--- title: "Santa's Slay" year: 2005 kind: "film" canonical: "https://film.one/film/santas-slay" fi1m_id: "santas-slay" imdb_id: "tt0393685" tmdb_id: 12591 wikidata_id: "Q577360" fi1m_score: 77 critics_reviews: 1 published: "2026-09-16" updated: "2026-09-20T21:00:09.060190+00:00" region: "CL" licence: "© Fi1m Ltd. Written by AI under a human editor; checked against sources before publication. Quote with attribution and a link to the canonical URL." --- # Santa's Slay (2005) Directed by David Steiman · 1h 25m · Comedy, Fantasy, Horror ## Identity Santa's Slay - **Canonical:** https://film.one/film/santas-slay - **Type:** Film - **Fi1m ID:** santas-slay - **IMDb ID:** tt0393685 - **TMDB ID:** 12591 - **Wikidata ID:** Q577360 - **Same entity:** https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0393685/, https://www.themoviedb.org/movie/12591, https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q577360 **Fi1m score: 77** · Critics: 1 of 6 reviews so far *In a sentence:* A remarkably cheerful Christmas, provided nobody lets Santa through the door > David Steiman’s Christmas horror comedy is worth an evening if festive bad taste is the plan. Bill Goldberg’s Santa and the bright storybook look are good company; the central joke is decidedly thin. ## Synopsis Santa (Bill Goldberg) brings violence to Christmas, with a satanic history behind his familiar seasonal role. Nicolas Yuleson (Douglas Smith), Mary ‘Mac’ Mackenzie (Emilie de Ravin) and Grandpa (Robert Culp) are among the people sharing this festive season, alongside Pastor Timmons (Dave Thomas) and Mr. Green (Saul Rubinek). The danger comes from Santa himself, rather than an ordinary criminal borrowing his costume. Christmas fantasy imagery and a stop-motion sequence accompany the slasher violence. Nudity and profanity are also part of the story. ## Review There is a pleasing lack of embarrassment about *Santa’s Slay*. Writer and director David Steiman treats a satanic Santa as an excuse for broad comedy and seasonal violence, and the film works at that modest level. Its surprise is the cheerfulness: nudity, profanity and bloodshed do remarkably little to sour the Christmas mood. We would recommend it for an evening of festive bad taste, with no expectation that it will make the season frightening. Bill Goldberg is the main reason the joke survives. His Santa is so excessive that the performance scarcely leaves room for unease, and the film benefits from that lack of restraint. The humour is broad, sometimes barely more than the sight of the familiar festive figure behaving appallingly. Yet Bill Goldberg commits to the part without asking us to congratulate him for being in on the joke, and that is a useful quality in a film whose central idea can be understood almost immediately. Matthew F. Leonetti’s bright cinematography makes sense of the tone. The images retain the appeal of Christmas entertainment even when the material becomes violent, so we can enjoy the seasonal look without waiting for the film to disown it. Todd Cherniawsky’s production design contributes to that storybook effect, making the setting inviting enough for Santa’s aggression to feel out of place. The brightness is doing comic work here; darkening everything would make the joke less clear. The stop-motion sequence is a particularly useful touch because it borrows a form associated with reassuring festive stories. We laughed at it: that cosy Christmas style is an absurdly cheerful fit for a Santa with a satanic history. The comic thought is visible before anyone needs to explain it, which is more satisfying than simply adding another rude word. David Steiman’s fondness for this sort of seasonal imagery gives the film a charm its crude premise might not lead us to expect. The editing and music are less distinctive. Steve Polivka and Julia Wong’s cutting has little chance of creating suspense when the main attraction is a Santa this broadly played, and the film rarely makes us anticipate anything worse than another outrageous bit of behaviour. Henning Lohner’s score is secondary to the visual joke, which tells us how seriously to take the danger before the music need do anything. There is little here for anyone who wants their seasonal horror to unsettle them. David Steiman’s writing has a more basic problem: one reversal of a familiar figure is asked to do a good deal of work. Once Santa behaving badly has registered, there is a limit to what further bad behaviour can add. The nudity and profanity are less amusing than the contrast between the cheerful surroundings and the violence, and can make the whole thing seem pleased with how rude it is. At 85 minutes, it is sensibly short, although we would still welcome another substantial joke. Save it for an evening when cheerful indecency will do. *Fi1m score 77, published 16 September 2026.