Critic Reviews
Bad Santa (2003) Rank 4 Reviews
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based on (325) reviews
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ViewLondon (Matthew Turner)
Offbeat, hilarious and gleefully misanthropic, this is the perfect antidote to Hollywoodâs annual glut of sugary Christmas movies.
Bad Santa is directed by Terry Zwigoff, who seems to have something of an affinity for non-mainstream, misanthropic ...read the complete Bad Santa movie review at ViewLondon (Matthew Turner)
Unfashionable Observations
Crude, cruel, foul, obnoxious, demented, despicable, repugnant, hateful, nihilistic, and completely immoral. All of these words fairly describe the tone of Terry Zwigoffâs latest movie, Bad Santa, starring Billy Bob Thornton as the miscreant man in ...read the complete Bad Santa movie review at Unfashionable Observations
Hartford Courant (--)
d+kaz. Intelligent Movie Reviews (Daniel Kasman)
Deep down, beneath the rough exterior, past the gaunt and haggard appearance, beyond the alcoholism, womanizing and foul mouth, slightly above the permanently damaged liver and past his dark soul lays Willieâs big heart. The same can be said for Bad ...read the complete Bad Santa movie review at d+kaz. Intelligent Movie Reviews (Daniel Kasman)
eye WEEKLY (Joel McConvey)
Even after the encouraging news from Matt Drudge that Bad Santa's immoral take on St. Nick had enraged wussy Disney execs, the film still looked... bad. It was impossible to tell from the trailers what this movie, starring Billy Bob Thornton as an ...read the complete Bad Santa movie review at eye WEEKLY (Joel McConvey)
Combustible Celluloid (Jeffrey M. Anderson)
Cursing -- or "cussing" as it's known in hillbilly circles -- is an art form. Only certain people can do it correctly.
Take, for example, one scene in Terry Zwigoff's unbelievably funny new film Bad Santa.
A department store manager played by the ...read the complete Bad Santa movie review at Combustible Celluloid (Jeffrey M. Anderson)
The Nick Schager Film Project
Terry Zwigoff's Bad Santa is an uproarious all-out assault on propriety. Billy Bob Thornton plays Willie, a crass, profane drunken crook who, with his midget sidekick Marcus (Tony Cox), spends each Christmas working as a department store Kris Kringle ...read the complete Bad Santa movie review at The Nick Schager Film Project
Movies for Guys
Billy Bob is Santa Claus, who along with his trusty elf (Tony Cox) work at a different department store every year and proceed to rob the place on Christmas Eve. Marcus (the elf) is the brains of the outfit, while Willie (Billy Bob) is Santa, and the ...read the complete Bad Santa movie review at Movies for Guys
Film Blather Review
Comedy doesn't come any blacker than Terry Zwigoff's Bad Santa, which is an accomplishment in itself, I suppose. But what sets it apart -- indeed, the reason this is one of the best films of the year -- is the way the script lets its characters retain ...read the complete Bad Santa movie review at Film Blather Review
eFilmCritic (Scott Weinberg)
Even the most cynical of bastards love a little something about the Holiday Season. It could just be the silly songs or the happily bustling malls, but after a while (say like, two weeks before Christmas actually arrives) it starts to get a bit grating. ...read the complete Bad Santa movie review at eFilmCritic (Scott Weinberg)
Aisle View at DVDtalk.com
When I first learned that Bad Santa was produced by the Coen Brothers, and directed by Terry Zwigoff, my exact thoughts were, "This could be a great movie as long as it doesn't end with all the characters learning the true meaning of ...read the complete Bad Santa movie review at Aisle View at DVDtalk.com
filmcritic.com
Director Terry Zwigoff launched a career with his debut film, Crumb, the disturbing yet fascinating documentary about cult comic book artist Robert Crumb. Itâs rumored that in order to get Crumb to agree to have a biopic, Zwigoff threatened to kill ...read the complete Bad Santa movie review at filmcritic.com
Houston Chronicle
Has there ever been a Santa less appealing than Billy Bob Thornton's in the new black comedy Bad Santa? Maybe -- take the murdering lunatic who chased Joan Collins on Christmas Eve in 1972's Tales from the Crypt, for example. Even without the violence, ...read the complete Bad Santa movie review at Houston Chronicle
