Review of Bad Santa (2003) by Russell G — 04 Jan 2016
This is not just the usual edgy comedy; it is completely irreverent. When juxtaposed with the good nature of a Christmas movie you get some bold moments that are not for everyone. Indeed, Billy Bob Thornton is downright nasty as he plays a self-loathing drunk crook with no moral boundaries.
Billy Bob is simply perfect for the role. He breaks your heart as he stumbles around drunk in a Santa suit, yelling at kids, and stealing from anyone he can. In the strangest of story twists, a naïve, even stupid, kid who believes he is the real Santa offers him food, shelter and friendship.
The bad Santa takes advantage of him, uses him and cares nothing for him most of the movie. It seems cruel and is a little hard to watch. In the true spirit of Christmas, there is some semblance of a caring human in him, and it becomes a comical semi-redeeming story.
It does dig a deeper and darker hole than you might guess before coming back to the light. A strong supporting cast, including Bernie Mac, John Ritter, Lauren Graham, and Tony Cox help make the movie.
Lauren Graham and her Santa fetish is memorable to say the least. There are plenty of off-putting dark moments but there are good laughs too.
This review of Bad Santa (2003) was written by Russell G on 04 Jan 2016.
Bad Santa has generally received positive reviews.
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