Bad Santa 2 review: "A tired sequel that lacks the first film’s festive freshness"

GamesRadar+ Verdict

The intent is there, but Bad Santa 2 is a tired sequel that lacks the first film’s festive freshness.

Why you can trust GamesRadar+ Our experts review games, movies and tech over countless hours, so you can choose the best for you. Find out more about our reviews policy.

Thirteen years ago on from Bad Santa, Billy Bob Thornton’s foul-mouthed low-life Willie returns, as pee-and-puke stained as ever – not to mention politically incorrect, misanthropic and just nasty. When we meet him again, Willie’s at such a low ebb he tries to stick his head in the (electric!) oven. 

Paid a visit by his old partner-in-crime Marcus (Tony Cox), he gets sucked into a Chicago-set mission to rob $2 million for a homeless charity run by Christina Hendricks’ recovering alcoholic. Well, it is Christmas, after all. Joining them is Willie’s white-trash mother Sunny (Kathy Bates), who – naturally – Willie despises.

The big mistake this Mark Waters-directed sequel makes is sacrificing the 2004 original’s underlying heart, which was rooted in the uneasy bond between Willie and the gormless snot-nosed kid Thurman. The character returns (again played by Brett Kelly), now all grown up and working in a sandwich store, but he feels shoehorned in.

True, Hendricks has fun with her role as a good girl with a bad streak, while Shauna Cross and Johnny Rosenthal’s script fires off a few zingers. But with Thornton surprisingly disengaged and the robbery plot formulaic, it’s a limp dick of a sequel.

More info

Available platformsMovie
Less
Freelance writer

James Mottram is a freelance film journalist, author of books that dive deep into films like Die Hard and Tenet, and a regular guest on the Total Film podcast. You'll find his writings on GamesRadar+ and Total Film, and in newspapers and magazines from across the world like The Times, The Independent, The i, Metro, The National, Marie Claire, and MindFood.