Violent Night

 

Score:  A-

Directed by Tommy Wirkola

Starring David Harbour, John Leguizamo, Leah Brady

Running time: 112 minutes

Rated R

Long Story Short:  Violent Night brings out the Yippee-Ki-Yay in Santa Claus in a holiday film you never expected.  Combining bloody action and non-stop humor with - somehow - Christmas cheer, the director, writers, actors, and all involved somehow make it work brilliantly.  This Santa's favorite beverage is definitely not milk, but it goes down just as smooth.  Possibly a new Christmas classic - highly recommended (if you can stomach it).

Santa (Harbour) is getting tired of his job.  Despite the milk, cookies, and booze he consumes at each household, he is depressed by some childrens' increasing demands, usually for cash or the newest video game.  However, one Christmas Eve, he flies down a chimney to find himself in the middle of a hostage situation.  A wealthy matriarch has brought her adult children and grandchildren home, and their domestic tensions are exacerbated by a carefully planned, violent heist.  Even with his advanced age and apathy, Santa still has a little magic left, though - and he's ready to give both the nice kids and the naughty kids on his list what they deserve.

Somehow, Violent Night is both exciting, hilarious - and, yes, full of holiday spirit - and just maybe a new Christmas classic.  As a friend described to me, it's essentially a mash up of Die Hard, Home Alone, and John Wick (the first two are Christmas movies, at least!).  There are so many ways that this concept could have gone wrong, ranging from plain dumb to grossly offensive.  However, the direction, writing, and performances are all very good and in sync, leading to an experience that's more than the sum of its parts.  With that said, I still have to warn that this is not for everyone due to several scenes of gore and brutal violence (although, if you're on the fence, I recommend trying it on streaming - and fast forward when needed).  Yes, this movie somehow seamlessly combines the very different tones of Home Alone, a silly heart-warmer, and John Wick, a hardcore actioner with some sadistic humor.  It avoids the pitfalls of either of those two tracks: it's neither nihilistic or celebratory in the bloodshed nor overly sappy or sentimental in the family scenes.  And coming in at a little under two hours, the pacing is very good with an effective intermixing of its nice and naughty elements.

David Harbour, of Stranger Things, was a great choice as the grizzled Santa, and he seems to thoroughly enjoy himself.  To start with, he simply is physically convincing in the role, but he also achieves a nice, delicate balance between the cynical side and his love for children and the job built over (???) years.  The supporting cast is also great, with good guys, bad guys, and some in between.  A black-white couple and their daughter are the core trio, with dad still trying to overcome his toxic upbringing and the young girl providing an adorable and crucial dose of innocence.  The in-laws have fun hamming it up, nastily greedy and selfish; their fates vary, with some surprises.  And the bad guys are good, too, led by veteran evil-doer John Leguizamo.  The action is very well conceived and choreographed, particularly Santa's first two fights in which he is essentially a regular fat guy in a ridiculous costume.  The main battle royale is over-the-top, yet clever and doesn't drag on too long.  And a Home Alone tribute scene is just brilliant, with significantly more blood than its predecessor but just as many laughs.  Humor is consistent throughout the film, the laugh rate and variety very impressive.  The script is much better than most of Hollywood's recent comedic efforts, rock-solid even in the slower parts and sprinkling in some great recurring signature lines.  Finally, there are also some great needle drops, although I feel they missed an opportunity when, with Santa chasing the bad guys on snowmobiles, they failed to play Here Comes Santa Claus!

***

Violent Night definitely came as a surprise for me; in fact, I saw it with friends on the spur of the moment. I hadn't seen a new Christmas movie in theaters for years, as most of them are usually rom-coms or otherwise dull-looking or pandering.  I'm glad I gave this one a try, though, as it most certainly breaks out of the usual holiday film mold.  Yet it is far from content to simply subvert expectations; it does a damn good job in the details, execution, and perhaps most importantly, tone.  I will be following this up with yet another Christmas movie, in fact, since, to my pleasant surprise, Apple's newest streamer Spirited is coming to my local theater.  Once again, Violent Night is not for everyone - but if you can handle it, you'll find that it's one of Hollywood's most fun gifts this year.

* By Universal Pictures - https://m.imdb.com/title/tt12003946/mediaviewer/rm1186005505/?ref_=ext_shr_lnk, Fair use, https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?curid=71761396