New Christmas movies to watch in 2025

Christmas is heading this way faster than a rocket-powered Santa. That means even the Grinchiest members of your household – the ones who refuse to look at tinsel in shops until midnight on 1 December – can finally get on board with this festive call to arms: “It’s time for a Christmas movie.”

Virgin TV is jam-packed with all the Crimbo film classics, from the venerable It’s A Wonderful Life and Miracle On 34th Street to modern classics like Elf and The Muppet Christmas Carol. Plus, all the films you debate whether they count as Christmas movies or not. (Let’s settle one for you: yes, Die Hard is a Christmas movie. Ho. Ho. Ho.)

But what about new Christmas films for 2025? This year, there’s something for every mood and taste. We’ve organised them by different platforms, so whatever TV subscription you’ve got, we’ve got you. If you want to add a streaming subscription to your TV package, it’s easy to do.

Here are the best new Christmas movies to watch in 2025.

Netflix’s 2025 Christmas picks include romcoms A Merry Little Ex-Mas, Jingle Bell Heist, Champagne Problems and My Secret Santa, plus family treats like Elmo & Mark Rober’s Merry Christmas and Kate Winslet’s star-packed drama Goodbye June.

A Merry Little Ex-Mas

Find it now Apps > Netflix

It’s not a Netflix Christmas romcom unless there’s a 1990s superstar at the centre of it, and this year we’re getting a double whammy of icons in the form of Alicia Silverstone (Clueless) and Melissa Joan Hart (Sabrina The Teenage Witch). When a separated couple decide to spend one last Christmas together before their divorce, an unexpected visitor joins the festivities, and chaos ensues… Jameela Jamil (The Good Place) and Pierson Fodé (The Wrong Paris) round off the cast.

Jingle Bell Heist

Find it now Apps > Netflix

Get ready for the heist of the Yuletide season in this hilarious holiday romcom. Olivia Holt (Cruel Summer) and Connor Swindells (Sex Education) star as two down-on-their-luck hourly workers who are desperate for a quick payday, and hatch a cunning plan to rob one of London’s most lavish department stores on Christmas Eve. The catch? Sparks are flying, and we’re not talking about the twinkly Christmas lights either. Aw! Lucy Punch (Amandaland), Poppy Drayton (The Little Mermaid) and Peter Serafinowicz (How To Train Your Dragon) also star.

Champagne Problems

Find it now Apps > Netflix

A Christmas movie steeped in the grand tradition of the genre, where a workaholic finds there’s more to life than their job, thanks to the power of love and Christmas (and a trip away). Sydney (Minka Kelly, Friday Night Lights) is an executive who travels to France to acquire a world-renowned champagne brand before Christmas, but her plans are upended when she falls into a whirlwind romance with a charming Parisian (Tom Wozniczka, Slow Horses). Plot twist: he happens to be the founder’s son. Corking fun with plenty of fizz.

My Secret Santa

Find it now Apps > Netflix

’Tis the season for those feel-good festive flicks, and the sparks are flying in this holiday romcom that’ll have you feeling all warm and fuzzy. When single mum Taylor (Alexandra Breckenridge, Virgin River) struggles to pay for her daughter’s ski lessons, she disguises herself as an elderly man and suits up as Santa Claus to make ends meet. Of course, her plans are thwarted when she falls for the resort’s charming manager (Ryan Eggold, New Amsterdam). Tia Mowry of Sister, Sister fame also stars.

Elmo & Mark Rober’s Merry Christmas

Find it in Apps > Netflix from Monday 8 December

Not technically a Christmas movie, but we’re letting this one slide through because it’s Elmo, people! The adorable red chap is joined by NASA-trained engineer Mark Rober, who shows the fuzzy residents of Sesame Street how to make some out-of-this-world presents for their most special friends. Whether you tune in to sing along to three new original songs, to learn about the wonders of science or just for some cosy festive fare, it’s a half-hour delight for children and grown-ups alike to enjoy.

Goodbye June

Find it in Apps > Netflix from Christmas Eve

Screen darling Kate Winslet (The Holiday) makes her directorial debut as well as starring in this soon-to-be classic Christmas drama with an incredible starry cast. When matriarch June (Helen Mirren, The Thursday Murder Club) falls ill over the holiday season, her four adult children must come together and try to mend their fractured relationships under trying circumstances. Toni Collette (Wayward), Timothy Spall (The King’s Speech), Stephen Merchant (The Outlaws), Andrea Riseborough (Alice & Jack), Johnny Flynn (Emma) and Fisayo Akinade (Heartstopper) round off the cast.

Sky Cinema brings festive fun with Kiefer Sutherland’s panto comedy Tinsel Town, family favourite The Best Christmas Pageant Ever and cosy military romance Christmas On Duty.

