buckley) to tell him otherwise. The truth is to be discovered, and Chris sets out to find it with the guidance of a team of well-known scientists and personalities. It’s low-key but endearing, and ideal viewing while anticipating Santa to visit. Holiday verdict: 🎄🎄🎄 A Star-Studded Family Drama Michelle Pfeiffer is the head of a dysfunctional American family who come back together for the holidays—including fellow acclaimed actress Felicity Jones, Chloe Grace Moretz, Jason Schwartzman, and dad Denis Leary. Pfeiffer opens by name-dropping Christmas classics like National Lampoon’s Christmas Vacation, It’s A Wonderful Life and Home Alone, before declaring: “They need to make a movie about the unsung heroes of the holidays—moms.” So that’s the concept, but in execution it’s really a combination of those aforementioned movies, at least until Pfeiffer’s character finally comes into her own. Christmas tree rating: 🎄🎄 Formulaic Fun The day’s gone downhill, but happily here’s a new offering in the crowded field of predictable, sentimental, cheesy—and utterly watchable—holiday fare. It’s a story as familiar as can be: An American woman travels to a distant snowy land and ends up discovering romance. In this case, Caprice Bourret plays a publisher
‘Tis the time of year to relax on the sofa and devour a tin of festive treats in front of a terrific flick, 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—perhaps even joining the ranks alongside timeless staples like Home Alone, Elf, Love Actually, and Die Hard (no arguments). Therefore, in a helpful attempt to sort the crackers from the turkeys, and to embrace the Christmas spirit, I marathoned as many recent holiday releases as possible in a single day. Early Morning: A Very Jonas Christmas Movie Beginning, hopefully, on a positive note. This film is the only 2025 title on a famous website's list of the greatest 100 Christmas movies of all time. The musical trio end up stuck in the UK after finishing their world tour and must return for Christmas. Their attempts are hampered by an evil Santa, who breaks into song to announce they won’t get home until they “find their brotherly magic.” The back-and-forth between the arguing trio is entertaining even for the non-fan, while devotees will certainly notice lots of easter eggs as they try to get back using any means of transport necessary. It’s private planes, trains and automobiles. It’s not an all-time classic, but is excellent 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. Next: A Star in Panto Hollywood star Kiefer Sutherland stars as a movie actor cast a pantomime. “A what's a panto??” asks Sutherland’s “difficult” and older lead Brad Mack, who has hit a rough patch and whose manager has deceived him into thinking he’s starring in high-class London stage. His pantomime fellow actors let him know he’s playing Buttons. “No I'm not,” he retorts. One can imagine their retort. Unless you’re not acquainted with traditional stage call-and-response. There are some very funny lines, some touching sub-plots, and the supporting actors is cracking, too. It’s the sort of feature that would be a bit tacky at any other time of year, but is a highly enjoyable at Christmas. Christmas tree rating: 🎄🎄🎄🎄 A New Spin on Scrooge Danny Dyer shows up at the outset of this film, too, calling someone a mug for the second consecutive movie. Might this become a fresh holiday staple? This time, he’s a singing black cab driver who collects 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 Bend It Like Beckham’s Gurinder Chadha. The classic narrative unfolds as the stingy Mr Sood is visited by the ghosts of Christmas yesterday, today, and tomorrow, played by Hugh Bonneville, Billy Porter, and Boy George. This South Asian reinterpretation is at least unique from all the others, but unfortunately he’s not very charismatic and Nayyar’s acting is lifeless—a problem when he’s so the focal point. Festive score: 🎄🎄 12.04pm - Stuffed Before lunch for a network's holiday special—which stars Guz Khan as a charmingly cantankerous character who “isn't big on Christmas.” But after he receives an sizable holiday payout at work, his wife (played by Morgana Robinson) talks him into spending the sum on a holiday to Lapland. There’s just one issue—he finds out there was an mistake with his bonus, which should have been £800, and he has to figure out how to reimburse the remainder. Enjoyable but forgettable. Holiday verdict: 🎄🎄 1.12pm - Champagne Problems This is one of those holiday movies where the decorations and snow 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 (starring Minka Kelly) is sent to a French chateau to secure an acquisition for a sparkling wine company. During her travels, she runs into a fellow in a book store who offers to show her the holidays in the City of Light. A critic 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 Christmas romance with a touch of class and gives the required warm and fuzzy feels. The scene with a extended debate about Die Hard is very good too. Holiday verdict: 🎄🎄🎄 A Charming Quest Sixteen-year-old Chris, played by Lenny Rush, refuses to stop believing in Father Christmas, regardless of the persuasion of his dad (played by James Buckley) to tell him otherwise. The truth is to be discovered, and Chris sets out to find it with the guidance of a team of well-known scientists and personalities. It’s low-key but endearing, and ideal viewing while anticipating Santa to visit. Holiday verdict: 🎄🎄🎄 A Star-Studded Family Drama Michelle Pfeiffer is the head of a dysfunctional American family who come back together for the holidays—including fellow acclaimed actress Felicity Jones, Chloe Grace Moretz, Jason Schwartzman, and dad Denis Leary. Pfeiffer opens by name-dropping Christmas classics like National Lampoon’s Christmas Vacation, It’s A Wonderful Life and Home Alone, before declaring: “They need to make a movie about the unsung heroes of the holidays—moms.” So that’s the concept, but in execution it’s really a combination of those aforementioned movies, at least until Pfeiffer’s character finally comes into her own. Christmas tree rating: 🎄🎄 Formulaic Fun The day’s gone downhill, but happily here’s a new offering in the crowded field of predictable, sentimental, cheesy—and utterly watchable—holiday fare. It’s a story as familiar as can be: An American woman travels to a distant snowy land and ends up discovering romance. In this case, Caprice Bourret plays a publisher