• Comedy
• Fantasy
• Horror

Dear Santa 2024

Directed by Bobby Farrelly (There's Something About Mary, Dumb and Dumber), Dear Santa is a holiday comedy with a devilish twist. The story centers on Liam, a young boy still grappling with the belief in Santa Claus. Due to his dyslexia, he accidentally addresses his annual letter to "Satan" instead of "Santa." The letter reaches the devil himself, played by Jack Black, who is intrigued by the rare fan mail and decides to visit the boy. Satan offers Liam three wishes in exchange for his soul, leading to a chaotic holiday adventure where Liam tries to use his wishes to save his parents' crumbling marriage and impress his crush, all while the devil learns some unexpected lessons about the holiday spirit. The film stars Robert Timothy Smith as Liam, alongside Keegan-Michael Key as a psychologist, Brianne Howey and Hayes MacArthur as Liam's parents, and Post Malone in a cameo as himself. The film received largely negative reviews from critics, holding a "Rotten" score of roughly 24% on Rotten Tomatoes. While Jack Black was praised for his energetic and committed performance as the mischievous Satan, the film itself was widely criticized for its uneven tone, which awkwardly blends low-brow humor (typical of the Farrelly brothers) with saccharine family drama. Critics found the plot regarding the parents' marriage and a subplot about a deceased sibling to be "tonally jarring" and manipulative. However, despite the critical drubbing, it found a decent audience among families looking for a "so-bad-it's-good" holiday distraction, with some viewers appreciating its weirdness compared to standard Hallmark fare. Dear Santa bypassed a traditional theatrical release and premiered exclusively on streaming platforms on November 25, 2024. Because it was a direct-to-streaming title, there are no box office gross figures. It debuted on Paramount+ in the US and was simultaneously made available for digital rental/purchase on platforms like Amazon Prime Video, Apple TV, and Vudu. Upon release, it charted in the top 10 on streaming aggregators, performing well as a seasonal novelty despite the poor reviews. Read More

• 2024
• 1 h : 43 min
• 386 views
• 5.245
• PG-13