Santa Hunters

I stumbled upon this randomly after looking for some christmas in July movies to watch. I really didnt expect to get choked up at the end of this, but I did. I put this on thinking it would just be a fun simple holiday movie, and there was plenty of silly christmas gags, but what I did not expect was how emotional it would get, or I would become watching it. The characters this story follows aren't just played for laughs, they feel layered and lonely, and hopeful, full of dreams. I really connected with this in a way I did not expect. Theres twists and turns in here that some may find dark, and it does get dark, but thats what I liked about it. It's a very unique take on christmas, and I really admire it for that. It wont be for everyone, it feels oddball and scrappy and strange, but thats what makes it so charming. It's worth a watch, it's probably not what you expected.

I went into this expecting a light silly Christmas movie, but what I got was a darkly funny, oddly emotional mockumentary that feels like a Spinal Tap Christmas special.

The premise is ridiculous in the best way, people trying to hunt down Santa Claus, and things spiral quickly into conspiracy theories, existential dread. Did not see that coming! There's a real sense of craft here. The direction is playful but controlled, and the performances are committed especially from the leads who somehow make this insanity feel

You can tell the filmmakers made the most of their budget. Creative locations, really impressive cinematography given its budget, the music which I found out is all original honestly rocks. It manages to sneak in a few surprisingly touching moments amid the laughs too. Did not expect to shed tears.

It's not a perfect - some scenes go a little too far into sketch, and a couple of jokes miss the mark. But honestly that's part of the charm.

Not your typical holiday movie, and all the better for it. Think of it as Christmas for the weirdos. And I say that lovingly.

Depressing af with strong anti-Christian sentiment. Just what I look for in a Christmas movie (!)

It's too bad because I think it's a good premise and the characters had promise but this movie was not fun. Production values were fine, it looked fine, acting was good, and I wouldn't call it boring. It was not predictable. So those are all plusses. There were a few nice moments and some laughs buried in this bog of misery but I can't say they were worth it. It also has very little to do with Santa, really, and isn't Christmassy.

I can only imagine what the pitch meeting for this movie looked like. It's hard to picture the studio saying, "OK, but make it sadder" for each new draft of the script, but that must have been what happened. This should have been a comedy, and not a drama with a few jokes. The premise lends itself to a comedy.

I thought, OK, they're taking us really low, to make the uplift at the end even more powerful. Nope. The payoff isn't there, in my opinion.

This movie has so much heart and the underlying message that I got from it really speaks to that feeling of pursuing a crazy dream at the expense and potential detriment of all things.

The characters are all unique and deeply flawed in their own special way as they pursue their goal of hunting down "santa".

Not exactly a "Christmas" film but more a film centred around the theme of Christmas and all that it encompasses especially related to things around family, relationships and connection.

Its not a film for everyone but I really liked it! Its got quirky bits of dry Australian humour which I think pairs nicely with the overall ridiculous nature of the initial premise, but the true tone of the film is more introspective dark and sad, balanced delicately with humour.

Each of the journeys of the main cast shows a varied degree of growth for their characters which are all incredibly relatable albeit with differing levels of oddity and silliness.

I highly recommend giving it a watch and see what resonates with you. :)