As a Glee fan and a sucker for holiday movies, the premise behind Santa Fake looked promising. Is Santa Fake kid friendly? Let’s take a look at language, violence, and mature content in Santa Fake.
Is Santa Fake Kid Friendly?
Pat Keeley (Damian McGinty), an undocumented orphaned Northern Irish immigrant has made his way to NYC where he is taken in, unknowingly, by a crime boss (John Rhys-Davies). Asked to deliver two mysterious briefcases, Pat in a panic ends up in Santa Fe, New Mexico.
Santa Fe gives him a home and a job as the shopping mall Santa Claus, allowing him to hide in plain sight from both the authorities and the gangsters he is trying to evade. Essentially it’s an Irish-themed Hallmark movie with singing.
Language
There weren’t many 4-letter words. The word hell was used 4 times. There was also a couple of instances of the Lord’s name in vain.
Mature Content
There are a few topics that are mature for children like gangsters, romance, orphans, and foster care.
Violence
There isn’t violence in Santa Fake, but there are some threats of violence from some goons and a mobster.
Is Santa Fake Appropriate for Kids Under 12?
If your kids are fans of Glee, then they’ll enjoy hearing Damian McGinty sing and seeing Heather Morris on screen. However, this movie was all over the place. I can’t see it holding the interest of kids under 12, and even my teenagers humored me by watching, but at times it was a bit painful.
With all the elements of a Christmas movie recipe – Home Alone type goons, unsuspecting FBI agents, a priest and church, cheesy Santa, small town, kids in need, a widow – you would think Santa Fake would be a winner, but it was all too much gimmick with not enough substance.
So yes, overall, Santa Fake is family friendly, and at times can be funny and sweet. If you’re a fan of McGinty, then you’ll most likely enjoy it. However, if I was going to watch a new holiday movie, Noelle on Disney+ would be my choice.
Santa Fake is available on DVD and Digital now.
More kid friendly movie reviews:
Is Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker kid friendly?
Is Spies in Disguise kid friendly?