I can’t believe I’m saying this. But the Jonas Brothers may have just saved Christmas
In A Very Jonas Christmas Movie, Kevin, Joe and Nick Jonas are exhausted as they finish up another lengthy tour together. With only two days left before Christmas, they can’t wait to go their separate ways and get home to their families for the holidays. However, when an unexpected encounter with a mystical being highlights the tensions between them, a Christmas spell makes their return home to New York magically difficult, forcing them to work out their differences along the way.
In Very Jonas, the boys (or is that ‘grown men’?) offer an unexpected gift this holiday season. Directed by Jessica Yu, the trio tap into multiple Christmas classics but reinvent them to make them all their own. This is a film that knows all the tropes from past holiday classics and goes for them unabashedly and unashamedly. References to Home Alone and Love, Actually tap into the nostalgia of classic holiday favourites. Meanwhile, delayed travel plans, unexpected romance, and magic from Santa all feel like pieces of Christmas specials of days-gone-by. Even so, Very Jonas owns it completely. (“It feels like getting stuck on the way home for Christmas is the plot of every movie,” we’re told.) In doing so, Yu gives her audience the necessary holiday wistfulness like a cup of hot cocoa next to a roaring fire.
At the same time, Very Jonas doesn’t overdose on Christmas sweetness either. Fueled by strong writing, the humour here flies fast and furious. Featuring a surprisingly strong script, the film bounces along with rapid-fire absurdity that ranges from ‘thirst trap’ pilots to Uber drivers who can’t use Waze (sorry… ‘wah-zay’…) properly. Cameos by Randall Park, Andrea Martin (!), Jesse Tyler Ferguson and more keep the film blissfully silly and never outstay their welcome. (Any film opening with Will Ferrell as a Jonas superfan is definitely heading in the right direction.)
Similarly, the film does an excellent job of embedding that same playfulness in its musical numbers. Songs about the ‘best night ever’, coming home for Christmas (Kenny G!) and a fantastically funny tune from the Home Alone musical (yes, it’s fictional) all maintain a sense of ridiculousness that balances out the more serious numbers.
As such, Very Jonas’ style and silliness make the film’s overused holiday tropes feel oddly fresh. To quote the film, Very Jonas feels like “an old favourite sweater and yet a new pair of shoes that you can’t wait to break in.”
Of course, the draw here are the Jonases (?) themselves. After twenty years (!) in the spotlight together, the brothers show impeccable timing in their banter. They are delightfully self-deprecating, playing off of their personal foibles and real-life journeys. They harp on Joe for being a ‘playboy’ and Kevin for not taking life seriously enough. Nick is burnt out from touring and simply wants to get back to his family. They’re shown here as musical superstars who are struggling to keep their normal lives in tact.
After all, as the brothers remind us, they’re not ‘boys’ anymore and, at the age of 36, they are no longer mere Disney princes. Instead, they’re grown men who would (mostly) rather stay in for the evening than head out to the club. (With this in mind, parents should know that some of the humour is more PG-13 than one might expect. Still great for families… but just be aware.)
Yet it’s that spirit of family that taps into the soul of Very Jonas. This is a film that taps into their spirit as brothers and the natural tensions that can come alongside of working with siblings. They enjoy playing together but too much time together can create unspoken stresses. They all have lives and cannot wait to go their separate ways. As a result, that magic they have together has been lost.
And only a Christmas spell can help them find it again.
On this level, there isn’t a lot of depth to Very Jonas. Even so, the film’s focus on rediscovering the joy of their family connects deeply with the soul of the season. Their journey back together may be non-sensical at times but its spirit is so earnest that one can’t help but be charmed by it. (Credit must also be given to the Jonas clan for making this a full-on family affair, including their real-life spouses, siblings and parents, giving the film a more ‘real-life’ feeling.)
But all of that adds up to Christmas movie perfection. (And, frankly, it’s a great example of solid content for streaming as well.) Silly and sincere, joyful and jolly, A Very Jonas Christmas Movie hits all the expected holiday moments yet also does so with Santa’s winking eye, making it the most unexpectedly gleeful gift of the season.
A Very Jonas Christmas Movie is available on Disney+ on Friday, November 14th, 2025.
