🔗 Share this article Devouring 2025's Festive Features: The Good, The Bad and The So-Bad-It's-Good. ‘Tis the time of year to relax on the couch and devour a packet of holiday pastries in front of a terrific flick, a awful feature, or one that’s awesomely awful. Once again, a crop of latest holiday movies aims to become part of our seasonal watchlist—perhaps even joining the ranks alongside beloved favorites like Home Alone, Elf, Love Actually, and Die Hard (no arguments). Therefore, in a vital public service to sort the crackers from the turkeys, and to embrace the festive feeling, I binged as many fresh festive movies as possible in a single day. First Up: The Jonas Brothers' Holiday Flick Beginning, hopefully, on a high. This is the only 2025 title on a famous website's list of the greatest 100 holiday films of all time. The musical trio are stranded in the UK after wrapping up their international trek and must return for Christmas. Their efforts are hampered by an malevolent Father Christmas, who sings to state they won’t get home until they “rekindle their brotherly magic.” The back-and-forth between the bickering brothers is entertaining even for the casual viewer, while followers will no doubt catch lots of references as they try to get back using every mode of travel possible. It’s a travelogue of mishaps. It’s not legendary, but is great for fans and a good start to the day. Festive score: 🎄🎄🎄🎄🎄 for Jonas Brothers fans or 🎄🎄🎄 for their loved ones who are obliged to sit through it. 8.45am - Tinsel Town A-list actor Kiefer Sutherland stars as a movie actor tricked into a traditional British stage show. “A what's a panto??” asks Sutherland’s “difficult” and older lead Brad Mack, who has hit a rough patch and whose representative has tricked him into thinking he’s starring in renowned British drama. His Aladdin cast-mates tell him he’s playing Buttons. “Oh no I’m not,” he insists angrily. One can imagine their retort. That is, unless you’re not acquainted with traditional British theatre traditions. There are some hilarious moments, some heartwarming storylines, and the rest of the cast is cracking, too. It’s the sort of feature that would be a bit cheesy at another season, but is a highly enjoyable at Christmas. Holiday verdict: 🎄🎄🎄🎄 A New Spin on Scrooge An actor appears at the beginning of this film, too, delivering a signature line 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 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 director of Gurinder Chadha. The well-known tale develops as the tight-fisted Mr Sood is haunted 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 distinct from all the others, but regrettably he’s not very charismatic and Nayyar’s portrayal is lifeless—a significant issue when he’s so the main character. Holiday verdict: 🎄🎄 Lunchtime: Stuffed There's just enough time for a channel's holiday special—which stars Guz Khan as a charmingly cantankerous character who “avoids Christmas.” But after he gets an £8,000 Christmas bonus at work, his wife (played by Morgana Robinson) persuades him splurging the cash on a vacation to Lapland. There’s just one snag—he finds out there was an mix-up with his bonus, which should have been £800, and he has to devise a plan for how to reimburse the difference. Fun while it lasts but not lasting. Christmas tree rating: 🎄🎄 Early Afternoon: Champagne Problems This is one of those Christmas films where the festive trappings are in the background—Christmas is the setting of the film rather than its main point—but it feels warm and holiday-like all the same. Driven corporate star Sydney (starring Minka Kelly) is assigned to a French chateau to negotiate a purchase for a sparkling wine company. En route, she encounters a fellow in a literary haven who promises to show her Christmas in Paris. A critic recently stated this is the finest new Christmas film of the recent era. That’s a bit of a exaggeration, but it is a festive dalliance with a hint of sophistication and gives the required heartwarming sensation. The scene with a extended debate about Die Hard is particularly strong too. Holiday verdict: 🎄🎄🎄 3.29pm - Finding Father Christmas Young Chris, played by Lenny Rush, continues to believe in Father Christmas, in spite of the attempts of his dad (starring James Buckley) to tell him the reality. The secret is out there, and Chris embarks on a quest to find it with the expert help of a group of well-known figures. It’s gentle but endearing, and ideal viewing while waiting for Santa to visit. Christmas tree rating: 🎄🎄🎄 4.39pm - Oh. What. Fun. Michelle Pfeiffer is the head of a dysfunctional 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 opens by name-dropping 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 the concept, but in practice it’s really a mash-up of those forerunner films, at least until Pfeiffer’s character at last finds her strength. Christmas tree rating: 🎄🎄 Evening: A Scottish Christmas Secret The day’s gone downhill, but fortunately here’s a new addition in the saturated market of predictable, sentimental, cheesy—and strangely compelling—festive fodder. It’s a