‘Twas the night before Christmas, and all through the mansion,
Terrorists were swarming, demanding their ransoms.
Hostages taken, struck with despair.
Luckily for them… Saint Nicholas was there.
If the concept of Santa Claus going on a John McClane-esque rampage to eliminate his Naughty List doesn’t at least mildly intrigue you: sorry to say, but you cannot be saved. At its heights, Violent Night fully delivers on the absurdity of its premise, as Santa clobbers an endless legion of terrorists with mind-numbing, holiday-centric one-liners. Writers Pat Casey & Josh Miller (known for such modern classics as Sonic the Hedgehog and Sonic the Hedgehog 2) know exactly when to lean into extreme camp, which gives Violent Night its fair share of moments that are tonal B-movie perfection.
Violent Night begins on a regular Christmas Eve, as Santa Claus (David Harbour) confesses that he has lost his love for Christmas, as consumer culture has warped the holiday’s meaning from a time of giving to a time of wanting, a celebration of America’s unchecked greed. Nonetheless, he continues his yearly journey around the globe, delivering presents. Meanwhile, at the lavish Lightstone family estate, a family squabbles with one another over who will inherit their matriarch’s (Beverly D’Angelo) billion-dollar fortune. However, before the festivities can begin, the Lightstone compound is intercepted by a group of terrorists, led by the sadistic “Mr. Scrooge” (John Leguizamo). All goes according to plan, until Santa Claus finds himself trapped in the Lightstone mansion after a failed present delivery, with only one way out.
If we sit down and pretend that Violent Night is a complex story with themes, metaphors, allegories, etc. then the film serves as Santa Claus’ reclamation of the Spirit of Christmas, as he ices greedy mercenaries one by one. Otherwise, the film follows suit with films like John Wick, Nobody, and of course, the film’s clear inspiration, Die Hard, as Santa goes down an unstoppable, testosterone-fueled rampage across the extensive Lightstone Compound. But while anybody can write “what if Saint Nick was John Wick??”, what’s surprising about Violent Night is that its action scenes are legitimately on-par with that franchise; in fact, both are helmed by the same stunt/fight coordinator, Jonathan Eusebio. Eusebio’s choreography is as energetic and impactful as ever, and it helps that director Tommy Wirkola shows a deft ability to direct said action, a talent that has become increasingly rare in Hollywood over the past several years. Altogether, Violent Night is a great action film on its own merits, boasting a little something for everybody. Do you like extensively choreographed, long-take hand-to-hand fight scenes? Do you like the creative usage of props, incorporating the sets into the action? Do you just want to see Santa Claus crack skulls with a sledgehammer? Needless to say, Violent Night has you covered.
Violent Night’s only missteps come from when it’s trying to be a movie that it just isn’t, particularly within the film’s extensive family drama subplot. Its inclusion is understandable, as it gives Violent Night an opportunity to indulge in the usual Christmas movie schmaltziness. The film somewhat succeeds with this with the character of Trudy (Leah Brady), the youngest member of the Lightstone family, and seemingly the only person left in the world of Violent Night that hasn’t succumbed to the temptations of greed. Trudy’s walkie-talkie relationship with Santa Claus is cute for what it is, and it really helps the story from becoming too edgy for its own good. Otherwise, the rest of Violent Night’s family politics function like an AI-generated Knives Out movie, every bit as “modern” but with none of Rian Johnson’s signature wit. This is a two-hour long movie that could have easily been 80 minutes, and arguably would’ve been better off if it was. As it is, the squabbles of the Lightstone family distract from the stuff audiences really want to see, David Harbour’s Santa Claus shoving dudes into snowblowers and making a snowblower pun as they explode.
Violent Night has all the makings of an instant holiday movie classic. It’s an easily accessible, lighthearted action film, perfect for idle watching while decorating Christmas trees, baking cookies, polishing brains off of your sledgehammer, or any other beloved holiday activity. Overall, a holly, jolly good time!
Rating: 3/5 STARS