From Peter Jackson to Dan Aykroyd: The 10 best cinematic Santas
Is there anything more Christmassy than the concept of a large gentleman wriggling down your chimney with a sackful of personalised gifts and a belly full of mince pies? According to the Western Christian tradition, no, there isn’t. For clarity, we’re talking about Santa Claus, too, not some random guy who waddled his way back from the pub on Christmas Eve only to blackout and wake up mid-way down a neighbouring chimney.
Indeed, the legend of Santa Claus can be traced back hundreds of years, all the way to approximately A.D. 280, with a monk in Patara, Turkey, named St. Nicholas. Admired in his community for his generosity and kindness, Nicholas’ reputation evolved over the ages, and he became known as a legendary gift-giver, originated by the Dutch and their traditions of Sinterklaas.
In the contemporary world, there is no greater figure of the Christmas season than Santa Claus, a portly man dressed in a grand red and white gown whose image can be seen printed on cereal boxes, Coca-Cola bottles and in creepy statues placed in front gardens. Additionally, Hollywood jumped on the annual figure of goodwill many generations ago, subsequently making countless Father Christmas-themed movies.
To be brutally honest, however, many of these festive Santa flicks simply aren’t that great at all, so we’ve turned over every stone of cinema history to find ten of the very best cinematic Santas.
The 10 best cinematic Santas:
10. Hot Fuzz (Edgar Wright, 2007)
The first of the beloved Cornetto Trilogy created by Simon Pegg and Nick Frost follows two police officers investigating a series of grisly deaths disrupting a small village’s peace. Hot Fuzz is considered one of Britain’s best comedies, blending some action along with it.
Despite not having an overall festive setting, Edgar Wright’s film offers some hilarious Christmas imagery in its opening montage. In this sequence, we see officer Nicholas Angel, played by Pegg, be attacked by a vicious Santa suit-yielding man who even stabs him. The funniest thing about this Santa is that he’s played by none other than Peter Jackson in a fun little cameo, a vast change from the filmmaker’s work in The Lord of the Rings and Hobbit franchises.
9. A Very Harold & Kumar 3D Christmas (Todd Strauss-Schulson, 2011)
This buddy stoner comedy stars John Cho and Kal Penn as two friends who embark on a Christmas tree hunt, with Neil Patrick Harris playing a fictionalised version of himself. As expected with getting one of the most important festive symbols ready and right in time for the big day, there’s guaranteed stress and struggle around every corner.
Unlike more traditional and family-driven versions of Saint Nick, where he helps children and families in need, A Very Harold & Kumar 3D Christmas shows Santa being the one in need, and our unconventional heroes are the only ones who can help. After Harold accidentally shoots Santa in the head, the two have to rush him to the emergency room. Santa is touched by their act of kindness and so offers them a ride in his magical sleigh, then he flies off to spread Christmas joy whilst treating himself to some marijuana.
8. Christmas Evil (Lewis Jackson, 1980)
A more bloody and unsettling depiction of the most wonderful time of the year clouds Lewis Jackson’s 1980 flick, as a troubled man who is obsessed with Santa Clause dons a Santa suit and heads out on a murderous rampage. The film stars Brandon Maggart and has been adopted by the horror community as a cult classic.
This vision of Santa is more about spreading Christmas fear than cheer as bodies pile up wherever he goes. Jackson’s film takes the iconic carol line, “he sees you when you’re sleeping, he knows when you’re awake. He knows if you’ve been good or bad, so be good for goodness sake” to new levels. This Santa delivers more than a lump of coal in a stocking for the naughty list.
7. Violent Night (Tommy Wirkola, 2022)
This recent comedy action film stars Netflix star David Harbour as a more aggressive Santa Claus who spends the festive season fighting back against mercenaries who abduct a wealthy family.
Harbour’s version of Santa opens the film, citing what many stressed parents are thinking this time of year, that today’s children are far too materialistic when it comes to their Christmas lists and have forgotten the true meaning of Christmas. This Santa also knows his way around a sledgehammer, that is, when it comes to battering kill squads. He also shows an alternative way of using a chimney.
