Here's where to watch Bad Santa online, including whether it's on Netflix, Hulu or Prime. The 2000s was something of a golden age for R-rated studio comedies. The likes of The Hangover movies, Superbad and Step Brothers all featured edgy humor with all-star comic ensembles. Bad Santa is another gem from that era, which cast Billy Bob Thornton as a thief who dresses up as a mall Santa each year so he and his assistant Marcus (Tony Cox) can rob them.
Bad Santa originated as a concept by the Coen brothers, with Ghost World's Terry Zwigoff later coming on to direct. Actors like Bill Murray and James Gandolfini were considered for the lead, but Thornton proved perfect as the disgusting, nihilistic thief. Bad Santa practically wallows in its own grossness, but it's oddly sweet in its own way too. That's one reason the film became a go-to for viewers with a distaste for the holidays, alongside the likes of Batman Returns or Scrooged.
The film was also a comfortable success, grossing nearly $80 million upon release in 2003. While Bad Santa is easy to find online, it isn't currently streaming on services like Netflix, Hulu or Prime. Bad Santa isn't available to view on any service, though it's available to rent or purchase from many platforms, with prices starting from $2.99.
Where To Find Bad Santa Online
Bad Santa - often considered a modern classic - can be found on Amazon, Redbox, DirecTV, Apple iTunes and many others, according to JustWatch. Naturally, given the success of Bad Santa and its enduring appeal in the years that followed, talk of a sequel began to occur, though it wasn't until 2016 that Thorton and co-stars Cox and Brett Kelly reunited for one. Sadly, Bad Santa 2 - which also added Kathy Bates and Christina Hendricks - wasn't worth the wait, lacking both the biting wit of the original.
Bad Santa 2 was also a financial dud, making a third movie doubtful. While the follow-up was a disappointment, the reputation of Bad Santa itself only seems to grow year by year. The film also marked one of the last projects for co-star John Ritter, who previously worked with Thornton and one of Hollywood's go-to villains J.T. Walsh on the acclaimed Sling Blade. Ritter died suddenly at the age of 54 after falling ill on the set of his sitcom 8 Simple Rules... for Dating My Teenage Daughter. He passed a few months before Bad Santa was released, with the film being the star's final live-action role.