Jingle Bell Heist

Last updated

Jingle Bell Heist
Jingle Bell Heist poster.jpg
Release poster
Directed by Michael Fimognari
Screenplay by
Story byAbby McDonald
Produced byMatt Kaplan
Starring
CinematographyMichael Fimognari
Edited by Jeffrey M. Werner
Music bySteve Hackman [1]
Production
companies
  • ACE Entertainment
  • TeaShop Films
Distributed by Netflix
Release date
  • November 26, 2025 (2025-11-26)
Running time
96 minutes [2]
CountryUnited States
LanguageEnglish

Jingle Bell Heist is a 2025 American Christmas romantic comedy film directed by Michael Fimognari, written by Abby McDonald, and starring Olivia Holt, Connor Swindells, Lucy Punch and Peter Serafinowicz.

Contents

Just before Christmas two strangers, Sophia and Nick, team up to rob one of London's most famous department stores both to seek revenge on the owner and overcome financial difficulties.

The film was released on Netflix on November 26, 2025.

Plot

Sophia juggles two jobs and commits small thefts to care for her cancer-ridden mother. After stealing a diamond dog collar and some cash at the department store Sterlings, she’s secretly recorded by Nick, a contractor who installed the store’s security system. Recently out of prison after being framed by owner Maxwell Sterling for theft, Nick uses the footage to pressure Sophia into helping him rob the store’s secure locker.

When their attempted heist turns up empty, Sophia learns a security guard, Eddie, has been scapegoated and discovers that Sterling keeps £500,000 in a private safe. Desperate to fund her mother’s treatment, she convinces Nick to go after that instead. After Nick fails to hack into the safe's security company servers, they go after a key fob kept by Sterling’s estranged wife, Cynthia, to open the safe. At the holiday party, Nick seemingly seduces her—only for Cynthia to reveal she knows their plan and wants in.

On Christmas Eve, Nick and Sophia break into Sterling’s office. Inside the safe, they find a second biometric lock, which opens when Sophia’s DNA unexpectedly works. She reveals that she is Sterling’s illegitimate daughter, disowned after he fired and abandoned her mother.

Before Nick and Sophia can escape with the money, they’re confronted by a security guard, whom Sophia persuades to let them go by exposing Sterling’s long-running insurance scams. Meanwhile, Sterling arrives with police—only to find the items he actually stole planted in his own safe. Cynthia had orchestrated this twist to take over the company, which also avenges Nick and other wronged employees.

Sterling is arrested, Nick and Eddie are cleared, and Cynthia pays Sophia and Nick enough to resolve their financial struggles. Sophia’s mother receives treatment, Nick gets his own place to be closer to his daughter, and Sophia and Nick begin a relationship. The film closes with a warm Christmas dinner shared by their families. [3] [4]

Cast

Production

Development

In December 2022, Abby McDonald's screenplay Jingle Bell Heist was revealed to be included on that year's "Black List" of most-liked unproduced screenplays. [5] The film is produced by Matt Kaplan for ACE Entertainment, and directed by Michael Fimognari. [6]

Filming

Production got underway in December 2023 with principal photography taking place in London. [7]

Release

In August 2025, it was announced that Netflix would be releasing the film on November 26, 2025. [8]

Reception

On the review aggregator website Rotten Tomatoes , 73% of 22 critics' reviews are positive. [9] Metacritic , which uses a weighted average , assigned the film a score of 58 out of 100, based on 5 critics, indicating "mixed or average" reviews. [10]

References

  1. "Steve Hackman Scoring Michael Fimognari's 'Jingle Bell Heist'". Film Music Reporter. November 18, 2025. Retrieved November 24, 2025.
  2. "Jingle Bell Heist (12)". British Board of Film Classification . November 25, 2025. Retrieved November 26, 2025.
  3. Vardhan, Harsh (November 16, 2023). "Michael Fimognari to Direct Jingle Bell Heist Next; To be Shot in London". The Cinemaholic. Retrieved December 18, 2023.
  4. Mallikarjuna, Krutika (October 8, 2025). "Everything to Know About the Holiday Movie Jingle Bell Heist". Netflix Tudum . Retrieved October 11, 2025.
  5. Fitzgerald, Toni (December 12, 2022). "The 15 Most Intriguing Scripts On The Newly Released 2022 Black List". Forbes. Retrieved December 18, 2023.
  6. Grobar, Matt (December 15, 2023). "Jingle Bell Heist': Olivia Holt, Connor Swindells & More Set For ACE Entertainment Rom-Com". Deadline Hollywood. Retrieved December 18, 2023.
  7. Zammit, Erin (December 16, 2023). "Sex Education star lands next lead movie role". Digital Spy. Retrieved December 18, 2023.
  8. "All the New Netflix Movies Coming This Fall". Netflix Tudum . August 22, 2025. Retrieved August 25, 2025.
  9. "Jingle Bell Heist". Rotten Tomatoes . Fandango Media . Retrieved December 17, 2025.
  10. "Jingle Bell Heist". Metacritic . Fandom, Inc. Retrieved November 28, 2025.