🔗 Share this article Devouring 2025's Christmas Films: The Good, The Bad and The So-Bad-It's-Good. ‘Tis the time of year to relax on the sofa and demolish a tin of holiday pastries in front of a great film, a bad movie, or one that’s terrible yet terrific. Once again, a selection of new Christmas films hopes to be part of our festive viewing—perhaps even joining the ranks alongside beloved favorites like Home Alone, Elf, Love Actually, and Die Hard (no arguments). Thus, in a vital public service to distinguish the gems from the coal, and to find the holiday mood, I binged as many fresh Christmas films as possible in a single day. First Up: The Jonas Brothers' Holiday Flick Starting, optimistically, on a high. This release is the only 2025 title on a popular review site's list of the top 100 holiday films of all time. The musical trio end up trapped in the UK after wrapping up their international trek and must make it back for Christmas. Their efforts are thwarted by an villainous Saint Nick, who bursts into melody to state they won’t get home until they “find their familial spark.” The repartee between the arguing trio is enjoyable even for the casual viewer, while followers will certainly catch lots of in-jokes as they try to get back using any means of transport necessary. It’s a journey of epic proportions. It’s not a timeless masterpiece, but is great for devotees and a positive start to the day. Holiday verdict: 🎄🎄🎄🎄🎄 for Jonas Brothers fans or 🎄🎄🎄 for their loved ones who must sit through it. 8.45am - Tinsel Town Famous performer Kiefer Sutherland appears as a celebrity cast a "panto". “A panto-what?” asks Sutherland’s “difficult” and aging lead Brad Mack, who has hit a rough patch and whose agent has tricked him into thinking he’s performing in high-class London stage. His pantomime cast-mates tell him he’s playing Buttons. “No I'm not,” he retorts. It's easy to predict their retort. Unless you’re unfamiliar with traditional panto catchphrases. There are some great jokes, some touching storylines, and the supporting actors is excellent, too. It’s the kind of movie that would be a bit naff at another season, but is a lot of fun at Christmas. Christmas tree rating: 🎄🎄🎄🎄 10.19am - Christmas Karma A familiar face pops up at the start of this film, too, calling someone a mug for the second film in a row. Could this be a new Christmas tradition? This time, he’s a crooning chauffeur who picks up 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 Bend It Like Beckham’s Gurinder Chadha. The classic narrative develops as the tight-fisted 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 sadly he’s not very compelling and Nayyar’s portrayal is lifeless—a major flaw when he’s so the focal point. Holiday verdict: 🎄🎄 12.04pm - Stuffed Before lunch for a network's holiday special—which stars Guz Khan as a endearingly grumpy man who “doesn’t really do Christmas.” But after he receives an large festive windfall at work, his wife (played by Morgana Robinson) talks him into blowing the money on a holiday to Lapland. There’s just one problem—he discovers there was an error with his bonus, which should have been £800, and he has to figure out how to reimburse the remainder. Pleasant yet unmemorable. Festive score: 🎄🎄 A Classy Netflix Romance This is one of those Christmas films where the festive trappings are in the backdrop—Christmas is the setting of the film rather than its core purpose—but it feels cosy and festive all the same. Ambitious executive Sydney (played by Minka Kelly) is dispatched to a French chateau to secure an acquisition for a champagne business. On the way, she meets a man in a bookshop who promises to show her a festive Paris. A critic recently declared this is the best new Christmas film of the recent era. That’s a bit of a overstatement, but it is a Christmas romance with a dash of elegance and gives the required cozy feelings. The scene with a lengthy discussion about Die Hard is notable too. Holiday verdict: 🎄🎄🎄 3.29pm - Finding Father Christmas Young Chris, played by Lenny Rush, refuses to stop believing in Father Christmas, despite the efforts of his dad (starring James Buckley) to tell him the truth. The secret is out there, and Chris embarks on a quest to find it with the assistance of a team of well-known scientists and personalities. It’s understated but endearing, and perfect viewing while expecting Santa to visit. Holiday verdict: 🎄🎄🎄 A Star-Studded Family Drama Michelle Pfeiffer is the matriarch of a bickering American family who gather for the holidays—including fellow acclaimed actress 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 stating: “They need to make a movie about the true heroes of the holidays—moms.” So that’s what this is, but in practice it’s really a mash-up of those inspirations, at least until Pfeiffer’s character eventually takes center stage. Christmas tree rating: 🎄🎄 Formulaic Fun The day’s gone downhill, but fortunately here’s a new entry in the packed genre of formulaic, schmaltzy, badly acted—and strangely compelling—seasonal comfort food. It’s a story as old as time: An American woman travels to a picturesque cold country and ends up stumbling across romance. In this case, Caprice Bourret plays a publisher
