Fatman (2020)
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A jaded Santa Claus must face off against a vengeful child's hired assassin.
The story
Chris Cringle and his wife Ruth operate a Christmas present workshop on an isolated farm near North Peak, Alaska. As children become increasingly vicious, the United States Government begins cutting subsidies to their business. To remedy the income loss, US military Captain Jacobs proposes a contract for producing jet fighter components. Although Chris initially refuses, he grudgingly accepts the offer to maintain their livelihood. However, the peace is shattered when Billy Wenan, a pernicious boy who received a lump of coal, hires a hitman to assassinate Chris, leading to a violent confrontation at the workshop.
Full plot (contains spoilers)
Chris Cringle and his wife Ruth operate a Christmas present workshop on an isolated farm near North Peak, Alaska. Due to declining revenue from increasingly vicious children, the US Government begins cutting subsidies. After refusing a military contract for jet fighter components, Chris eventually accepts it to save their business. Meanwhile, Billy Wenan, a wealthy and immoral boy, hires hitman Jonathan Miller to kill Chris after receiving a lump of coal. Miller attacks the farm, kills the US Army guards, and blows up the workshop. During the fight, Miller wounds Chris and leaves him for dead, but Ruth kills Miller, and Chris survives. Chris and Ruth later confront Billy, who is spiking his grandmother's milk with fentanyl to cover forgeries. Chris warns Billy to stop his behavior. The film ends with Chris, Ruth, and the elves rebuilding the workshop with renewed confidence.
- First release year
- 2020
- Runtime (minutes)
- 100
- Production countries
- United States
- Original languages
- English
- Directors
- Eshom Nelms; Ian Nelms
- Writers
- Eshom Nelms · writer; Ian Nelms · writer
- Cast and characters
- Mel Gibson · Chris Cringle; Walton Goggins · Jonathan Miller (credited as "Skinny Man"); Marianne Jean-Baptiste · Ruth Cringle; Chance Hurstfield · Billy Wenan; Robert Bockstael · Captain Jacobs; Eric Woolfe · Elf 7; Susanne Sutchy · Sandy; Michael Dyson · Herman
- Genres
- action; comedy; black comedy
- Themes
- revenge; modern morality; economic struggle
- Tone and mood
- black comedy; gritty; edgy
- Setting
- North Peak, Alaska during the Christmas season
- Premise and plot tags
- Santa Claus; Action; Comedy; Revenge
- Reception
- The film received mixed reviews from critics, with some praising its serious approach to the Santa legend while others criticized its tone and execution.
- Reported review scores
- Metacritic · score: 40 · scale: 100 · review count: 24
- Production trivia
- The screenplay was originally written in 2006 and shopped for over 10 years.; The climactic shootout sequence was filmed in temperatures as low as 36 below zero Celsius.; Production wrapped just prior to the widespread film industry shutdowns caused by the COVID-19 pandemic.
Film metadata comes from the open sources listed in Credits & Contact. Catalogue details may be incomplete.
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