Dear Santa (2024 film)

Not to be confused with Dear Satan, a 2024 Filipino comedy film with the same premise.

Dear Santa
Film poster
Directed by	Bobby Farrelly
Screenplay by	Ricky Blitt Jack Black Peter Farrelly
Story by	Ricky Blitt Peter Farrelly Dan Ewen
Produced by	Bobby Farrelly Jack Black Peter Farrelly Jeremy Kramer
Starring	Jack Black Keegan-Michael Key Robert Timothy Smith Brianne Howey Hayes MacArthur Austin Post P. J. Byrne
Cinematography	C. Kim Miles
Edited by	Julie Garcés
Music by	Rupert Gregson-Williams
Production companies	Conundrum Entertainment Farrelly Brothers Kraymation Films
Distributed by	Paramount Pictures
Release date	November 25, 2024 (2024-11-25)
Running time	103 minutes
Country	United States
Language	English

Dear Santa is a 2024 American Christmas dark fantasy comedy film directed by Bobby Farrelly, written by Ricky Blitt, Jack Black, and Peter Farrelly from a story by Ricky Blitt, Peter Farrelly, and Dan Ewen, and starring Jack Black, Keegan-Michael Key, Robert Timothy Smith, Brianne Howey, Hayes MacArthur, Austin Post, and P. J. Byrne. It tells the story of a dyslexic and meek sixth-grader who writes a Christmas list to Santa Claus to help with his problems only for his misspelling to lead to him meeting Satan who helps him out.

The film was released on Paramount+ and digital platforms on November 25, 2024, by Paramount Pictures, to negative reviews from critics, although many praised Black's performance.

Plot

Liam Turner is a dyslexic, meek, (yet sometimes clueless) but polite, sixth-grader whose parents Bill and Molly are having marital problems following the recent death of his brother Spencer and their move to another town. Adding to the problem is that Liam is too insecure to properly introduce his new friend Gibby to his parents and keeps embarassing himself over his schoolmate and crush Emma, who is the only one in his class to defend him for his specific learning disorder.

To hope for things to get better, Liam writes his Christmas wishlist and mails it out, but unfortunately accidentally misspells "Santa" as "Satan". Satan receives the letter and appears the very next night in Liam's room. Though confused by his visitor's appearance and manners, Liam still believes he is Santa. Satan decides to play along and offers to grant Liam three wishes. Liam offhandedly wishes that Emma would give him a chance, and Satan appears to Liam the next day in school and encourages him to approach Emma. Despite his awkwardness, Liam succeeds in getting a date with her at a Post Malone concert, for which Satan even provides VIP tickets.

Liam later tells his mother and Gibby about his encounter with "Santa", whereupon Gibby informs him of his mistake. Liam confronts Satan and tries to get out of the deal, but Satan refuses and tries to entice him into making his two remaining wishes, with his soul as final payment. When Liam returns home, he finds his parents waiting with child psychologist Dr. Finkleman, because of their worry that Liam's "fantasies" are gradually getting out of hand. The session is interrupted by Gibby and Satan, who take Liam to the concert. With a little help from Satan, Liam is called onto the stage and amidst raving cheers dances onstage alongside Emma and Malone, followed by a cheek kiss from Emma. Gibby, who feels left out, leaves early after a girl rejects him due to his overbite.

Later at home, when Liam talks with Gibby over phone about the concert, he notices his friend's disappointment. When Satan visits him later, Liam uses his second wish to fix Gibby's teeth. Liam invites Gibby to join his date with Emma at the local Christmas carnival that evening. Bill and Molly, increasingly worried after eavesdropping on Liam's phone conversation, pull Liam away from the carnival and bring him to Finkleman's clinic. Satan tries to make Liam use up his third wish by showing him images of Gibby and Emma apparently enjoying the carnival without him. Bill and Molly's assumption that Liam has gone delusional is shattered by a nurse who shows them a video of Liam at the concert.

