It is the season to lounge on the couch and consume a tin of mince pies in front of a great film, a awful feature, or one that’s terrible yet terrific.
This year, a batch of new holiday movies aims to become part of our seasonal watchlist—perhaps even joining the ranks alongside timeless staples like Home Alone, Elf, Love Actually, and Die Hard (we won’t debate it).
So, in a vital public service to distinguish the gems from the coal, and to find the Christmas spirit, I marathoned as many fresh Christmas films as possible in a single day.
Beginning, optimistically, on a positive note. This is the only 2025 entry on a famous website's list of the greatest 100 festive features of all time.
The musical trio are stuck in the UK after finishing their world tour and must make it back for Christmas. Their endeavors are hindered by an villainous Saint Nick, who bursts into melody to state they won’t get home until they “rekindle their brotherly magic.”
The back-and-forth between the squabbling siblings is enjoyable even for the non-fan, while devotees will no doubt notice lots of references 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 good start to the day.
Christmas tree rating: 🎄🎄🎄🎄🎄 for Jonas Brothers fans or 🎄🎄🎄 for their loved ones who must sit through it.
A-list actor Kiefer Sutherland stars as a movie actor roped into a pantomime.
“A panto-what??” asks Sutherland’s “hard-to-work-with” and older star Brad Mack, who has hit a rough patch and whose representative has misled him into thinking he’s starring in high-class London stage.
His Aladdin co-stars inform him he’s playing Buttons. “No I'm not,” he retorts. One can imagine their reply. Unless you’re not acquainted with traditional British theatre traditions.
There are some great jokes, some heartwarming sub-plots, and the ensemble is excellent, too.
It’s the type of film that would be a bit tacky at any other time of year, but is a lot of fun at Christmas.
Holiday verdict: 🎄🎄🎄🎄
A familiar face shows up 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 singing black cab driver who picks up Mr Sood, the latest spin 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 Bend It Like Beckham’s Gurinder Chadha. The well-known tale unfolds as the stingy 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 charismatic and Nayyar’s acting is flat—a major flaw when he’s so the focal point.
Christmas tree rating: 🎄🎄
There's just enough time for a network's Christmas comedy-drama—which stars Guz Khan as a endearingly grumpy man who “doesn’t really do Christmas.”
But after he is awarded an sizable holiday payout at work, his wife (played by Morgana Robinson) persuades him splurging the cash on a family trip to Lapland.
There’s just one snag—he discovers there was an error with his bonus, which should have been £800, and he has to determine how to return the excess.
Fun while it lasts but not lasting.
Holiday verdict: 🎄🎄
This is one of those Christmas films where the festive trappings are in the background—Christmas is the scene of the film rather than its core purpose—but it feels cosy and festive all the same.
Ambitious executive Sydney (starring Minka Kelly) is assigned to a country estate to negotiate a purchase for a sparkling wine company. During her travels, she encounters a guy in a book store who vows to show her the holidays in the City of Light.
A critic recently claimed this is the finest new Christmas film of the past few years. That’s a bit of a overstatement, but it is a Christmas romance with a dash of elegance and gives the necessary heartwarming sensation.
The scene with a extended debate about Die Hard is notable too.
Christmas tree rating: 🎄🎄🎄
Teenage 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 truth.
The truth is out there, and Chris ventures forth to find it with the guidance of a group of well-known scientists and personalities.
It’s low-key but endearing, and good viewing while expecting Santa to visit.
Festive score: 🎄🎄🎄
Michelle Pfeiffer is the matriarch of a bickering American family who reunite 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 concept, but in reality it’s really a combination of those aforementioned movies, at least until Pfeiffer’s character finally finds her strength.
Festive score: 🎄🎄
The day’s taken a dip, but thankfully here’s a new offering in the saturated market of predictable, sentimental, cheesy—and strangely compelling—holiday fare.
It’s a narrative as well-worn: An American woman travels to a picturesque cold country and ends up finding romance.
In this case, Caprice Bourret plays a publisher
A passionate gamer and strategy enthusiast with years of experience in competitive gaming and content creation.
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