🔗 Share this article Devouring 2025's Festive Features: Highlights, Lowlights, and Unexpected Delights. It is the season to relax on the couch and consume a tin of festive treats in front of a great film, a poor film, or one that’s awesomely awful. As always, a selection of new seasonal stories strives to join part of our seasonal watchlist—maybe even earning a place alongside enduring classics like Home Alone, Elf, Love Actually, and Die Hard (no arguments). Thus, in a helpful attempt to separate the winners from the losers, and to embrace the holiday mood, I binged as many new Christmas films as possible in a single day. Early Morning: A Very Jonas Christmas Movie Kicking off, ideally, on a good foot. This release is the exclusive 2025 movie on a famous website's list of the greatest 100 holiday films of all time. The musical trio find themselves trapped in the UK after finishing their world tour and must get home 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 amusing even for the non-fan, while devotees will certainly catch lots of references 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 great for fans and a good start to the day. Festive score: 🎄🎄🎄🎄🎄 for Jonas Brothers fans or 🎄🎄🎄 for their relatives who will have to sit through it. 8.45am - Tinsel Town Hollywood star Kiefer Sutherland has been cast as a movie actor roped into a "panto". “A what's a panto??” asks Sutherland’s “temperamental” and aging star Brad Mack, who has fallen on hard times and whose representative has deceived him into thinking he’s starring in high-class London stage. His pantomime co-stars let him know he’s playing Buttons. “Oh no I’m not,” he protests. One can imagine their retort. Unless you’re ignorant of traditional British theatre traditions. There are some very funny lines, some touching side stories, and the ensemble is cracking, too. It’s the kind of movie that would be a bit tacky at any other time of year, but is a great entertainment at Christmas. Holiday verdict: 🎄🎄🎄🎄 10.19am - Christmas Karma A familiar face shows up at the start of this film, too, delivering a signature line for the second consecutive movie. Is this a budding festive ritual? This time, he’s a crooning chauffeur who collects Mr Sood, the modern take on Mr Scrooge from Charles Dickens’ A Christmas Carol. Mr Sood is played by a star of Kunal Nayyar and Christmas Karma is directed by the director of Gurinder Chadha. The well-known tale unfolds as the tight-fisted Mr Sood is visited by the spirits of Christmas past, present and future, played by Hugh Bonneville, Billy Porter, and Boy George. This Indian Scrooge is at least distinct from all the others, but regrettably he’s not very charismatic and Nayyar’s acting is lifeless—a significant issue when he’s so the main character. Festive score: 🎄🎄 Noon: A BBC Special There’s time for a network's original festive film—which stars Guz Khan as a lovably grouchy guy who “avoids Christmas.” But after he receives an large festive windfall at work, his wife (portrayed by Morgana Robinson) convinces him blowing the money 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 devise a plan for how to pay back the remainder. Pleasant yet unmemorable. Holiday verdict: 🎄🎄 1.12pm - Champagne Problems This is one of those holiday movies where the tree, fairy lights 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. High-powered businesswoman Sydney (played by Minka Kelly) is dispatched to a country estate to secure an acquisition for a sparkling wine company. On the way, she meets a man in a bookshop who offers to show her Christmas in Paris. A commentator recently declared this is the finest new Christmas film of the recent era. That’s a bit of a overstatement, but it is a holiday love story with a hint of sophistication and gives the required heartwarming sensation. The scene with a detailed conversation about Die Hard is particularly strong too. Holiday verdict: 🎄🎄🎄 A Charming Quest Teenage Chris, played by Lenny Rush, holds onto his belief in Father Christmas, despite the persuasion of his dad (played by James Buckley) to tell him otherwise. The truth is to be discovered, and Chris ventures forth to find it with the expert help of a panel of well-known experts and celebrities. It’s low-key but charming, and ideal viewing while anticipating Santa to visit. Christmas tree rating: 🎄🎄🎄 4.39pm - Oh. What. Fun. Michelle Pfeiffer is the head of a bickering 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 Christmas classics 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 execution it’s really a jumble of those aforementioned movies, at least until Pfeiffer’s character eventually takes center stage. Festive score: 🎄🎄 Formulaic Fun The day’s taken a dip, but thankfully here’s a new addition in the packed genre of cliched, saccharine, over-the-top—and utterly watchable—seasonal comfort food. It’s a story as familiar as can be: An American woman travels to a distant snowy land and ends up discovering romance. In this case, Caprice Bourret plays a publisher
