Christmas - themed picture show have been a mainstay of movie theatre for decade now , with a fresh batch ofgreat ( and not - so - great)festive films hitting theatres each year . A knock - on effect of these annual Yuletide outings is that we ’re also enter to a new breed of prominent - screen Santas of as uneven caliber every December .

Indeed , for every cinematic Santa Klaus who embodies thespirit of the time of year perfectly , there ’s at least one more who come up curt . With this in mind , we ’ve pulled together a list movie Santas we would ( and would n’t ) want come down our chimney this Christmas .

Wouldn’t Want – Willie T. Soke (Bad Santa)

Deep down ( like … deep , bass , deep down),Bad Santa’sWillie T. Soke is n’t a bad hombre . certain , this midriff - senior safe cracker poses as a section store Santa so that he can hook these same stores each yr , behavior which would certainly land him on the real Jolly St. Nick ’s Naughty List .

But Willie ’s also shown himself to have a enough streak , most notably in his disarmingly tender , paternal relationship with Thurman Merman . At the same time , Willie is a foul - mouthed , badly - tempered , lecherous alcoholic – so he ’s not exactly someone we ’ll be leave Milk River and cookie out for in the hope that he ’ll travel to .

Would Want – Santa Claus (The Christmas Chronicles)

Kurt Russell isgreat . Santa Klaus is capital . So , it ’s hardly surprising that Kurt RussellasSanta is especially great . Debuting in Netflix’sThe Christmas Chronicles , this personification of the big valet may occasionally come across as slightly more cantankerous than Santa is supposed to be , but he ’s nevertheless a benevolent figure who brings the good out of all but the naughtiest of people .

Russell ’s Santa is refreshingly unlawful in other ways , as well . He romp a relatively svelte figure – a buy - production of his feverish annual agenda ! – and he shun the fibre ’s trademark “ Ho ! Ho ! Ho ! ” belly laugh ( although he ’s willing to embrace this custom under very particular circumstances ) .

Wouldn’t Want – Wayne (Santa Claws)

If you ’ve never seenfestive - themed horror effortSanta Claws – released in some regions as‘Tis the Season – consider your good fortune a Christmas miracle . badly : this obscure 90s slasher flick is such a Meleagris gallopavo you could almost serve up it up for Christmas dinner party .

The antagonist of the piece is Wayne , an ostensibly harmless schlub who begins stalking his neighbor , an actress named Raven Quinn , before graduating to bumping off her co - stars while enclothe as Santa ( hence the claim ) . gratuitous to say , Wayne is n’t somebody we ’d be eager to see on December 25 .

Would Want – Nicholas St. North

Do n’t have his branch tattoo put one across you : hike of the Guardians ’ Nicholas St. North is as wholesome a Santa as you ’re ever likely to encounter . That ’s because , as the Guardian of Wonder , unfailingly cheerful North lick tirelessly to guarantee that josh the macrocosm over never lose the common sense of fear that makes childhood so witching .

Yes , he ’s also a unfearing warrior who charges into battle manage a cutlass in each hand and backed by a horde of fearsome yetis . But ultimately , North is a easy and compassionate soul – both qualities that make for a perfect Santa .

Wouldn’t Want – Jack Skellington (The Nightmare Before Christmas)

On the facial expression of it , Jack Skellington has the fashioning of a terrific Santa : he ’s kind - hearted , brimming with infectious glee and single - disposed in his desire to engineer the best possible Christmas Day . But asThe Nightmare Before Christmasamply illustrates , for all Jack ’s effective intentions , he ’s a poor replacement for the existent Kris Kringle .

See , Jack has only a vestigial understanding of how Christmas itself works , and his perspective on the holiday is skewed by his Halloween Town sensitiveness . This explains why his first and only attempt at usurp the real Santa ’s responsibilities terminate in tear , with Jack traumatize a whole generation of youngsters ( the unlucky recipients of his morbid “ present tense ” ) before being blown out of the sky by the armed forces . Way to go , dude …

Would Want – Scott Calvin (The Santa Clause)

To say thatThe Santa Clause ’s Scott Calvin was ab initio reluctant to assume the Santa Claus mantle is putting it gently . At first , this successful toy sales administrator had to be cajoled into finishing his precursor ’s nightly rounds , and he did so with very small in the way of good sunshine .

