Violent Night (2022)

December 2, 2022 9:25 AM

[TRAILER] When a team of mercenaries breaks into a wealthy family compound on Christmas Eve, taking everyone inside hostage, the team isn't prepared for a surprise combatant: Santa Claus (David Harbour) is on the grounds, and he's about to show why this Nick is no saint.

Also starring Beverly D'Angelo, John Leguizamo, Cam Gigandet, Edi Patterson, Brendan Fletcher, Alex Hassell, Mike Dopud, Alexis Louder, Mitra Suri, Stephanie Sy.

Directed by Tommy Wirkola (Dead Snow). Written by Pat Casey, Worm Miller. Producers' previous work includes Bullet Train, Deadpool 2, Nobody, and John Wick.

Now playing in theaters. JustWatch listing.

posted by DirtyOldTown (21 comments total)

Planning to see this tonight, out of my soft spot for David Harbour. Will report back. If I survive.
posted by praemunire at 10:00 AM on December 2, 2022

The impression I get from the poster was that this is some kind of horror/murder/Bad Santa kind of thing, where Santa's a total jerk. But - from the look of the trailer, it looks more like Santa's just got a bad-ass side, which is kind of intriguing.
posted by EmpressCallipygos at 11:20 AM on December 2, 2022 [3 favorites]

Worm Miller?
posted by Halloween Jack at 11:45 AM on December 2, 2022 [1 favorite]

This is probably a good as place as anywhere to put my story about David Harbour. Back in the teenage-Purr ages, I worked with him at a summer professional theater. He was a young equity actor playing Hamlet and several other roles in a rotating schedule. He did the "to be or not to be" speech quietly and intensely on the steps of the stage just a few feet away form the front row. I worked the box office and the house, so I was regularly 90 feet away from his performance, which still gives me chills thinking about it. We could all tell he was incredibly gifted (also incredibly hot), and most of the girls in the company were swooning over him that summer. That said, he was so personable and was very kind to teenage-Purr who was a late bloomer and new to crushes at that point :S
I recognized his name after he won the Emmy for Stranger Things and am continually laughing at everyone talking about his dad bod, because "I knew him when!" and it's just a reminder on how we are are all now middle aged.
I can see the Hamlet intensity in his eyes in this trailer, and while it looks like a delightful horror holiday trash, I'm pretty sure he's giving it his all in this performance. I hope he is making bank off these movies, because I remember him being a really great guy, and I'm rooting for him!
posted by Hermeowne Grangepurr at 12:07 PM on December 2, 2022 [17 favorites]

It's Die Hard as a Christmas movie.
posted by Spike Glee at 12:58 PM on December 2, 2022 [2 favorites]

Isn’t that redundant?
posted by computech_apolloniajames at 6:54 PM on December 2, 2022 [5 favorites]

I had the almost the same twitchy reaction as when I get to the end of a reddit comment and learn about nineteen ninety eight when the undertaker threw mankind off hеll in a cell, and plummeted sixteen feet through the announcer's table.
posted by GCU Sweet and Full of Grace at 7:31 PM on December 2, 2022 [1 favorite]

So...this is a pretty solid example of this kind of movie. If you like this kind of thing, this is the kind of thing you will like. Showed a strong James Gunn influence. It is not 100% my cup of tea (only moderately gory, but I could live with none gore), but I didn't have a bad time.
posted by praemunire at 10:00 PM on December 2, 2022 [2 favorites]

I should add that David Harbour's commitment to the bit is real, which helps give the film legs. If you like him, and don't find this type of movie offputting, you'll find something to enjoy here.
posted by praemunire at 11:02 AM on December 3, 2022 [4 favorites]

So it turns out that a couple of screenwriters had three favorite Xmas movies: Miracle on 34th Street, Home Alone, and Die Hard (which may not count for you, but definitely does for them).

The producer of Deadpool 2 and John Wick bought their screenplay combining these things and hired Hooper from Stranger Things.

And who do you get if you want to make a very bloody, cheeky comedy from things that should not go together? How about the Norwegian director who made a Nazi Zombie comedy with Dead Snow?

This is the movie that list of collaborators promises.

This is a very ridiculous movie that feels very bespoke for a particular kind of nerd.

Friends, I am that nerd.

