Holiday movies are an escapist bunch, but this season, reality has a way of peeking through the cracks. Of course, the stories continue to have happy resolutions — don’t worry, the Grinch still doesn’t win — but instead of glittery princesses, mindless consumption and oblivious displays of wealth, we see people who struggle to live up to expectations or throw themselves into ludicrous schemes to pay their bills. It’s not like the British master of misery Mike Leigh is lurking around, but the tinsel feels a little more earned.
Below you will find most of the new movies available on major streamers at the time of publication, in alphabetical order.
‘Champagne Problems’
The France in Netflix movies and series tends to be as fantastical as the imaginary Aldovia and Montenaro, and so it goes in this surprisingly pleasant rom-com. Sydney Price (Minka Kelly) has been dispatched to Paris to finalize the purchase of a legacy Champagne house. On her very first day she falls for a dashing local, Henri (Tom Wozniczka), then learns that he is the heir of the family brand she’s trying to buy. “What are the chances?” Sydney’s sister (Maeve Courtier-Lilley) wonders, voicing viewers’ thoughts. Kelly is a little on the bland side but the French cast picks up the slack and helps turn the movie into a bubbly bauble. The money scene, however, comes courtesy of a German potential buyer (Flula Borg) who passionately argues on behalf of his countryman Hans Gruber in “Die Hard.”
‘Jingle Bell Heist’
Even though she moved to London for cheaper health care, Sophia (Olivia Holt) must still find a pile of cash to fast-track her mother’s cancer treatment. Meanwhile, the security specialist Nick (Connor Swindells) needs funds to rebuild his life and remain connected to his young daughter, who is raised by her mother. Sophia and Nick team up to steal the personal stash of a crooked department-store owner, Maxwell Sterling (Peter Serafinowicz) around Christmas time. A caper with shades of romantic comedy, “Jingle Bell Heist” does not have the zip required by these two genres, but there are enough mildly amusing scenes to keep a properly egg-nogged viewer invested.
‘Joy to the World’
Joy (Emmanuelle Chriqui) is an influencer monetizing her dream home life in numerous best-sellers — except that it is literally a dream, as she lives alone and fabricated an entire family. How she got away with those elaborate lies for so long defies credibility, but Joy looks about to depart the luck club: She must host a televised Christmas dinner with her husband and children. So she casts friends, neighbors, employees and semi-random strangers as her family for the cameras’ benefit. The always game Chad Michael Murray, who so memorably doffed his shirt in “The Merry Gentlemen” last year, turns up as Joy’s husband-for-hire, and his nonchalant charm and immaculate hair lighten up an otherwise average film.
‘A Merry Little Ex-Mas’
Kate (Alicia Silverstone) and Everett (Oliver Hudson) have separated after years of marriage, and by the time of their first Christmas apart in their quaint Vermont town, he is already rebounding with the younger glamour-puss Tess (Jameela Jamil). Kate then begins flirting with the goofy himbo Chet (Pierson Fode) to get back at her supposedly estranged hubby. Hudson has the slightly concerned look of an actor who doesn’t quite understand what he signed up for, and even Silverstone can’t cover for Kate’s uptight ways. Fortunately the very funny Chet and Everett’s sweet dads (Geoffrey Owens and Derek McGrath) pop up often enough to enliven the proceedings.
‘My Secret Santa’
It’s bad enough that Taylor (Alexandra Breckenridge, from “Virgin River”) loses her job right before the holidays, but then she discovers she needs to find a tidy sum to pay for the snowboard academy her daughter (Madison MacIsaac) dreams of attending. Taylor dresses as a man to land a Clausplaying gig at the local ski lodge, and soon her Santa becomes a local celebrity. As if this weren’t tricky enough, she gets cozy with the owner’s wastrel son, Matthew (Ryan Eggold), who has just been hired as general manager. The movie is marred by its casting the hard-working Natasha (Tia Mowry), who was unjustly passed over for the executive job, as a villain. Thankfully a course correction happens just in time, and Breckenridge’s sunny energy does the rest.
