🔗 Share this article Devouring This Year's Festive Features: The Good, The Bad and The So-Bad-It's-Good. It is the season to relax on the sofa and demolish a packet of mince pies in front of a good movie, a bad movie, or one that’s so bad it’s good. As always, a batch of fresh seasonal stories aims to become part of our seasonal watchlist—potentially even earning a place alongside enduring classics like Home Alone, Elf, Love Actually, and Die Hard (no arguments). So, in a helpful attempt to sort the crackers from the turkeys, and to find the Christmas spirit, I binged as many new holiday releases as possible in a single day. Early Morning: A Very Jonas Christmas Movie Kicking off, ideally, on a high. This film is the sole 2025 movie on a popular review site's list of the best 100 festive features of all time. The popular band end up stranded in the UK after concluding their global concert series and must get home for Christmas. Their endeavors are hindered by an villainous Saint Nick, who breaks into song to announce they won’t get home until they “rekindle their sibling bond.” The banter between the squabbling siblings is enjoyable even for the casual viewer, while devotees will undoubtedly catch lots of in-jokes as they attempt to get back using all transportation available. It’s a travelogue of mishaps. It’s not legendary, but is excellent for fans and a solid start to the day. Holiday verdict: 🎄🎄🎄🎄🎄 for Jonas Brothers fans or 🎄🎄🎄 for their family members who must sit through it. Next: A Star in Panto Hollywood star Kiefer Sutherland stars as a celebrity tricked into a traditional British stage show. “A panto-what?” asks Sutherland’s “hard-to-work-with” and ageing star Brad Mack, who has fallen on hard times and whose representative has deceived him into thinking he’s performing in renowned British drama. His Aladdin co-stars tell him he’s playing Buttons. “Oh no I’m not,” he retorts. One can imagine their response. Except if you’re not acquainted with traditional panto catchphrases. There are some hilarious moments, some touching storylines, and the rest of the cast is brilliant, 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. Christmas tree rating: 🎄🎄🎄🎄 Mid-Morning: Christmas Karma Danny Dyer appears at the outset of this film, too, delivering a signature line for the second consecutive movie. Might this become a budding festive ritual? 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 an actor from Kunal Nayyar and Christmas Karma is directed by the director of Gurinder Chadha. The well-known tale progresses as the tight-fisted Mr Sood is confronted by the apparitions of Christmas past, present and future, played by Hugh Bonneville, Billy Porter, and Boy George. This South Asian reinterpretation is at least unique from all the others, but unfortunately he’s not very charismatic and Nayyar’s portrayal is wooden—a problem when he’s so the main character. Christmas tree rating: 🎄🎄 12.04pm - Stuffed There’s time for a major broadcaster's holiday special—which stars Guz Khan as a lovably grouchy guy who “doesn’t really do Christmas.” But after he gets an £8,000 Christmas bonus at work, his wife (starring Morgana Robinson) persuades him spending the sum on a holiday to Lapland. There’s just one problem—he finds out there was an mistake with his bonus, which should have been £800, and he has to determine how to pay back the excess. Fun while it lasts but not lasting. Festive score: 🎄🎄 A Classy Netflix Romance This is one of those holiday movies where the decorations and snow are in the setting—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 French chateau to negotiate a purchase for a champagne business. During her travels, she runs into a man in a book store who vows 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 exaggeration, but it is a holiday love story with a hint of sophistication and gives the necessary heartwarming sensation. The scene with a detailed conversation about Die Hard is very good too. Christmas tree rating: 🎄🎄🎄 3.29pm - Finding Father Christmas Sixteen-year-old Chris, played by Lenny Rush, refuses to stop believing in Father Christmas, despite the efforts of his dad (played by James Buckley) to tell him the truth. The answer is somewhere, and Chris sets out to find it with the expert help of a group of well-known figures. It’s understated but charming, and ideal viewing while waiting for Santa to visit. Christmas tree rating: 🎄🎄🎄 4.39pm - Oh. What. Fun. Michelle Pfeiffer is the matriarch of a quarrelling American family who gather for the holidays—including fellow 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 stating: “They need to make a movie about the unsung heroes of the holidays—moms.” So that’s the premise, but in execution it’s really a combination of those inspirations, at least until Pfeiffer’s character at last takes center stage. Festive score: 🎄🎄 Evening: A Scottish Christmas Secret The day’s taken a dip, but fortunately here’s a new entry in the packed genre of predictable, sentimental, cheesy—and strangely compelling—festive fodder. It’s a story as well-worn: An American woman travels to a far-off wintery locale and ends up finding romance. In this case, Caprice Bourret plays a publisher
