Bad Santa 2
Broad Green Pictures | Release Date: November 23, 2016 CRITIC SCORE DISTRIBUTION
38
METASCORE
Generally unfavorable reviews based on 36 Critic Reviews
Positive:
5
Mixed:
20
Negative:
11
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Critic Reviews

Critic scorePublicationBy date
60
Village VoiceApril WolfeNov 22, 2016
God bless Kathy Bates, because she scalds with the darkest, mindfuckiest burns as the ultimate Mommy Dearest. And this script is in dire need of her. Read full review
50
Rolling StoneDavid FearNov 27, 2016
It simply does not have the courage of its crass convictions. There's a going-through-the-motions vibe to the whole affair. Read full review
50
ReelViewsJames BerardinelliNov 26, 2016
At its best, Bad Santa 2 feels like an echo of its predecessor. At its worst, it’s unfunny, crass, and uncomfortable (not in a good way). Read full review
50
RogerEbert.comGlenn KennyNov 23, 2016
Particularly in its portrayal of Thurman, who here isn’t so much misunderstood and unloved as he is dumber than a bag of rocks, this sequel actively devalues the compassion-on-the-knife-edge-of-misanthropy that distinguished the original in favor of a mainstream gross-out cartoon. The market demands nothing less, apparently. Read full review
50
We Got This CoveredMatt DonatoNov 23, 2016
Bad Santa 2 is the same holiday depravity with half the enthusiasm, too drunk on its own despicable tone. Read full review
50
Los Angeles TimesKatie WalshNov 22, 2016
Bad Santa 2 relies entirely too much on the salty stuff, offering an opportunity for audiences to titter at the firehose of vile gutter humor that leaves no one unsullied, and delves into some truly dark places. Read full review
50
The A.V. ClubA.A. Dowd Nov 22, 2016
The heist-movie plot, the bawdy gags, the ironic repurposing of old holiday-season chestnuts: They’re all here, hastily stuffed into a new package. Read full review
50
New York PostKyle SmithNov 21, 2016
Bad Santa 2 is vulgar, nasty and offensive, but it has flawed aspects also. Read full review
42
The Film StageJohn FinkNov 27, 2016
Rehashing some of the best and most memorable moments of Terry Zwigoff’s 2003 comedy, Bad Santa 2 is dirtier but certainly not funnier and it ultimately gives us less of a reason to care. Read full review
42
IndieWireEric KohnNov 16, 2016
Once again, the screenplay (by Johnny Rosenthal and Shauna Cross) goes out of its way to put terrible lines in its characters’ mouths and dares viewers to laugh. However, it’s gotten harder to take this form of jarring lowbrow humor, especially when it serves no purpose beyond shock value. Read full review
40
Total FilmJames MottramNov 27, 2016
True, Hendricks has fun with her role as a good girl with a bad streak, while Shauna Cross and Johnny Rosenthal’s script fires off a few zingers. But with Thornton surprisingly disengaged and the robbery plot formulaic, it’s a limp dick of a sequel. Read full review
40
EmpireAndrew LowryNov 27, 2016
A photocopy of a photocopy, this could perhaps be the nadir of the wave of decade-too-late comedy sequels. Only Thornton completists, and hopeless nostalgists, need apply. Read full review
40
The GuardianMike McCahillNov 27, 2016
Mark Waters wrings occasional snickers from a patchy script, but the whole feels tamely conventional: misanthropy passed through the usual Hollywood motions. Read full review
40
Time OutJoshua RothkopfNov 23, 2016
Mainly it lacks director Terry Zwigoff who, as he did with "Ghost World" and "Crumb," suggested a vital, original voice. Read full review
40
Austin ChronicleMarjorie BaumgartenNov 23, 2016
There’s a difference between being transgressive and offensive, and that, in a nutshell (or roasted chestnut), is the difference between Bad Santa and Bad Santa 2. Read full review
40
ScreenCrushMatt SingerNov 23, 2016
Bates notwithstanding, Bad Santa 2’s supporting cast just isn’t up to snuff. Read full review
40
The New York TimesBen KenigsbergNov 22, 2016
Even the profanity has lost its zing in this cut-rate retread, which mostly prompts admiration for how far Mr. Zwigoff ran with one joke. Read full review
40
Arizona RepublicBill GoodykoontzNov 21, 2016
There are some laughs, sure, but not enough. It was funny the first time. This is the second time, and returns diminish accordingly. Read full review
40
VarietyAndrew BarkerNov 16, 2016
It’s essentially a hangout movie populated exclusively with some of the worst people imaginable, rarely with any sort of solid scene-setting or straight-men to provide context. Read full review
40
TheWrapDave WhiteNov 16, 2016
It’s impossible to watch Bad Santa 2 without getting the sense that people who knew how to do their jobs were studio-noted out of their minds and forced to run a futile obstacle course hampered by budget restrictions, shortened shooting schedules, and general carelessness. Read full review
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