🔗 Share this article Binge-Watching This Year's Festive Features: The Good, The Bad and The So-Bad-It's-Good. It is the time of year to slob out on the sofa and devour a box of festive treats in front of a terrific flick, a bad movie, or one that’s awesomely awful. Once again, a crop of latest seasonal stories hopes to be part of our seasonal watchlist—perhaps even finding a spot 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 find the Christmas spirit, I watched as many fresh holiday releases as possible in a single day. 7.17am - A Very Jonas Christmas Movie Starting, ideally, on a good foot. This is the only 2025 movie on a well-known aggregator's list of the top 100 holiday films of all time. The popular band are stranded in the UK after wrapping up their global concert series and must return for Christmas. Their endeavors are hampered by an villainous Saint Nick, who breaks into song to announce they won’t get home until they “find their familial spark.” The back-and-forth between the arguing trio is entertaining even for the casual viewer, while fans will no doubt catch lots of easter eggs as they endeavor to get back using every mode of travel possible. It’s private planes, trains and automobiles. It’s not a timeless masterpiece, but is superb for fans and a good start to the day. Holiday verdict: 🎄🎄🎄🎄🎄 for Jonas Brothers fans or 🎄🎄🎄 for their family members who will have to sit through it. Late Morning: Tinsel Town A-list actor Kiefer Sutherland stars as a Hollywood star roped into a traditional British stage show. “A what's a panto??” asks Sutherland’s “difficult” and older lead Brad Mack, who has fallen on hard times and whose representative has tricked him into thinking he’s appearing in high-class London stage. His Aladdin co-stars tell him he’s playing Buttons. “Absolutely not,” he retorts. You can guess their response. That is, unless you’re ignorant of traditional panto catchphrases. There are some great jokes, some touching storylines, and the supporting actors is brilliant, too. It’s the kind of movie that would be a bit tacky at a different time, but is a lot of fun at Christmas. Christmas tree rating: 🎄🎄🎄🎄 Mid-Morning: Christmas Karma An actor pops up at the start of this film, too, insulting someone for the next movie straight. Could this be a fresh holiday staple? This time, he’s a singing black cab driver 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 classic narrative develops as the stingy Mr Sood is haunted by the apparitions 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 regrettably he’s not very captivating and Nayyar’s portrayal is flat—a significant issue when he’s so the focal point. Christmas tree rating: 🎄🎄 Noon: A BBC Special There’s time for a network's holiday special—which stars Guz Khan as a charmingly cantankerous character who “avoids Christmas.” But after he gets an £8,000 Christmas bonus at work, his wife (played by Morgana Robinson) convinces 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 return the excess. Pleasant yet unmemorable. Festive score: 🎄🎄 A Classy Netflix Romance This is one of those Christmas films where the decorations and snow are in the setting—Christmas is the setting of the film rather than its main point—but it feels warm and holiday-like all the same. Ambitious executive Sydney (played by Minka Kelly) is dispatched to a French chateau to secure an acquisition for a sparkling wine company. On the way, she meets a man in a literary haven who offers to show her a festive Paris. A commentator recently declared this is the top new Christmas film of the past few years. That’s a bit of a overstatement, but it is a festive dalliance with a dash of elegance and gives the necessary heartwarming sensation. The scene with a lengthy discussion about Die Hard is very good too. Festive score: 🎄🎄🎄 Mid-Afternoon: Finding Father Christmas Young Chris, played by Lenny Rush, holds onto his belief in Father Christmas, in spite of the attempts of his dad (played by James Buckley) to tell him the reality. The secret is out there, and Chris ventures forth to find it with the expert help of a group of well-known experts and celebrities. It’s understated but charming, and good viewing while waiting for Santa to visit. Christmas tree rating: 🎄🎄🎄 4.39pm - Oh. What. Fun. Michelle Pfeiffer is the matriarch of a dysfunctional American family who reunite for the holidays—including fellow 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 declaring: “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 forerunner films, at least until Pfeiffer’s character eventually comes into her own. Festive score: 🎄🎄 Evening: A Scottish Christmas Secret The day’s waned in quality, but fortunately here’s a new addition in the crowded field of cliched, saccharine, over-the-top—and highly entertaining—seasonal comfort food. It’s a tale as old as time: An American woman journeys to a distant snowy land and ends up discovering romance. In this case, Caprice Bourret plays a publisher
