Review of Bad Santa (2003) by Cole W — 20 Dec 2016

Bad Santa is absolutely hilarious in fits and starts and provides a needed contrast from the typical holiday uplift films, however its plot is disjointed, random and messy with no real sense of stakes.

Billy Bob Thornton thrusts himself wholeheartedly in the title character, but he can't completely help that the film is tonally strained in between straight crude comedy and addiction drama. There are certain moments in here where the main characters instability is played so straight it erases the comedic aspect of most of the film.

The film never is quite as funny as it could be but it is a frivolous affair welcome in between viewings of Elf and It's a Wonderful Life. Rating: 57.