Fatman

2020 • 100 minutes

About this movie

Fatman centers on a neglected and precocious 12-year-old who hires an unorthodox hitman to kill Santa Claus after receiving a lump of coal in his stocking.

Ratings and reviews

Mel Gibson is an amazing actor and did a great job with the role in Fatman. They were filming in Almonte, and other places in Lanark County but unortunately, at the end of the film, they only mention that it was filmed in Ottawa (maybe some scenes but not all). Ottawa is about a 45-50 min. drive from the town Almonte (you see a bit of Almonte at the beginning of the film). The actors and crew had to also deal with the sudden Covid-19 issue nearer to the filming of the last scenes.

Mel Gibson and the final 25 minutes are the reasons to watch. It is not wacky enough to be attention grabbing and not clever or good enough to even come close to being Christmas classic. Some odd plot holes too. Strange movie overall, mean spirited without the comedy or levity. The low budget is used well I will admit.

This is a pleasant little surprise. It presents an interesting modern-interpretation of the Santa Claus myth. There is a lot more depth to the characters then you would expect on the surface, and the actors are 100% committed. Mel Gibson, Walter Goggins and Marianne Jean-Baptiste in particular give great performances and obviously saw great value in this script. I think my favourite part is what a great, fleshed-out relationship we see between Chris and Ruth. I did NOT expect that going in! If you like a story that has some originality to it this one will probably intrigue.