Daily-Reviews.com (Robert Keser)
Sacramento Bee (Joe Baltake)
The closest thing we have today to a W.C. Fields movie. ...read the complete Bad Santa movie review at Sacramento Bee (Joe Baltake)
FromTheBalcony (Bill Clark)
For those who loathe the holidays or have a blacker-than-normal sense of humor, this is best gift you could possibly get this holiday season. ...read the complete Bad Santa movie review at FromTheBalcony (Bill Clark)
Columbus CityScene (Rick Curnutte)
Bad Santa never compromises its singularly offensivethough refreshingvision, and thats something to celebrate. ...read the complete Bad Santa movie review at Columbus CityScene (Rick Curnutte)
ViewLondon (Matthew Turner)
rec.arts.movies.reviews (Wahid Sharif)
Arizona Daily Star (Phil Villarreal)
This is a movie made to grab you by the collar and jingle you with laughter like nobody's business. ...read the complete Bad Santa movie review at Arizona Daily Star (Phil Villarreal)
Entertainment Today (Brent Simon)
A big, bawdy comedy that wears its considerable chip on its shoulder with a certain unmitigated glee, Bad Santa may be one-note... but its also deeply, deeply funny. ...read the complete Bad Santa movie review at Entertainment Today (Brent Simon)
Netflix (James Rocchi)
Billy Bob Thornton's work in this Claus-and-robbers comedy is so very naughty that it's very, very nice. ...read the complete Bad Santa movie review at Netflix (James Rocchi)
eFilmCritic.com (Elaine Perrone)
Bad Santa is a Christmas cookie that bites back, hard. ...read the complete Bad Santa movie review at eFilmCritic.com (Elaine Perrone)
MovieWeb (Brian Gallagher)
Ah the holiday season is upon us once again. Tis a time of goodwill towards men and being with the ones you love. And, for moviegoers, December brings us the movies that the Oscar voters will be looking the closest at. You know, the serious, dramatic, ...read the complete Bad Santa movie review at MovieWeb (Brian Gallagher)
FilmJerk.com (Edward Havens)
Sure to become a holiday perennial for those with a macabre sense of humor, or forever laminated on Santa's naughty list. ...read the complete Bad Santa movie review at FilmJerk.com (Edward Havens)
Orbital Reviews
Willie (Billy Bob Thornton) and Marcus (Tony Cox) are holiday conmen. Every year, the two of them dress up as Santa Claus and an elf, respectively, and work at a mall during the holiday season until finally robbing the mall and leaving the city. They ...read the complete Bad Santa movie review at Orbital Reviews
Film Blather (Eugene Novikov)
Comedy doesn't come any blacker than Terry Zwigoff's Bad Santa, which is an accomplishment in itself, I suppose. But what sets it apart -- indeed, the reason this is one of the best films of the year -- is the way the script lets its characters retain ...read the complete Bad Santa movie review at Film Blather (Eugene Novikov)
Arkansas Democrat-Gazette (Philip Martin)
It is smart satire, a rare thing these days, caustic but useful in a way most seasonal timewasters are not. ...read the complete Bad Santa movie review at Arkansas Democrat-Gazette (Philip Martin)
MovieWeb (B. Alan Orange III)
John Ritter is one lucky SOB. For starters, he hasn't been seen in these parts (i.e., Hades). That's always a good sign. More importantly, he's left us with a lasting achievement. He comes as one of this film's superlative merits, of which it has many. ...read the complete Bad Santa movie review at MovieWeb (B. Alan Orange III)
Moving Pictures @ Cin3ma
It's not easy these days for a comedy to cause uproar. I remember when the first American Pie came out; it sent shockwaves throughout the film world. Then small random no-name movies were made to cash-in on the aftershocks but failed miserably. Bad ...read the complete Bad Santa movie review at Moving Pictures @ Cin3ma
Laramie Movie Scope (Robert Roten)
Writer-directors Ethan and Joel Coen provided the story for this film and their funny, twisted brand of humor is very evident in the final product. ...read the complete Bad Santa movie review at Laramie Movie Scope (Robert Roten)
Tiscali UK