‘Tis the time of year to relax on the sofa and demolish a tin of holiday pastries in front of a great film, a bad movie, or one that’s terrible yet terrific. Once again, a selection of new Christmas films hopes to be part of our festive viewing—perhaps even joining the ranks alongside beloved favorites like Home Alone, Elf, Love Actually, and Die Hard (no arguments). Thus, in a vital public service to distinguish the gems from the coal, and to find the holiday mood, I binged as many fresh Christmas films as possible in a single day. First Up: The Jonas Brothers' Holiday Flick Starting, optimistically, on a high. This release is the only 2025 title on a popular review site's list of the top 100 holiday films of all time. The musical trio end up trapped in the UK after wrapping up their international trek and must make it back for Christmas. Their efforts are thwarted by an villainous Saint Nick, who bursts into melody to state they won’t get home until they “find their familial spark.” The repartee between the arguing trio is enjoyable even for the casual viewer, while followers will certainly catch lots of in-jokes as they try to get back using any means of transport necessary. It’s a journey of epic proportions. It’s not a timeless masterpiece, but is great for devotees and a positive start to the day. Holiday verdict: 🎄🎄🎄🎄🎄 for Jonas Brothers fans or 🎄🎄🎄 for their loved ones who must sit through it. 8.45am - Tinsel Town Famous performer Kiefer Sutherland appears as a celebrity cast a "panto". “A panto-what?” asks Sutherland’s “difficult” and aging lead Brad Mack, who has hit a rough patch and whose agent has tricked him into thinking he’s performing in high-class London stage. His pantomime cast-mates tell him he’s playing Buttons. “No I'm not,” he retorts. It's easy to predict their retort. Unless you’re unfamiliar with traditional panto catchphrases. There are some great jokes, some touching storylines, and the supporting actors is excellent, too. It’s the kind of movie that would be a bit naff at another season, but is a lot of fun at Christmas. Christmas tree rating: 🎄🎄🎄🎄 10.19am - Christmas Karma A familiar face pops up at the start of this film, too, calling someone a mug for the second film in a row. Could this be a new Christmas tradition? This time, he’s a crooning chauffeur who picks up 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 Bend It Like Beckham’s Gurinder Chadha. The classic narrative develops as the tight-fisted 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 sadly he’s not very compelling and Nayyar’s portrayal is lifeless—a major flaw when he’s so the focal point. Holiday verdict: 🎄🎄 12.04pm - Stuffed Before lunch for a network's holiday special—which stars Guz Khan as a endearingly grumpy man who “doesn’t really do Christmas.” But after he receives an large festive windfall at work, his wife (played by Morgana Robinson) talks him into blowing the money on a holiday to Lapland. There’s just one problem—he discovers there was an error with his bonus, which should have been £800, and he has to figure out how to reimburse the remainder. Pleasant yet unmemorable. Festive score: 🎄🎄 A Classy Netflix Romance This is one of those Christmas films where the festive trappings are in the backdrop—Christmas is the setting of the film rather than its core purpose—but it feels cosy and festive all the same. Ambitious executive Sydney (played by Minka Kelly) is dispatched to a French chateau to secure an acquisition for a champagne business. On the way, she meets a man in a bookshop who promises to show her a festive Paris. A critic recently declared this is the best new Christmas film of the recent era. That’s a bit of a overstatement, but it is a Christmas romance with a dash of elegance and gives the required cozy feelings. The scene with a lengthy discussion about Die Hard is notable too. Holiday verdict: 🎄🎄🎄 3.29pm - Finding Father Christmas Young Chris, played by Lenny Rush, refuses to stop believing in Father Christmas, despite the efforts of his dad (starring James Buckley) to tell him the truth. The secret is out there, and Chris embarks on a quest to find it with the assistance of a team of well-known scientists and personalities. It’s understated but endearing, and perfect viewing while expecting Santa to visit. Holiday verdict: 🎄🎄🎄 A Star-Studded Family Drama Michelle Pfeiffer is the matriarch of a bickering American family who gather for the holidays—including fellow acclaimed actress 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 stating: “They need to make a movie about the true heroes of the holidays—moms.” So that’s what this is, but in practice it’s really a mash-up of those inspirations, at least until Pfeiffer’s character eventually takes center stage. Christmas tree rating: 🎄🎄 Formulaic Fun The day’s gone downhill, but fortunately here’s a new entry in the packed genre of formulaic, schmaltzy, badly acted—and strangely compelling—seasonal comfort food. It’s a story as old as time: An American woman travels to a picturesque cold country and ends up stumbling across romance. In this case, Caprice Bourret plays a publisher