🔗 Share this article Devouring 2025's Festive Features: The Hits, The Misses, and The Guilty Pleasures. It is the time of year to lounge on the sofa and devour a tin of holiday pastries in front of a good movie, a poor film, or one that’s so bad it’s good. This year, a batch of fresh seasonal stories aims to become part of our festive viewing—potentially even earning a place alongside timeless staples like Home Alone, Elf, Love Actually, and Die Hard (we won’t debate it). So, in a helpful attempt to distinguish the gems from the coal, and to embrace the festive feeling, I marathoned as many new holiday releases as possible in a single day. Early Morning: A Very Jonas Christmas Movie Starting, hopefully, on a positive note. This release is the exclusive 2025 title on a well-known aggregator's list of the greatest 100 holiday films of all time. The popular band find themselves stuck in the UK after concluding their global concert series and must return for Christmas. Their endeavors are thwarted by an malevolent Father Christmas, who sings to state they won’t get home until they “find their brotherly magic.” The banter between the arguing trio is enjoyable even for the casual viewer, while fans will undoubtedly notice lots of references as they endeavor to get back using all transportation available. It’s a travelogue of mishaps. It’s not an all-time classic, but is great for fans and a solid start to the day. Festive score: 🎄🎄🎄🎄🎄 for Jonas Brothers fans or 🎄🎄🎄 for their relatives who are obliged to sit through it. Late Morning: Tinsel Town Famous performer Kiefer Sutherland has been cast as a celebrity roped into a traditional British stage show. “A panto-what?” asks Sutherland’s “difficult” and older star Brad Mack, who has fallen on hard times and whose manager has misled him into thinking he’s appearing in prestigious English theatre. His pantomime co-stars let him know he’s playing Buttons. “No I'm not,” he insists angrily. It's easy to predict their response. Except if you’re not acquainted with traditional panto catchphrases. There are some very funny lines, some touching storylines, and the ensemble is cracking, too. It’s the sort of feature that would be a bit naff at a different time, but is a lot of fun at Christmas. Festive score: 🎄🎄🎄🎄 A New Spin on Scrooge A familiar face appears at the outset of this film, too, delivering a signature line for the second film in a row. Might this become a budding festive ritual? This time, he’s a crooning chauffeur who collects Mr Sood, the newest interpretation 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 the filmmaker behind Gurinder Chadha. The classic narrative progresses as the miserly Mr Sood is haunted by the spirits of Christmas yesterday, today, and tomorrow, played by Hugh Bonneville, Billy Porter, and Boy George. This cultural adaptation is at least unique from all the others, but sadly he’s not very charismatic and Nayyar’s acting is wooden—a major flaw when he’s so the focal point. Holiday verdict: 🎄🎄 Lunchtime: Stuffed Before lunch for a major broadcaster's holiday special—which stars Guz Khan as a charmingly cantankerous character who “isn't big on Christmas.” But after he is awarded an £8,000 Christmas bonus at work, his wife (starring Morgana Robinson) convinces him splurging the cash on a vacation to Lapland. There’s just one problem—he learns there was an error with his bonus, which should have been £800, and he has to figure out how to pay back the remainder. Pleasant yet unmemorable. Holiday verdict: 🎄🎄 Early Afternoon: Champagne Problems This is one of those holiday movies where the decorations and snow are in the setting—Christmas is the setting of the film rather than its raison d’etre—but it feels warm and holiday-like all the same. Driven corporate star Sydney (starring Minka Kelly) is sent to a French chateau to secure an acquisition for a champagne business. During her travels, she meets a man in a bookshop who vows to show her the holidays in the City of Light. An expert recently stated this is the best new Christmas film of the last several seasons. That’s a bit of a stretch, but it is a holiday love story with a touch of class and gives the obligatory cozy feelings. The scene with a lengthy discussion about Die Hard is notable too. Christmas tree rating: 🎄🎄🎄 Mid-Afternoon: Finding Father Christmas Sixteen-year-old Chris, played by Lenny Rush, continues to believe in Father Christmas, despite the persuasion of his dad (starring James Buckley) to tell him the reality. The secret is out there, and Chris sets out to find it with the guidance of a team of well-known figures. It’s understated but sweet, and perfect viewing while expecting Santa to visit. Holiday verdict: 🎄🎄🎄 4.39pm - Oh. What. Fun. Michelle Pfeiffer is the mother of a bickering American family who come back together for the holidays—including other Oscar nominee 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 saying: “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 forerunner films, at least until Pfeiffer’s character at last comes into her own. Holiday verdict: 🎄🎄 6.43pm - A Scottish Christmas Secret The day’s gone downhill, but fortunately here’s a new addition in the saturated market of formulaic, schmaltzy, badly acted—and highly entertaining—festive fodder. It’s a tale as old as time: An American woman journeys to a far-off wintery locale and ends up finding romance. In this case, Caprice Bourret plays a publisher