There's never been a Christmas film quite like Bad Santa, and there's never been a Father Christmas quite like the one portrayed by Billy Bob Thornton. It's about as far removed from Miracle on 34th Street as it is possible to be, and instead of a ...read the complete Bad Santa movie review at Tiscali UK
moviereview (Colin Fraser)
The eminently quotable Victor Borge once said that âSanta Claus has the right idea. Visit people once a yearâ. Taking his cue from such black sentiment, Terry Zwigoff has created the complete anti-Christmas comedy, although you might not ever want ...read the complete Bad Santa movie review at moviereview (Colin Fraser)
Wahid Sharif
"Bad Santa" is one of those films where if you can't appreciate the dark humor in it, then something is wrong with you...Seriously. Or, maybe something is wrong with me for laughing out loud and enjoying some of the film's crudeness. Either way, I had a ...read the complete Bad Santa movie review at Wahid Sharif
Detroit News (Tom Long)
Just plain hilarious, a dark comedy triumph that beats on your typical holiday movie with a baseball bat. ...read the complete Bad Santa movie review at Detroit News (Tom Long)
stylusmagazine.com (Jay Millikan)
bad Santa is a vile, vile movie. It has no respect for basic human decency, consistently appeals to the lowest common denominator, and casts aside all notions of good taste in search of the most shocking, evil jokes it can lay its grubby hands on. This ...read the complete Bad Santa movie review at stylusmagazine.com (Jay Millikan)
About.com Hollywood Movies (Rebecca Murray)
Do not go into âBad Santaâ thinking youâre about to see the normal âChristmas is magical, everyone goes to bed with visions of sugarplums dancing in their heads, and behind every Scrooge thereâs a jolly old elf just waiting to emergeâ movie. ...read the complete Bad Santa movie review at About.com Hollywood Movies (Rebecca Murray)
Private Joker's Head (Zach Ralston)
I donât know how many takes director Terry Zwigoff had to shoot before he got the salad leaf to land exactly where it does on Billy Bob Thorntonâs bottom lip, as he â playing a sour, crude, mean-spirited, alcoholic department store Santa â ...read the complete Bad Santa movie review at Private Joker's Head (Zach Ralston)
musicOMH (Ben Lee)
Bad Santa turns the usually sentimental genre of the Christmas film on its head, delivering an acerbic, dark comedy which never panders to the audience's sympathies. This season, it's quite simply, a ...read the complete Bad Santa movie review at musicOMH (Ben Lee)
In Film Australia
A grumbling alcoholic, a lethargic thief and a negligent surrogate father steamrolled into one. With a cigarette in hand and pee stains on his suit, Billy Bob Thornton plays the jolly fat man (this time , bitter and thin) like we've never seen him ...read the complete Bad Santa movie review at In Film Australia
Movie-Vault.com (Oktay Ege Kozak)
On the outside, âBad Santaâ may seem like a conflicted dark comedy. One that has layers of seriousness and comedy mixed in an uneasy fashion, making the audience feel like they have no idea what type of a movie they are watching. It has hilariously ...read the complete Bad Santa movie review at Movie-Vault.com (Oktay Ege Kozak)
Newsweek (David Ansen)
Zwigoff doesn't hype up the gags, and his deliberately deadpan style gives even farfetched jokes an edge of reality. ...read the complete Bad Santa movie review at Newsweek (David Ansen)
Salon (Stephanie Zacharek)
But Bad Santa does feature one last turn from the late John Ritter as a twittery department-store manager (his name, Mr. Chipeska, is a stroke of brilliance that I still can't quite put my finger on). ...read the complete Bad Santa movie review at Salon (Stephanie Zacharek)
Washington Post (Desson Thomson)
Suddenly, you're looking at life in his (Thornton's) jaundiced way and laughing with a sense of vicarious liberation, even when he says the most outrageous things -- to children, no less. And I daresay you can still recover your holiday spirit when ...read the complete Bad Santa movie review at Washington Post (Desson Thomson)
USA Today (Mike Clark)
This is a filmmaker who instinctively knows that a shot of Santa sitting at a bar as Ricky Nelson sings Jingle Bells will be no-frills funny. ...read the complete Bad Santa movie review at USA Today (Mike Clark)
Boston Herald (Paul Sherman)
The Land of Eric (Eric D. Snider)
