Fatman (2020 film)

Last updated
Fatman
Fatman poster.jpg
Theatrical release poster
Directed by
  • Eshom Nelms
  • Ian Nelms
Written by
  • Eshom Nelms
  • Ian Nelms
Produced by
  • Todd Courtney
  • Nadine de Barros
  • Michelle Lang
  • Robert Menzies
  • Lisa Wolofsky
Starring
CinematographyJohnny Derango
Edited byTraton Lee
Music byMondo Boys
Production
companies
Distributed by Saban Films
Release date
  • November 13, 2020 (2020-11-13)
Running time
100 minutes
CountryUnited States
LanguageEnglish
Budget$20 million [1]
Box office$1.7 million [2] [3]

Fatman is a 2020 American black comedy action film written and directed by Eshom Nelms and Ian Nelms, and starring Mel Gibson, Walton Goggins and Marianne Jean-Baptiste. [4] [5] The film is an unorthodox slant on holiday traditions that follows a jaded, gritty Santa Claus who struggles with ennui, production issues, government interference, and an embittered assassin sent by a vengeful naughty kid. [6]

Contents

Filmed in Canada and released worldwide on November 13, 2020, the film received mixed reviews from critics.

Plot

Chris Cringle and his wife Ruth operate a Christmas present workshop on an old isolated farm near the small town of North Peak, Alaska. Struggling with declining income over the years due to children becoming increasingly vicious, the United States Government, who maintains an interest share in Chris's business because Christmas is a major economic stimulus, starts cutting back on their subsidies. To remedy Chris' income loss, US military Captain Jacobs is sent to propose a two-month contract for producing jet fighter components, which is outright refused. The liaison agents override Chris's misgivings by implying next year Government's subsidies will likely decrease. Ruth manages to restore Chris's spirits, who grudgingly accepts their offer only this one time.

Billy Wenan, an amoral pernicious boy who lives with his old money grandmother, is the quintessential vicious child who commits several despicable acts against people he considers inferior. On Christmas Eve, Billy receives a lump of coal from Chris, swears revenge, and hires his personal hit man, Jonathan Miller, to assassinate Chris. Miller, who also harbors a bitter childhood grudge against Chris, sets off on a killing spree until he successfully extracts Chris's confidential address from a Postal Service supervisor. Making his way to North Peak, Miller trails Chris to the farm, kills the US Army guards and infiltrates the workshop until an elf worker raises the alarm. Jacobs succeeds in evacuating the workers before Miller kills him and blows up the workshop.

Chris fights Miller and gains the upper hand, but Miller wounds Chris using a hidden blade and then shoots Chris dead. Ruth kills Miller afterwards, and Chris recovers from his injuries. Backtracking Miller's assignment, Chris and Ruth pay a visit to Billy and interrupt Billy poisoning his grandmother’s milk to cover his check forgeries. Irritated, Chris admits he has become lax when dealing with children like Billy, and warns him that from now on he will come for all vicious children in the night if they keep harming people. Back at the farm, Chris, Ruth, and the elves start rebuilding the workshop bigger and better with renewed confidence in the future.

Cast

Production

Ian and Eshom Nelms originally wrote the screenplay for Fatman in 2006, and had been shopping it around for over 10 years. [1] On May 8, 2019, it was announced that Gibson would play Santa Claus in the film. [7] [9] On January 29, 2020, it was announced that Walton Goggins had joined the cast, [8] and Marianne Jean-Baptiste joined the following month. [10]

Principal photography occurred in the Ottawa Valley (Ontario and Quebec, Canada) and in the towns of Carleton Place and Mississippi Mills in February 2020. [11] The climactic shootout sequence took four days to film, with the temperature hitting as low as 36 below zero Celsius. [1]

Release

Saban Films acquired the film's United States distribution rights in September 2020. [12] It was released in the United States in select theaters on November 13, 2020. [13] It also received a limited release in Australia on November 19, 2020. [14]

