Quartile rating: 6/10 · 1 rating
A rowdy, unorthodox Santa Claus is fighting to save his declining business. Meanwhile, Billy, a neglected and precocious 12 year old, hires a hit man to kill Santa after receiving a lump of coal in his stocking.
Fatman earns its highest mark for Novelty — the premise of a gritty, world-weary Mel Gibson as a real Santa Claus being hunted by a child-hired hitman is genuinely singular and committed to its dark comedic vision. The plot holds together reasonably well as a slow-burn dark comedy-thriller hybrid, and both Gibson and Walton Goggins deliver engaged, earnest performances that elevate the material. Cinematography is functional but unremarkable — cold, flat visuals that suit the tone but rarely distinguish themselves. The ending deflates somewhat, resolving too neatly for the subversive setup it promised, leaving the film feeling like it underdelivered on its own wild concept.