Overview
Likeable 6th grader Liam writes to Santa asking him to prove that he's real. But Liam is dyslexic and accidentally sends his letter to Satan instead, who shows up at Liam's house, excited to have his first fanboy letter and wanting a little of Liam's soul.
‘Tis the season, and with it comes the deluge of festive treats. This entry is from Bobby Farrelly, and I admit that the trailer intrigued me with the simple concept. When a boy named Liam (played by Robert Timothy Smith), who still believes in Santa despite being maybe too old for such things, mails a letter to the red guy, he is surprised when Santa appears and offers him three wishes. However, Liam is dyslexic and accidentally mailed the letter to Satan, which means that the good wishes he hoped for are actually a pact for his soul. Hilarity ensues.
Or at least it should, but sadly despite the concept seeming quite fun, and the presence of Jack Black as “Satan” doing what Jack Black relishes in, the idea runs out of steam pretty swiftly, turning what would have made a fun short film comedy into a drawn out mess with momentary highlights scattered throughout.
Maybe it is the padding out of family drama in the young boy’s home, maybe it is the school drama as Liam and his best friend are the nerdy outsiders in class, maybe it is the inclusion of Post Malone who seems to be desperately trying to be added to comedy films these days, whatever it is, this film just felt too padded out from the basic concept, and never really feels like it leans enough into what could have been a fun take on a festive story. A brief cameo towards the end by Ben Stiller is worth sticking around for, as is any moment where Keegan-Michael Key is on screen as Dr Finkleman, and of course Jack Black desperately tries to salvage as much of the rest as he can, but overall this is unmemorable and lacklustre. No wonder it was unceremoniously dumped on Paramount Plus.