Bad Santa (2003)

There aren't many movie Santas out there who will kick a reindeer to pieces, have sex with women in dressing rooms, beat up a teenager, drink on the job or drop constant f-bombs.



Bad Santa presents it's Santa in this exact way, and it is hilarious. Willie T. Soke is a depressed, drunk, unkempt, foul mouthed Santa played by the always amazing Billy Bob Thornton, and his character stays like this throughout the entire movie. There is no happy ending, and it's a fitting ending for the character.

Willie and his partner in crime, a dwarf called Marcus (Tony Cox), annually get gigs working as Santa and an elf. They always hide in the store after it has closed and break into the safe. This time however, the store's head of security, played by Bernie Mac, is on to them and wants a cut.

A child who sits on Willie's lap ends up obsessing over him and follows him around everywhere. He is desperately lonely and, despite knowing that Willie isn't Santa, calls him Santa and treats him like Santa. You'd have expected this sweet kid to create some positivity for Willie and redeem him. But he doesn't, and Willie ends up living at his house with him and his nana who is looking after him whilst his dad is 'away'. Only we know that he is in prison, something the poor kid will never realise. The only redeeming quality we see is that he starts to care slightly for the kid. By the way the kid's name is Thurman Merman.



I love this movie because, for one, it's hilarious. Willie's attitude to his job is exactly how many of us imagine we would act if we had to work as a Santa, but wouldn't have it in us or have the balls to give that less of a shit. It makes absolutely no compromises and takes no prisoners and leaves us with an original, fresh take on a movie Santa.



Whilst every other Christmas film is all about being good, learning the true meaning of Christmas, helping others and all that cliche stuff, Bad Santa stands alone as it just basically shits all over that goodness and gifts us a main character who is just a massive asshole and we have absolutely no reason to root for him at all. However I rooted for him the whole way through. I love a bit of a bastard character. There is a Bad Santa 2 which I am yet to watch, however I doubt it will be able to match up to the prequel. If you haven't seen Bad Santa then what the hell are you doing with your life?!