Son of a nutcracker! It’s the great Christmas film guide 2025

Here are all the best movies to watch over the holidays – from favourites like Elf and Paddington to the latest from Mission: Impossible and Knives Out. Plus, two of the sexiest films ever made

‘Astonishing’: how Stanley Baxter’s TV extravaganzas reached 20 million

The Scottish star used his exceptional gift for impersonations to create genre-mashing specials that were as epic as the Hollywood films they parodied. He was a perfectionist performer with huge talent

Actor and comedian Stanley Baxter dies aged 99

Baxter enjoyed a decades-spanning career on radio, TV and film, and was famous for impersonating famous people including Queen Elizabeth II

Horror hit Paranormal Activity spawns a West End play – and even its director yelped with fear

Inspired by the scary film franchise, playwright Levi Holloway and Punchdrunk maestro Felix Barrett are bringing the ‘bizarrely joyous’ world of terror to the stage

‘I lived out moments of my mother’s passing I never saw’: Kate Winslet on grief, going red and Goodbye June

For her directorial debut, Winslet assembled a cast including Toni Collette, Timothy Spall, Johnny Flynn and Andrea Riseborough to tell a story inspired by her own family’s bereavement. The actors talk mourning, immortality and hospital vending machines

Liam Neeson denies anti-vax views after narrating Covid documentary

Taken star lends his voice to a film that questions the legitimacy of vaccines and includes interview with RFK Jr

Sophie Kinsella obituary

Author whose Shopaholic series of romcom novels were global bestsellers and adapted into a Hollywood film

Amanda Seyfried says she will not apologise for calling Charlie Kirk ‘hateful’ after his shooting

The Housemaid actor received backlash in September when she left a comment on Instagram after the rightwing activist was killed

Silent Night, Deadly Night review – killer Santa remake is overstuffed

There are too many competing and overfamiliar ideas in this busy slasher reboot that’s sorely lacking in style

Daniel Woodrell obituary

Author of ‘country noir’ novels, such as Winter’s Bone, set in the rural communities of the Ozark mountains

Goodbye June review – Kate Winslet’s Christmas heartwarmer is like a two-hour John Lewis ad

Star turns from Helen Mirren, Andrea Riseborough and Toni Colette can’t stop cartoony sentimentality smothering this film directed by Winslet and written by her son Joe Anders

Never be honest in Hollywood – even if you’re Quentin Tarantino

Success doesn’t mean you can speak your mind – and criticizing Paul Dano is like kicking a bunny at a birthday party

Disney to invest $1bn in OpenAI, allowing characters in Sora video tool

Agreement comes amid anxiety in Hollywood over impact of AI on the industry, expression and rights of creators

A stiff dose of ‘weak sauce’: Paul Dano’s best films – ranked!

After Quentin Tarantino’s unfavourable comments about the actor’s performance in films including There Will Be Blood, we run through the roles that show just how potent he really is

Jennifer Lawrence and Josh Hutcherson to return for latest Hunger Games instalment

Currently in production the second prequel in the series, Sunrise on the Reaping, will likely feature the married couple ‘in a flash-forward’