Fatman was released via digital download on November 17, 2020. [13] It was also released on video-on-demand on November 24, 2020. [15] [16] [17]

Reception

Box office and VOD

In its opening weekend, the film grossed $108,000 from 259 theaters. [18] In its second weekend the film made $51,266 from 177 theaters, and was also the third-most rented film on FandangoNow, Spectrum, and Apple TV, and fourth on Google Play. [19] [20] It remained in the top four spots on all four platforms the following weekend, while also grossing $11,895 from 42 theaters. [21] [22]

Critical response

On Metacritic, the film has a weighted average score of 40 out of 100, based on 24 critics, indicating "mixed or average reviews". [23] On the review aggregator Rotten Tomatoes, the film holds an approval rating of 45% based on 114 reviews, with an average rating of 5.3/10. The website's critics consensus reads, "Fatman takes a surprisingly serious approach to a potentially ludicrous twist on the Santa Claus legend, aiming for edgy but mostly missing the mark." [24]

John DeFore of The Hollywood Reporter gave the film a positive review and wrote, "Less gonzo than it sounds, for better and worse." [25] Julian Roman of MovieWeb also gave the film a positive review and wrote, "Fatman reflects the worst instincts of modern times. It shows how selfishness and immorality can lead to violent outcomes." [26] Hunter Lanier of Film Threat gave the film a 7 out of 10. [27] Chris Bumbray of JoBlo.com gave the film an 8 out of 10. [28]

Bill Goodykoontz of The Arizona Republic awarded the film two stars. [15] Chuck Bowen of Slant Magazine awarded the film one and a half stars out of four. [29] Owen Gleiberman of Variety gave the film a negative review and wrote, "Yet you get the distinct feeling that the Nelms brothers think this is all a lot funnier, crazier, and more resonant than it is." [30]

Alonso Duralde of TheWrap also gave the film a negative review and wrote, "It never makes it past the idea stage, unfortunately, since mixing these disparate genres together would require an absolute mastery of tone that the film can't quite muster." [31] David Ehrlich of IndieWire graded the film a D, saying "Combining the crude spirit of Bad Santa with the grittiness of a Zack Snyder film, Fatman is worse than a lump of coal in your stocking." [16]

See also

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Mel Gibson</span> American actor and director (born 1956)

Mel Columcille Gerard Gibson is an American actor and film director. He is known for his action hero roles, particularly his breakout role as Max Rockatansky in the first three films of the post-apocalyptic action series Mad Max and as Martin Riggs in the buddy cop action-comedy film series Lethal Weapon.

<i>The Santa Clause</i> 1994 film directed by John Pasquin

The Santa Clause is a 1994 American Christmas comedy film directed by John Pasquin and written by Leo Benvenuti and Steve Rudnick. The first installment in The Santa Clause franchise, it stars Tim Allen as Scott Calvin, an ordinary man who accidentally causes Santa Claus to fall from his roof to his supposed death on Christmas Eve. When he and his young son, Charlie, finish the late St. Nick's trip and deliveries, they go to the North Pole where Scott learns that he must become the new Santa and convince those he loves that he is indeed Santa Claus.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Marianne Jean-Baptiste</span> English actress (born 1967)

Marianne Raigipcien Jean-Baptiste is an English actress. She is known for her role in the 1996 film Secrets & Lies, for which she received acclaim and earned nominations for the Academy Award for Best Supporting Actress and the Golden Globe and BAFTA Award in the same category. Baptiste is also known for her role as Vivian Johnson on the television series Without a Trace from 2002 to 2009, and has since starred in television shows such as Blindspot (2015–2016) and Homecoming (2018).

<i>Forever Young</i> (1992 film) 1992 film by Steve Miner

Forever Young is a 1992 American fantasy romantic drama film directed by Steve Miner and starring Mel Gibson, Elijah Wood, and Jamie Lee Curtis. The screenplay was written by J. J. Abrams from an original story named "The Rest of Daniel".

