🔗 Share this article Marathon Viewing This Year's Holiday Movies: The Hits, The Misses, and The Guilty Pleasures. It is the time of year to slob out on the sofa and consume a packet of mince pies in front of a great film, a poor film, or one that’s terrible yet terrific. This year, a crop of latest seasonal stories hopes to be part of our festive viewing—perhaps even joining the ranks alongside enduring classics like Home Alone, Elf, Love Actually, and Die Hard (we won’t debate it). Thus, in a helpful attempt to separate the winners from the losers, and to find the festive feeling, I marathoned as many fresh festive movies as possible in a single day. First Up: The Jonas Brothers' Holiday Flick Starting, hopefully, on a positive note. This film is the sole 2025 title on a well-known aggregator's list of the best 100 holiday films of all time. The musical trio find themselves stranded in the UK after wrapping up their international trek and must return for Christmas. Their attempts are hindered by an malevolent Father Christmas, who breaks into song to state they won’t get home until they “find their familial spark.” The back-and-forth between the arguing trio is entertaining even for the uninitiated, while devotees will no doubt pick up on lots of in-jokes as they attempt to get back using any means of transport necessary. It’s a travelogue of mishaps. It’s not a timeless masterpiece, but is superb for devotees and a positive start to the day. Festive score: 🎄🎄🎄🎄🎄 for Jonas Brothers fans or 🎄🎄🎄 for their family members who must sit through it. 8.45am - Tinsel Town Famous performer Kiefer Sutherland appears as a celebrity tricked into a pantomime. “A what's a panto??” asks Sutherland’s “hard-to-work-with” and ageing action hero Brad Mack, who has hit a rough patch and whose manager has misled him into thinking he’s performing in prestigious English theatre. His pantomime co-stars let him know he’s playing Buttons. “Oh no I’m not,” he protests. One can imagine their retort. That is, unless you’re unfamiliar with traditional stage call-and-response. There are some great jokes, some heartwarming side stories, and the ensemble is brilliant, too. It’s the sort of feature that would be a bit tacky at another season, but is a great entertainment at Christmas. Holiday verdict: 🎄🎄🎄🎄 A New Spin on Scrooge An actor appears at the beginning of this film, too, calling someone a mug for the next movie straight. Might this become a new Christmas tradition? This time, he’s a crooning chauffeur who encounters Mr Sood, the latest spin 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 classic narrative develops as the tight-fisted Mr Sood is confronted by the spirits 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 sadly he’s not very compelling and Nayyar’s performance is wooden—a major flaw when he’s so the focal point. Festive score: 🎄🎄 Lunchtime: Stuffed There's just enough time for a channel's original festive film—which stars Guz Khan as a endearingly grumpy man who “isn't big on Christmas.” But after he is awarded an £8,000 Christmas bonus at work, his wife (starring Morgana Robinson) persuades him blowing the money on a family trip to Lapland. There’s just one problem—he learns there was an mistake with his bonus, which should have been £800, and he has to determine how to pay back the remainder. Enjoyable but forgettable. Festive score: 🎄🎄 1.12pm - Champagne Problems This is one of those holiday movies where the festive trappings are in the background—Christmas is the scene of the film rather than its raison d’etre—but it feels warm and holiday-like all the same. Ambitious executive Sydney (played by Minka Kelly) is sent to a French chateau to secure an acquisition for a sparkling wine company. During her travels, she encounters a guy in a literary haven who promises to show her Christmas in Paris. An expert recently stated this is the best new Christmas film of the last several seasons. That’s a bit of a exaggeration, but it is a holiday love story with a touch of class and gives the obligatory warm and fuzzy feels. The scene with a extended debate about Die Hard is notable too. Christmas tree rating: 🎄🎄🎄 3.29pm - Finding Father Christmas Sixteen-year-old Chris, played by Lenny Rush, continues to believe in Father Christmas, regardless of the attempts of his dad (played by James Buckley) to tell him the reality. The answer is out there, and Chris ventures forth to find it with the assistance of a group of well-known scientists and personalities. It’s gentle but charming, and ideal viewing while anticipating Santa to visit. Festive score: 🎄🎄🎄 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 starts by mentioning classic festive films 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 reality it’s really a jumble of those aforementioned movies, at least until Pfeiffer’s character finally takes center stage. Festive score: 🎄🎄 6.43pm - A Scottish Christmas Secret The day’s waned in quality, but thankfully here’s a new addition in the packed genre of cliched, saccharine, over-the-top—and highly entertaining—holiday fare. It’s a tale as familiar as can be: An American woman journeys to a far-off wintery locale and ends up finding romance. In this case, Caprice Bourret plays a publisher
