“Dear Santa” opens with a brilliant premise: a boy misspells a letter to the big guy, and instead of the North Pole, it ends up in the claws of Satan. Great idea, but nothing comes even close to realizing the movie’s greatest promise. Directed by Bobby Farrelly, this Christmas comedy falls somewhere between warm and insane.
Dear Santa Storyline
A film about an 11-year-old boy with dyslexia, Liam, whose letter to Santa ends up in the hands of Satan. Chaos ensues as this 11-year-old is granted three wishes at the price of the soul as the last installment. The film has both comic moments and warm moments, which don’t blend well.
Tonal Confusion
The film keeps flip-flopping between two vastly different styles: sometimes it’s demonically wicked in its sense of humor, and sometimes family-friendlier lessons are hammered in about acceptance. Speaking, this inconsistency in tone leaves the intended audience baffled. It becomes either a dark comedy for adults or a whimsical children’s tale. In the end, it is the latter, with the film losing its edge.
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Jack Black as Satan
What’s disappointing, however, is that the felt role is somehow diminutive. As if to exorcise the darkness and edginess of his character, the usually vivacious Jack Black makes Satan an almost endearing bad boy with those appalling antics. Although often entertaining, it hardly elevates the character from a caricature. Pop culture references build up to a prolonged sequence at a Post Malone concert, which bombs.
Liam’s Story
Newcomer Robert Timothy Smith plays the embodiment of all things wide-eyed and innocent in his portrayal of Liam. He wants to win over a crush, heal his broken parents’ relationship, and more. This subplot brings some great moments of authenticity into the mix, but really muddies quickly over into the clumsiness. It doesn’t quite sit right trying to tackle heavier themes like loss and divorce when diarrhea is the punchline.
Supporting Cast
The supporting cast is played by Keegan-Michael Key as a therapist and Liam’s parents, who are unable to grasp their son’s infatuation with the devil. Their performances only make the movie deeper but their storyline feels swept by the inconsistent pacing of the film. The worry expressed by the parents that Liam has “delusions” should be probed, but that remains a subplot that seems to lead nowhere.
Missed Opportunities
“Dear Santa” had the chance to be smart in its humor, making it all the more refreshing in a relatively new holiday film. It settles for stale jokes and outright sentimental moments instead. The concept of Satan granting wishes offers a playground for inventive storytelling; this film, unfortunately, fails to even begin to explore this. It relies on tired tropes and a sugary ending that feels so out of place in such an edgy film.
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Streaming Under the Radar
It’s not any better than the film itself is also a forgettable movie, represented in the low-profile streaming launch on Paramount+. The Christmas comedy does not come with much advertising and did not see theaters. That says it all already. With the star power of Jack Black and Farrelly’s comedy resume, “Dear Santa” can’t exactly do much to get under audiences’ skin.
Final Verdict
“Dear Santa” tries to be naughty and nice at the same time but ends up neither. Good premise: meh execution. Considering how much effort Jack Black makes, it’s hard to save this from being just plain mediocre. In trying to combine some dark humor with family-friendly fare, it loses its focus in the process.
If you’re looking for a unique holiday movie, “Dear Santa” may disappoint. It’s a forgettable entry in the world of Christmas comedies.
Now streaming on Paramount+, “Dear Santa” is a reminder that clever ideas alone aren’t enough to create a memorable holiday classic.