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Walton Goggins</span> American actor (born 1971)

Walton Sanders Goggins Jr. is an American actor. He has starred in various television series, including The Shield (2002–2008), Justified (2010–2015), Vice Principals (2016–2017), The Righteous Gemstones (2019–present), Invincible (2021–present), and Fallout (2024).

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Icon Productions</span> American production company

Icon Productions is an American production company founded in August 1989 by actor/director Mel Gibson and Australian producing partner Bruce Davey, which, unlike most other independent production companies, funds most of its development and production costs, allowing it to retain creative control of its projects. Its headquarters are in Santa Monica, California.

<i>Mad Max</i> Australian media franchise

Mad Max is an Australian post-apocalyptic and dystopian action film series and media franchise created by George Miller and Byron Kennedy. It began in 1979 with Mad Max, and was followed by three sequels: Mad Max 2, Mad Max Beyond Thunderdome (1985) and Mad Max: Fury Road (2015); Miller directed or co-directed all four films. Mel Gibson portrayed the titular character Max Rockatansky in the first three films, while Tom Hardy portrayed the character in Mad Max: Fury Road.

Lethal Weapon is an American buddy cop action-comedy media franchise created by Shane Black. It focuses on two Los Angeles Police Department (LAPD) detectives, Martin Riggs and Roger Murtaugh. The franchise consists of a series of four films released between 1987 and 1998 and a television series which aired from 2016 to 2019. The four films were directed by Richard Donner and also share many of the same core cast members, while the television series is a reboot with different actors. Although the first film was not explicitly a comedy, the later films and the television series gradually became comedic in nature.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Mel Gibson filmography</span>

Mel Gibson is an American actor, director, and producer, who made his acting debut on the Australian television drama series The Sullivans (1976–1983). While a student at the National Institute of Dramatic Art in Sydney, he was given an uncredited role in I Never Promised You a Rose Garden and subsequently appeared as a leading actor in the micro budget surf drama Summer City. Gibson rose to prominence during the Australian New Wave cinema movement in the early 1980s, having appeared in his breakthrough role in George Miller's dystopian action film Mad Max (1979), portraying the eponymous hero. He reprised the role in its sequels, Mad Max 2 (1981) and Mad Max Beyond Thunderdome (1985). He appeared in Peter Weir's war drama Gallipoli (1981) and the romantic drama The Year of Living Dangerously (1982). Five years later he played Martin Riggs in the buddy cop action comedy Lethal Weapon alongside Danny Glover—a role he later reprised in its sequels Lethal Weapon 2 (1989), Lethal Weapon 3 (1992), and Lethal Weapon 4 (1998).

<i>Mad Max: Fury Road</i> 2015 film by George Miller

Mad Max: Fury Road is a 2015 Australian post-apocalyptic action film co-written, co-produced, and directed by George Miller. Miller collaborated with Brendan McCarthy and Nico Lathouris on the screenplay. The fourth instalment in the Mad Max franchise, it was produced by Village Roadshow Pictures, Kennedy Miller Mitchell, and RatPac-Dune Entertainment and distributed by Roadshow Entertainment in Australia and by Warner Bros. Pictures internationally. The film stars Tom Hardy and Charlize Theron, with Nicholas Hoult, Hugh Keays-Byrne, Rosie Huntington-Whiteley, Riley Keough, Zoë Kravitz, Abbey Lee, and Courtney Eaton in supporting roles. Set in a post-apocalyptic desert wasteland where petrol and water are scarce commodities, Fury Road follows Max Rockatansky, who joins forces with Imperator Furiosa against cult leader Immortan Joe and his army, leading to a lengthy road battle.

<i>Hacksaw Ridge</i> 2016 biographical war film by Mel Gibson

Hacksaw Ridge is a 2016 biographical war film directed by Mel Gibson and written by Andrew Knight and Robert Schenkkan, based on the 2004 documentary The Conscientious Objector directed by Terry Benedict.

