As the year slides toward its close, audiences increasingly gravitate to films that restore a sense of warmth, nostalgia, and connection. Holiday cinema holds a special place in that lineup: it’s emotional comfort food, weaving laughter, tears, hope, and sometimes redemption. In an era of streaming overload, people return to holiday films because they ground us, reminding us how much small gestures, forgiveness, and human presence still matter.
Whether you’re watching solo, snuggled with someone, or gathered in a living room full of relatives, the right holiday film can become an anchor for the season. Below are five offerings (both new and upcoming) that seem poised to deliver that emotional reset in 2025, with more depth, nuance, and heart than your standard seasonal fare.
1. Christmas Eve (2025)
Release Date: November 7, 2025 (select theaters); wide release September 2026
Stars: Kevin Sorbo, Stephen Baldwin, Sam Sorbo, Michael Irvin, Brittany Oaks, Luis Fernandez-Gil, Jordan Sanders
Director: Timothy A. Chey
Synopsis:
Christmas Eve is a sweeping ensemble drama built around eight true stories from across the globe, each centered on individuals who encountered Christ in a life-changing way on Christmas Eve. The film moves across time and place, from early 20th-century Chicago to modern Tokyo, weaving narratives of redemption, risk, faith, despair, and hope. Below are just a few of its narrative threads:
- In pre-war Chicago, an atheist doctor is visited by a mysterious young girl seeking aid for her dying mother; after a miraculous rescue, he confronts a revelation that shakes his worldview.
- In Colombia, a woman is hired by Pablo Escobar to assassinate her husband, but after a Christmas Eve church service, she experiences a conversion so real she refuses to follow through.
- In wartime Europe during WWII, American and German soldiers shelter in a widow’s cabin, confront their shared humanity, and find unexpected peace.
- Another story features a burdened Santa impersonator visiting a terminally ill child, ultimately praying for her recovery and igniting a miracle that challenges unbelief.
- Other threads include an atheist lawyer who sues to remove a church nativity scene, a grieving woman in Tokyo on the brink of suicide who finds faith, and a pastor collapsing under doubt who receives a miracle that renews his purpose.
From a critic’s perspective, the ambition is enormous and the risk just as big. The film must balance multiple tones, avoid feeling episodic, and respect the gravity of faith without becoming overt proselytism. Yet early signs are promising: the production claims to use advanced A.I. effects to stretch a faith-based large budget, and the filmmakers aim for wide theatrical distribution in 2,500 U.S. theaters next September 2026. For now, the film hits limited theaters on November 7, 2025 to wet the appetites of the faith-based crowd this Christmas.
If it succeeds, Christmas Eve could become a rare holiday film that puts faith, healing, and narrative texture at its center rather than as afterthoughts. It’s a title to watch, not just for holiday audiences, but those seeking cinema that aspires toward heart and spirit.
Christmas Eve is a blockbuster film for Christmas.
2. A Merry Little Ex-Mas (2025)
Release Date: November 12, 2025
Stars: Alicia Silverstone, Oliver Hudson, Jameela Jamil, Pierson Fodé, Melissa Joan Hart
Director: Steve Carr
Synopsis:
A Merry Little Ex-Mas is a romantic comedy with real emotional texture. Kate (Alicia Silverstone), newly separated, plans one final Christmas with her children before selling their family home and starting fresh. But her plan becomes complicated when her ex-husband, Everett (Oliver Hudson), arrives with his new girlfriend, throwing the holiday dynamic into chaos.
The film explores themes of change, memory, and reconciliation. It doesn’t pretend that family breakups are neat, rather, it leans into the messy, tender spaces where people try to honor love even amid hurt. Silverstone’s involvement as both star and executive producer suggests she cares deeply about tone, not just spectacle. The ensemble supporting cast, Jameela Jamil, Melissa Joan Hart among them, brings a mix of humor and grounded sensitivity.
From a critic’s vantage, A Merry Little Ex-Mas could be one of those holiday films that sneaks up quietly. There’s charm in its small stakes, but the real question is whether it gives its characters enough space and honesty. If it does, it may join the roster of holiday rom-coms that linger longer than expected.