It is the season to relax on the sofa and demolish a packet of mince pies in front of a good movie, a bad movie, or one that’s so bad it’s good. As always, a batch of fresh seasonal stories aims to become part of our seasonal watchlist—potentially even earning a place alongside enduring classics like Home Alone, Elf, Love Actually, and Die Hard (no arguments). So, in a helpful attempt to sort the crackers from the turkeys, and to find the Christmas spirit, I binged as many new holiday releases as possible in a single day. Early Morning: A Very Jonas Christmas Movie Kicking off, ideally, on a high. This film is the sole 2025 movie on a popular review site's list of the best 100 festive features of all time. The popular band end up stranded in the UK after concluding their global concert series and must get home for Christmas. Their endeavors are hindered by an villainous Saint Nick, who breaks into song to announce they won’t get home until they “rekindle their sibling bond.” The banter between the squabbling siblings is enjoyable even for the casual viewer, while devotees will undoubtedly catch lots of in-jokes as they attempt to get back using all transportation available. It’s a travelogue of mishaps. It’s not legendary, but is excellent for fans and a solid start to the day. Holiday verdict: 🎄🎄🎄🎄🎄 for Jonas Brothers fans or 🎄🎄🎄 for their family members who must sit through it. Next: A Star in Panto Hollywood star Kiefer Sutherland stars as a celebrity tricked into a traditional British stage show. “A panto-what?” asks Sutherland’s “hard-to-work-with” and ageing star Brad Mack, who has fallen on hard times and whose representative has deceived him into thinking he’s performing in renowned British drama. His Aladdin co-stars tell him he’s playing Buttons. “Oh no I’m not,” he retorts. One can imagine their response. Except if you’re not acquainted with traditional panto catchphrases. There are some hilarious moments, some touching storylines, and the rest of the cast is brilliant, 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. Christmas tree rating: 🎄🎄🎄🎄 Mid-Morning: Christmas Karma Danny Dyer appears at the outset of this film, too, delivering a signature line for the second consecutive movie. Might this become a budding festive ritual? 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 an actor from Kunal Nayyar and Christmas Karma is directed by the director of Gurinder Chadha. The well-known tale progresses as the tight-fisted Mr Sood is confronted by the apparitions of Christmas past, present and future, played by Hugh Bonneville, Billy Porter, and Boy George. This South Asian reinterpretation is at least unique from all the others, but unfortunately he’s not very charismatic and Nayyar’s portrayal is wooden—a problem when he’s so the main character. Christmas tree rating: 🎄🎄 12.04pm - Stuffed There’s time for a major broadcaster's holiday special—which stars Guz Khan as a lovably grouchy guy who “doesn’t really do Christmas.” But after he gets an £8,000 Christmas bonus at work, his wife (starring Morgana Robinson) persuades him spending the sum on a holiday to Lapland. There’s just one problem—he finds out there was an mistake with his bonus, which should have been £800, and he has to determine how to pay back the excess. Fun while it lasts but not lasting. Festive score: 🎄🎄 A Classy Netflix Romance This is one of those holiday movies where the decorations and snow are in the setting—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 French chateau to negotiate a purchase for a champagne business. During her travels, she runs into a man in a book store who vows 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 exaggeration, but it is a holiday love story with a hint of sophistication and gives the necessary heartwarming sensation. The scene with a detailed conversation about Die Hard is very good too. Christmas tree rating: 🎄🎄🎄 3.29pm - Finding Father Christmas Sixteen-year-old Chris, played by Lenny Rush, refuses to stop believing in Father Christmas, despite the efforts of his dad (played by James Buckley) to tell him the truth. The answer is somewhere, and Chris sets out to find it with the expert help of a group of well-known figures. It’s understated but charming, and ideal viewing while waiting for Santa to visit. Christmas tree rating: 🎄🎄🎄 4.39pm - Oh. What. Fun. Michelle Pfeiffer is the matriarch of a quarrelling American family who gather for the holidays—including fellow 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 stating: “They need to make a movie about the unsung heroes of the holidays—moms.” So that’s the premise, but in execution it’s really a combination of those inspirations, at least until Pfeiffer’s character at last takes center stage. Festive score: 🎄🎄 Evening: A Scottish Christmas Secret The day’s taken a dip, but fortunately here’s a new entry in the packed genre of predictable, sentimental, cheesy—and strangely compelling—festive fodder. It’s a story as well-worn: An American woman travels to a far-off wintery locale and ends up finding romance. In this case, Caprice Bourret plays a publisher