<i>Tomb Raider</i> (film) 2018 film directed by Roar Uthaug

Tomb Raider is a 2018 action-adventure film directed by Roar Uthaug, with a screenplay by Geneva Robertson-Dworet and Alastair Siddons, from a story by Evan Daugherty and Robertson-Dworet. An American and British co-production, it is based on the 2013 video game of the same name, with some elements of its sequel by Crystal Dynamics, a reboot, and the third installment in the Tomb Raider film series. The film stars Alicia Vikander as Lara Croft, who embarks on a perilous journey to her father's last-known destination, hoping to solve the mystery of his disappearance. Dominic West, Walton Goggins, Daniel Wu, and Kristin Scott Thomas appear in supporting roles.

<i>Noelle</i> (2019 film) 2019 film by Marc Lawrence

Noelle is a 2019 American Christmas fantasy comedy film written and directed by Marc Lawrence, produced by Walt Disney Pictures and distributed by Walt Disney Studios Motion Pictures. The film stars Anna Kendrick as Noelle Kringle, the daughter of Kris Kringle. It also stars Bill Hader, Kingsley Ben-Adir, Billy Eichner, Julie Hagerty, and Shirley MacLaine. In the film, when Noelle's brother Nick is stressed from all the pressure of taking over for their father, he leaves and does not return. She must find her brother and bring him back in time for Christmas. It was filmed from October 2017 to January 2018 in British Columbia and Woodstock, Georgia.

<i>Deep State</i> (TV series) British television espionage thriller series

Deep State is a British espionage thriller television series, written and created by Matthew Parkhill and Simon Maxwell, first broadcast in the United Kingdom on Fox on 5 April 2018. The first eight-part series, which began filming in May 2017, stars Mark Strong as Max Easton, a former field agent for MI6 who is recruited back into the field. The series co-starred Joe Dempsie, Karima Adebibe, Lyne Renée, Anastasia Griffith and Alistair Petrie.

<i>Boss Level</i> 2021 science fiction action film by Joe Carnahan

Boss Level is a 2020 American science fiction action film directed by Joe Carnahan and written by Carnahan and Chris and Eddie Borey, from a story by the Boreys. It stars Frank Grillo as a retired special forces soldier who tries to escape a never-ending time loop that results in his death. Mel Gibson, Naomi Watts and Michelle Yeoh co-star.

<i>The Christmas Chronicles 2</i> 2020 American Christmas comedy film

The Christmas Chronicles 2 is a 2020 American Christmas comedy film directed and produced by Chris Columbus, who wrote the screenplay with Matt Lieberman. A sequel to the 2018 film The Christmas Chronicles, it features Kurt Russell reprising his role as Santa Claus. Also reprising their roles are Goldie Hawn, Darby Camp, Judah Lewis, and Kimberly Williams-Paisley, with new cast members Julian Dennison, Jahzir Bruno, Tyrese Gibson, Sunny Suljic, Darlene Love, and Malcolm McDowell. The film had a limited theatrical release before moving to Netflix on November 25, 2020.

<i>The Peripheral</i> (TV series) American science-fiction drama television series

The Peripheral is an American science fiction television series created by Scott B. Smith. Produced by Amazon, it is loosely based on the 2014 book of the same name, written by William Gibson. Westworld creators Jonathan Nolan and Lisa Joy serve as executive producers, along with Athena Wickham, Steve Hoban, and Vincenzo Natali. Set roughly a decade in the future, with new technology that has changed society in subtle ways, a gamer is delivered a connection to an alternate reality as well as a dark future of her own.

<i>Fallout</i> (2024 TV series) Upcoming American television series

Fallout is an upcoming American post-apocalyptic drama television series co-created by Geneva Robertson-Dworet and Graham Wagner and developed by Lisa Joy and Jonathan Nolan, through their Kilter Films production company, for Amazon Prime Video. It is based on the role-playing video game franchise created by Interplay Entertainment and now owned by Bethesda Softworks.

