Hollywood loves a trope. If you've watched a single Christmas movie in the last thirty years, you know the drill: a cynical adult hates the holidays, a magical entity appears, and by the time the credits roll, everyone is singing carols. Dashing Through the Snow, the 2023 Disney+ original, follows that blueprint to a T, but it does it with a weirdly specific energy that most people missed.
It stars Chris "Ludacris" Bridges. Yeah, the Fast & Furious guy.
He plays Nick Garrick, a social worker for the Atlanta Police Department who—predictably—lost his "Christmas spirit" due to a childhood trauma involving a mall Santa and a divorce. It's standard stuff. But then Lil Rel Howery shows up as a man claiming to be the real Santa Claus, and the movie pivots into a bizarre, slapstick chase across Atlanta.
Honestly? It's kind of a mess. But it's a fascinating mess that says a lot about where Disney is taking its streaming-only film slate.
The Problem with the Dashing Through the Snow Movie Formula
Most critics didn't love it. On Rotten Tomatoes, it sits at a middling percentage because it feels like it was written by an algorithm that was fed Miracle on 34th Street and Bad Boys at the same time.
The plot is thin.
Nick is working on Christmas Eve because he wants to avoid his daughter, Charlotte, and his ex-wife. He gets a call to check on a suspicious character (Howery) who is stuck in a chimney. From there, they end up running away from corrupt politicians and henchmen who think Santa has a "naughty list" that contains evidence of their crimes.
Wait.
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Think about that for a second. The villains in a Disney Christmas movie are trying to steal a tablet because they think Santa is a whistleblower. It’s a wild swing.
Why the Cast Almost Saves It
Lil Rel Howery is doing a lot of heavy lifting here. Unlike the somber, brooding Santas we've seen in recent years (looking at you, David Harbour in Violent Night), Howery’s Nick St. Nicholas is upbeat, chatty, and obsessed with things like soy milk and different regional cuisines. He’s funny. He makes the movie watchable even when the script feels like it’s stalling for time.
Ludacris plays the "straight man" role. He's fine, but he spent so much of the movie looking annoyed that it’s hard for the audience to have fun with him.
Teyonah Parris and Madison Skye Validum round out the cast, but they aren't given much to do besides wait for the boys to finish their adventure. It's a classic "dad-needs-to-learn-a-lesson" arc that we’ve seen a thousand times.
Breaking Down the Atlanta Setting
One thing the Dashing Through the Snow movie actually gets right is its sense of place. Usually, Christmas movies are set in a generic, snowy New England town or a fictionalized version of New York.
This is Atlanta.
There’s no snow. It’s humid. People are wearing light jackets. As someone who grew up in the South, seeing a Christmas movie acknowledge that half the world spends December in 60-degree weather is refreshing.
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Director Tim Story, who did the Ride Along movies, brings that same buddy-cop aesthetic to the streets of ATL. You see the skyline, you feel the traffic, and the "North Pole" tech that Santa uses feels integrated into the urban environment in a way that’s genuinely clever.
The Magic vs. Reality Balance
One of the biggest debates among fans of this genre is how "magical" Santa should be.
- In The Santa Clause, the magic is undeniable.
- In Miracle on 34th Street, it’s ambiguous.
- In this movie, it’s... weirdly grounded.
Santa has a "glamour" that makes people see what they want to see. To some, he's a tall white guy with a beard; to others, he looks like Lil Rel Howery. This is a cool concept that the movie introduces and then barely uses.
Actually, that’s the main frustration with this film. It has great ideas—like a Santa who uses "the cloud" to track gifts—but it settles for fart jokes and reindeer poop gags instead of exploring the lore.
Is It Worth a Watch?
Look, if you have kids who are between the ages of 6 and 10, they will probably love it. It’s fast-paced, colorful, and harmless.
But if you’re a cinema buff looking for the next Klaus or Home Alone, you're going to be disappointed. The CGI on the reindeer is a bit "uncanny valley," and the emotional beat at the end feels unearned because Nick's hatred of Christmas is resolved way too quickly.
Still, there’s something charming about its earnestness. It isn't trying to be a masterpiece. It's trying to be background noise while you wrap presents. In that specific niche, it succeeds.
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What Other Critics Said
The consensus from outlets like Variety and The Hollywood Reporter was basically: "It's fine for what it is."
Most reviewers pointed out that the chemistry between Ludacris and Howery is the only thing keeping the engine running. Without their banter, the movie would likely vanish into the depths of the Disney+ library, never to be seen again.
Interestingly, some viewers have praised the film for its representation. Seeing a Black Santa and a story centered on a Black family in a major holiday release shouldn't be a "novelty" in 2026, but it’s still a welcome addition to a genre that has historically been very one-note.
Actionable Takeaways for Your Next Movie Night
If you're planning to dive into the Dashing Through the Snow movie, keep these things in mind to manage your expectations:
- Pair it with the right mood: This is a "Friday night with pizza" movie, not a "cuddle up with hot cocoa and cry" movie. It’s a comedy-action flick first.
- Watch for the cameos: There are a few blink-and-you'll-miss-it moments that pay homage to older Christmas classics.
- Check out Tim Story's other work: If you like the pacing of this film, go back and watch Barbershop or the original Fantastic Four. You'll see the same DNA in the way he handles ensemble casts.
- Compare it to 'The Santa Clauses': If you’re a Disney+ subscriber, watch an episode of the Tim Allen series right after this. It’s a fascinating look at how the studio handles two very different versions of the same mythology.
Ultimately, this movie isn't going to change your life. It won't become a perennial classic that you watch every single year for the rest of your life. But for 90 minutes of distracted entertainment? You could do a lot worse. It’s loud, it’s silly, and it’s got just enough heart to keep it from being a total coal-in-the-stocking situation.
If you're looking for a holiday film that doesn't take itself too seriously and features a Santa who is more interested in local barbecue than milk and cookies, give it a shot. Just don't expect it to make sense 100% of the time. Sometimes, you just have to turn your brain off and watch Ludacris run away from a guy in a red suit.