Marathon Viewing 2025's Christmas Films: The Good, The Bad and The So-Bad-It's-Good.
‘Tis the time of year to relax on the sofa and demolish a packet of festive treats in front of a great film, a awful feature, or one that’s awesomely awful.
As always, a selection of new seasonal stories hopes to be part of our seasonal watchlist—perhaps even earning a place alongside timeless staples like Home Alone, Elf, Love Actually, and Die Hard (no arguments).
Thus, in a noble effort to distinguish the gems from the coal, and to find the festive feeling, I watched as many fresh Christmas films as possible in a single day.
7.17am - A Very Jonas Christmas Movie
Starting, hopefully, on a high. This is the sole 2025 title on a famous website's list of the top 100 festive features of all time.
The popular band end up stranded in the UK after wrapping up their international trek and must get home for Christmas. Their efforts are hindered by an evil Santa, who bursts into melody to state they won’t get home until they “rediscover their brotherly magic.”
The back-and-forth between the arguing trio is enjoyable even for the non-fan, while fans will undoubtedly notice lots of in-jokes as they endeavor 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 solid start to the day.
Holiday verdict: 🎄🎄🎄🎄🎄 for Jonas Brothers fans or 🎄🎄🎄 for their family members who are obliged to sit through it.
8.45am - Tinsel Town
A-list actor Kiefer Sutherland has been cast as a movie actor cast a traditional British stage show.
“A panto-what?” asks Sutherland’s “hard-to-work-with” and older lead Brad Mack, who has fallen on hard times and whose representative has tricked him into thinking he’s starring in prestigious English theatre.
His Aladdin fellow actors let him know he’s playing Buttons. “Absolutely not,” he retorts. One can imagine their response. Unless you’re ignorant of traditional panto catchphrases.
There are some great jokes, some cockle-warming side stories, and the rest of the cast is excellent, too.
It’s the sort of feature that would be a bit tacky at a different time, but is a lot of fun at Christmas.
Holiday verdict: 🎄🎄🎄🎄
A New Spin on Scrooge
A familiar face appears at the start of this film, too, insulting someone for the next movie straight. Could this be a budding festive ritual?
This time, he’s a crooning chauffeur who picks up 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 Bend It Like Beckham’s Gurinder Chadha. The familiar story progresses as the miserly 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 regrettably he’s not very charismatic and Nayyar’s portrayal is wooden—a major flaw when he’s so the main character.
Holiday verdict: 🎄🎄
Noon: A BBC Special
Before lunch for a channel's holiday special—which stars Guz Khan as a lovably grouchy guy who “isn't big on Christmas.”
But after he gets an sizable holiday payout at work, his wife (portrayed by Morgana Robinson) talks him into blowing the money on a family trip 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 reimburse the difference.
Fun while it lasts but not lasting.
Festive score: 🎄🎄
A Classy Netflix Romance
This is one of those holiday movies where the tree, fairy lights and snow are in the background—Christmas is the scene of the film rather than its core purpose—but it feels warm and holiday-like all the same.
Ambitious executive Sydney (starring Minka Kelly) is sent to a country estate to do a deal for a sparkling wine company. En route, she meets a guy in a literary haven who offers to show her Christmas in Paris.
An expert recently declared this is the finest new Christmas film of the past few years. That’s a bit of a overstatement, but it is a holiday love story with a dash of elegance and gives the necessary cozy feelings.
The scene with a detailed conversation about Die Hard is notable too.
Festive score: 🎄🎄🎄
A Charming Quest
Teenage 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 the reality.
The secret is somewhere, and Chris embarks on a quest to find it with the guidance of a panel of well-known scientists and personalities.
It’s low-key but charming, and perfect viewing while expecting Santa to visit.
Festive score: 🎄🎄🎄
A Star-Studded Family Drama
Michelle Pfeiffer is the matriarch of a bickering American family who gather for the holidays—including fellow acclaimed actress Felicity Jones, Chloe Grace Moretz, Jason Schwartzman, and dad Denis Leary.
Pfeiffer starts by mentioning holiday staples like National Lampoon’s Christmas Vacation, It’s A Wonderful Life and Home Alone, before declaring: “They need to make a movie about the true heroes of the holidays—moms.”
So that’s the premise, but in practice it’s really a jumble of those aforementioned movies, at least until Pfeiffer’s character at last finds her strength.
Festive score: 🎄🎄
6.43pm - A Scottish Christmas Secret
The day’s taken a dip, but fortunately here’s a new addition in the crowded field of cliched, saccharine, over-the-top—and strangely compelling—seasonal comfort food.
It’s a tale as old as time: An American woman journeys to a distant snowy land and ends up finding romance.
In this case, Caprice Bourret plays a publisher
