Bad Santa 2
More than a decade on, Thornton puts the suit back on and the film mostly repeats the first one, only louder.
Festive Factor 47 out of 100: A different kind of Christmas.The story
About A Merry Friggin' Christmas
A city dad who has spent years keeping his young son's belief in Santa alive drives to his rural family home for a chaotic Christmas Eve. When he realises the boy's present is still at home, he sets off through the night with his difficult father in an old truck to fetch it before sunrise. It is a dark, sweary family comedy about two men who barely speak, a long drive and a lot of bad decisions.
The CineClaus verdict
A man who has spent years guarding his son's belief in Santa realises on Christmas Eve that the presents are still at home, and the only way to fetch them is a night drive with the father he cannot stand. The festive part is a thin frame for a crude, boozy road comedy, and the jokes land less often than the cast deserves.
It does find some bruised warmth at the end, when a boy gets his Christmas morning and two stubborn men finally manage a proper conversation.
The family desk
Can the kids watch?
Our take: not one for children: frequent swearing, heavy drinking and crude jokes, so keep it for the grown-ups once the little ones are asleep.
Content advice & accessibility
- Not BBFC rated
- The BBFC has no classification for this film, so it has no UK certificate. Our age guidance above is editorial, not an official rating.
