🔗 Share this article Marathon Viewing 2025's Festive Features: The Hits, The Misses, and The Guilty Pleasures. ‘Tis the season to slob out on the couch and devour a packet of mince pies in front of a terrific flick, a bad movie, or one that’s awesomely awful. Once again, a selection of fresh seasonal stories aims to become part of our festive viewing—potentially even finding a spot alongside timeless staples like Home Alone, Elf, Love Actually, and Die Hard (don’t start). So, in a vital public service to distinguish the gems from the coal, and to embrace the holiday mood, 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 entry on a well-known aggregator's list of the top 100 Christmas movies of all time. The popular band end up stuck in the UK after concluding their international trek and must return for Christmas. Their endeavors are thwarted by an malevolent Father Christmas, who sings to declare they won’t get home until they “find their brotherly magic.” The banter between the bickering brothers is enjoyable even for the casual viewer, while followers will no doubt notice lots of easter eggs as they attempt to get back using every mode of travel possible. It’s private planes, trains and automobiles. It’s not an all-time classic, but is great for fans and a solid start to the day. Holiday verdict: 🎄🎄🎄🎄🎄 for Jonas Brothers fans or 🎄🎄🎄 for their loved ones who are obliged to sit through it. 8.45am - Tinsel Town Famous performer Kiefer Sutherland stars as a Hollywood star tricked into a traditional British stage show. “A what's a panto??” asks Sutherland’s “hard-to-work-with” and older lead Brad Mack, who has hit a rough patch and whose agent has misled him into thinking he’s starring in prestigious English theatre. His pantomime cast-mates let him know he’s playing Buttons. “Absolutely not,” he protests. You can guess their retort. Except if you’re not acquainted with traditional stage call-and-response. There are some great jokes, some cockle-warming side stories, and the ensemble is brilliant, too. It’s the kind of movie that would be a bit tacky at a different time, but is a highly enjoyable at Christmas. Christmas tree rating: 🎄🎄🎄🎄 A New Spin on Scrooge An actor appears at the start of this film, too, delivering a signature line for the second consecutive movie. Is this 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 the director of Gurinder Chadha. The classic narrative progresses as the stingy Mr Sood is haunted by the ghosts of Christmas yesterday, today, and tomorrow, played by Hugh Bonneville, Billy Porter, and Boy George. This cultural adaptation is at least unique from all the others, but sadly he’s not very compelling and Nayyar’s portrayal is flat—a problem when he’s so central to everything. Holiday verdict: 🎄🎄 12.04pm - Stuffed Before lunch 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 (starring Morgana Robinson) convinces him splurging the cash 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 devise a plan for how to reimburse the difference. Pleasant yet unmemorable. Festive score: 🎄🎄 1.12pm - Champagne Problems This is one of those Christmas films where the tree, fairy lights and snow are in the backdrop—Christmas is the scene of the film rather than its main point—but it feels cosy and festive all the same. High-powered businesswoman Sydney (starring Minka Kelly) is assigned to a French chateau to negotiate a purchase for a champagne business. On the way, she runs into a fellow in a book store who offers to show her the holidays in the City of Light. An expert recently declared this is the best new Christmas film of the past few years. That’s a bit of a stretch, but it is a Christmas romance with a dash of elegance and gives the necessary warm and fuzzy feels. The scene with a extended debate about Die Hard is very good too. Christmas tree rating: 🎄🎄🎄 3.29pm - Finding Father Christmas Young Chris, played by Lenny Rush, holds onto his belief in Father Christmas, in spite of the efforts of his dad (starring James Buckley) to tell him the reality. The secret is to be discovered, and Chris sets out to find it with the assistance of a group of well-known scientists and personalities. It’s low-key but endearing, and ideal viewing while waiting for Santa to visit. Christmas tree rating: 🎄🎄🎄 A Star-Studded Family Drama Michelle Pfeiffer is the head of a dysfunctional American family who come back together 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 what this is, but in reality it’s really a mash-up of those inspirations, at least until Pfeiffer’s character eventually comes into her own. Festive score: 🎄🎄 6.43pm - A Scottish Christmas Secret The day’s gone downhill, but thankfully here’s a new offering in the crowded field of predictable, sentimental, cheesy—and utterly watchable—holiday fare. It’s a tale as old as time: An American woman journeys to a picturesque cold country and ends up discovering romance. In this case, Caprice Bourret plays a publisher
