Fatman: Mel Gibson’s Unconventional Santa Claus Movie Finds New Life On Netflix

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The movie Fatman, released in 2020, is now gaining popularity on Netflix. This action comedy features Mel Gibson playing Santa Claus, with Walton Goggins as a hired killer tasked with taking him out.

Five years after it was released, the movie Fatman is currently the 10th most popular film on Netflix in the United States, as of November 10th. It’s trailing behind movies like Frankenstein by Guillermo del Toro, KPop Demon Hunters, A Madea Christmas, The Hangover, A House of Dynamite, The Hangover Part II, Turbo, The Hangover Part III, and Bride Wars.

Directed by Eshom and Ian Nelms, Fatman presents a unique and dark twist on the typical Santa Claus story. The film stars Mel Gibson as a disillusioned and tough Santa who’s dealing with a frustrating holiday season – including problems with toy production, government interference, and a vengeful hitman (Walton Goggins) hired by a disgruntled child who was placed on the naughty list.

The film stars Academy Award winner Mel Gibson (known for Braveheart) and Walton Goggins, who has been nominated for three Emmys (The White Lotus, Fallout, Justified). The cast also includes Academy Award nominee Marianne Jean-Baptiste (Secrets & Lies), along with Robert Bockstael, Eric Woolfe, Deborah Grover, Ekaterina Baker, Shaun Benson, and Bill Lake.

The movie Fatman got a mixed reaction from critics. While audiences enjoyed it, giving it an 84% score, critics were less impressed, awarding it a 43% on Rotten Tomatoes. They appreciated the film’s surprisingly heartfelt approach and unique take on the Santa Claus story, but generally felt it didn’t quite succeed in being as daring as it intended.

Although Fatman didn’t do well in theaters, earning just $1.7 million from a $20 million budget, it has found more success when people watch it online.

During its second weekend in cinemas, Fatman was a popular rental, ranking third on FandangoNow, Spectrum, and Apple TV, and fourth on Google Play. It continued to perform well, remaining in the top four on all those platforms the week after.

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2025-11-11 02:07