🔗 Share this article Devouring 2025's Festive Features: The Hits, The Misses, and The Guilty Pleasures. ‘Tis the time of year to slob out on the couch and devour a box of festive treats in front of a great film, a awful feature, or one that’s awesomely awful. Once again, a selection of new Christmas films strives to join part of our holiday traditions—potentially even finding a spot alongside enduring classics like Home Alone, Elf, Love Actually, and Die Hard (we won’t debate it). Thus, in a vital public service to distinguish the gems from the coal, and to get into the Christmas spirit, I binged as many recent holiday releases as possible in a single day. 7.17am - A Very Jonas Christmas Movie Kicking off, optimistically, on a good foot. This film is the exclusive 2025 movie on a popular review site's list of the greatest 100 festive features of all time. The popular band are trapped in the UK after concluding their international trek and must return for Christmas. Their endeavors are hindered by an malevolent Father Christmas, 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 non-fan, while fans will certainly pick up on lots of easter eggs as they try to get back using every mode of travel possible. It’s private planes, trains and automobiles. It’s not legendary, but is excellent for devotees and a positive start to the day. Christmas tree rating: 🎄🎄🎄🎄🎄 for Jonas Brothers fans or 🎄🎄🎄 for their relatives who must sit through it. 8.45am - Tinsel Town A-list actor Kiefer Sutherland has been cast as a Hollywood star cast a traditional British stage show. “A panto-what?” asks Sutherland’s “difficult” and ageing lead Brad Mack, who has seen better days and whose agent has deceived him into thinking he’s appearing in renowned British drama. His pantomime co-stars tell him he’s playing Buttons. “Absolutely not,” he protests. It's easy to predict their response. Unless you’re not acquainted with traditional panto catchphrases. There are some great jokes, some heartwarming storylines, and the rest of the cast is excellent, too. It’s the kind of movie that would be a bit naff at any other time of year, but is a great entertainment at Christmas. Holiday verdict: 🎄🎄🎄🎄 A New Spin on Scrooge An actor shows up at the beginning of this film, too, calling someone a mug 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 modern take on Mr Scrooge from Charles Dickens’ A Christmas Carol. Mr Sood is played by The Big Bang Theory’s Kunal Nayyar and Christmas Karma is directed by Bend It Like Beckham’s Gurinder Chadha. The classic narrative unfolds as the tight-fisted Mr Sood is visited by the apparitions of Christmas past, present and future, played by Hugh Bonneville, Billy Porter, and Boy George. This cultural adaptation is at least distinct from all the others, but unfortunately he’s not very captivating and Nayyar’s portrayal is flat—a major flaw when he’s so the focal point. Festive score: 🎄🎄 Noon: A BBC Special Before lunch for a channel's holiday special—which stars Guz Khan as a charmingly cantankerous character who “avoids Christmas.” But after he receives an sizable holiday payout at work, his wife (portrayed by Morgana Robinson) convinces him splurging the cash on a family trip to Lapland. There’s just one problem—he discovers there was an mistake with his bonus, which should have been £800, and he has to figure out how to return the remainder. Fun while it lasts but not lasting. Festive score: 🎄🎄 Early Afternoon: Champagne Problems This is one of those holiday movies where the decorations and snow are in the backdrop—Christmas is the environment of the film rather than its core purpose—but it feels comfortable and seasonal all the same. Ambitious executive Sydney (played by Minka Kelly) is dispatched to a vineyard to negotiate a purchase for a champagne business. En route, she encounters a fellow in a literary haven who promises to show her Christmas in Paris. A commentator recently declared this is the best new Christmas film of the last several seasons. That’s a bit of a exaggeration, but it is a Christmas romance with a touch of class and gives the obligatory warm and fuzzy feels. The scene with a extended debate about Die Hard is very good too. Holiday verdict: 🎄🎄🎄 A Charming Quest 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 truth is out there, and Chris embarks on a quest to find it with the guidance of a group of well-known figures. It’s gentle but sweet, and ideal viewing while anticipating Santa to visit. Holiday verdict: 🎄🎄🎄 A Star-Studded Family Drama Michelle Pfeiffer is the mother of a quarrelling American family who come back together for the holidays—including other acclaimed actress Felicity Jones, Chloe Grace Moretz, Jason Schwartzman, and dad Denis Leary. Pfeiffer begins by referencing 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 unsung heroes of the holidays—moms.” So that’s what this is, but in execution it’s really a combination of those inspirations, at least until Pfeiffer’s character at last finds her strength. Festive score: 🎄🎄 Formulaic Fun The day’s taken a dip, but thankfully here’s a new entry in the crowded field of cliched, saccharine, over-the-top—and highly entertaining—seasonal comfort food. It’s a tale as familiar as can be: An American woman travels to a far-off wintery locale and ends up finding romance. In this case, Caprice Bourret plays a publisher
