“Jingle Bell Heist” follows two hourly workers who team up to rob a posh London department store on Christmas Eve.
For a movie called “Jingle Bell Heist,” the heist isn’t all that, and the jingle bells are hardly ringing.
If you go into “Jingle Bell Heist” expecting a cinematic masterpiece, you’re strongly mistaken. The movie isn’t attempting to do that. If you want a holiday film with hints of romance, comedy and crime – then that’s exactly what you’ll get.
“Jingle Bell Heist” doesn’t reinvent the wheel, but it’s at least somewhat entertaining.
Charming Pair in a Wobbly Romance
The charming leads make this possible. Olivia Holt (Sophia) and Connor Swindells (Nick) commit to their roles. Holt is more charismatic while Swindells brings a calmer energy.
Holt has found success in 2025 with “Heart Eyes” and now this. While “Jingle Bell Heist” may not accomplish as much, her performance is still noteworthy.
While both actors do their jobs well, they can’t save what isn’t there. And that’s chemistry. The love connection between Sophia and Nick feels forced… and rushed. The movie takes almost 40 minutes to establish even a hint of romance, causing the last hour to contain many unearned moments.
“Jingle Bell Heist” does have genuine attempts at character development. And it does so with several surprising revelations along the way. Despite its faults, the film still manages to establish that these are people worth rooting for.
A Playful but Uneven Holiday Blend
The film plays into its cheesy nature with the editing. It utilizes iris transitions, horizontal wipes, split-screen shots, quick zoom-ins and other visual tricks to maintain a playful tone. This makes “Jingle Bell Heist” feel somewhat amateur at times but also familiar to other holiday movies.
This isn’t your standard Christmas movie. It tries to play into many different genres and will likely gather some fans from each. Because of this, however, the heist isn’t all that memorable – nor the romance. Heck, even the holiday aesthetic is missing.
This makes “Jingle Bell Heist” a mixed bag. Unable to consistently balance these themes, the film often comes off as uneven.
Light Holiday Fun… With Caveats
Despite these imbalances, “Jingle Bell Heist” still moves by fairly quickly. At 96 minutes long, it gets the job done without being overbearing or offensive.
“Jingle Bell Heist” attempts to be a romance, comedy and crime movie. While this doesn’t nail any of the three tones, it somehow remains mildly entertaining. The performances and cheesy direction allow it to spread at least a little bit of holiday cheer.
Rating: 2.5 out of 5
