Bad Santa (2003) — Review, Streaming & Trivia

2003

Bad Santa

2003 Dir. Terry Zwigoff ★ 7/10 IMDb

ComedyCrimeDrama

A miserable, alcoholic con man poses as a department store Santa each year to rob shopping malls, but an unlikely friendship with a naive boy starts to change him.

About Bad Santa

Bad Santa (2003) is a raucously irreverent, adults-only Christmas comedy that turns every wholesome holiday trope on its head. Billy Bob Thornton stars as Willie Soke, a foul-mouthed, alcoholic safecracker who disguises himself as a department store Santa Claus each year to rob malls on Christmas Eve with his partner Marcus, played by Tony Cox. When a lonely, bullied boy named Thurman Merman latches onto him, Willie's hardened exterior begins to crack in spite of himself. Directed by Terry Zwigoff, Bad Santa delivers crude humor and outrageous set pieces while smuggling in a surprisingly genuine story of redemption that proves even the worst among us might have a little Christmas spirit hidden somewhere inside.

Cast

• Billy Bob Thornton
• Tony Cox
• Brett Kelly
• Lauren Graham

Where to Watch

Bad Santa is currently available on the following platforms:

Trivia & Fun Facts

• The Coen Brothers served as executive producers and reportedly contributed to the script.
• Billy Bob Thornton drank real alcohol during some scenes to stay in character.
• The film was nearly shelved by Miramax before test screenings proved it had strong audience appeal.
• Brett Kelly, who played Thurman Merman, was only eight years old during filming and reportedly didn't understand most of the adult humor.