🔗 Share this article Binge-Watching The Latest Holiday Movies: The Good, The Bad and The So-Bad-It's-Good. ‘Tis the time of year to lounge on the sofa and consume a packet of festive treats in front of a great film, a bad movie, or one that’s so bad it’s good. This year, a crop of latest holiday movies hopes to be part of our festive viewing—maybe even joining the ranks alongside beloved favorites like Home Alone, Elf, Love Actually, and Die Hard (no arguments). Thus, in a noble effort to sort the crackers from the turkeys, and to find the holiday mood, I watched as many fresh Christmas films as possible in a single day. First Up: The Jonas Brothers' Holiday Flick Beginning, hopefully, on a high. This release is the only 2025 movie on a famous website's list of the greatest 100 holiday films of all time. The musical trio end up trapped in the UK after concluding their international trek and must get home for Christmas. Their endeavors are hampered by an villainous Saint Nick, who bursts into melody to state they won’t get home until they “find their sibling bond.” The banter between the bickering brothers is amusing even for the uninitiated, while devotees will undoubtedly catch lots of easter eggs as they endeavor to get back using any means of transport necessary. It’s a journey of epic proportions. It’s not an all-time classic, but is great for devotees and a solid start to the day. Holiday verdict: 🎄🎄🎄🎄🎄 for Jonas Brothers fans or 🎄🎄🎄 for their family members who must sit through it. Late Morning: Tinsel Town Famous performer Kiefer Sutherland appears as a movie actor roped into a "panto". “A what's a panto??” asks Sutherland’s “hard-to-work-with” and older action hero Brad Mack, who has seen better days and whose manager has deceived him into thinking he’s appearing in renowned British drama. His Aladdin fellow actors inform him he’s playing Buttons. “Absolutely not,” he insists angrily. One can imagine their reply. Except if you’re unfamiliar with traditional panto catchphrases. There are some very funny lines, some touching side stories, and the supporting actors is excellent, too. It’s the type of film that would be a bit cheesy at any other time of year, but is a great entertainment at Christmas. Holiday verdict: 🎄🎄🎄🎄 10.19am - Christmas Karma A familiar face appears at the beginning of this film, too, delivering a signature line for the next movie straight. Is this a new Christmas tradition? This time, he’s a musical taxi operator who collects Mr Sood, the newest interpretation 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 the filmmaker behind Gurinder Chadha. The well-known tale unfolds as the tight-fisted Mr Sood is haunted by the apparitions of Christmas past, present and future, played by Hugh Bonneville, Billy Porter, and Boy George. This Indian Scrooge is at least different from all the others, but unfortunately he’s not very captivating and Nayyar’s portrayal is flat—a significant issue when he’s so the main character. Holiday verdict: 🎄🎄 Noon: A BBC Special Before lunch for a network's Christmas comedy-drama—which stars Guz Khan as a charmingly cantankerous character who “doesn’t really do Christmas.” But after he receives an £8,000 Christmas bonus at work, his wife (portrayed by Morgana Robinson) persuades him blowing the money on a vacation to Lapland. There’s just one issue—he learns there was an error with his bonus, which should have been £800, and he has to determine how to pay back the remainder. Fun while it lasts but not lasting. Christmas tree rating: 🎄🎄 A Classy Netflix Romance This is one of those Christmas films where the decorations and snow are in the backdrop—Christmas is the scene of the film rather than its core purpose—but it feels cosy and festive all the same. Driven corporate star Sydney (played by Minka Kelly) is dispatched to a vineyard to secure an acquisition for a champagne business. During her travels, she runs into a fellow in a literary haven who vows to show her Christmas in Paris. An expert recently claimed this is the top new Christmas film of the last several seasons. That’s a bit of a overstatement, but it is a holiday love story with a touch of class and gives the necessary heartwarming sensation. The scene with a extended debate about Die Hard is particularly strong too. Holiday verdict: 🎄🎄🎄 Mid-Afternoon: Finding Father Christmas Sixteen-year-old Chris, played by Lenny Rush, continues to believe in Father Christmas, in spite of the persuasion of his dad (played by James Buckley) to tell him otherwise. The secret is somewhere, and Chris embarks on a quest to find it with the expert help of a panel of well-known figures. It’s understated but charming, and perfect viewing while waiting for Santa to visit. Holiday verdict: 🎄🎄🎄 Late Afternoon: Oh. What. Fun. Michelle Pfeiffer is the head of a dysfunctional American family who reunite for the holidays—including other Oscar nominee Felicity Jones, Chloe Grace Moretz, Jason Schwartzman, and dad Denis Leary. Pfeiffer begins by referencing 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 real champions of the holidays—moms.” So that’s the concept, but in reality it’s really a combination of those inspirations, at least until Pfeiffer’s character finally takes center stage. Holiday verdict: 🎄🎄 6.43pm - A Scottish Christmas Secret The day’s waned in quality, but happily here’s a new entry in the packed genre of formulaic, schmaltzy, badly acted—and highly entertaining—holiday fare. It’s a tale as familiar as can be: An American woman journeys to a distant snowy land and ends up stumbling across romance. In this case, Caprice Bourret plays a publisher