<i>Panama</i> (2022 film) 2022 American film

Panama is a 2022 action thriller film directed by Mark Neveldine and starring Cole Hauser and Mel Gibson. It was released in the United States on March 18, 2022 by Saban Films.

The Last Days of Ptolemy Grey is an American drama television miniseries created by Walter Mosley for Apple TV+. Based on the 2010 novel of the same name by Mosley, the series stars Samuel L. Jackson, Dominique Fishback, Cynthia McWilliams, Damon Gupton, and Marsha Stephanie Blake. It premiered on March 11, 2022, and concluded on April 8, 2022, consisting of six episodes.

References

  1. 1 2 3 Larsen, Peter (November 9, 2020). "It took 2 brothers 14 years to make 'Fatman,' a Santa Claus movie with gunfights and Mel Gibson". Daily News. Archived from the original on November 22, 2020. Retrieved November 24, 2020.
  2. ↑ "Fatman (2020)". Box Office Mojo . Archived from the original on February 16, 2021. Retrieved December 19, 2020.
  3. ↑ "Fatman (2020)". The Numbers . Archived from the original on February 16, 2021. Retrieved December 19, 2020.
  4. ↑ Armitage, Helen (9 May 2019). "Mel Gibson to Play Santa Claus in Dark Comedy Fatman". Screen Rant. Archived from the original on 9 October 2020. Retrieved 2 August 2020.
  5. ↑ McNary, Dave (8 May 2019). "Mel Gibson to Star as Santa Claus in 'Fatman' Comedy". Variety. Archived from the original on 28 September 2020. Retrieved 2 August 2020.
  6. ↑ "'Fatman' Trailer Pits Mel Gibson's Santa Claus Against Walton Goggins' Assassin". Collider. October 7, 2020. Archived from the original on February 16, 2021. Retrieved October 8, 2020.
  7. 1 2 Ritman, Alex (8 May 2019). "Mel Gibson to Play Rowdy Santa Claus in 'Fatman'". The Hollywood Reporter. Archived from the original on 16 February 2021. Retrieved 2 August 2020.
  8. 1 2 Hipes, Patrick (29 January 2020). "Walton Goggins To Star Alongside Mel Gibson In 'Fatman'". Deadline Hollywood. Archived from the original on 16 February 2021. Retrieved 2 August 2020.
  9. ↑ Hipes, Patrick (8 May 2019). "Mel Gibson Suits Up To Play Santa Claus In Action Comedy 'Fatman' – Cannes". Deadline Hollywood. Archived from the original on 16 February 2021. Retrieved 2 August 2020.
  10. ↑ N'Duka, Amanda (3 February 2020). "'Homecoming' Actress Marianne Jean-Baptiste Joins Mel Gibson & Walton Goggins In Dark Comedy 'Fatman'". Deadline Hollywood. Archived from the original on 16 February 2021. Retrieved 2 August 2020.
  11. ↑ Furdyk, Brent (18 February 2020). "Mel Gibson Trends On Twitter When The Bushy-Bearded Star Is Spotted At An Ottawa Senators Game". Entertainment Tonight Canada. Archived from the original on 16 February 2021. Retrieved 2 August 2020.
  12. ↑ Hipes, Patrick (September 9, 2020). "Mel Gibson's 'Fatman' Acquired By Saban Films For 2020 Release; First-Look Photo Revealed". Deadline Hollywood. Archived from the original on February 16, 2021. Retrieved September 9, 2020.
  13. 1 2 Hibberd, James (October 7, 2020). "Fatman trailer: See Mel Gibson as angry violent Santa Claus". Entertainment Weekly. Archived from the original on October 9, 2020. Retrieved October 8, 2020.
  14. ↑ "'Fatman' Trailer: Mel Gibson is a Bad-Ass Santa Claus". Screenrealm.com. October 7, 2020. Archived from the original on February 16, 2021. Retrieved October 16, 2020.
