For the next week or so, I’ll be sharing film suggestions and reviews with you for the upcoming holidays, and the lead-up to awards season. It’s hard to believe I’ll be taking part in my fourth Oscar season this year with the Music City Film Critics Association, based in Nashville, TN. Today, we’re talking about Dear Santa!  I know you’re going to enjoy all the holiday hijinks that Jack Black brings to Dear Santa. Here’s my no-spoiler review. 



Santa or Satan? You Be The Judge!



Dear Santa Film Review



About Dear Santa: 



Distributed by: Paramount+, Paramount Pictures /Directed by: Bobby Farrelly/Story by: Ricky Blitt, Peter Farrelly, Dan Ewen/Run Time:1 hour,43 mins./Genre: Comedy/Rated: PG for dark humor, suggestive material


Cast: Jack Black, Jaden Carson Baker, Brianne Howey, Robert Timothy


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Film Synopsis:



Dear Santa Film Poster
Courtesy: Paramount+



“When a young, dyslexic boy mails his Christmas wish list to Santa with one crucial spelling error, a devilish Jack Black arrives to wreak havoc on the holidays.” 





My Thoughts:




Courtesy: Paramount +




Okay, folks, I’m going to start this portion off by saying this isn’t a young kids' film. Nor is it a film you can stream for family movie night unless A. your kids are older, (heed the PG 13 rating) and B. you don’t mind watching a film about Satan, demons, and hell. If you can be open-minded and remember this is dark humor and satire, and written for entertainment only,  you’ll be good to go.


My husband and I watched this film recently and found it to be laugh-out-loud funny at several points in the film. Jack Black shines as Satan. He’s so full of mad-cap humor and energy, that I can’t imagine anyone else in this role. 



I enjoyed the cinematography and soundtrack in Dear Santa most. The dialog, delivery, and timing were a little off, especially from some of the supporting actors, but not so much that you can’t overlook it. 




The storyline is as far-fetched as they come, starting with a sixth grader who still writes to Santa, to the family dynamic, to the ending, which slight spoiler! would have us believe that the oh-so-evil Satan/Demon would do something kind. 




One thing I think Dear Santa got right, was the friendships among the kids. Sixth grade can be an awkward, lonely place, so I very much enjoyed watching the friendships blossom and shine. 


Another positive aspect of this story is how Liam, the boy who writes the letter to Santa, is a good kid. No matter what was offered by the deceitful “Santa”, he stayed true to his core values when it mattered the most. 




The Takeaway:



I believe that Dear Santa, a story of good vs. evil, was written for laughs, and to stand out amongst the mostly sappy, feel-good holiday films we all know and love. Well, we women usually are the ones who love a good holiday feel-good film, while men, my husband included, say Die Hard with Bruce Willis is a holiday film. But I digress.



I think Dear Santa was hoping to reach the guys who don’t watch a lot of sappy, feel-good films. I’ll admit, it hit the mark with my husband, who laughed a lot more than I did while watching it. 


Dear Santa is available now to stream on Paramount + and other streaming services and is still showing in some theaters, so check your local theater for show times. 



If you enjoyed this film suggestion and review, be sure to check out my Entertainment tab for more film coverage. 




Please share in comments: Will you watch Dear Santa over the holidays?



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