This article contains brief discussions of child death.

MAJOR SPOILERS for Dear Santa are ahead!

Jack Black’s zany 2024 Christmas movie, Dear Santa, tells a wish-granting story with a twist ending that is so perplexing that it undermines the in-world logic system. At the start of the Paramount+ movie, the tone is immediately established as a young boy named Liam listens to his parents arguing in another room. While his father wants to tell Liam Santa isn’t real, his mother doesn’t want to shatter the illusion. Liam writes a letter, but the young boy with dyslexia writes “Satan” instead of “Santa.”

When Satan arrives, he initially pretends to be Santa, telling Liam he gets three wishes. The young boy figures out that Jolly Old Saint Nick is actually a demon trying to obtain the human’s soul. Liam initially seems skeptical of the demon, but he eventually creates a strong friendship with the Dear Santa main character. After Liam makes all three wishes, the duo learns that the expected outcome – Satan taking Liam’s soul – isn’t what will happen, leading to a shocking plot twist that divided audiences.

Is Liam’s Brother Brought Back To Life In Dear Santa?

The Christmas Morning Sequence Could Be A Dream

Dear Santa establishes at the beginning of the movie that the only wish rule is that Jack Black’s Satan can’t change the past. However, the ending completely usurps this by possibly bringing Liam’s brother, Spencer, back to life, which was Liam’s single wish in his letter to Santa. Technically, Spencer can be revived in the present even if he died in the past – a way to bend the rule without completely breaking it.

Ultimately, this part of the ending is up to the audience's interpretation, with the movie providing few hints about whether the scene is actually occurring in real life.

However, Dear Santa’s ambiguous ending creates more issues than it solves. On Christmas morning, Liam’s parents don’t their son’s death, but Liam and Gibby what happened. Spencer also seems clueless about his own demise and gets annoyed by Liam’s sappy demeanor. The only interpretation of the ending that doesn’t completely ruin the movie is that Spencer coming back to life is just a dream.

A dream sequence at the end of Dear Santa would explain the wild inconsistencies and remove the gross connotations of bringing a child back from the dead as a Christmas miracle. The second half of the film focuses heavily on grief and closure. As such, Dear Santa leaves a sour taste by suggesting death can be reversed if someone is selfless or wishes for it hard enough. Ultimately, this part of the ending is up to the audience's interpretation, with the movie providing few hints about whether the scene is actually occurring in real life. Some viewers have even speculated that Liam's soul was taken and the entire Christmas morning sequence occurred in Hell, as the scene has an eerie feeling.

Why Satan Doesn’t Take Liam’s Soul

Asmodeus Couldn't Corrupt Liam Enough For Satan

After making his first wish, Liam learns that he has unknowingly engaged in a Faustian bargain. Liam will get his heart’s desires through three wishes, but Satan will take his soul afterward. As such, Liam thinks he’s under the influence of Satan three-fourths of the way through the movie.

However, the conversation between Jack Black’s Asmodeus (aka, fake Satan) and the real Satan reveals this isn’t quite how the deal works. There’s a massive caveat that the person has to be corruptible for Satan to take their soul. The wishes are meant to bring out the selfish, cruel, vindictive, and lustful sides of the individual.

However, Jack Black’s character fails to manipulate Liam, and the little boy has mostly wholesome and selfless wishes that put others ahead of him. Fortunately for Liam, but unfortunately for Asmodeus, Satan decides there’s no point in taking Liam’s soul because he is too pure-hearted. The king of Hell also tells Asmodeus that not everyone can be a demon, so Satan fires him.

Satan’s True Identity In Dear Santa Explained

Jack Black's Satan Is Actually A Demi-Demon Named Asmodeus

One of the funniest moments in Dear Santa is when Jack Black’s Satan pretends to be Santa Claus after realizing that Liam is dyslexic and meant to send the letter to Santa. It is the first moment that points to the Dear Santa character not being entirely evil. However, the moment is funnier in retrospect after learning that Jack Black’s character was never Satan to begin with. Instead, Jack Black plays a demi-demon named Asmodeus, who is pretending to be Satan, who is then pretending to be Santa Claus. The meta moment adds humor to the already bizarre situation.

Jack Black and Ben Stiller reunite with the former playing Asmodeus, a demi-demon who dreams of making it big in the ranks of Hell, and the latter playing the actual Satan. Asmodeus hasn’t yet earned his horns, so he wears fake ones while visiting Liam. Ultimately, Liam and Asmodeus are meant to mirror one another. They both want to fit in with their communities but can’t figure out how to be “normal.” In the end, they are both better off staying true to themselves instead of trying to fit into a mold.

What Liam Wishes For In Dear Santa

Most Of Liam's Wishes Have An Altruistic Intent

The premise of Dear Santa is that Liam gets three wishes from Jack Black’s character, with the only rule being that the demon can’t change the past. These are Liam’s three wishes:

• He wishes for Emma to give him a chance.
• He wishes for Satan to fix Gibby’s teeth.
• He wishes for his parents to stay together in a happy and fulfilling marriage.

Liam quickly makes his first wish but holds off on the second two once he realizes the consequences of making all three wishes. However, the young boy eventually gives in because he can’t stand the negative things happening around him. Ultimately, Liam never wishes for his true desire due to the single rule. In his letter to Santa, he wrote that he wanted his brother back, which is the one thing he wants more than anything else. At the end of Dear Santa, Asmodeus grants the original wish in a twist that defies all logic in the movie.

Why Liam Still Writes Letters To Santa

Liam Wants To Make His Mom Happy By Writing A Letter

Early in Dear Santa, Liam makes it clear to his best friend, Gibby, that he doesn’t think Santa Claus exists. However, this doesn’t stop him from continuing to write to the mythical being anyway. Ultimately, his letters to Santa Claus aren’t a matter of faith but comfort for his mother. Prior to Spencer’s death, Molly Turner was obsessed with Christmas. Despite growing out of the legend, Liam still acts like he believes in Santa, going through the motions to make his mom happy.

Sadly, this points to the dysfunction within the Turner family that bloomed after the death of Spencer. None of the characters seem well-adjusted, processing their grief in equally unproductive ways. Liam believes his parents’ emotions are his responsibility, further displayed by his third wish. He constantly monitors his parents’ emotions, even though children shouldn’t have to take care of their parents in this way.

The True Meaning Of Dear Santa’s Ending

Not Everything In The World Can Be Changed

The core message of Liam’s character arc, Asmodeus’ character arc, and Dear Santa as a whole (up until the twist ending) is the Serenity Prayer. The movie wants the audience to realize alongside the characters that contentment can be found through recognizing the difference between what can and cannot be changed. Asmodeus and Liam cannot change the core elements that make them who they are; otherwise, they wouldn’t be themselves. As such, they must learn to love themselves as they are.

Liam’s parents can’t change the fact that they lost their son, so they need to recognize their loss and take steps to grieve and process his death. Unfortunately, the final scene where Spencer comes back to life undermines the core message of Dear Santa, a decision that does not sit well with most viewers. It’s almost better to pretend the Christmas morning portion of the movie doesn’t exist, since we can’t change it.