My ranking of Netflix’s newest Christmas movies

We may not be in December yet, but Netflix’s cheesy Christmas movie season has kicked off already, snowing down an array of improbable rom-com shenanigans upon us.

Having offered up Lindsay Lohan, topless magical snowmen and a topless troupe of male dancers led by Chad Michael Murray in 2024, 2025’s roster of talent includes Alicia Silverstone, Minka Kelly and Sex Education and Barbie star Connor Swindells…

And yes, a topless firefighting scene too, obviously.

This year’s slate comprises of A Merry Little Ex-Mas, Champagne Problems, Jingle Bell Heist and My Secret Santa.

But which of these new flicks are worthy of your time, whether for an enjoyably brainless 90-odd minutes of winding down – or even perhaps a repeat slot in your annual festive viewing schedule?

Read on for my thoughts, as they’re released – and as I have time to watch them (hey, it would be nice to live in a world where this was all I had to do in a day). I’m ranking them as we go, tweaking the order, so check back again when they’re all out.

A Merry Little Ex-Mas

Currently, this is the best of the bunch in my eyes.

It has a different vibe to the lighter, full-on glossy affairs with its focus on older characters and an established relationship that’s in trouble – I was actually pleasantly surprised from the off as it starts with an animated explainer at the beginning to catch you up on the protagonist’s life.

Although, lest you think this is particularly serious, this is also the film that has a character strip to his underwear while attempting to fight an indoor fire, as you do.

Starring Alicia Silverstone, Oliver Hudson, Jameela Jamil, Pierson Fodé and Melissa Joan Hart, A Merry Little Ex-Mas follows Kate (Silverstone) and Everett (Hudson) as they attempt to quietly divorce after drifting apart over the years.

However, their plans to enjoy one last family Christmas together with their young adult kids is thrown off course when Everett’s glamorous new girlfriend (Jamil) unexpectedly arrives.

Jamil is simply playing another take on the snooty-but-kooky Brit like her character Tahani in The Good Place, but she does do it pretty well – and is also, thank God, actually British. It’s the same for Kate’s daughter Sienna’s (Emily Hall) boyfriend, a Harry Potter tour guide played with panto levels of broadness by Timothy Innes.

But I must say, while Silverstone and Hudson are impressive gets for this type of Netflix fare – and provide decent performances – it’s Fodé who steals the show as the town’s ‘everyjobber’ Chet.

He also woos older woman Kate with an endearing glee, truly delighting in his role in the same way he did in The Wrong Paris earlier this year.

It’s still not the most original premise, but A Merry Little Ex-Mas does boast a script better than the bare minimum. It’s exploration of family drama is a little bit different to the norm too, without straying into territory too deep, which would – of course – rather defeat its purpose as a Netflix Christmas movie.

My rating: 3/5 cheddars on my Christmas cheeseboard

Champagne Problems

Champagne Problems is more of the usual frothy fare when it comes to a Netflix festive rom-com – you get Paris at Christmastime and some fun supporting characters.

It’s the perfect film to watch while ironing, folding laundry or decorating the tree, i.e. not at all taxing on the brain – and while that seems faint praise, would I watch it again? Yes, absolutely.

I was largely mesmerised by leading man Tom Wozniczka (Slow Horses), oozing effortless French charisma as an avid reader wanting to open a bookshop that also serves wine (sign me up immediately, to both him and that).

Minka Kelly (also seen in Netflix’s Ransom Canyon) twinkles just about enough too as business executive Sydney, sent to Paris to acquire a famous champagne brand for her company.

On the one night off she promises her sister she’ll take while there, they enjoy a meet-cute and a… rendezvous (although demurely cut away from so we can watch some fountain statues getting hot and heavy instead).

The next morning it turns out he’s the champagne heir and very sceptical of Sydney’s employer thanks to their cut-throat reputation.

It’s the standard comedy of errors and misunderstandings, and Riley from The Twilight Saga: Eclipse (Samuel Xavier) even pops up as Sydney’s work nemesis – you just know a serious businessman with that many highlights in his hair is bad news.

Sydney is a bland protagonist, but functions well as a cipher through which any viewer can enjoy the romance they too deserve with a sexy Frenchman.

For our sakes, Champagne Problems happily gorges itself on all the Parisian tropes like copious shots of the Eiffel Tower, enough outdoor lighting to be seen from space and knowing French hotel staff who roll their eyes and laugh at the ‘adorable’ shenanigans of the heroine.

But that’s fine, it’s giving us what we want as well as some unexpected additions – that Die Hard line had no right to go as hard as it did.

My rating: 2.5/5 cheddars on my Christmas cheeseboard

Still to come…

Jingle Bell Heist and My Secret Santa – which is out on December 3 – so don’t forget to come back and see where they finish up in my final ranking.

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