NSFW ‘Bad Santa 2’ Trailer is a Vulgar Gift

Drew Dietsch
Movies
Movies

Bad Santa is a holiday classic. Of course, it’s not the kind of thing you can put on for the kids. Billy Bob Thornton‘s drunken, crass mall Santa is heartwarming to those of us with the blackest of hearts. The idea of a sequel was always risky. It’s tough to capture the same magic twice. But, it looks like we might be in good hands.

Check out the incredibly NSFW red-band trailer for Bad Santa 2:

Stepping into the director’s chair is Mark Waters (Mean GirlsThe House of Yes), and it looks like he’s straying further away from the original film’s darker intent. That’s perfectly fine since the theatrical cut of Bad Santa is easily the most enjoyable version. Billy Bob Thornton is still lovably awful as Willie, and it’s great to see returning actors Tony Cox and Brett Kelly as Marcus and Thurman Merman respectively. The new cast also looks delightful; Christina Hendricks and Kathy Bates seem to be comfortable sliding into gross and disturbingly funny roles.

The plot looks a little repetitive, but that’s somewhat expected. In all honesty, this is an unnecessary sequel. The first movie is whole unto itself, and even if this sequel doesn’t live up to its predecessor, it won’t tarnish the original in any way. That movie is untouchable.

Good comedy sequels are a rarity. If Bad Santa 2 can give us plenty of hilarious obscenity – this trailer is a great indicator – while maintaining Bad Santa‘s bizarre warmth, it could be something special. No matter what, Billy Bob Thornton’s Willie is a filthy treasure. Watching him swear at children and beat up a jolly Santa Claus is undeniably chuckle-inducing.

Bad Santa 2 will offend moviegoers on November 23. …Wait, what? Though it’s nice to get an early Christmas present, this might be a little too early. Let’s hope it doesn’t hurt the movie’s chances to do well.

Drew Dietsch
Drew Dietsch has been professionally writing about entertainment for over a decade. His bylines include FANDOM - where he was a founding contributor and Entertainment Editor - Bloody Disgusting, SYFY WIRE, and more. He created and hosts GenreVision, a weekly film discussion show at genrevision.com.