It is the time of year to lounge on the sofa and devour a tin of holiday pastries in front of a good movie, a poor film, or one that’s so bad it’s good. This year, a batch of fresh seasonal stories aims to become part of our festive viewing—potentially even earning a place alongside timeless staples like Home Alone, Elf, Love Actually, and Die Hard (we won’t debate it). So, in a helpful attempt to distinguish the gems from the coal, and to embrace the festive feeling, I marathoned as many new holiday releases as possible in a single day. Early Morning: A Very Jonas Christmas Movie Starting, hopefully, on a positive note. This release is the exclusive 2025 title on a well-known aggregator's list of the greatest 100 holiday films of all time. The popular band find themselves stuck in the UK after concluding their global concert series and must return for Christmas. Their endeavors are thwarted by an malevolent Father Christmas, who sings to state they won’t get home until they “find their brotherly magic.” The banter between the arguing trio is enjoyable even for the casual viewer, while fans will undoubtedly notice lots of references as they endeavor to get back using all transportation available. It’s a travelogue of mishaps. It’s not an all-time classic, but is great for fans and a solid start to the day. Festive score: 🎄🎄🎄🎄🎄 for Jonas Brothers fans or 🎄🎄🎄 for their relatives who are obliged to sit through it. Late Morning: Tinsel Town Famous performer Kiefer Sutherland has been cast as a celebrity roped into a traditional British stage show. “A panto-what?” asks Sutherland’s “difficult” and older star Brad Mack, who has fallen on hard times and whose manager has misled him into thinking he’s appearing in prestigious English theatre. His pantomime co-stars let him know he’s playing Buttons. “No I'm not,” he insists angrily. It's easy to predict their response. Except if you’re not acquainted with traditional panto catchphrases. There are some very funny lines, some touching storylines, and the ensemble is cracking, too. It’s the sort of feature that would be a bit naff at a different time, but is a lot of fun at Christmas. Festive score: 🎄🎄🎄🎄 A New Spin on Scrooge A familiar face appears at the outset of this film, too, delivering a signature line for the second film in a row. Might this become a budding festive ritual? This time, he’s a crooning chauffeur who collects Mr Sood, the newest interpretation 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 the filmmaker behind Gurinder Chadha. The classic narrative progresses as the miserly Mr Sood is haunted by the spirits of Christmas yesterday, today, and tomorrow, played by Hugh Bonneville, Billy Porter, and Boy George. This cultural adaptation is at least unique from all the others, but sadly he’s not very charismatic and Nayyar’s acting is wooden—a major flaw when he’s so the focal point. Holiday verdict: 🎄🎄 Lunchtime: Stuffed Before lunch for a major broadcaster's holiday special—which stars Guz Khan as a charmingly cantankerous character who “isn't big on Christmas.” But after he is awarded an £8,000 Christmas bonus at work, his wife (starring Morgana Robinson) convinces him splurging the cash on a vacation to Lapland. There’s just one problem—he learns there was an error with his bonus, which should have been £800, and he has to figure out how to pay back the remainder. Pleasant yet unmemorable. Holiday verdict: 🎄🎄 Early Afternoon: Champagne Problems This is one of those holiday movies where the decorations and snow are in the setting—Christmas is the setting of the film rather than its raison d’etre—but it feels warm and holiday-like all the same. Driven corporate star Sydney (starring Minka Kelly) is sent to a French chateau to secure an acquisition for a champagne business. During her travels, she meets a man in a bookshop who vows to show her the holidays in the City of Light. An expert recently stated this is the best new Christmas film of the last several seasons. That’s a bit of a stretch, but it is a holiday love story with a touch of class and gives the obligatory cozy feelings. The scene with a lengthy discussion about Die Hard is notable too. Christmas tree rating: 🎄🎄🎄 Mid-Afternoon: Finding Father Christmas Sixteen-year-old Chris, played by Lenny Rush, continues to believe in Father Christmas, despite the persuasion of his dad (starring James Buckley) to tell him the reality. The secret is out there, and Chris sets out to find it with the guidance of a team of well-known figures. It’s understated but sweet, and perfect viewing while expecting Santa to visit. Holiday verdict: 🎄🎄🎄 4.39pm - Oh. What. Fun. Michelle Pfeiffer is the mother of a bickering American family who come back together for the holidays—including other Oscar nominee 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 saying: “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 forerunner films, at least until Pfeiffer’s character at last comes into her own. Holiday verdict: 🎄🎄 6.43pm - A Scottish Christmas Secret The day’s gone downhill, but fortunately here’s a new addition in the saturated market of formulaic, schmaltzy, badly acted—and highly entertaining—festive fodder. It’s a tale as old as time: An American woman journeys to a far-off wintery locale and ends up finding romance. In this case, Caprice Bourret plays a publisher