‘Tis the time of year to slob out on the couch and devour a box of festive treats in front of a great film, a awful feature, or one that’s awesomely awful. Once again, a selection of new Christmas films strives to join part of our holiday traditions—potentially even finding a spot alongside enduring classics like Home Alone, Elf, Love Actually, and Die Hard (we won’t debate it). Thus, in a vital public service to distinguish the gems from the coal, and to get into the Christmas spirit, I binged as many recent holiday releases as possible in a single day. 7.17am - A Very Jonas Christmas Movie Kicking off, optimistically, on a good foot. This film is the exclusive 2025 movie on a popular review site's list of the greatest 100 festive features of all time. The popular band are trapped in the UK after concluding their international trek and must return for Christmas. Their endeavors are hindered by an malevolent Father Christmas, 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 non-fan, while fans will certainly pick up on lots of easter eggs as they try to get back using every mode of travel possible. It’s private planes, trains and automobiles. It’s not legendary, but is excellent for devotees and a positive start to the day. Christmas tree rating: 🎄🎄🎄🎄🎄 for Jonas Brothers fans or 🎄🎄🎄 for their relatives who must sit through it. 8.45am - Tinsel Town A-list actor Kiefer Sutherland has been cast as a Hollywood star cast a traditional British stage show. “A panto-what?” asks Sutherland’s “difficult” and ageing lead Brad Mack, who has seen better days and whose agent has deceived him into thinking he’s appearing in renowned British drama. His pantomime co-stars tell him he’s playing Buttons. “Absolutely not,” he protests. It's easy to predict their response. Unless you’re not acquainted with traditional panto catchphrases. There are some great jokes, some heartwarming storylines, and the rest of the cast is excellent, too. It’s the kind of movie that would be a bit naff at any other time of year, but is a great entertainment at Christmas. Holiday verdict: 🎄🎄🎄🎄 A New Spin on Scrooge An actor shows up at the beginning of this film, too, calling someone a mug 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 modern take on Mr Scrooge from Charles Dickens’ A Christmas Carol. Mr Sood is played by The Big Bang Theory’s Kunal Nayyar and Christmas Karma is directed by Bend It Like Beckham’s Gurinder Chadha. The classic narrative unfolds as the tight-fisted Mr Sood is visited by the apparitions of Christmas past, present and future, played by Hugh Bonneville, Billy Porter, and Boy George. This cultural adaptation is at least distinct from all the others, but unfortunately he’s not very captivating and Nayyar’s portrayal is flat—a major flaw when he’s so the focal point. Festive score: 🎄🎄 Noon: A BBC Special Before lunch for a channel's holiday special—which stars Guz Khan as a charmingly cantankerous character who “avoids Christmas.” But after he receives an sizable holiday payout at work, his wife (portrayed by Morgana Robinson) convinces him splurging the cash on a family trip to Lapland. There’s just one problem—he discovers there was an mistake with his bonus, which should have been £800, and he has to figure out how to return the remainder. Fun while it lasts but not lasting. Festive score: 🎄🎄 Early Afternoon: Champagne Problems This is one of those holiday movies where the decorations and snow are in the backdrop—Christmas is the environment of the film rather than its core purpose—but it feels comfortable and seasonal all the same. Ambitious executive Sydney (played by Minka Kelly) is dispatched to a vineyard to negotiate a purchase for a champagne business. En route, she encounters a fellow in a literary haven who promises to show her Christmas in Paris. A commentator recently declared this is the best new Christmas film of the last several seasons. That’s a bit of a exaggeration, but it is a Christmas romance with a touch of class and gives the obligatory warm and fuzzy feels. The scene with a extended debate about Die Hard is very good too. Holiday verdict: 🎄🎄🎄 A Charming Quest 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 truth is out there, and Chris embarks on a quest to find it with the guidance of a group of well-known figures. It’s gentle but sweet, and ideal viewing while anticipating Santa to visit. Holiday verdict: 🎄🎄🎄 A Star-Studded Family Drama Michelle Pfeiffer is the mother of a quarrelling American family who come back together for the holidays—including other acclaimed actress Felicity Jones, Chloe Grace Moretz, Jason Schwartzman, and dad Denis Leary. Pfeiffer begins by referencing 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 unsung heroes of the holidays—moms.” So that’s what this is, but in execution it’s really a combination of those inspirations, at least until Pfeiffer’s character at last finds her strength. Festive score: 🎄🎄 Formulaic Fun The day’s taken a dip, but thankfully here’s a new entry in the crowded field of cliched, saccharine, over-the-top—and highly entertaining—seasonal comfort food. It’s a tale as familiar as can be: An American woman travels to a far-off wintery locale and ends up finding romance. In this case, Caprice Bourret plays a publisher