Back home, Liam angrily locks himself in his room, and his regretful parents argue, bringing up an accident that killed Liam's younger brother Spencer. Overhearing them and believing they're about to break up for good, Liam sneaks out and visits Satan at his motel room, asking him to use his third wish to keep his parents together and in love forever. Satan agrees, but declares that he will not take Liam's soul until he has died naturally, and tells him to have "a good time" until then. With the deal closed and believing his soul is lost, Liam begins to talk back to his everyday tormentors, alienating Emma.

In Hell, Satan is revealed to be a low-ranking half-demon under trial for becoming an actual demon, which he failed. Chastised by the true lord of Hell and his master Lucifer for granting Liam two unselfish wishes, which rendered the deal for his soul invalid, Satan is given one hour to say his goodbyes before getting banished. Satan visits Liam and tells him about the deal's cancellation, and Liam figures out that he is a faker. Before leaving, Satan confesses how much he has come to like Liam and explains that the third wish was negated because Bill and Molly made up on their own, so he used the contents of Liam's original letter to fulfill a third and final wish.

When Christmas arrives the next day, Liam finds his brother Spencer resurrected to celebrate Christmas with his family in their new home. In a twist ending, Liam gets a call from Gibby, who has convinced Emma to give Liam another chance by appealing to her sympathy and telling her about Spencer's death.

Cast

• Robert Timothy Smith as Liam Turner
• Jack Black as Satan / "Santa Claus"
• Jaden Carson Baker as Gibby
• Kai Cech as Emma
• Brianne Howey as Molly Turner
• Hayes MacArthur as Bill Turner
• P. J. Byrne as Mr. Charles
• Keegan-Michael Key as Dr. Finkleman
• Gavin Munn as Aidan
• Post Malone as himself (credited as "Austin Post")
• Luke Chiappetta as Jock Buddy #1
• Kyle Gass as Liam's Science Teacher
• Leo Easton Kelly as Spencer Turner
• Tierre Turner as the voice of Blitzen
• Ben Stiller (uncredited) as Lucifer

Production

In April 2023, it was announced that Bobby Farrelly would be directing and producing the film, with Peter Farrelly as producing along with Jeremy Kramer, for Paramount Pictures. The Farrelly Brothers, Jack Black and Ricky Blitt wrote the script from an original idea by Jack Black and Dan Ewen.

The film is Black's second Christmas film, after The Holiday in 2006; it is also his second collaboration with Farrelly, after the 2001 film Shallow Hal.

Casting

The cast was set in March 2023 with Jack Black in the lead role. Keegan-Michael Key and Post Malone were also confirmed.

Filming

Principal photography began in March 2023 in Atlanta and Decatur, Georgia, where Decatur Square was transformed into an outdoor Christmas festival. In July, production was halted because of the 2023 actors' strike.

Release

Dear Santa was released on Paramount+ and digital platforms on November 25, 2024.

Reception

On the review aggregator website Rotten Tomatoes, 24% of 21 critics' reviews are positive, with an average rating of 3.9/10. Metacritic, which uses a weighted average, assigned the film a score of 34 out of 100, based on five critics, indicating "generally unfavorable" reviews.

Brian Tallerico of RogerEbert.com gave the film one out of four stars and wrote, "There was a time when Jack Black reuniting with the Farrelly brothers to make a family comedy would have made a few cultural waves. This is not that time. Most people probably have no idea that Bobby Farrelly's Dear Santa has been buried on Paramount+, released on a Monday with almost no promotion at all. Why? The marketing team probably had no idea how to sell a movie that seems resolutely made for no one."

Frank Scheck of The Hollywood Reporter wrote, "It should hardly come as a revelation that Black's hardworking comedic efforts are the film's saving grace. Adopting a deep growl that makes him sound like late-period Jack Nicholson, the actor is clearly having a ball with his colorful role, and the fun proves infectious. He makes the many bad jokes bearable and the decent ones even funnier with his typically manic, perfectly timed delivery."

See also

• Dear Satan, a 2024 Filipino film of the same premise; later retitled Dear Santa

External links

• Dear Santa at IMDb