It is the time of year to slob out on the sofa and consume a packet of mince pies in front of a great film, a poor film, or one that’s terrible yet terrific. This year, a crop of latest seasonal stories hopes to be part of our festive viewing—perhaps even joining the ranks alongside enduring classics like Home Alone, Elf, Love Actually, and Die Hard (we won’t debate it). Thus, in a helpful attempt to separate the winners from the losers, and to find the festive feeling, I marathoned as many fresh festive movies as possible in a single day. First Up: The Jonas Brothers' Holiday Flick Starting, hopefully, on a positive note. This film is the sole 2025 title on a well-known aggregator's list of the best 100 holiday films of all time. The musical trio find themselves stranded in the UK after wrapping up their international trek and must return for Christmas. Their attempts are hindered by an malevolent Father Christmas, who breaks into song to state they won’t get home until they “find their familial spark.” The back-and-forth between the arguing trio is entertaining even for the uninitiated, while devotees will no doubt pick up on lots of in-jokes as they attempt to get back using any means of transport necessary. It’s a travelogue of mishaps. It’s not a timeless masterpiece, but is superb for devotees and a positive start to the day. Festive score: 🎄🎄🎄🎄🎄 for Jonas Brothers fans or 🎄🎄🎄 for their family members who must sit through it. 8.45am - Tinsel Town Famous performer Kiefer Sutherland appears as a celebrity tricked into a pantomime. “A what's a panto??” asks Sutherland’s “hard-to-work-with” and ageing action hero Brad Mack, who has hit a rough patch and whose manager has misled him into thinking he’s performing in prestigious English theatre. His pantomime co-stars let him know he’s playing Buttons. “Oh no I’m not,” he protests. One can imagine their retort. That is, unless you’re unfamiliar with traditional stage call-and-response. There are some great jokes, some heartwarming side stories, and the ensemble is brilliant, too. It’s the sort of feature that would be a bit tacky at another season, but is a great entertainment at Christmas. Holiday verdict: 🎄🎄🎄🎄 A New Spin on Scrooge An actor appears at the beginning of this film, too, calling someone a mug for the next movie straight. Might this become a new Christmas tradition? This time, he’s a crooning chauffeur who encounters Mr Sood, the latest spin 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 classic narrative develops as the tight-fisted Mr Sood is confronted by the spirits 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 sadly he’s not very compelling and Nayyar’s performance is wooden—a major flaw when he’s so the focal point. Festive score: 🎄🎄 Lunchtime: Stuffed There's just enough time for a channel's original festive film—which stars Guz Khan as a endearingly grumpy man who “isn't big on Christmas.” But after he is awarded an £8,000 Christmas bonus at work, his wife (starring Morgana Robinson) persuades him blowing the money on a family trip to Lapland. There’s just one problem—he learns there was an mistake with his bonus, which should have been £800, and he has to determine how to pay back the remainder. Enjoyable but forgettable. Festive score: 🎄🎄 1.12pm - Champagne Problems This is one of those holiday movies where the festive trappings are in the background—Christmas is the scene of the film rather than its raison d’etre—but it feels warm and holiday-like all the same. Ambitious executive Sydney (played by Minka Kelly) is sent to a French chateau to secure an acquisition for a sparkling wine company. During her travels, she encounters a guy in a literary haven who promises to show her Christmas in Paris. An expert recently stated this is the best new Christmas film of the last several seasons. That’s a bit of a exaggeration, but it is a holiday love story with a touch of class and gives the obligatory warm and fuzzy feels. The scene with a extended debate about Die Hard is notable too. Christmas tree rating: 🎄🎄🎄 3.29pm - Finding Father Christmas Sixteen-year-old Chris, played by Lenny Rush, continues to believe in Father Christmas, regardless of the attempts of his dad (played by James Buckley) to tell him the reality. The answer is out there, and Chris ventures forth to find it with the assistance of a group of well-known scientists and personalities. It’s gentle but charming, and ideal viewing while anticipating Santa to visit. Festive score: 🎄🎄🎄 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 starts by mentioning classic festive films 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 reality it’s really a jumble of those aforementioned movies, at least until Pfeiffer’s character finally takes center stage. Festive score: 🎄🎄 6.43pm - A Scottish Christmas Secret The day’s waned in quality, but thankfully here’s a new addition in the packed genre of cliched, saccharine, over-the-top—and highly entertaining—holiday fare. It’s a tale as familiar as can be: An American woman journeys to a far-off wintery locale and ends up finding romance. In this case, Caprice Bourret plays a publisher