Christmas is meant to be a time for peace, love, and goodwill. Whilst most movies adhere to this sentiment, there exists a splinter faction of films that push the opposite. Films such as Die Hard, Bad Santa, and Office Christmas Party, all demonstrate a less wholesome side of the season. In recent years this alternate branch of Christmas film has become more regular and this year sees a bumper crop arrive. On the 5th December The Leech arrives on Blu-ray; the 9th December sees Christmas Bloody Christmas arrive. Before either of those releases though, comes Violent Night.
Arriving in cinemas across the UK on 2nd December, Violent Night places Santa, played by Stranger Things star David Harbour, in the middle of a home invasion. Amongst the hostages is young girl Trudy (Leah Brady), one of the nicest children on Santa’s list. With all of her captors being on the naughty list, Santa decides to intervene and help save the day.
The hopes of Violent Night rest on the broad shoulders of David Harbour, who has a loyal fan base thanks to his time on Stranger Things. Whilst his popularity in television is obvious, his ability to hold a film has been less successful. His time playing Hellboy in the Neil Marshall reboot was not met positively. In Violent Night he proves that that was a side-effect of a poor script. His portrayal of Santa is a highlight, Harbour playing him somewhere between Billy Bob Thornton in Bad Santa and Richard Attenborough in Miracle on 34th Street, with a strong helping of Die Hard’s John Macclane. His interpretation of Father Christmas is grizzled, melancholic, and able to pack a hefty punch. The fight sequences are tight and inventive, featuring some standout contenders for kills of the year.
Opposite Harbour is a wickedly villainous turn from John Leguizamo. He plays Mr. Scrooge, the perfect anti-Christmas grinch to overly sentimental elements. His stooges are a mixture of old and new faces. Brendan Fletcher steals the show as an elf named Kranpus. Another entertaining addition to the cast is Cam Gigandet. His character, Morgan, has married into the family being held hostage and also happens to be an aspiring action star. Watching him try to prove himself as capable of escaping when he’s anything but, is hilarious, thanks entirely to Gigandet’s performance.
As fun as Violent Night is for much of its run time, it is slightly too drawn out. An attempt is made on filling in Santa’s history, and whilst an interesting nod, it isn’t explored enough. With only the surface of this idea scratched, it floats around unconnected to the rest of the film. The addition of a second wave of villains also feels forced. Their presence is entirely so Santa can slay some more bad guys, which though exciting to watch, doesn’t add much to the piece otherwise. Another flaw is that whereas other Christmas films pick a side, Violent Night can never settle on whether it wants to be wholesome or wicked. The overly sugary scenes between Trudy and her parents, as well as exchanges between Trudy and Santa, appear to belong to a traditional Hallmark movie. Their inclusion juxtaposes with the heady violence and leaves a tonal ambiguity. The more Violent Night progresses, the bigger the chasm becomes and it is hard to pinpoint exactly who this film is targeting.
Violent Night works as a solid action thriller, and a dryly dark comedy, but its emphasis on the magic of Christmas gets confusing. Nonetheless, aside from some tonal quibbles, Violent Night has plenty of naughty nasty treats. Proof that David Harbour can be a compelling leading man, Violent Night isn’t going to challenge Die Hard anytime soon, but does at least offer a more modern take on the same story structure.
Violent Night
Summary
Violent Night is a solid yuletide action yarn that combines the violence of Die Hard, the mischief of Home Alone, and the saccharine of Miracle of 34th Street. The result is magical maniacal mayhem.
Violent Night arrives in UK cinemas on Friday 2nd December 2022.