* ## Straight answers **Is Santa's Slay worth watching?** *Santa's Slay* is worth watching for an evening of festive bad taste, and we scored it 77. Bill Goldberg's excessive Santa and the bright storybook look keep the mood cheerful despite the bloodshed, though the central joke of Santa behaving badly is thin and asked to carry the whole film. Nobody should expect it to be frightening. **How long is Santa's Slay, and what is it rated?** *Santa's Slay* runs 1h 25m. It is a comedy and fantasy film. **Where can I watch Santa's Slay in Chile?** *Santa's Slay* is not on any streaming or rental service in Chile at the moment. It is available in 4 other countries; change your country at the top of the page to see where. Availability is checked daily. **How violent or frightening is Santa's Slay, and is it suitable for children?** *Santa's Slay* is a UK 15 with slasher violence, nudity and profanity, and it is not suitable for children. The violence is played for broad comedy rather than fear, and the cheerful Christmas look stops it from ever becoming unsettling. Teenagers old enough for the certificate should find it more rude than scary. **How does Santa's Slay compare to Gremlins?** *Santa's Slay* is the cruder and more one-note of the two, while [*Gremlins*](https://film.one/film/gremlins) is the better film. Joe Dante's creatures wreck Christmas with enough affection for the characters to make the cruelty matter, and the film has more jokes in it than a single reversal of a familiar figure. Choose *Santa's Slay* only if cheerful indecency is the point of the evening. **What should I watch after Santa's Slay?** After *Santa's Slay*, try [*Gremlins*](https://film.one/film/gremlins) (1984, Fi1m 80): Festive destruction with enough affection for its characters to make the cruelty matter. Then [*Tucker & Dale vs. Evil*](https://film.one/film/tucker-and-dale-vs-evil) (2010, Fi1m 76): More amiable bloodshed, with the comedy growing from characters rather than one seasonal reversal. ### Reviews we read (1) - **The AV Club**, Randall Colburn (90/100, inferred): The critic finds the 2005 direct-to-DVD slasher relentlessly cheery and wholesome despite its violence, nudity, and profanity, praising its bright visuals, Rankin/Bass-inspired aesthetic, stop-motion sequence, and Bill Goldberg's over-the-top performance as the real Santa with a whimsical satanic origin story. [Read](https://www.avclub.com/santa-s-slay-might-be-the-most-wholesome-slasher-movie-1798287248) ## Details - **Director:** David Steiman - **Director:** David Steiman - **Writer:** David Steiman - **Cinematography:** Matthew F. Leonetti - **Editor:** Steve Polivka, Julia Wong - **Music:** Henning Lohner - **Production design:** Todd Cherniawsky - **Producer:** Sammy Lee, Matthew F. Leonetti Jr., Brett Ratner - **Cast:** Bill Goldberg as Santa; Douglas Smith as Nicolas Yuleson; Emilie de Ravin as Mary 'Mac' Mackenzie; Robert Culp as Grandpa; Dave Thomas as Pastor Timmons; Saul Rubinek as Mr. Green; Rebecca Gayheart as Gwen Mason; Chris Kattan as Jason Mason - **Runtime:** 1h 25m - **First release (Canada):** 25 October 2005 - **Genres:** Comedy, Fantasy, Horror ## Where to watch in Chile Not streaming, renting or buying in Chile at the last check. Also available in: CA, GB, IE, US. Add `?region=XX` to this URL for another country. ## If you liked this - *Rare Exports: A Christmas Tale* (2010): Another dangerous Santa, with Finnish deadpan humour and a stronger taste for unease. - *Gremlins* (1984), Fi1m 80: Festive destruction with enough affection for its characters to make the cruelty matter. — [Fi1m page](https://film.one/film/gremlins.md) - *The Day of the Beast* (1995): Satanic Christmas trouble in Madrid, with grubby humour and more conviction behind the blasphemy. - *House* (1977): Handmade horror whose bright colours make the violence stranger, funnier and harder to dismiss. - *Tucker & Dale vs. Evil* (2010), Fi1m 76: More amiable bloodshed, with the comedy growing from characters rather than one seasonal reversal. — [Fi1m page](https://film.one/film/tucker-and-dale-vs-evil.md) --- © Fi1m Ltd. Written by AI under a human editor; checked against sources before publication. Quote with attribution and a link to the canonical URL. 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