Christmas 2026 at the cinema: what's worth seeing? (critics vs audiences)
Every big film opening in UK cinemas from November to Christmas Day 2026, with its Spore Score: The Pros (critics) and The Punters (audiences) combined, each review site's habits ironed out. No score means no reviews yet: we don't guess. Scores fill in here as the reviews arrive (the page updates every few hours; last update 15 November 2026). 13 of 26 films scored so far, 13 waiting.
Big one: Avengers: Doomsday vs Dune: Part Three, both out on 18 December 2026.
Worth seeing so far
- It's a Wonderful Life: Spore Score 95, Must-see, The Pros 94 vs The Punters 100 · in UK cinemas 11 December 2026
- Minotaur: Spore Score 94, Must-see, The Pros 97 vs The Punters 83 · in UK cinemas 27 November 2026
- Wild Horse Nine: Spore Score 87, Must-see, The Pros 86 vs The Punters 92 · in UK cinemas 6 November 2026
- La Bola Negra: Spore Score 86, Must-see, The Pros 83 vs The Punters 95 · in UK cinemas 6 November 2026
- Fjord: Spore Score 85, Must-see, The Pros 85 vs The Punters 84 · in UK cinemas 13 November 2026
- Godzilla Minus Zero: Spore Score 83, Must-see, The Pros 82 vs The Punters 85 · in UK cinemas 6 November 2026
- Arthur Christmas: Spore Score 78, Worth a watch, The Pros 79 vs The Punters 74 · in UK cinemas 20 November 2026
- Ebenezer: Spore Score 59, Hit and miss, The Pros 52 vs The Punters 71 · in UK cinemas 13 November 2026
UK release dates and scores
| UK release | Film | Spore Score | Pros vs Punters |
|---|---|---|---|
| 6 November 2026 | Wild Horse Nine | 87 Must-see | 86 vs 92 |
| 6 November 2026 | Godzilla Minus Zero | 83 Must-see | 82 vs 85 |
| 6 November 2026 | I Play Rocky | Waiting for reviews | |
| 6 November 2026 | Merry Christmas Aubrey Flint | Waiting for reviews | |
| 6 November 2026 | La Bola Negra | 86 Must-see | 83 vs 95 |
| 13 November 2026 | Ebenezer | 59 Hit and miss | 52 vs 71 |
| 13 November 2026 | Fjord | 85 Must-see | 85 vs 84 |
| 13 November 2026 | How to Rob a Bank | 50 Hit and miss | 50 vs 50 |
| 13 November 2026 | The Mosquito Bowl (Netflix) | 51 Hit and miss | 48 vs 62 |
| 20 November 2026 | The Hunger Games: Sunrise on the Reaping | Waiting for reviews | |
| 20 November 2026 | You Can See Everything | Waiting for reviews | |
| 20 November 2026 | Arthur Christmas (re-release) | 78 Worth a watch | 79 vs 74 |
| 25 November 2026 | Focker-in-Law | Waiting for reviews | |
| 27 November 2026 | Hexed (Disney) | Waiting for reviews | |
| 27 November 2026 | Minotaur | 94 Must-see | 97 vs 83 |
| 4 December 2026 | Violent Night 2 | Waiting for reviews | |
| 4 December 2026 | The Cat in the Hat | 58 Hit and miss | 51 vs 71 |
| 4 December 2026 | Behemoth! | Waiting for reviews | |
| 11 December 2026 | It's a Wonderful Life (re-release) | 95 Must-see | 94 vs 100 |
| 11 December 2026 | The Holiday (re-release) | 59 Hit and miss | 56 vs 71 |
| 11 December 2026 | Onslaught | 53 Hit and miss | 62 vs 35 |
| 18 December 2026 | Avengers: Doomsday | Waiting for reviews | |
| 18 December 2026 | Dune: Part Three | Waiting for reviews | |
| 23 December 2026 | Jumanji: Open World | Waiting for reviews | |
| 24 December 2026 | King | Waiting for reviews | |
| 25 December 2026 | The Angry Birds Movie 3 | Waiting for reviews |
UK release dates from Screen Daily: UK & Ireland film cinema release dates 2026, checked 3 November 2026. Dates can move; each film page has the latest.
Streaming picks for Christmas
Staying in? The year's big films that are now on UK streaming:
- Wicked: For Good: Netflix UK (since 20 July 2026); also Sky Cinema and NOW (since 10 July 2026). Spore Score 71, The Pros 64 vs The Punters 78 (Digital Spy)
- Avatar: Fire and Ash: Disney+ (since 24 June 2026). Spore Score 70, The Pros 67 vs The Punters 75 (Disney+)
And the best-reviewed Christmas films of all time (full list: Christmas films ranked):
- The Shop Around the Corner (1940): Spore Score 97
- It's a Wonderful Life (1946): Spore Score 95
- Meet Me in St. Louis (1944): Spore Score 95
- Carol (2015): Spore Score 93
- Miracle on 34th Street (1947): Spore Score 90
- The Holdovers (2023): Spore Score 90
All UK release dates · Best films in UK cinemas this week · Spore News