Very much enjoyed. I will likely watch this once a year forever.
posted by DirtyOldTown at 1:32 PM on December 4, 2022 [9 favorites]

I just took my 12-year olds to see this. It was so violent I was cringing in my seat, but the kids were enchanted. I found it very funny, and Beverly D’Angelo is awesome.

Still not sure why this wasn’t rated R, but appreciated being able to take my tweens to something better than Lyle Lyle, crocodile.
posted by Valancy Rachel at 4:34 PM on December 4, 2022

Update: it is rated R in the US, but luckily not here in Canada!
posted by Valancy Rachel at 7:45 PM on December 4, 2022 [1 favorite]

The producer of Deadpool 2 and John Wick bought their screenplay combining these things and hired Hooper from Stranger Things

Don't forget the The Northman tribute.
posted by praemunire at 8:07 PM on December 4, 2022 [1 favorite]

I enjoyed it, but then I love dark violent christmas movies. It's pretty impressive to see a dark violent christmas movie that also has a fair amount of Miracle on 34th St. The cast was great. Not just Harbor, all of them include Cam Giganet as Morgan Steel and Brendan Fletcher as Krampus. The fight sequences were fun. The booby traps in the attic were impressive. I actually gasped a few times.

I honestly thought Santa might give Trudy Skullcrusher at the end. Seems like she could probably use it in that family.
posted by miss-lapin at 6:06 PM on December 6, 2022

I forgot to add that Andre Ericksen (Gingerbread) was also in Mayhem. He's excellent in this type of role and if you enjoy this kind of movie, you should definitely check that one out.
posted by miss-lapin at 6:08 PM on December 6, 2022

I really appreciate how the genre mashup played it straight for both the genres it's mixing. They found the tonal common ground, which is just incredible. Kudos to the performers and the direction - the switch between the emotional registers was kept sincere throughout because the cast could skate that.

A lot of mentions of Die Hard in the general commentary for this (not just here) but the movie literally namechecks Home Alone and that's the strongest vibe that I got on the whole mix.

David Harbour can really John Wick his way to a series with this one methinks.
posted by cendawanita at 7:40 AM on December 11, 2022 [2 favorites]

the switch between the emotional registers was kept sincere throughout because the cast could skate that.

I rewatched it last night, faute de mieux at the hour after finally buying and setting up my tree, and...yes...it is weirdly successful at that. (Not perfect, but, I mean, those registers are far apart.) Kudos to Harbour for pulling it off, but also their wee moppet did a very good job for a kid actor having to handle the often cloying role of Childhood Innocence.

Honestly, I just love the idea of a wicked Germanic warrior condemned to travel the night on Christmas Eve for centuries, atoning for his greed by giving to children in need. And appreciating a glass of "that prewar shit."
posted by praemunire at 10:48 AM on December 11, 2022 [4 favorites]

MMM and Santa Claus now entering his Jack Reacher era.
posted by cendawanita at 11:04 PM on December 11, 2022

I think my favorite part was Trudy's wholesome excitement for Santa when he was reunited with Skullcrusher.
posted by amarynth at 8:21 AM on December 19, 2022 [1 favorite]

"I've got to watch. <kaboom!> Ho-Ho-Holy shit."

I will likely watch this once a year forever.

I'm n-thing this emotion. praemunire, Harbour absolutely makes this piece work. Leguizamo isn't quite in Goggin's league but this is so much better than the Mel Gibson 'Fatman.'

I'm just loving that Santa's backstory works so incredibly well. Skullcrusher! Awww!
posted by porpoise at 10:07 PM on January 10, 2023 [1 favorite]

> A lot of mentions of Die Hard in the general commentary for this (not just here) but the movie literally namechecks Home Alone and that's the strongest vibe that I got on the whole mix.

It also name checks Die Hard (he pulls a Die Hard bluray out of his magic bag). Santa is John McClane, the girl is Kevin McAllister, really it's a crowd pleaser, for all crowds that can handle a bloodbath. I also really enjoyed them making the Home Alone hijinks a little more realistic. The Wet Bandits would've been dead or at least on their way to trauma surgery about 3 minutes into the break in. Anyway I enjoyed this movie and wish I hadn't waited for it to be free on peacock, would have been great to watch when the christmas mood was still fresh in the air.
posted by dis_integration at 7:09 PM on January 21, 2023