3.5 out of 5
‘Tis the season for Christmas movies, and a common question that people ask is: “What is your favourite Christmas movie”. Common answers include Die Hard, Home Alone, Elf, and It’s A Wonderful Life. Many Christmas movies focus on families during the holiday season, or the mythology of Christmas with Santa Clause, elves, the North Pole, and flying reindeer.
Violent Night continues in this vein. When a paramilitary group seizes the estate of a wealthy family on Christmas Eve, Santa Claus (David Harbour) must answer the granddaughter's Christmas wish and step in to save the day and Christmas. Trapped in the house, and abandoned by his reindeer, Santa must fight back by brutally channeling his inner Viking, as he lays traps, and takes out all those on his naughty list in the building.
This movie is Die Hard meets Home Alone meets Bad Santa meets The Santa Clause. Hostage situation at Christmas, check. House full of booby traps, check. Crude, alcoholic Santa, check. Reluctant Santa won over by the Christmas spirit of a little girl, check. It’s a brutal, bonkers, and bloody seasonally themed action packed piece of insanity smattered. Laden with Christmas cheer and creative kills that balances holiday heart with bone-crunching, nut-cracking fights on a gnarly night that is more naughty than nice.
In recent memory, this may be one of the goriest non-horror films, and viewer discretion is advised. This is a genuinely bloody action film, that whilst impressive in its creativity with its Christmas-themed fight choreography, is also likely to cause the audience to wince and gag at inevitable brutalities. A genuinely violent night unfolds with David Harbour’s no-nonsense drunken sad sack Santa beating up the house of intruders, all with seasonal codenames like Gingerbread, Sugar Plum and Frosty, led by a scenery-chewing John Leguizamo as ‘Mr. Scrooge’. It is a very irreverent and almost irresponsible amount of Christmas carnage perpetrated. The action takes centre stage, so the simple story needs only to provide the foundation and set-up. The cast of characters is caricatured with little development. Still, they are not the focus, and it is clear so much ingenuity went into making the most of such a bizarre concept.
Overall, this is not a family film or for the general public. Whilst it certainly has a hefty dose of Christmas cheer, it is also a brutal and bloody occasion that will likely be too violent for many. But for those in the mood for some Christmas carnage, this should do the trick.
Reel Marriage
Lights, Camera... Movies and Marriage!
Marriage is one of life’s greatest blessings, yet it faces countless challenges in today’s world. How can we strengthen our commitment and help others see its value? The Bible offers wisdom, but what if movies could serve as a bridge to deeper conversations about love, faith, and commitment?
Reel Marriage explores how film and Scripture can illuminate the beauty of marriage, providing fresh insights into God’s design for love and relationships. From classic romances to modern dramas, movies capture couples' struggles and triumphs, mirroring biblical truths in powerful ways.
Faith and film unite. Are you ready to see marriage in a whole new light?
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Reel Dialogue: The true meaning of Christmas
Violent Night features a depressed Santa who is resigned to the world's view of Christmas, which is increasingly fuelled by greed and gratification. He bemoans the children who simply crave the latest video game. He is fed up that people no longer see Christmas as a time to give, but as a time to get. Whenever Hollywood makes a Christmas movie, we know how the Western world sees Christmas and its increasing commercial focus over Christ.
Young Trudy is the only one who still believes in Santa, even having not seen him. The adults are consistently skeptical that this Santa is the real deal. But Trudy’s powerful belief ends up saving the day. It’s a sweet message, but it fails to understand that Christmas is not about believing in Santa. But about believing in Jesus. The true meaning of Christmas is Christ. And the Bible tells us that we do not need to see Him coming down our chimneys, to believe in Him.
“Then Jesus told him, “Because you have seen me, you have believed; blessed are those who have not seen and yet have believed.” - John 20:29
