Violent Night - A Movie Review

It’s okay. Santa Claus will save the day.

Flying into theaters in 2022, Santa Claus is in a predicament. Trapped in a house where a wealthy family is held hostage by a group of mercenaries, Santa steps in to help so he can finish delivering presents.

The instant my friend texted me in all caps how much she loved Violent Night, I knew this movie was going on my watch list. I had the best theater experience. I would love to relive it again. Violent like its name, the film is comical as ever, but shares reminiscent themes with Die Hard.

David Harbour was meant to play the role of Santa Claus. Not the Santa you’d expect, Harbour’s interpretation is great. Cranky and annoyed by others' greed, Santa is one heck of a warrior. What I liked most about Harbour’s performance is the way he focused on behaviors. Irritated by the holiday buzz, he still takes his job seriously. His sincerity is his best quality.

The Lightstones are your typical rich family. Beverly D’Angelo was a highlight as the cold mother. Other credits include Alex Hassell, Alexis Louder, Cam Gigandet, Edi Patterson, Leah Brady, and Alexander Bert.

Snotty and stuck up, they did not hold back from ridiculing one another in any way they could. Aside from their bickering, that’s really it. I was hoping writers would change that. Bickering families have been an endless trope.

Never underestimate children. Leah Brady (Trudy) was a standout. Wait until you see the ‘Home Alone’ traps she assembles.

I had no idea how well John Leguizamo could play evil. He fooled me during his first appearance. He was excellent and vile at the same time. The ensemble of mercenaries were all fantastic. Some credits include Brendan Fletcher, Andre Eriksen, Mitra Suri, and Stephanie Sy.

As mentioned in other reviews, Violent Night is equivalent to the plotline of Die Hard. In a similar argument that I made about Die Hard, the film paid more attention to Santa and the villains instead of the hostages. The villains had more characterization and dynamics than the family.

Writers built up subplots within the family but they’re not focused on or they wrapped up too quickly. Santa and the villain's segments take up most of the film’s runtime cutting too long in between hostage segments.

Oh boy, the violence is hardcore in Violent Night! Santa massacres the villains left and right. He bludgeons them with a sledgehammer, mauls them with a lawnmower, and institutes impressive fight combat. Violent Night has a ton of fight scenes. Shoutout goes to Fight Coordinator Cha-Lee Yoon for dictating these sequences.

Tommy Wirkola worked equally between the storylines and action, but eventually, the action and violence overload the film. There needed to be a more cohesive story with the trapped family. Wirkola copied too much of Die Hard and Home Alone.

If violence is not your thing, skip Violent Night. This film gets bloody. There are a lot of excruciating deaths and injuries. I actually jumped in my seat, covering my mouth at one brutal injury. Guns and other weapons are constantly used.

Don’t get me wrong, I enjoyed this film. I’d see it again. It was funny. The humor is offbeat which may not be for everyone. Only a small audience occupied my theater but there was one woman howling in laughter at the funniest lines. Harbour’s deliveries are noteworthy, like most of his one-liners.

Do not skip out on seeing Violent Night for the holiday season. The theater experience is worth it.