The new Christmas film, ‘Dear Santa,’ not only has the famous and comedic actor, Jack Black, playing Santa Claus but revolves around an interesting idea. Many people had thought of this idea before, where if a child accidentally wrote ‘Satan’ instead of ‘Santa,’ Satan himself would humor the child. It is a funny thought and a heartwarming idea: a big bad demon known for a scary reputation decides to be kind on this special holiday. Paramount writers have given people just the unique holiday movie that they wanted.
Dear Santa
When a little boy named Liam writes a letter intended for Santa, he does not thoroughly check his spelling. Having written ‘Dear Satan’ instead of ‘Dear Santa’, his letter went down the mailbox and further down into the place where the demon resided. Liam soon realizes his error too late when, in the middle of the night, comes not Santa but Satan, ready and eager to fulfill his wish. He claims that the boy has summoned him and that he will grant him three wishes. Satan then later says he will take Liam’s soul after the three wishes are fulfilled, and it might not be a joke.
Later in the film, it is revealed that he is on a mission to corrupt the boy, which explains the odd adventures. Throughout the film, it seems friendly, like Satan is merely indulging in what any child Liam’s age would want: lots of friends, fun, confidence, and enthusiasm. He can transform into any size to go anywhere with the boy without suspicion, transform into anyone, from the real Saint Nick to a celebrity. He can make nearly anything possible for Liam to experience, if only to make the boy corrupted with most likely greed.
His issue with this is that no matter all the antics and experiences, Liam just won’t be corrupted. If anything, he’s the one trying to make Satan have a change of heart by convincing him to do kind things for people. Despite the comedic plot, ‘Dear Santa‘ is a heartwarming film for a mature audience. It is especially targeted to those who are mature and familiar enough with impolite words. A big sign of this is how at the beginning of the trailer, Liam is described to be a ‘crappy speller.’
Jack Black as Satan
The actor playing one of the two main characters of ‘Dear Santa,’ Jack Black, fits the role well, as he is a well-known American actor. Many of his iconic roles have revolved around funny characters, yet also meaningful. Some examples would be Po from the Kung Fu Panda franchise, Professor Shelly Oberon or Bethany Jumanji, and especially Dewey Finn in School of Rock. For ‘Dear Santa,’ he is playing Satan, a demon trying to corrupt the boy with greed, but the boy teaches him kindness.
He typically played a funny character in a movie that initially seemed like pure entertainment. Then, the film and his character would surprise the audience with serious lessons, a new mindset, or something else. In the case of ‘Dear Santa,’ he is still in a similar situation where a seemingly silly character begins to learn something or changes his heart and perspective.
A Different Christmas Perspective
A character like Satan in a Christmas movie is already unique, as the big bad demon is more fitting for Halloween or as a way to represent Krampus. Some viewers might have already expected him to become the villain halfway through ‘Dear Santa,’ supposedly when Liam learns of his true intentions. Maybe that could have been what Satan meant by taking the boy’s soul.
The plot of ‘Dear Santa‘ could’ve soon turned into a tense film of Satan trying to get Liam on the naughty list and perhaps every other kid on the naughty list as well. This would prevent Santa from showing up at all, and in a sense, that day would belong to Satan, or he would’ve accomplished his goal of erasing Christmas. The writers thankfully chose not to go down that route of parodying the Grinch movie. Instead, what happens is that Liam is shown to be such a kind boy that he’s the one trying to put Satan on the nice list.
Final Thoughts
‘Dear Santa‘ is a unique holiday story featuring the big bad guy himself, paired with a nice boy. Satan is trying to get Liam on the naughty list, likely so that he can drag the boy down; meanwhile, Liam wants to put him on the nice list. This isn’t the first film where a child tries to help a seemingly misunderstood character be able to enjoy Christmas, but it certainly has a fresh take on the trope. This movie is available on multiple streaming services, such as Paramount+, and can be rented or bought on YouTube.
