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Jingle Bell Heist

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Jingle Bell Heist
Release poster
Directed byMichael Fimognari
Screenplay by
Story byAbby McDonald
Produced byMatt Kaplan
Starring
CinematographyMichael Fimognari
Edited byJeffrey M. Werner
Music bySteve Hackman[1]
Production
companies
  • ACE Entertainment
  • TeaShop Films
Distributed byNetflix
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.

Just before Christmas two strangers, Sophie 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

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Sophie juggles two jobs and small thefts to care for her mother, who has cancer. 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 for theft, Nick uses the footage to pressure Sophie into helping him rob the store’s secure locker.

When their attempted heist turns up empty, Sophie learns the guard has been scapegoated and discovers that owner Maxwell Sterling keeps £500,000 in a private safe. Desperate to fund her mother’s treatment, she convinces Nick to go after that instead. To open the safe, they need a key fob kept by Sterling’s estranged wife Cynthia. At the holiday party, Nick approaches her—only for Cynthia to reveal she knows their plan and wants in.

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

Before Nick and Sophie can escape with the money, they’re confronted by a security guard, whom Sophie 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 and avenge Nick and other wronged employees.

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

Cast

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  • Olivia Holt as Sophie
  • Connor Swindells as Nick
  • Lucy Punch as Cynthia Sterling
  • Peter Serafinowicz as Maxwell Sterling
  • Poppy Drayton as Brianna
  • Natasha Joseph as Rita
  • Michael Salami as Ralph
  • Belal Sabir as Ali Zafar
  • Jess Lloyd-Jones as Lulu
  • Mariah Louca as Lori
  • Ellie Nunn as Bethany
  • James Dryden as Leo Stein
  • Alana-Star Khan as Maddie
  • Chyna-Rose Frederick as Matilda
  • Nicola Alexis as Diane
  • Ed Kear as Eddie Morris
  • Ada Player as Lilly
  • Homer Todiwala as Detective Jones
  • Brooke Henzell as Samantha Warren
  • Des Fleming as Dr. Wilson
  • Ray Keith as Kabir

Production

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Development

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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

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

Release

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

Reception

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On the review aggregator website Rotten Tomatoes, 75% of 20 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

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  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 10, 2025.
  10. ^ "Jingle Bell Heist". Metacritic. Fandom, Inc. Retrieved November 28, 2025.
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