VIOLENT NIGHT movie review

VIOLENT NIGHT is directed by Tommy Wirkola. The film stars David Harbour, John Leguizamo, and Beverly D’Angelo.

Santa Claus has been delivering gifts for centuries; a far cry from the life he once lived over a millennium ago. Drinking away his sorrow on Christmas Eve and not looking forward to the task of delivering gifts, he ends up in a mansion which is home to a wealthy family, on the night a terrorist plot is hatched, fronted by a man known only by the code name of “Mr. Scrooge.” Seeing a young girl in the mansion who believes in him in danger, St. Nick opts to jump into action, helping her by any means necessary and regaining his vigor and love of the holiday season.

Christmas films are a dime a dozen come the season, be them on TV, streaming services, or in theaters. Violent action thrillers are equally plentiful. The trailers and ad campaign for VIOLENT NIGHT certainly caught my eye, being a mash-up of the two genres. It basically amounts to a more humorous DIE HARD with Santa Claus in place of John McClane, but anyone who wants to laugh and take in an action spectacle this holiday will find that this bizarre mash-up delivers exactly what it promises, even if it does drag slightly in a few places.

The absolute best aspect of VIOLENT NIGHT is its leading man, David Harbour, portraying a distraught drunkard of a Santa Claus who would rather be anywhere but delivering presents, only to find his faith and vigor restored by the little girl who never stopped believing. Harbour was my absolute favorite thing about the Marvel Cinematic Universe’s BLACK WIDOW movie, and his portrayal of Kris Kringle must be seen to be believed. Seeing Santa kick ass and deliver Christmas cliches as action movie one-liners is a laugh riot.

Even though the supporting cast never quite matches Harbour, they’re cast well and entertaining, including a separated mother and father with their daughter, who believes in Santa, wanting them to stay together, as well as obnoxious gold-digging relatives. Beverly D’Angelo is admittedly somewhat wasted in her role as a matriarch of a wealthy family, but John Leguizamo gives us the perfect bad guy, chewing up the scenery every time he steps on camera. The cast members deliver their lines and their performances convincingly, and I was laughing at both the dialogue and the over-the-top action sequences. VIOLENT NIGHT is just that.

The movie expertly balances violence and Christmas cheer. Make no mistake; this is an R-rated film that certainly earns that rating with its battles and carnage. Yet it never loses sight of the holidays and the concept of believing in Santa Claus, which makes the movie heartfelt and hilarious at the same time; this is only enhanced by the absurd and materialistic characters. It even manages to feel relatable to our own holiday woes, and everyone will find something to like about the movie. That is, provided they’re not squeamish or easily offended.

Some elements don’t quite come together. The movie does throw a few too many characters into the mix, and some obviously don’t get as well developed as others. The running time is a bit excessive given the nature of the material. It may have benefited from some additional editing and a smaller cast of characters, but there’s no denying it’s a great experience overall.

I have a feeling VIOLENT NIGHT is destined for cult classic status; Harbour’s portrayal of Santa Claus taking on terrorists is one for the ages. It’s exactly the movie you’re expecting, and I mean that in a good way. Hilarious and gory, VIOLENT NIGHT comes highly recommended, but leave your kids as well as the squeamish and easily offended at home!