‘Tis the time of year to lounge on the sofa and consume a packet of festive treats in front of a great film, a bad movie, or one that’s so bad it’s good. This year, a crop of latest holiday movies hopes to be part of our festive viewing—maybe even joining the ranks alongside beloved favorites like Home Alone, Elf, Love Actually, and Die Hard (no arguments). Thus, in a noble effort to sort the crackers from the turkeys, and to find the holiday mood, I watched as many fresh Christmas films as possible in a single day. First Up: The Jonas Brothers' Holiday Flick Beginning, hopefully, on a high. This release is the only 2025 movie on a famous website's list of the greatest 100 holiday films of all time. The musical trio end up trapped in the UK after concluding their international trek and must get home for Christmas. Their endeavors are hampered by an villainous Saint Nick, who bursts into melody to state they won’t get home until they “find their sibling bond.” The banter between the bickering brothers is amusing even for the uninitiated, while devotees will undoubtedly catch lots of easter eggs as they endeavor to get back using any means of transport necessary. It’s a journey of epic proportions. It’s not an all-time classic, but is great for devotees and a solid start to the day. Holiday verdict: 🎄🎄🎄🎄🎄 for Jonas Brothers fans or 🎄🎄🎄 for their family members who must sit through it. Late Morning: Tinsel Town Famous performer Kiefer Sutherland appears as a movie actor roped into a "panto". “A what's a panto??” asks Sutherland’s “hard-to-work-with” and older action hero Brad Mack, who has seen better days and whose manager has deceived him into thinking he’s appearing in renowned British drama. His Aladdin fellow actors inform him he’s playing Buttons. “Absolutely not,” he insists angrily. One can imagine their reply. Except if you’re unfamiliar with traditional panto catchphrases. There are some very funny lines, some touching side stories, and the supporting actors is excellent, too. It’s the type of film that would be a bit cheesy at any other time of year, but is a great entertainment at Christmas. Holiday verdict: 🎄🎄🎄🎄 10.19am - Christmas Karma A familiar face appears at the beginning of this film, too, delivering a signature line for the next movie straight. Is this a new Christmas tradition? This time, he’s a musical taxi operator who collects Mr Sood, the newest interpretation 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 the filmmaker behind Gurinder Chadha. The well-known tale unfolds as the tight-fisted Mr Sood is haunted by the apparitions of Christmas past, present and future, played by Hugh Bonneville, Billy Porter, and Boy George. This Indian Scrooge is at least different from all the others, but unfortunately he’s not very captivating and Nayyar’s portrayal is flat—a significant issue when he’s so the main character. Holiday verdict: 🎄🎄 Noon: A BBC Special Before lunch for a network's Christmas comedy-drama—which stars Guz Khan as a charmingly cantankerous character who “doesn’t really do Christmas.” But after he receives an £8,000 Christmas bonus at work, his wife (portrayed by Morgana Robinson) persuades him blowing the money on a vacation to Lapland. There’s just one issue—he learns there was an error with his bonus, which should have been £800, and he has to determine how to pay back the remainder. Fun while it lasts but not lasting. Christmas tree rating: 🎄🎄 A Classy Netflix Romance This is one of those Christmas films where the decorations and snow are in the backdrop—Christmas is the scene of the film rather than its core purpose—but it feels cosy and festive all the same. Driven corporate star Sydney (played by Minka Kelly) is dispatched to a vineyard to secure an acquisition for a champagne business. During her travels, she runs into a fellow in a literary haven who vows to show her Christmas in Paris. An expert recently claimed this is the top new Christmas film of the last several seasons. That’s a bit of a overstatement, but it is a holiday love story with a touch of class and gives the necessary heartwarming sensation. The scene with a extended debate about Die Hard is particularly strong too. Holiday verdict: 🎄🎄🎄 Mid-Afternoon: Finding Father Christmas Sixteen-year-old Chris, played by Lenny Rush, continues to believe in Father Christmas, in spite of the persuasion of his dad (played by James Buckley) to tell him otherwise. The secret is somewhere, and Chris embarks on a quest to find it with the expert help of a panel of well-known figures. It’s understated but charming, and perfect viewing while waiting for Santa to visit. Holiday verdict: 🎄🎄🎄 Late Afternoon: Oh. What. Fun. Michelle Pfeiffer is the head of a dysfunctional American family who reunite for the holidays—including other Oscar nominee Felicity Jones, Chloe Grace Moretz, Jason Schwartzman, and dad Denis Leary. Pfeiffer begins by referencing 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 real champions of the holidays—moms.” So that’s the concept, but in reality it’s really a combination of those inspirations, at least until Pfeiffer’s character finally takes center stage. Holiday verdict: 🎄🎄 6.43pm - A Scottish Christmas Secret The day’s waned in quality, but happily here’s a new entry in the packed genre of formulaic, schmaltzy, badly acted—and highly entertaining—holiday fare. It’s a tale as familiar as can be: An American woman journeys to a distant snowy land and ends up stumbling across romance. In this case, Caprice Bourret plays a publisher