Binge-Watching 2025's Holiday Movies: The Good, The Bad and The So-Bad-It's-Good.
‘Tis the season to slob out on the couch and consume a packet of festive treats in front of a good movie, a poor film, or one that’s awesomely awful.
Once again, a batch of latest Christmas films hopes to be part of our seasonal watchlist—potentially even finding a spot alongside enduring classics like Home Alone, Elf, Love Actually, and Die Hard (we won’t debate it).
Therefore, in a helpful attempt to sort the crackers from the turkeys, and to embrace the holiday mood, I binged as many new festive movies as possible in a single day.
Early Morning: A Very Jonas Christmas Movie
Starting, optimistically, on a positive note. This is the sole 2025 title on a popular review site's list of the top 100 festive features of all time.
The popular band find themselves stuck in the UK after finishing their world tour and must get home for Christmas. Their efforts are thwarted by an malevolent Father Christmas, who sings to announce they won’t get home until they “rediscover their familial spark.”
The back-and-forth between the arguing trio is entertaining even for the non-fan, while devotees will certainly pick up on lots of references as they try to get back using all transportation available.
It’s a travelogue of mishaps.
It’s not an all-time classic, but is great for devotees and a positive start to the day.
Holiday verdict: 🎄🎄🎄🎄🎄 for Jonas Brothers fans or 🎄🎄🎄 for their loved ones who are obliged to sit through it.
8.45am - Tinsel Town
Famous performer Kiefer Sutherland stars as a celebrity roped into a pantomime.
“A what's a panto??” asks Sutherland’s “temperamental” and older action hero Brad Mack, who has fallen on hard times and whose manager has misled him into thinking he’s performing in renowned British drama.
His Aladdin cast-mates tell him he’s playing Buttons. “Absolutely not,” he protests. It's easy to predict their reply. Except if you’re ignorant of traditional panto catchphrases.
There are some very funny lines, some heartwarming storylines, and the rest of the cast is brilliant, too.
It’s the kind of movie that would be a bit cheesy 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 beginning of this film, too, delivering a signature line for the second consecutive movie. Is this a fresh holiday staple?
This time, he’s a singing black cab driver who collects Mr Sood, the newest interpretation 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 develops as the tight-fisted Mr Sood is visited by the ghosts of Christmas past, present and future, played by Hugh Bonneville, Billy Porter, and Boy George.
This cultural adaptation is at least unique from all the others, but unfortunately he’s not very compelling and Nayyar’s performance is flat—a major flaw when he’s so central to everything.
Holiday verdict: 🎄🎄
12.04pm - Stuffed
There’s time for a channel's holiday special—which stars Guz Khan as a endearingly grumpy man who “avoids Christmas.”
But after he is awarded an sizable holiday payout at work, his wife (starring Morgana Robinson) persuades him spending the sum 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 determine how to pay back the difference.
Enjoyable but forgettable.
Festive score: 🎄🎄
1.12pm - 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 main point—but it feels warm and holiday-like all the same.
Ambitious executive Sydney (starring Minka Kelly) is dispatched to a country estate to do a deal for a sparkling wine company. En route, she encounters a man in a literary haven who offers to show her the holidays in the City of Light.
A critic recently declared this is the finest new Christmas film of the last several seasons. That’s a bit of a exaggeration, but it is a Christmas romance with a hint of sophistication and gives the required cozy feelings.
The scene with a extended debate about Die Hard is particularly strong too.
Festive score: 🎄🎄🎄
3.29pm - Finding Father Christmas
Sixteen-year-old Chris, played by Lenny Rush, continues to believe in Father Christmas, despite the efforts of his dad (starring James Buckley) to tell him otherwise.
The truth is to be discovered, and Chris sets out to find it with the guidance of a group of well-known experts and celebrities.
It’s understated but endearing, and perfect viewing while anticipating Santa to visit.
Festive score: 🎄🎄🎄
A Star-Studded Family Drama
Michelle Pfeiffer is the head of a bickering American family who gather for the holidays—including other acclaimed actress Felicity Jones, Chloe Grace Moretz, Jason Schwartzman, and dad Denis Leary.
Pfeiffer begins by referencing 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 real champions of the holidays—moms.”
So that’s what this is, but in practice it’s really a combination of those forerunner films, at least until Pfeiffer’s character eventually takes center stage.
Holiday verdict: 🎄🎄
Evening: A Scottish Christmas Secret
The day’s gone downhill, but happily here’s a new addition in the crowded field of formulaic, schmaltzy, badly acted—and highly entertaining—holiday fare.
It’s a tale as old as time: An American woman goes on a quest to a distant snowy land and ends up stumbling across romance.
In this case, Caprice Bourret plays a publisher