Catch Down for the Count on Netflix this Christmas!
We're thrilled to announce that Down for the Count appear in a new Netflix Christmas movie, Jingle Bell Heist.
Callum Gillies (vocals), Mike Paul-Smith (band leader/piano) and 10 other Down for the Count musicians appear in the movie, released on Netflix in late November 2025.
Director Michael Fimognari saw Down for the Count perform back in 2023 at London's Cadogan Hall, and liked what he saw.
He invited Mike to put together a band to appear in the film, with Callum as a featured vocalist. Mike is credited as "Gala Conductor" and Callum as "Gala Crooner".
(If you're interested, it's Callum's vocal that you hear on the film. It's not actually the rest of the band playing on the film soundtrack – that's our next goal!)
Both Mike and Callum now have credits on IMDb, and are currently working on their speeches for Best Supporting Actor at the 2026 Academy Awards.
Check the film out on Netflix now!
About the film:
Two down-on-their-luck hourly workers team up to rob a posh London department store on Christmas Eve. Will they steal each other's hearts along the way?
Jingle Bell Heist stars Connor Swindells (SAS: Rogue Heroes, Emma), Peter Serafinowicz (Guardians of the Galaxy, The Peter Serafinowicz Show), and Lucy Punch (Motherland, Amandaland).
It is currently rated "73% fresh" on Rotten Tomatoes, which is mighty fresh indeed. Film reviewer Liz Kocan at Decider said, "Jingle Bell Heist has it all... a breezy and fun holiday romp."
About the author
Mike Paul-Smith is the musical director of Down for the Count. He formed the band in 2005 and since then has directed them for performances at Ronnie Scott's Jazz Club, Cadogan Hall London, Glasgow Royal Concert Hall, The London Jazz Festival, Twinwood Festival, and at countless other theatre and jazz club shows.