narrative 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 relax on the couch and devour a packet of holiday pastries in front of a terrific flick, a awful feature, or one that’s awesomely awful. Once again, a crop of latest holiday movies aims to become part of our seasonal watchlist—perhaps even joining the ranks alongside beloved favorites like Home Alone, Elf, Love Actually, and Die Hard (no arguments). Therefore, in a vital public service to sort the crackers from the turkeys, and to embrace the festive feeling, I binged as many fresh festive movies as possible in a single day. First Up: The Jonas Brothers' Holiday Flick Beginning, hopefully, on a high. This is the only 2025 title on a famous website's list of the greatest 100 holiday films of all time. The musical trio are stranded in the UK after wrapping up their international trek and must return for Christmas. Their efforts are hampered by an malevolent Father Christmas, who sings to state they won’t get home until they “rekindle their brotherly magic.” The back-and-forth between the bickering brothers is entertaining even for the casual viewer, while followers will no doubt catch lots of references as they try to get back using every mode of travel possible. It’s a travelogue of mishaps. It’s not legendary, but is great for fans and a good start to the day. Festive score: 🎄🎄🎄🎄🎄 for Jonas Brothers fans or 🎄🎄🎄 for their loved ones who are obliged to sit through it. 8.45am - Tinsel Town A-list actor Kiefer Sutherland stars as a movie actor tricked into a traditional British stage show. “A what's a panto??” asks Sutherland’s “difficult” and older lead Brad Mack, who has hit a rough patch and whose representative has tricked him into thinking he’s starring in renowned British drama. His Aladdin cast-mates tell him he’s playing Buttons. “Oh no I’m not,” he insists angrily. One can imagine their retort. That is, unless you’re not acquainted with traditional British theatre traditions. There are some hilarious moments, some heartwarming storylines, and the rest of the cast is cracking, too. It’s the sort of feature that would be a bit cheesy at another season, but is a highly enjoyable at Christmas. Holiday verdict: 🎄🎄🎄🎄 A New Spin on Scrooge An actor appears at the beginning of this film, too, delivering a signature line 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 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 director of Gurinder Chadha. The well-known tale develops as the tight-fisted Mr Sood is haunted 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 distinct from all the others, but regrettably he’s not very charismatic and Nayyar’s portrayal is lifeless—a significant issue when he’s so the main character. Holiday verdict: 🎄🎄 Lunchtime: Stuffed There's just enough time for a channel's holiday special—which stars Guz Khan as a charmingly cantankerous character who “avoids Christmas.” But after he gets an £8,000 Christmas bonus at work, his wife (played by Morgana Robinson) persuades him splurging the cash on a vacation to Lapland. There’s just one snag—he finds out there was an mix-up with his bonus, which should have been £800, and he has to devise a plan for how to reimburse the difference. Fun while it lasts but not lasting. Christmas tree rating: 🎄🎄 Early Afternoon: Champagne Problems This is one of those Christmas films where the festive trappings are in the background—Christmas is the setting of the film rather than its main point—but it feels warm and holiday-like all the same. Driven corporate star Sydney (starring Minka Kelly) is assigned to a French chateau to negotiate a purchase for a sparkling wine company. En route, she encounters a fellow in a literary haven who promises to show her Christmas in Paris. A critic recently stated this is the finest new Christmas film of the recent era. That’s a bit of a exaggeration, but it is a festive dalliance with a hint of sophistication and gives the required heartwarming sensation. The scene with a extended debate about Die Hard is particularly strong too. Holiday verdict: 🎄🎄🎄 3.29pm - Finding Father Christmas Young Chris, played by Lenny Rush, continues to believe in Father Christmas, in spite of the attempts of his dad (starring James Buckley) to tell him the reality. The secret is out there, and Chris embarks on a quest to find it with the expert help of a group of well-known figures. It’s gentle but endearing, and ideal viewing while waiting for Santa to visit. Christmas tree rating: 🎄🎄🎄 4.39pm - Oh. What. Fun. Michelle Pfeiffer is the head of a dysfunctional 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 opens by name-dropping 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 the concept, but in practice it’s really a mash-up of those forerunner films, at least until Pfeiffer’s character at last finds her strength. Christmas tree rating: 🎄🎄 Evening: A Scottish Christmas Secret The day’s gone downhill, but fortunately here’s a new addition in the saturated market of predictable, sentimental, cheesy—and strangely compelling—festive fodder. It’s a narrative 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