‘Merry Little Mystery’
Stream it on the Roku Channel.
The cozy mystery is a thriving, violence-free subgenre in which solving a case takes a backseat to the shenanigans of colorful characters like retired librarians and competitive knitters — or their pets. The holiday cozy pushes the gentleness even further, as illustrated in this Roku Channel offering in which Natasha (Jordin Sparks) takes on her late grandfather’s mantle as the Candy Cane Santa, a secret benefactor who delivers gifts to families in need. The only suspense is whether a journalist (Keon Alexander) hot on the mysterious do-gooder’s tail will expose Natasha. Which is to say that there is no suspense at all, and that’s how we like it at this time of year.
‘Oh. What. Fun.’
Stream it on Amazon Prime Video.
If there’s one stuffed stocking this year, it’s Michael Showalter’s entry in the holiday sweepstakes. Claire (Michelle Pfeiffer) is the kind of person who starts preparing for Christmas on Jan. 1 and doesn’t seem to mind that nobody raises a finger to help. But when her family leaves her behind on a group outing, she finally cracks. Showalter (a creator of the “Wet Hot American Summer” franchise) milks the comedy for all it’s worth thanks to a grade-A cast that includes Denis Leary as Claire’s husband; Felicity Jones, Chloë Grace Moretz and Dominic Sessa as their children; Jason Schwartzman as their son-in-law; and Eva Longoria as Claire’s favorite talk-show host. “Oh. What. Fun.” may be a thank-you note to all the moms who keep the holiday trains running on time, but it avoids sappiness to focus on the funny.
‘Tinsel Town’
Rent or buy it on major platforms.
As his action franchise, “Killing Time,” comes to an end and his fed-up agent casts him off because he is a rude, entitled jerk, Brad (Kiefer Sutherland) must take a seasonal job in a British staging of “Cinderella.” But it’s not just any gig: It’s a pantomime, a holiday tradition heavily reliant on drag, reconfigured pop songs, broad jokes, audience participation and stars making fun of themselves (which is where Brad comes in). Chris Foggin’s movie is a handy introduction to panto for American viewers, even if it would have been nice to see more of that “Cinderella.” Rebel Wilson plays it straight as the show’s choreographer but the most sneakily enjoyable thing here is watching Sutherland tries his darnedest to be funny, and not always succeed — Brad’s story might hit a little close to home, which of course adds a pinch of spice to the sugar.
‘Tyler Perry’s Finding Joy’
Stream it on Amazon Prime Video.
Not only does a woman named Joy find joy, but here Tyler Perry also gives us a man who finds both Joy and joy. This Joy (Shannon Thornton, from “P-Valley”) is a New York fashion designer whose boss, Pat-Treek (Eric Stanton Betts), steals her ideas. Having gone to Colorado on a fool’s errand, the distraught Joy ends up in a frozen lake — happily, Perry doesn’t skimp on the outré plot developments. She is rescued by Ridge (Tosin Morohunfola), who has abs sculpted out of bronze, a voice like hot fudge and the wounded soul of a true romantic. A major step is when he frees her from the outhouse toilet onto which she got stuck by the freezing cold. From there, it is completely inevitable that these two hotties will end up together. Well done, Tyler Perry.
‘A Very Jonas Christmas Movie’
This ridiculously entertaining Disney original joins a long line of pop mockumentaries starring real bands in versions of themselves, from “A Hard Day’s Night” to the now-cult “Spice World.” Joe, Kevin and Nick Jonas have barely wrapped up a tour in London (superfan Will Ferrell is in the audience) when they start bickering. To force them to rediscover their brotherly bond, Santa (Jesse Tyler Ferguson) meddles in the trio’s trip back to the United States for Christmas. The director Jessica Yu keeps things moving as the stars get hit by one ludicrous predicament after another. The highlight has got to be when Andrew Barth Feldman and Nick fight-duet on a number from “Home Alone: The Musical.” It’s a made-up show but now I really want to see it. Please, Santa, make it happen!
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