  15. 1 2 Goodykoontz, Bill (9 November 2020). "'Fatman' should be the dumbest fun. Instead, it's just an action movie with some elves". The Arizona Republic. Archived from the original on 30 November 2020. Retrieved 13 November 2020.
  16. 1 2 Ehrlich, David (9 November 2020). "'Fatman' Review: Mel Gibson Plays a Gritty Santa Claus in a Christmas Movie from Hell". IndieWire. Archived from the original on 14 November 2020. Retrieved 13 November 2020.
  17. ↑ Hammond, Pete (9 November 2020). "'Fatman' Review: Mel Gibson Is Santa Under Siege In Routine Action Flick With A Holiday Twist". Deadline Hollywood. Archived from the original on 13 November 2020. Retrieved 13 November 2020.
  18. ↑ D'Alessandro, Anthony (November 15, 2020). "Blumhouse Body Swap Horror Comedy 'Freaky' Takes In $3.7M, On Par With Other No. 1 Pics During Fall Pandemic". Deadline Hollywood . Archived from the original on November 14, 2020. Retrieved November 15, 2020.
  19. ↑ Brueggemann, Tom (November 30, 2020). "'Let Him Go' Thrives as Early PVOD Release While 'New Mutants' Still Strong". IndieWire . Archived from the original on December 1, 2020. Retrieved December 1, 2020.
  20. ↑ "Deadline Hollywood". Archived from the original on 2021-02-16. Retrieved 2020-12-08.
  21. ↑ Brueggemann, Tom (December 7, 2020). "'Freaky' Debuts Well in Holiday Home Viewing, but 'Mank' Falls Short on Netflix". IndieWire . Archived from the original on December 8, 2020. Retrieved December 7, 2020.
  22. ↑ "Deadline Hollywood". Archived from the original on 2021-02-16. Retrieved 2020-12-08.
  23. ↑ "Fatman Reviews". Metacritic . Archived from the original on February 16, 2021. Retrieved December 23, 2020.
  24. ↑ "Fatman (2020)". Rotten Tomatoes . Fandango. Archived from the original on February 16, 2021. Retrieved October 10, 2021.
  25. ↑ DeFore, John (8 November 2020). "'Fatman': Film Review". The Hollywood Reporter. Archived from the original on 16 February 2021. Retrieved 13 November 2020.
  26. ↑ Roman, Julian (10 November 2020). "Fatman Review: Mel Gibson Offers a Twisted Take on Santa". MovieWeb. Archived from the original on 16 February 2021. Retrieved 13 November 2020.
  27. ↑ Lanier, Hunter (9 November 2020). "Fatman". Film Threat . Archived from the original on 16 February 2021. Retrieved 13 November 2020.
  28. ↑ Bumbray, Chris (12 November 2020). "FATMAN (REVIEW) WITH MEL GIBSON & WALTON GOGGINS". JoBlo.com. Archived from the original on 16 February 2021. Retrieved 13 November 2020.
  29. ↑ Bowen, Chuck (9 November 2020). "Review: Fatman Squanders Its Lurid One-Joke Premise with Literal-Mindedness". Slant Magazine. Archived from the original on 16 February 2021. Retrieved 13 November 2020.
  30. ↑ Gleiberman, Owen (11 November 2020). "'Fatman' Review: Mel Gibson Plays Santa Claus in a Movie that Will Feel like a Christmas Gift to the Gibson Faithful and a Stunt to Anyone Else". Variety. Archived from the original on 16 February 2021. Retrieved 13 November 2020.
  31. ↑ Duralde, Alonso (8 November 2020). "'Fatman' Film Review: Mel Gibson Is a Grizzled Santa in a Messy Genre Mash-Up". TheWrap. Archived from the original on 16 February 2021. Retrieved 13 November 2020.
This page is based on this Wikipedia article
Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply.
Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.