It is the time of year to slob out on the sofa and devour a box of festive treats in front of a terrific flick, a bad movie, or one that’s awesomely awful. Once again, a crop of latest seasonal stories hopes to be part of our seasonal watchlist—perhaps even finding a spot 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 find the Christmas spirit, I watched as many fresh holiday releases as possible in a single day. 7.17am - A Very Jonas Christmas Movie Starting, ideally, on a good foot. This is the only 2025 movie on a well-known aggregator's list of the top 100 holiday films of all time. The popular band are stranded in the UK after wrapping up their global concert series and must return for Christmas. Their endeavors are hampered by an villainous Saint Nick, who breaks into song to announce they won’t get home until they “find their familial spark.” The back-and-forth between the arguing trio is entertaining even for the casual viewer, while fans will no doubt catch lots of easter eggs as they endeavor to get back using every mode of travel possible. It’s private planes, trains and automobiles. It’s not a timeless masterpiece, but is superb for fans and a good start to the day. Holiday verdict: 🎄🎄🎄🎄🎄 for Jonas Brothers fans or 🎄🎄🎄 for their family members who will have to sit through it. Late Morning: Tinsel Town A-list actor Kiefer Sutherland stars as a Hollywood star roped into a traditional British stage show. “A what's a panto??” asks Sutherland’s “difficult” and older lead Brad Mack, who has fallen on hard times and whose representative has tricked him into thinking he’s appearing in high-class London stage. His Aladdin co-stars tell him he’s playing Buttons. “Absolutely not,” he retorts. You can guess their response. That is, unless you’re ignorant of traditional panto catchphrases. There are some great jokes, some touching storylines, and the supporting actors is brilliant, too. It’s the kind of movie that would be a bit tacky at a different time, but is a lot of fun at Christmas. Christmas tree rating: 🎄🎄🎄🎄 Mid-Morning: Christmas Karma An actor pops up at the start of this film, too, insulting someone for the next movie straight. Could this be a fresh holiday staple? This time, he’s a singing black cab driver 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 classic narrative develops as the stingy Mr Sood is haunted by the apparitions 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 regrettably he’s not very captivating and Nayyar’s portrayal is flat—a significant issue when he’s so the focal point. Christmas tree rating: 🎄🎄 Noon: A BBC Special There’s time for a network's holiday special—which stars Guz Khan as a charmingly cantankerous character who “avoids Christmas.” But after he gets an £8,000 Christmas bonus at work, his wife (played by Morgana Robinson) convinces 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 return the excess. Pleasant yet unmemorable. Festive score: 🎄🎄 A Classy Netflix Romance This is one of those Christmas films where the decorations and snow are in the setting—Christmas is the setting of the film rather than its main point—but it feels warm and holiday-like all the same. Ambitious executive Sydney (played by Minka Kelly) is dispatched to a French chateau to secure an acquisition for a sparkling wine company. On the way, she meets a man in a literary haven who offers to show her a festive Paris. A commentator recently declared this is the top new Christmas film of the past few years. That’s a bit of a overstatement, but it is a festive dalliance with a dash of elegance and gives the necessary heartwarming sensation. The scene with a lengthy discussion about Die Hard is very good too. Festive score: 🎄🎄🎄 Mid-Afternoon: Finding Father Christmas Young Chris, played by Lenny Rush, holds onto his belief in Father Christmas, in spite of the attempts of his dad (played by James Buckley) to tell him the reality. The secret is out there, and Chris ventures forth to find it with the expert help of a group of well-known experts and celebrities. It’s understated but charming, and good viewing while waiting for Santa to visit. Christmas tree rating: 🎄🎄🎄 4.39pm - Oh. What. Fun. Michelle Pfeiffer is the matriarch of a dysfunctional American family who reunite for the holidays—including fellow 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 declaring: “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 forerunner films, at least until Pfeiffer’s character eventually comes into her own. Festive score: 🎄🎄 Evening: A Scottish Christmas Secret The day’s waned in quality, but fortunately here’s a new addition in the crowded field of cliched, saccharine, over-the-top—and highly entertaining—seasonal comfort food. It’s a tale as old as time: An American woman journeys to a distant snowy land and ends up discovering romance. In this case, Caprice Bourret plays a publisher