"Bad Santa" is a hilariously vulgar film that I thoroughly enjoyed but that I cannot in good conscience actually recommend to anyone. Well, maybe to a few friends and acquaintances whose tastes I know well enough to know that they, too, will find it more ...read the complete Bad Santa movie review at The Land of Eric (Eric D. Snider)
Atlanta Journal-Constitution (Eleanor Ringel Gillespie)
By the end of Bad Santa , you may no longer believe in Santa Claus, but you certainly will believe in Billy Bob. ...read the complete Bad Santa movie review at Atlanta Journal-Constitution (Eleanor Ringel Gillespie)
Empire Magazine [UK]
DVD Talk (Jason Bovberg)
I've finally found the Christmas movie that I will watch religiously every year during the holidays. Appealing perversely to my twisted, dark inner coreâthat region just under the shadow of my red-blood-pumping heartâBad Santa is one of the funniest ...read the complete Bad Santa movie review at DVD Talk (Jason Bovberg)
Chicago Sun-Times (Roger Ebert)
The kid gives Santa a carved wooden pickle as a Christmas present. ...read the complete Bad Santa movie review at Chicago Sun-Times (Roger Ebert)
FulvueDrive-in.com (Chuck O'Leary)
A movie that grows on you...Underneath layers of anger, sarcasm, profanity and booze, Bad Santa ultimately reveals a soft heart. ...read the complete Bad Santa movie review at FulvueDrive-in.com (Chuck O'Leary)
Jerry Saravia
The only words I have for "Bad Santa" is that it is indisputably funny. Many will disagree but you can't expect anyone to have the same formal opinion when it comes to a movie about an alcoholic, foul-mouthed thief who dresses up as Santa. The reason ...read the complete Bad Santa movie review at Jerry Saravia
Palo Alto Online (Tyler Hanley)
Uninhibited, vulgar and a bit sacrilegious, this edgy holiday film is not a Christmas movie fit for the kiddies. The title character is a foul-mouthed alcoholic who drinks on the job, soils himself and has tactless sexual encounters in the women's ...read the complete Bad Santa movie review at Palo Alto Online (Tyler Hanley)
Reverse Shot
Typical to his pre-WWII frame of pop reference, Zwigoff said that in casting the put-upon adolescent for Bad Santa he wanted âJoe Cobb, the first fat kid from Our Gang.â Sweet-faced pudge Brett Kelly has the necessary girth for the tragically-named ...read the complete Bad Santa movie review at Reverse Shot
Dallas Morning News (Chris Vognar)
If you think you can shake your head and mutter, 'That's just wrong,' as you laugh your lungs out, or if you're sick of artificial yuletide treacle, then step right up for a bit of holiday distemper. ...read the complete Bad Santa movie review at Dallas Morning News (Chris Vognar)
Cinema em Cena (Pablo Villaça)
Perth Sunday Times
The Cinema Source (Alysa Salzberg)
This isnât another letter asking you to bring me what I want for Christmas, I swear (although Iâm still waiting on that bowhead whaleâ¦). Instead, itâs more of a âthank-youâ note.
Funny Christmas ...read the complete Bad Santa movie review at The Cinema Source (Alysa Salzberg)
Harvey S. Karten
Yes, Virginia, there is a Santa Claus, but not what you think. Yes, he is a man, but no, he only pretends to have reindeer and a sleigh with an army of elves working for him.. In fact, he prefers Miami and Phoenix to the North Pole and works with only ...read the complete Bad Santa movie review at Harvey S. Karten
Movieman's Guide to the Movies (Kushmeer Farakhan)
Ho,Ho, Ho, boys and girls (or rather men and women. Little kids need to stay the HELL away from this movie), a Christmas comedy for the ages has arrived. Bad Santa is the meanest, most heinous, most foul-mouthed comedy I've seen in quite some time and ...read the complete Bad Santa movie review at Movieman's Guide to the Movies (Kushmeer Farakhan)
Movieman's Guide to the Movies (Andy Hoglund)
To the average Joe, the phrase âpainstakingly funnyâ would seem like a kind of oxymoron. But in the case of Bad Santa, the inane construction forms coherence in way of a hilarious, nasty âantiâ Christmas film. Bad Santa loves to think of itself ...read the complete Bad Santa movie review at Movieman's Guide to the Movies (Andy Hoglund)
Chicago Tribune (Mark Caro)
You may never hear as much swearing around kids as in "Bad Santa." There are some lessons here:
1. Don't take kids to "Bad Santa."
2. Don't see "Bad Santa" if you're offended by swearing around kids. ...read the complete Bad Santa movie review at Chicago Tribune (Mark Caro)
Hollywood Report Card (Ross Anthony)
Despite the fact that children wrap around this production like Christmas tree lights, make no mistake, ...read the complete Bad Santa movie review at Hollywood Report Card (Ross Anthony)
CultureDose.net (Tony Pellum)
Jeanne Eagels is a name that will have romantic connotations for some. The young actress made her name in an adaptation of W. Somerset Maugham's short story Miss Thompson, renamed Rain for the stage. She earned an Oscar nomination for a film of another ...read the complete Bad Santa movie review at CultureDose.net (Tony Pellum)
Boxoffice Magazine
If "Bad Santa" wasn't written specifically for Billy Bob Thornton, it should have been. It's impossible to imagine this film working in any way whatsoever with anyone else in the part.
Possibly the most wickedly cynical anti-holiday film ever made, ...read the complete Bad Santa movie review at Boxoffice Magazine
Entertainment Ave!
The trailers for "Bad Santa" sure provided a challenge for parents as their kids were now asking "Daddy, why is Santa bad?" Iâm not a parent, nor do I pretend to be, but I suppose parents had to adjust their explanation of Santa Clause a bit, maybe ...read the complete Bad Santa movie review at Entertainment Ave!
Entertainmentopia (Erich Becker)
With all the family fare at the box office this month its nice to see a studio go up against the droves of people heading off to the movies over Thanksgiving and giving them a film so anti-family I smiled with glee knowing I wasnât going to be in a ...read the complete Bad Santa movie review at Entertainmentopia (Erich Becker)
mazzyboi's movie page (Angelo Aquino)
What might seem to be an un-Christmassy movie devoid of the true Holiday spirit, about a boozing foul-mouthed thieving sex-crazed Santa, turns out to be surprisingly enjoyable and, even better, one of the funniest films of the year. Just as scathing as ...read the complete Bad Santa movie review at mazzyboi's movie page (Angelo Aquino)
IndependentCritics.com (TC Candler)
Billy Bobâs Father Christmas is about as politically incorrect a figure as you will likely see all year. This movie wallows in its shamelessness. Lauren Graham holds her own with Thornton as a waitress with a Santa Claus fetish. Throw in an angry ...read the complete Bad Santa movie review at IndependentCritics.com (TC Candler)
Three Movie Buffs (Eric Nash)
You have to give Bad Santa credit for being such a dark comedy about such a bright subject, Christmas. I laughed out loud when one child asks Billy Bob Thornton, dressed as Santa, for a particular toy and Santa responds to the ...read the complete Bad Santa movie review at Three Movie Buffs (Eric Nash)
Movie Gazette (Anton Bitel)
If Christmas is the season to be jolly, a time when feelings of merriness, joy and goodwill to all humankind are supposed to swell in the hearts of us all, then there have always been those, from Dickens' Scrooge through to the Grinch of Dr Suess, who ...read the complete Bad Santa movie review at Movie Gazette (Anton Bitel)
TheBoxSet.com - DVD/Movie Review (Erick Klafter)
There is most likely one universal image of Santa Claus that we all share, a big round jolly guy who slides down the chimney on Christmas Eve to give all the good boys and girls toys, and then jumps in his sleigh and lets out a huge "HO-HO-HO" as he ...read the complete Bad Santa movie review at TheBoxSet.com - DVD/Movie Review (Erick Klafter)
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