Spending time with your family during the holidays is good. Spending time with the three Disney-bred pop-star brothers you’ve adored since you downloaded “Hold On” to your iPod all those years ago is even better. That’s why A Very Jonas Christmas Movie—which has been streaming on Disney+ since Nov. 14—has turned out to be this season’s most delectable small-screen holiday movie treat. Picture Planes, Trains and Automobiles, only with pop stars stranded in Europe. Not only is it full of frothy goodness, but the movie also joyfully leans into mid-aughts nostalgia. And it’s more tongue-in-cheek than a traditional Hallmark Channel movie.
Not that the plot really matters, but here goes: After their world tour ends in London a few days before Christmas, Nick, Joe and Kevin Jonas are eager to fly back to New York and hang with their loved ones. They’re in their 30s. They’re dads. They want R&R. Peace out. Enter Santa Claus (Jesse Tyler Ferguson), who senses some sibling tension and, um, blows up their travel plans—literally. Stranded in London, the Jonases must work together to get home. Along the way, they sing and dance and bond and spot a few familiar faces.
But that description doesn’t really do this movie justice, which is why springing for a Disney+ subscription is worth it if you don’t have one already. Here, we’re making a list about why A Very Jonas Christmas Movie jingle-bell rocks and why watching it with your fam should be your new Christmas tradition.
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1. An A-lister is the opening act
We might as well start with the inspired first scene, which features an unlikely celebrity JoBros super-fan. Playing a hyped-up version of himself, Will Ferrell is pumped for the big London concert—but he’s not at all pleased that his wife, Viveca Paulin, and their three teen sons aren’t taking this momentous occasion as seriously as they should be. Spoiler alert: This isn’t the last you’ll see of Will Ferrell in the flick.
2. The brothers are super self-aware …
The Jonas Brothers are just like any other family in that they can get away with taking digs at one another. Only in this case, the barbs have also been cultivated among their fans and in the media. Joe to Nick: “You’re the uptight responsible one.” Kevin to Joe: “You’re the relatable tramp.” Nick to Kevin: “You’re the world’s … most unlikely rock star.” (Responds Kevin, “I was going to say ‘handsome, relatable everyman,’ but fine.'”)
Nick also snipes early on about how the former teen trio have evolved into “three extremely exhausted dads in our 30s.” Ha! It’s funny because it’s true. Sigh.
3. … and they’re really sweet together
Truth: Though the Jonas Brothers have been acting since a guest-starring appearance on a Hannah Montana episode in 2007—and have been selling out their Jonas20 concert tour since 2024—they actually haven’t shared the screen like this since their 2019 documentary Chasing Happiness. So it truly is heartwarming to see them yuk it up together, especially during such a transitional stage in their lives. (Wait until you see them letting loose riding in the back of a truck.) All these years later, they still share a naturally fun and engaging chemistry.
4. Kenny G. makes a cameo
Nick, Joe and Kevin aren’t the only musicians in London ahead of the holidays. During their musical performance of the finger-snapping “Coming Home This Christmas,” the brothers stop singing for a brief mid-song instrumental interlude. And none other than famed smooth jazz artist Kenny G. himself provides the sax solo. (His curls made the overseas trip too!) Though he doesn’t say a word, the Grammy winner aptly lets his music do the talking. Perfect.
5. There’s a hilarious Home Alone tribute scene
Call it the next best thing to Macauley Culkin showing up in a red sweater. In Amsterdam, Nick has an unexpected meetup with a former co-star (played by Andrew Barth Feldman) from their fictional Broadway show, Home Alone: The Musical. In the most LOL-worthy scene of A Very Jonas Christmas Movie, these two rivals—Feldman cheerfully tells a crowd that Nick played his onstage dad—take their competitiveness to the next level with a rendition of their showstopping duet, “Home Alone.”
To repeat: This is a fake musical. But it really needs to happen.
6. It’s only 80 minutes
Look, the brothers get it: You’re swamped with office parties and to-do lists. Those presents aren’t going to wrap themselves. And the kids’ attention spans are shot, thanks to YouTube Shorts. So they’ve gifted us with a fast-paced, mercifully breezy confection that will get you in and out without a single wasted scene. By the time a lovelorn travel agent (Billie Lourd) tries to salvage the brothers’ holiday plans, we’re already more than one-third of the way there! You’ll thank them once you realize that the new Avatar movie is (gulp) three hours and 15 minutes.
7. Their love for their real families is on full display
Sure, the cameos are fun. (We didn’t even begin to mention all of them.) But this movie thrives on the closeness of the Jonas clan—and watching Kevin, Nick and Joe in proud girl-dad mode is beyond irresistible. During their international journey, Kevin’s wife, Danielle Jonas, and their daughters, Alena and Valentina, as well as Nick’s wife, actress Priyanka Chopra Jonas, and their daughter, Malti Marie, all appear via charming FaceTime calls. And in the closing moments, Joe’s daughters, Willa and Delphine, enter the picture (mom is ex Sophie Turner). Even the Jonas parents—Denise and Kevin Sr.—as well as “Bonus Jonas” Frankie Jonas get in on the festivities. What can we say? We’re suckers for family bonding, especially when it’s served up JoBro style.
As for those promised ab scenes, we don’t want to spoil anything, but let’s just say Joe Joans fans won’t be disappointed. And it gives you one more reason to subscribe to Disney+ and watch the film!
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