🔗 Share this article Binge-Watching 2025's Festive Features: The Good, The Bad and The So-Bad-It's-Good. ‘Tis the time of year to lounge on the couch and devour a packet of mince pies in front of a great film, a bad movie, or one that’s awesomely awful. Once again, a selection of fresh Christmas films aims to become part of our festive viewing—perhaps even earning a place alongside timeless staples like Home Alone, Elf, Love Actually, and Die Hard (don’t start). Therefore, in a vital public service to separate the winners from the losers, and to embrace the festive feeling, I binged as many fresh festive movies as possible in a single day. Early Morning: A Very Jonas Christmas Movie Beginning, hopefully, on a positive note. This film is the exclusive 2025 movie on a famous website's list of the top 100 Christmas movies of all time. The popular band find themselves stuck in the UK after wrapping up their international trek and must make it back for Christmas. Their endeavors are hampered by an malevolent Father Christmas, who sings to declare they won’t get home until they “rekindle their familial spark.” The banter between the bickering brothers is enjoyable even for the non-fan, while fans will certainly pick up on lots of in-jokes as they attempt to get back using any means of transport necessary. It’s a journey of epic proportions. It’s not a timeless masterpiece, but is excellent for fans and a positive start to the day. Holiday verdict: 🎄🎄🎄🎄🎄 for Jonas Brothers fans or 🎄🎄🎄 for their family members who will have to sit through it. Next: A Star in Panto A-list actor Kiefer Sutherland has been cast as a movie actor cast a pantomime. “A panto-what??” asks Sutherland’s “hard-to-work-with” and older action hero Brad Mack, who has hit a rough patch and whose agent has tricked him into thinking he’s starring in high-class London stage. His Aladdin fellow actors inform him he’s playing Buttons. “Oh no I’m not,” he retorts. You can guess their response. Unless you’re not acquainted with traditional panto catchphrases. There are some very funny lines, some heartwarming storylines, and the ensemble is brilliant, too. It’s the kind of movie that would be a bit tacky at another season, but is a lot of fun at Christmas. Festive score: 🎄🎄🎄🎄 A New Spin on Scrooge Danny Dyer appears 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 picks up Mr Sood, the newest interpretation 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 familiar story unfolds as the tight-fisted Mr Sood is confronted by the ghosts of Christmas yesterday, today, and tomorrow, played by Hugh Bonneville, Billy Porter, and Boy George. This Indian Scrooge is at least different from all the others, but sadly he’s not very compelling and Nayyar’s portrayal is flat—a major flaw when he’s so central to everything. Festive score: 🎄🎄 Lunchtime: Stuffed There's just enough time for a major broadcaster's Christmas comedy-drama—which stars Guz Khan as a charmingly cantankerous character who “isn't big on Christmas.” But after he is awarded an £8,000 Christmas bonus at work, his wife (portrayed by Morgana Robinson) convinces him spending the sum on a holiday 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 return the remainder. Fun while it lasts but not lasting. Festive score: 🎄🎄 Early Afternoon: Champagne Problems This is one of those Christmas films where the tree, fairy lights 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 (starring Minka Kelly) is sent to a country estate to do a deal for a champagne business. On the way, she runs into a man in a bookshop who vows to show her the holidays in the City of Light. A critic recently claimed this is the best new Christmas film of the past few years. That’s a bit of a exaggeration, but it is a holiday love story with a dash of elegance and gives the necessary cozy feelings. The scene with a extended debate about Die Hard is notable too. Christmas tree rating: 🎄🎄🎄 3.29pm - Finding Father Christmas Teenage Chris, played by Lenny Rush, holds onto his belief in Father Christmas, regardless of the attempts of his dad (starring James Buckley) to tell him otherwise. The answer is to be discovered, and Chris ventures forth to find it with the guidance of a group of well-known scientists and personalities. It’s understated but charming, and ideal viewing while waiting for 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 Oscar nominee Felicity Jones, Chloe Grace Moretz, Jason Schwartzman, and dad Denis Leary. Pfeiffer opens by name-dropping Christmas classics like National Lampoon’s Christmas Vacation, It’s A Wonderful Life and Home Alone, before saying: “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 finally finds her strength. Christmas tree rating: 🎄🎄 Evening: A Scottish Christmas Secret The day’s taken a dip, but thankfully here’s a new addition in the saturated market of formulaic, schmaltzy, badly acted—and utterly watchable—festive fodder. It’s a story as familiar as can be: An American woman travels to a picturesque cold country and ends up discovering romance. In this case, Caprice Bourret plays a publisher