Production details are modest but solid: filming took place in Toronto between February and March 2025. Netflix confirmed the global release will be on November 12, 2025.
3. Jingle Bell Heist (2025)
Release Date: November 26, 2025
Stars: Olivia Holt, Connor Swindells, Lucy Punch, Peter Serafinowicz, Poppy Drayton, others
Director: Michael Fimognari
Synopsis:
A holiday caper with heart, Jingle Bell Heist centers on two strangers, Sophia (Olivia Holt) and Nick (Connor Swindells), who discover they’re independently planning to rob the same high-end department store on Christmas Eve. Hijinks, mistaken identities, and reluctant alliances ensue, all set against the backdrop of festive decorations and seasonal urgency.
But this isn’t just about sneaking through display windows, there’s a quiet exploration of why people break, reconcile, or pivot when given a second chance during the holidays. The film leans comedic, but it gives space for characters to question their moral paths.
From a film lover’s perspective, Jingle Bell Heist may not aim for prestige, but it could be the perfect counterpoint to heavier holiday fare. For audiences who want cleverness, charm, and occasional emotional payoff, this is a title to keep on your watchlist. The cast is quirky and fun, and the script, originally from Abby McDonald, carries promise.
4. The Man with the Bag (2025)
Release date: TBD
Stars: Arnold Schwarzenegger, Alan Ritchson, Awkwafina
Director: Adam Shankman
Synopsis:
In The Man with the Bag, a small-time criminal named Jack (Alan Ritchson) finds himself drafted by Santa Claus (Arnold Schwarzenegger) after a catastrophic theft of the holiday gift sack. Tasked with saving Christmas, Jack must journey through dangerous traps, moral tests, and supernatural obstacles to restore the holiday order.
It’s Die Hard meets Elf, a mashup of action tropes and festive wonder. The dramatic tension comes from transformation: can a hardened man with rough edges rediscover innocence, generosity, or sacrifice? The film’s gamble is tonal balance, too much gritty action might undercut the holiday warmth, while overly sentimental scenes could flatten the stakes.
As a movie lover, I find this concept exciting: it has the potential to reach holiday audiences who typically avoid soapy or romantic fare. But it needs constraints, humor, pacing, and sincere character arcs, to avoid becoming chaotic. If done right, this could become a cult favorite among “action Christmas” watchers.
5. A Very Jonas Christmas Movie (2025)
Release date: Streaming November 14th
Stars: Jonas Brothers (playing versions of themselves), with supporting cast KJ Apa, Billie Lourd, Chloe Bennet and others
Director: Jessica Yu
Synopsis:
A Very Jonas Christmas Movie is a hybrid musical holiday romance in which Kevin, Joe, and Nick Jonas portray fictionalized versions of themselves navigating touring, relationship pressures, and family expectations during the festive season. The film weaves concert sequences, backstage drama, romantic tension, and holiday set-pieces into a narrative about identity, legacy, and connection.
Its meta approach, stars playing “themselves but also not themselves”, provides an entry point not just for fans but for anyone interested in creative tension. The risk is that it veers too fan-servicey; the reward is that it could transcend that trap and become a holiday musical with emotional dimension.
For the casual movie lover, this could feel like a backstage pass to holiday wonder. For the Jonas fan, it’s a gift. If it strikes the right chord, it may become a seasonal favorite for a younger generation.
Final Reflections
In 2025, holiday films can do more than tinsel and predictable arcs, they can serve as mirrors, invitations to empathy, and gentle provocations. Christmas Eve leads this pack in ambition, seeking to connect faith and grace across cultures. A Merry Little Ex-Mas offers grounded relational stakes. Jingle Bell Heist brings playful charm. The Man with the Bag and A Very Jonas Christmas Movie flirt with genre, allowing hope and transformation to live amid action or musical whimsy.
This is your holiday palette. Choose what your heart needs. Marry a heavy-feel night with a lighter one tomorrow. Laugh, tear up, hope again. Because in the end, the best holiday movie is the one that leaves you feeling just a little more human.