It is the season to relax on the couch and consume a tin of festive treats in front of a great film, a poor film, or one that’s awesomely awful. As always, a selection of new seasonal stories strives to join part of our seasonal watchlist—maybe even earning a place alongside enduring classics like Home Alone, Elf, Love Actually, and Die Hard (no arguments). Thus, in a helpful attempt to separate the winners from the losers, and to embrace the holiday mood, I binged as many new Christmas films as possible in a single day. Early Morning: A Very Jonas Christmas Movie Kicking off, ideally, on a good foot. This release is the exclusive 2025 movie on a famous website's list of the greatest 100 holiday films of all time. The musical trio find themselves trapped in the UK after finishing their world tour and must get home 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 amusing even for the non-fan, while devotees will certainly catch lots of references 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 great for fans and a good start to the day. Festive score: 🎄🎄🎄🎄🎄 for Jonas Brothers fans or 🎄🎄🎄 for their relatives who will have to sit through it. 8.45am - Tinsel Town Hollywood star Kiefer Sutherland has been cast as a movie actor roped into a "panto". “A what's a panto??” asks Sutherland’s “temperamental” and aging star Brad Mack, who has fallen on hard times and whose representative has deceived him into thinking he’s starring in high-class London stage. His pantomime co-stars let him know he’s playing Buttons. “Oh no I’m not,” he protests. One can imagine their retort. Unless you’re ignorant of traditional British theatre traditions. There are some very funny lines, some touching side stories, and the ensemble is cracking, too. It’s the kind of movie that would be a bit tacky at any other time of year, but is a great entertainment at Christmas. Holiday verdict: 🎄🎄🎄🎄 10.19am - Christmas Karma A familiar face shows up at the start of this film, too, delivering a signature line for the second consecutive movie. Is this a budding festive ritual? This time, he’s a crooning chauffeur who collects Mr Sood, the modern take on Mr Scrooge from Charles Dickens’ A Christmas Carol. Mr Sood is played by a star of Kunal Nayyar and Christmas Karma is directed by the director of Gurinder Chadha. The well-known tale unfolds as the tight-fisted Mr Sood is visited by the spirits of Christmas past, present and future, played by Hugh Bonneville, Billy Porter, and Boy George. This Indian Scrooge is at least distinct from all the others, but regrettably he’s not very charismatic and Nayyar’s acting is lifeless—a significant issue when he’s so the main character. Festive score: 🎄🎄 Noon: A BBC Special There’s time for a network's original festive film—which stars Guz Khan as a lovably grouchy guy who “avoids Christmas.” But after he receives an large festive windfall at work, his wife (portrayed by Morgana Robinson) convinces him blowing the money 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 devise a plan for how to pay back the remainder. Pleasant yet unmemorable. Holiday verdict: 🎄🎄 1.12pm - Champagne Problems This is one of those holiday movies where the tree, fairy lights 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. High-powered businesswoman Sydney (played by Minka Kelly) is dispatched to a country estate to secure an acquisition for a sparkling wine company. On the way, she meets a man in a bookshop who offers to show her Christmas in Paris. A commentator recently declared this is the finest new Christmas film of the recent era. That’s a bit of a overstatement, but it is a holiday love story with a hint of sophistication and gives the required heartwarming sensation. The scene with a detailed conversation about Die Hard is particularly strong too. Holiday verdict: 🎄🎄🎄 A Charming Quest Teenage Chris, played by Lenny Rush, holds onto his belief in Father Christmas, despite the persuasion of his dad (played by James Buckley) to tell him otherwise. The truth is to be discovered, and Chris ventures forth to find it with the expert help of a panel of well-known experts and celebrities. It’s low-key but charming, and ideal viewing while anticipating Santa to visit. Christmas tree rating: 🎄🎄🎄 4.39pm - Oh. What. Fun. Michelle Pfeiffer is the head of a bickering 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 Christmas classics 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 execution it’s really a jumble of those aforementioned movies, at least until Pfeiffer’s character eventually takes center stage. Festive score: 🎄🎄 Formulaic Fun The day’s taken a dip, but thankfully here’s a new addition in the packed genre of cliched, saccharine, over-the-top—and utterly watchable—seasonal comfort food. It’s a story as familiar as can be: An American woman travels to a distant snowy land and ends up discovering romance. In this case, Caprice Bourret plays a publisher