‘Tis the season to slob out on the couch and devour a packet of mince pies in front of a terrific flick, a bad movie, or one that’s awesomely awful. Once again, a selection of fresh seasonal stories aims to become part of our festive viewing—potentially even finding a spot alongside timeless staples like Home Alone, Elf, Love Actually, and Die Hard (don’t start). So, in a vital public service to distinguish the gems from the coal, and to embrace the holiday mood, 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 entry on a well-known aggregator's list of the top 100 Christmas movies of all time. The popular band end up stuck in the UK after concluding their international trek and must return for Christmas. Their endeavors are thwarted by an malevolent Father Christmas, who sings to declare they won’t get home until they “find their brotherly magic.” The banter between the bickering brothers is enjoyable even for the casual viewer, while followers will no doubt notice lots of easter eggs as they attempt to get back using every mode of travel possible. It’s private planes, trains and automobiles. It’s not an all-time classic, but is great for fans and a solid start to the day. Holiday verdict: 🎄🎄🎄🎄🎄 for Jonas Brothers fans or 🎄🎄🎄 for their loved ones who are obliged to sit through it. 8.45am - Tinsel Town Famous performer Kiefer Sutherland stars as a Hollywood star tricked into a traditional British stage show. “A what's a panto??” asks Sutherland’s “hard-to-work-with” and older lead Brad Mack, who has hit a rough patch and whose agent has misled him into thinking he’s starring in prestigious English theatre. His pantomime cast-mates let him know he’s playing Buttons. “Absolutely not,” he protests. You can guess their retort. Except if you’re not acquainted with traditional stage call-and-response. There are some great jokes, some cockle-warming side stories, and the ensemble is brilliant, too. It’s the kind of movie that would be a bit tacky at a different time, but is a highly enjoyable at Christmas. Christmas tree rating: 🎄🎄🎄🎄 A New Spin on Scrooge An actor appears at the start of this film, too, delivering a signature line for the second consecutive movie. Is this 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 the director of Gurinder Chadha. The classic narrative progresses as the stingy Mr Sood is haunted by the ghosts of Christmas yesterday, today, and tomorrow, played by Hugh Bonneville, Billy Porter, and Boy George. This cultural adaptation is at least unique from all the others, but sadly he’s not very compelling and Nayyar’s portrayal is flat—a problem when he’s so central to everything. Holiday verdict: 🎄🎄 12.04pm - Stuffed Before lunch 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 (starring Morgana Robinson) convinces him splurging the cash 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 devise a plan for how to reimburse the difference. Pleasant yet unmemorable. Festive score: 🎄🎄 1.12pm - Champagne Problems This is one of those Christmas films where the tree, fairy lights and snow are in the backdrop—Christmas is the scene of the film rather than its main point—but it feels cosy and festive all the same. High-powered businesswoman Sydney (starring Minka Kelly) is assigned to a French chateau to negotiate a purchase for a champagne business. On the way, she runs into a fellow in a book store who offers to show her the holidays in the City of Light. An expert recently declared this is the best new Christmas film of the past few years. That’s a bit of a stretch, but it is a Christmas romance with a dash of elegance and gives the necessary warm and fuzzy feels. The scene with a extended debate about Die Hard is very good too. Christmas tree rating: 🎄🎄🎄 3.29pm - Finding Father Christmas Young Chris, played by Lenny Rush, holds onto his belief in Father Christmas, in spite of the efforts of his dad (starring James Buckley) to tell him the reality. The secret is to be discovered, and Chris sets out to find it with the assistance of a group of well-known scientists and personalities. It’s low-key but endearing, and ideal viewing while waiting for Santa to visit. Christmas tree rating: 🎄🎄🎄 A Star-Studded Family Drama Michelle Pfeiffer is the head of a dysfunctional American family who come back together 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 what this is, but in reality it’s really a mash-up of those inspirations, at least until Pfeiffer’s character eventually comes into her own. Festive score: 🎄🎄 6.43pm - A Scottish Christmas Secret The day’s gone downhill, but thankfully here’s a new offering in the crowded field of predictable, sentimental, cheesy—and utterly watchable—holiday fare. It’s a tale as old as time: An American woman journeys to a picturesque cold country and ends up discovering romance. In this case, Caprice Bourret plays a publisher