6. Elf (Jon Favreau, 2003)
Will Ferrell appears on screens every year thanks to this beloved and hilarious family comedy that tells the charming story of a human adopted by Santa, Papa Elf and the other elves. Once Buddy the Elf learns of his true identity, he leaves the North Pole for the less cheery city of New York to find his biological father despite the fact his father is on the naughty list.
In Elf, the real Santa is played by Ed Asner and makes a surprise to remind the citizens of New York that miracles do happen. However, Buddy is distraught to learn that the Santa coming to visit his new job is, in fact, a fake. What follows is a trading of insults, including the hilarious “you sit on the throne of lies” and sudden brawl right in front of the excited children. It’s one of the film’s most hilarious scenes but also presents a contrast between the true Christmas and the commercialised one.
5. Klaus (Sergio Pablos, 2019)
You would think Netflix would be rife with Christmas content, but as of right now, the most popular streaming service is seriously lacking in quality. The best festive flick in their collection remains their own 2019 movie Klaus, directed by Sergio Pablos, a charming animated tale that tells the story of a postman who befriends a mysterious toymaker in his mission to send a piece of joy to every child in the land.
Turns out the large mysterious man with a white beard is Santa Claus, a charming recluse who is voiced with indelible wit by J.K. Simmons. Not only is Klaus such a loveable figure, but the film itself is an utter gem.
4. Rare Exports: A Christmas Tale (Jalmari Helander, 2010)
If you’re after an alternative holiday flick, you can’t go wrong with Jalmari Helander’s Rare Exports: A Christmas Tale, a festive film which follows a team of hunters who capture Santa Claus after a group of excavators digs him up. Diverting from the familiarity of other Christmas tales, Helander’s film embraces the darker side of the well-known festive icon and turns the niche film genre on its head.
Ditching the pot belly and jovial spirit, here, Santa Claus is a feral human, thin and wasted away. Appearing as more of a monster than a figure of joy, Helander attempts to change the perception of the Western icon and does a pretty great job in the process.
3. Miracle on 34th Street (Les Mayfield, 1994)
One of the most critically and commercially celebrated versions of Santa on film comes from Richard Attenborough’s Kris Kringle from Les Mayfield’s 1994 remake Miracle on 34th Street. Embodying the look and spirit of the Christmas icon, Attenborough is simply perfect in the role, appearing alongside Mara Wilson, Elizabeth Perkins, Dylan McDermott and Allison Janney in the annual favourite.
Sure, the movie itself, adapted by co-writer John Hughes from the 1947 original, is utterly bizarre and not totally compelling, but still, Attenborough smashes it.
2. Trading Places (John Landis, 1983)
When we think of cinematic Santas, for whatever reason, one of the very first ones we think of is Dan Aykroyd’s drunken dress-up from John Landis’ Trading Places. Appearing in the hilarious Christmas comedy alongside Eddie Murphy, Jamie Lee Curtis and Giancarlo Esposito, Aykroyd stars as a snobby investor who involuntarily switches life with a street con artist after the bet of two callous millionaires.
Hitting rock bottom, Aykroyd enters his old office and attempts to get his old job back by spitting an insane tirade whilst dressed as Santa in a dirty costume. It’s hilarious and tragic in equal measure.
1. Bad Santa (Terry Zwigoff, 2003)
In the contemporary world where Christmas has been commercialised to the point where the original intentions of the holiday have all but disappeared, no better film reflects the 21st century holiday than Terry Zwigoff’s Bad Santa. Starring Billy Bob Thornton as a casual conman who robs stores at Christmas by infiltrating himself behind the scenes dressed as Santa Claus, this mean-spirited festive movie is a classic for the ages.
Befriending a small boy who forces him to realise the true value of the holiday season, Bad Santa is a film that perfectly toes the line between being a hilarious modern comedy and an old-school heartwarming Christmas flick.