‘Tis the time of year to lounge on the couch and devour a packet of mince pies in front of a great film, a bad movie, or one that’s awesomely awful. Once again, a selection of fresh Christmas films aims to become part of our festive viewing—perhaps even earning a place alongside timeless staples like Home Alone, Elf, Love Actually, and Die Hard (don’t start). Therefore, in a vital public service to separate the winners from the losers, and to embrace the festive feeling, I binged as many fresh festive movies as possible in a single day. Early Morning: A Very Jonas Christmas Movie Beginning, hopefully, on a positive note. This film is the exclusive 2025 movie on a famous website's list of the top 100 Christmas movies of all time. The popular band find themselves stuck in the UK after wrapping up their international trek and must make it back for Christmas. Their endeavors are hampered by an malevolent Father Christmas, who sings to declare they won’t get home until they “rekindle their familial spark.” The banter between the bickering brothers is enjoyable even for the non-fan, while fans will certainly pick up on lots of in-jokes as they attempt to get back using any means of transport necessary. It’s a journey of epic proportions. It’s not a timeless masterpiece, but is excellent for fans and a positive start to the day. Holiday verdict: 🎄🎄🎄🎄🎄 for Jonas Brothers fans or 🎄🎄🎄 for their family members who will have to sit through it. Next: A Star in Panto A-list actor Kiefer Sutherland has been cast as a movie actor cast a pantomime. “A panto-what??” asks Sutherland’s “hard-to-work-with” and older action hero Brad Mack, who has hit a rough patch and whose agent has tricked him into thinking he’s starring in high-class London stage. His Aladdin fellow actors inform him he’s playing Buttons. “Oh no I’m not,” he retorts. You can guess their response. Unless you’re not acquainted with traditional panto catchphrases. There are some very funny lines, some heartwarming storylines, and the ensemble is brilliant, too. It’s the kind of movie that would be a bit tacky at another season, but is a lot of fun at Christmas. Festive score: 🎄🎄🎄🎄 A New Spin on Scrooge Danny Dyer appears 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 picks up Mr Sood, the newest interpretation 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 familiar story unfolds as the tight-fisted Mr Sood is confronted by the ghosts of Christmas yesterday, today, and tomorrow, played by Hugh Bonneville, Billy Porter, and Boy George. This Indian Scrooge is at least different from all the others, but sadly he’s not very compelling and Nayyar’s portrayal is flat—a major flaw when he’s so central to everything. Festive score: 🎄🎄 Lunchtime: Stuffed There's just enough time for a major broadcaster's Christmas comedy-drama—which stars Guz Khan as a charmingly cantankerous character who “isn't big on Christmas.” But after he is awarded an £8,000 Christmas bonus at work, his wife (portrayed by Morgana Robinson) convinces him spending the sum on a holiday 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 return the remainder. Fun while it lasts but not lasting. Festive score: 🎄🎄 Early Afternoon: Champagne Problems This is one of those Christmas films where the tree, fairy lights 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 (starring Minka Kelly) is sent to a country estate to do a deal for a champagne business. On the way, she runs into a man in a bookshop who vows to show her the holidays in the City of Light. A critic recently claimed this is the best new Christmas film of the past few years. That’s a bit of a exaggeration, but it is a holiday love story with a dash of elegance and gives the necessary cozy feelings. The scene with a extended debate about Die Hard is notable too. Christmas tree rating: 🎄🎄🎄 3.29pm - Finding Father Christmas Teenage Chris, played by Lenny Rush, holds onto his belief in Father Christmas, regardless of the attempts of his dad (starring James Buckley) to tell him otherwise. The answer is to be discovered, and Chris ventures forth to find it with the guidance of a group of well-known scientists and personalities. It’s understated but charming, and ideal viewing while waiting for 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 Oscar nominee Felicity Jones, Chloe Grace Moretz, Jason Schwartzman, and dad Denis Leary. Pfeiffer opens by name-dropping Christmas classics like National Lampoon’s Christmas Vacation, It’s A Wonderful Life and Home Alone, before saying: “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 finally finds her strength. Christmas tree rating: 🎄🎄 Evening: A Scottish Christmas Secret The day’s taken a dip, but thankfully here’s a new addition in the saturated market of formulaic, schmaltzy, badly acted—and utterly watchable—festive fodder. It’s a story as familiar as can be: An American woman travels to a picturesque cold country and ends up discovering romance. In this case, Caprice Bourret plays a publisher