Tinsel Town

Available now in Sky Cinema on demand. Cert 12

Hollywood star Brad Mac (Kiefer Sutherland, 24) is known for action movies but wants a new challenge, so he’s delighted when his agent sends him to do theatre in England. Just one problem: it’s not Shakespeare or the West End, but panto in the small town of Stoneford. Can Brad leave his ego at the stage door and bring the house down on opening night? This heartwarming Christmas movie co-stars Pitch Perfect’s Rebel Wilson alongside a host of familiar faces from the UK comedy scene (Jason Manford, Katherine Ryan, Asim Chaudhry and more), plus bonus Danny Dyer.

The Best Christmas Pageant Ever

Available now in Sky Cinema on demand. Cert PG

Based on the much-loved children’s book by US author Barbara Robinson, The Best Christmas Pageant Ever is the story of the Herdmans – six wayward siblings who snag the lead roles in their town’s festive celebrations. Grace (Judy Greer, Ant-Man), who’s directing the performance for the first time, is soon battling to control the errant youngsters while also dealing with locals who would prefer never to see the Herdmans again. If you think some people are about to learn the true meaning of Christmas, you’re almost certainly right, in this fun Yuletide movie that will bring joy to the whole family.

Christmas On Duty

Available now in Sky Cinema on demand. Cert U

Here’s a Yuletide treat, especially for anyone who’s stuck at work over the festive period. Military personnel Blair (Janel Parrish, Pretty Little Liars) and Josh (Parker Young, Suburgatory) have been rivals since their training days, but one argument too many means they end up forced to do Christmas duty on their base. Both plan to just get through it – but when a snowstorm threatens deliveries, they must work together. Can they save Christmas? And will it change the way they feel about each other?

Prime Video serves up Christmas charm with dog-parent romcom Merv, the star-studded adventure Oh. What. Fun and Tyler Perry’s heartfelt holiday romance Finding Joy.

Merv

Stream it from Wednesday 10 December in Apps > Prime Video

Breakups are hard. Splitting up possessions, boxing up your stuff and trying – trying – to leave on good terms. But when there’s a child involved, things get tough. And when it’s a fur baby, buckle up. When Anna (Zooey Deschanel, New Girl) and Russ (Charlie Cox, Daredevil: Born Again) end their relationship, their beloved dog Merv loses his spark, forcing the pair into an awkward co-parent arrangement. So, when Russ takes Merv on a Christmas holiday to cheer him up, Anna decides to gatecrash the party. Will fixing their dog’s broken heart lead to other things being repaired? Don’t overthink it, just dive in. This is charm personified.

Oh. What. Fun

Stream it now in Apps > Prime Video

This is a Christmas film bursting with treats, from a mega cast including Michelle Pfeiffer, Felicity Jones and Chloë Grace Moretz to a soundtrack from new songs from artists like Fleet Foxes, Gwen Stefani and Sharon van Etten. Hardworking Claire (Pfeiffer) is left behind by her distracted family for a Christmas concert; feeling undervalued, she decides to make a break for it and set out on her own festive adventure, leaving the family to fend for themselves. Directed by The Big Sick’s Michael Showalter, it’s a delightful mix of Home Alone, The Family Stone and Planes, Trains And Automobiles.

Tyler Perry’s Finding Joy

Stream it now in Apps > Prime Video

The Tyler Perry juggernaut moves into the world of Christmas movies with this entertaining effort starring Shannon Thornton (P-Valley) as Joy, an unlucky-in-love New York fashion designer whose talents are overshadowed by her boss. Encouraged by her pals, Joy follows her crush Colton (Aaron O'Connell, The Haves And The Have Nots) to Colorado, hoping for holiday magic, but is stranded in a snowstorm. But while all seems doomed, Joy meets Ridge (Tosin Morohunfola, Black Box), a chance encounter that just might transform her perspective on life and love.

Disney+ delivers musical mayhem in A Very Jonas Christmas Movie and festive fake-romance fun in Joy To The World, starring Emmanuelle Chriqui and Chad Michael Murray.

A Very Jonas Christmas Movie

Stream it now in Apps > Disney+ or just say “Disney+”

The Jonas Brothers close out their tour with a massive show in London, and all they want is to get back home to spend Christmas with their respective families. As Kevin, Joe and Nick encounter a series of missed connections and escalating obstacles, their brotherly bond is tested. All three brothers have been grappling with their roles in the band: Kevin longs to try something new, Joe reconnects with someone from his past and Nick feels the weight of decision-making responsibilities. As they encounter setback after setback trying to get home before the holiday, the brothers learn to tap into the Christmas spirit and reconnect with each other in this family movie, featuring brand new original songs and special celebrity guests.

Joy To The World

Stream it now in Apps > Disney+ or just say “Disney+”

Lifestyle guru Joy Edwards (Emmanuelle Chriqui, Entourage) – whose cookbooks feature her perfect home life and family – is horrified when a TV network decides to film Christmas dinner at her fabled, but fabricated, country home. Now, she must recruit her best friend Max (Chad Michael Murray, One Tree Hill) to pose as her fake husband for the cameras – but they both discover something real along the way.

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