unremarkably , when someone thinks of Santa Claus in a moving picture , they cerebrate of a wonderfully merry and generous man in a ruddy suit . When thinking of unsavory depictions of Santa Claus , the first one that likely comes to mind is Billy Bob Thornton ’s aptly namedBad Santa . He was n’t the real Santa in the black funniness , of path . Rather , he was a mall Santa who only take the job so he could scope out the shopping mall and rob it after hour .

But while this 2003 comedy gem is one of the funniest interpretations of a " big Santa , " it is n’t the only one . Other films have establish atrocious Santas , even murderous one .

Updated on December 2, 2022 by Christine Persaud:

Santa Claus is known to be a braggy , moderately , sweet graphic symbol . But that is n’t inevitably always the case in flick . Sometimes , holiday film designed for grownup showcase Santas doing pretty spoiled things , and being generally dreadful . In fact , even some kids ' movie have shown less - than - idealistic Santas . With new Christmas movies coming out each class , these go along to admit interpretations of Santa that are not meant to enchant in the traditional sentiency .

Bad Santa (2003)

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This black comedy stars Billy Bob Thornton along with Lauren Graham , and the late comedic legend John Ritter and Bernie Mac . It ’s definitely not a Christmas film to watch with the kids , but it ’s one that will make adults express joy hysterically at the hijinks .

Marking John Ritter ’s last hot - natural action public presentation before his death , Bad Santais rude , dysphemistic , and all diametric of what Christmas picture should be all about . But funnily , that ’s what makes it such a capital movie . It was a commercial winner and even engender a subsequence .

A Christmas Story (1983)

It ’s a common stereotype that mall Santas are the antithesis of who Santa is in real life . In this iconic Christmas classic , arguablythe staring Christmas movie , Ralphie meets Santa after first being escort over by the mean and impatient elves and tells him all about the very specific BB Gun he would wish for Christmas . After grabbing and dragging kids over to Santa , one by one , the elves would quickly jostle them down a slide when they got annoying or screamed .

This Santa fromA Christmas Storywas pretty creepy-crawly , though it might have just been Ralphie ’s overdone recollection of the experience since he was so overwhelmed by it all . But then Santa repeated on the button what Ralphie ’s parents kept tell him about shooting his eye out and shoved him down the slide with his boot .

Trading Places (1983)

The premise of this movie sees a white man of affairs , play by Dan Aykroyd , trade places with a poor blackened homo from the streets , played by Eddie Murphy , to see if each can cut up it in the other man ’s shoes .

InTrading place , considered amongAykroyd ’s top three film , he assume a tattered Santa courting , travels on a bus topology uplift and dirty , and even discovers a jambon stuck in his face fungus that he chows down on as sick traveller attend on . After he disembark , he gets piddle on by a dog-iron . As if thing could n’t get any worse , it starts stream rain . The picture has arguably the saddest Santa scene ever in a movie .

Better Watch Out/Christmas Evil (1980)

Of naturally , someone would develop a horror movie centered around jolly Saint Nick , turn him into a sinister persona that could deflower childhoods and taint memory . In this psychological slasher film , a man who is obsessed with Santa Claus decides to don his signature red and white suit before embarking on a murder fling .

The image of a murderous man dressed as Santa delivering death instead of nowadays is n’t easy to get out of the head . still , the movie has since developed a cult following .

Santa’s Slay (2005)

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Another slasher film , this one takes a more comedic smell at a Santa gone untimely . In it , professional wrestler Bill Goldberg stars as St. Nick . The scene is fix when he comes down the chimney of the flush Mason family ’s home , then down everyone in the most ridiculous way . He drown the mom , played by Fran Drescher , in eggnog and knife the dad with a ninja star from the top of the Sir Herbert Beerbohm Tree . This massacre is count one of thebest killer Santa deaths ever in motion picture .

The movie is gruesome , unprocessed , and all sort of damage . But it ’s still somewhat screaming for TV audience who have the stomach and sense of humor for it .

Silent Night, Deadly Night (1984)

The concept of a killer impersonating Santa has been done , and overdone , countless times . Another is in this slasher celluloid whereby a man suffer from PTSD breaks down on Christmas and begin a killing spree dress as Santa Claus .

His trauma go steady back to see his parents ' slaying on Christmas Eve , then being abused in an orphanage . For those into such niche slasher films , it ’s warp and vulgar , but develop a cult follow . And it remains one of the movies with a Santa who is the terminated opposition of the ones from puerility memories .

Tales From the Crypt (1972)

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In the story " And All Through the House " fromTales From the Crypt , a Orcinus orca Santa is on the open after escaping a genial institution . He goes on to murder a fair sex while he ’s garbed to the nines as Santa .

In an interesting twist , the adult female is hunted after murdering her own married man and seek to pin it on the orca Santa . make the story even more distorted , the liquidator then march around with his Santa sack , filled with the woman ’s remains . This is a repugnance movie at its finest , with a Christmas twist that will scare away viewers and change the viewpoint of Santa .

Miracle on 34th Street (1947)

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He ’s not a murderous Santa , just the typical unfit lease hand , fill in for the real guy . In this film , a man named Kris Kringle who , of course , flex out to be the substantial Santa , is upset when he witnesses a intoxicated world play Santa for the annual Macy ’s Thanksgiving Day Parade .

That man is eventually fired , and the real Santa takes his place to save the day . In summation to being one of the best Christmas movies , Miracle on thirty-fourth Streetis often considered mandatory Thanksgiving viewing as well . Despite the depiction of a " bad Santa " in the source , Miracle on 34th Streethas some heartwarming quote .

The Santa Clause (1994)

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Technically , Tim Allen ’s version of Santa is only " spoiled " in that he survive because the character unintentionally killed the real Santa on Christmas Eve after he fell from his roof . He also starts out as a pretty neglectful , workaholic father .

He then set out on a journey of Trygve Halvden Lie as he essay to execute his destiny and take the big gentleman ’s place , convincing everyone that he is indeed the real Santa . At its heart , The Santa Clauseis a sugared tale as Scott easy transmute into Santa Claus . Nonetheless , it set out in a somewhat morbid way . The story continue with the latest Disney+ serial , The Santa Clauses .

Jingle All the Way (1996)

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It is n’t just one Santa from this movie who is bad , but a clump of them . When Arnold Schwarzenegger ’s character confronts a bunch of drinking - on - the - problem mall Santas in the warehouse where they make counterfeit toys , call them everything from criminals to degenerates and downhearted - lives , a free-for-all break up out .

One Santa taunts him unrelentingly until they all begin to attack , using everything from makeshift nunchucks to swift puncher to the face . It ’s a hilarious picture fromJingle All the Way , made more so because of the lustrous and jolly red and clean Santa suits doing flagitious thing .

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Split image of bad Santas in film

Billy Bob Thornton slumped in his chair in a Santa outfit, a man dressed as en elf beside him in Bad Santa.

Santa looks at Ralphie in A Christmas Story

Dan Aykroyd dressed in a dirty Santa costume, drinking a glass of wine in Trading Places.

Santa Claus in Christmas Evil

Bill Goldberg as Santa Claus screams in Santa’s Slay (2005)

A man dressed as Santa looking scared in Silent Night, Deadly Night.

A scary man dressed as Santa with hands out in Tales From the Crypt

A scene from Miracle On 34th Street

Scott Calvin dressed as Santa in The Santa Clause

Arnold Schwarzenegger with a group of Santas in Jingle All The Way

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