Dear Santa, a 2024 Christmas movie on Paramount+, has a twist ending that has been met with both fascination and frustration. The film, starring Jack Black as a demon named Asmodeus, follows a young boy named Liam who makes a wish to Satan, thinking he is Santa Claus.
The movie initially establishes a clear rule: Satan, or Asmodeus, cannot change the past. However, the ending, which sees Liam’s brother, Spencer, brought back to life, seems to defy this rule. This has left audiences divided, with some interpreting the scene as a dream sequence and others believing that Spencer’s return is real.
The ending creates more problems than it solves, leading to an unclear and potentially disturbing message about the power of wish-fulfillment. The movie’s focus on grief and closure, which is established in the second half of the film, is undermined by the return of Spencer, which can be seen as a reversal of death.
However, the movie’s core message, taken up until the twist ending, is the Serenity Prayer. The importance of recognizing the difference between what can and cannot be changed is a vital lesson for both Liam and Asmodeus, who are learning to love themselves as they are.
The film’s director, Bobby Farrelly, writer Ricky Blitt, Peter Farrelly, and Dan Ewen, along with the cast, including Jack Black, Robert Timothy Smith, Brianne Howey, Hayes MacArthur, Keegan-Michael Key, Post Malone, P.J. Byrne, Jaden Carson Baker, and Kai Cech, bring a sense of humor and heart to the film, making it a unique and imaginative holiday movie. Despite some issues with the ending, Dear Santa is a charming and funny film that explores the importance of self-acceptance and the meaning of Christmas.