As a resolution , his newbie hostile expedition in the intimate white fur - trim red turnout was decidedly subpar . Fortunately , Scott ultimately embraced his portion as Father Christmas and really upped his secret plan for his second go - circle . Not only did he reckon the part this time around , but crucially , he know it as well .

Wouldn’t Want – Santa Claus (Santa’s Slay)

Bill Goldberg is n’t the first pro - wrestler to portray Santa on the bragging covert – to the best of our cognition , that award belong to Hulk Hogan , who star in 1996 corner office bombSanta with Muscles . That tell , Goldberg ’s take on this iconic role inSanta ’s Slayis far more memorable than Hogan ’s effort , even if the WWE Hall of Famer ’s performance isless than astral . After all , what could be more unforgettable than a demonic Santa who only delivers present due to a penalty handed down a millenary ago ?

Fuelled by 1,000 years of pent - up madness , Goldberg ’s Santa – who we categorically wouldnotlike to ever meet – find himself costless to indulge his murderous tendencies once more , and pronto embark on a Yuletide - prompt reign of terror that ’s both unhinged and admirably creative . We ’re talking Christmas Stars used as shuriken , eggnog drownings and suffocation by turkey leg – all of which make a lump of coal seem downright appealing by comparison .

Would Want – Klaus

If you ’ve not had a chance to check it out yet ( and you should ) , Netflix’sKlauspresents an origin story for the Santa fable . Here , imposing woodsman Klaus and his helper , postman Jesper , are established as the fellas who unwittingly inspire the folklore wall the Santa Klaus role .

Channeling his unrealized dream of starting a family into selfless acts of generosity , Klaus is almost single - handedly responsible for thawing the 100 of bitter resentment that divides the small town of Smeerensburg . The film ’s bittersweet ending powerfully imply that Klaus later go past the mortal woodworking plane to become the mythic interlingual rendition of Santa we know and love – and we honestly ca n’t think of a good candidate for the job .

Wouldn’t Want – Nicholas (Fred Claus)

When it comes to movie Santas , you could do a pot worse thanFred Claus ’ Nicholas “ Santa ” Claus … but then , you could do a lot better , too . Now , it ’s potential we ’re being a tad harsh on misfortunate ol’ Nick . Unlike several of the other dubious mentions on this lean , he ’s a quick - hearted , generous soul , at least .

Honestly , though , the techy , cosmos - weary and astringent Nicholas can be a number of a downer – so not exactly somebody we require to pay heed out with onChristmas Day . Call us require , but we really need our Santa to be an unqualified beacon of Yuletide cheer , and Nick just is n’t that guy !

Would Want – Kris Kringle (Miracle On 34th Street)

It ’s never explicitly state in the originalMiracle on thirty-fourth Streetor its 1994 remake whether section computer storage Santa Kris Kringle is the genuine article . After all , that equivocalness is an significant aspect of the picture show ’s major theme , which explores the grandness of organized religion in our lives . Yet even in the absence of conclusive test copy , Kris is the literal deal as far as we ’re concerned .

As portrayed by Edmund Gwenn or Richard Attenborough , this aged gent exemplifies the very best of what Christmas symbolise : he ’s sleep with , earnest , merry and selfless . Take the scene where Kris uses house linguistic communication to communicate with a deaf girl , which is assure to put a stumblebum in your pharynx every time . Thanks to moment like these , Mister Kringle is the movie Santa we ’d most like to see emerge from our fireplace on December 25 .

NEXT:10 Old Christmas Movies To Watch

Chronicle Ending Explained - How Andrew Is Stopped In The Superhero Movie

Keanu Reeves looking over one shoulder as John Wick in Ballerina

Josh Hartnett looking shocked in Fight or Flight

Good Bad movie santas

Billy Bob Thornton as Willie Soke in his Santa hat and beard in Bad Santa

Kurt Russell in The Christmas Chronicles Netflix Christmas Movies

Santa Claws

Santa in Rise of the Guardians

Jack Skellington hanging up Christmas Lights in The Nightmare Before Christmas

Scott and Charlie hugging with Scott dressed as Santa in The Santa Clause

Bill Goldberg’s Santa wields an icicle in Santa’s Slay.

Klaus on Netflix.

Fred Claus

Santa Claus looking at someone in Miracle on 34th Street