Marathon Viewing 2025's Holiday Movies: The Good, The Bad and The So-Bad-It's-Good.
It is the time of year to slob out on the sofa and demolish a tin of festive treats in front of a good movie, a poor film, or one that’s awesomely awful.
Once again, a crop of fresh Christmas films strives to join part of our holiday traditions—maybe even finding a spot alongside enduring classics like Home Alone, Elf, Love Actually, and Die Hard (don’t start).
So, in a noble effort to distinguish the gems from the coal, and to get into the holiday mood, I marathoned as many recent Christmas films as possible in a single day.
7.17am - A Very Jonas Christmas Movie
Kicking off, ideally, on a positive note. This film is the only 2025 movie on a famous website's list of the top 100 Christmas movies of all time.
The Jonas Brothers are stranded in the UK after wrapping up their global concert series and must return for Christmas. Their attempts are hampered by an villainous Saint Nick, who bursts into melody to declare they won’t get home until they “find their brotherly magic.”
The repartee between the squabbling siblings is enjoyable even for the casual viewer, while devotees will undoubtedly pick up on lots of easter eggs as they try 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 devotees and a solid start to the day.
Christmas tree rating: 🎄🎄🎄🎄🎄 for Jonas Brothers fans or 🎄🎄🎄 for their relatives who are obliged to sit through it.
8.45am - Tinsel Town
Famous performer Kiefer Sutherland has been cast as a celebrity cast a pantomime.
“A panto-what??” asks Sutherland’s “temperamental” and older star Brad Mack, who has seen better days and whose agent has tricked him into thinking he’s performing in renowned British drama.
His pantomime cast-mates let him know he’s playing Buttons. “No I'm not,” he retorts. One can imagine their response. Except if you’re ignorant of traditional panto catchphrases.
There are some very funny lines, some touching storylines, and the supporting actors is excellent, too.
It’s the sort of feature that would be a bit naff at a different time, but is a great entertainment at Christmas.
Holiday verdict: 🎄🎄🎄🎄
10.19am - Christmas Karma
An actor shows up at the beginning of this film, too, delivering a signature line for the second consecutive movie. Is this a fresh holiday staple?
This time, he’s a crooning chauffeur who encounters Mr Sood, the modern take on Mr Scrooge from Charles Dickens’ A Christmas Carol.
Mr Sood is played by The Big Bang Theory’s Kunal Nayyar and Christmas Karma is directed by the director of Gurinder Chadha. The classic narrative develops as the tight-fisted Mr Sood is visited by the spirits of Christmas past, present and future, played by Hugh Bonneville, Billy Porter, and Boy George.
This South Asian reinterpretation is at least different from all the others, but regrettably he’s not very charismatic and Nayyar’s acting is lifeless—a problem 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 “avoids Christmas.”
But after he gets an sizable holiday payout at work, his wife (starring Morgana Robinson) persuades him splurging the cash on a holiday to Lapland.
There’s just one snag—he finds out there was an error with his bonus, which should have been £800, and he has to determine how to reimburse the remainder.
Pleasant yet unmemorable.
Festive score: 🎄🎄
A Classy Netflix Romance
This is one of those holiday movies where the tree, fairy lights and snow are in the backdrop—Christmas is the setting of the film rather than its main point—but it feels warm and holiday-like all the same.
Driven corporate star Sydney (starring Minka Kelly) is sent to a French chateau to do a deal for a champagne business. On the way, she runs into a man in a book store who promises to show her the holidays in the City of Light.
A commentator recently claimed this is the top new Christmas film of the recent era. That’s a bit of a stretch, but it is a holiday love story with a hint of sophistication and gives the required cozy feelings.
The scene with a lengthy discussion about Die Hard is particularly strong too.
Festive score: 🎄🎄🎄
A Charming Quest
Sixteen-year-old Chris, played by Lenny Rush, continues to believe in Father Christmas, despite the efforts of his dad (starring James Buckley) to tell him the truth.
The secret is out there, and Chris embarks on a quest to find it with the assistance of a group of well-known figures.
It’s gentle but sweet, and good viewing while expecting Santa to visit.
Festive score: 🎄🎄🎄
4.39pm - Oh. What. Fun.
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 begins by referencing 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 true heroes of the holidays—moms.”
So that’s the premise, but in practice it’s really a combination of those aforementioned movies, at least until Pfeiffer’s character at last finds her strength.
Holiday verdict: 🎄🎄
Formulaic Fun
The day’s taken a dip, but fortunately here’s a new entry in the packed genre of predictable, sentimental, cheesy—and highly entertaining—holiday fare.
It’s a narrative as familiar as can be: An American woman travels to a distant snowy land and ends up finding romance.
In this case, Caprice Bourret plays a publisher
