On paper, the premise of Violent Night would simply be seen as bonkers … and it kind of is. The idea of beloved Stranger Things actor David Harbour playing a disillusioned, drunken Santa Claus who’s forced to go into a brutal and bloody conflict with armed robbers on Christmas Eve sounds more like an SNL parody than an actual movie. Somehow though, Violent Night not only proves itself to be a thriving and fun action movie, but also a surprisingly warm and touching ode to the Christmas season.
Since Violent Night is produced by people involved in films like Nobody and Bullet Train, it’s no surprise that it’s full of brutal blows and incredibly creative action. Seriously, Santa as an action hero has never been so expertly conceived and it leads to some jaw-dropping fights. From Santa utilizing holiday ornaments and decoration for some stunning kills to him even searching his gift sack for weapons — there’s a lot of fun inventiveness shown in making Santa a formidable fighter. There’s even a really intriguing backstory established for his combat ability and once he gets a hammer in his hands, he’s literally an unstoppable killing machine.
Violent Night’s R-rating basically ensures it to be a bloody and gory good time full of shocking combat sequences that’ll often leave you breathless from their brutality. Yet, there’s still a tinge of holiday fun to it all that creates some darkly comedic treats throughout and a unique spin on Santa that’s endlessly entertaining. Violent Night’s Santa in action is a wild sight to see because of how dominating he can be, and he’s made even better through Harbour’s performance.
Harbour delivers one of his best performances as a Santa who has lost his Christmas spirit. His inability to resist a good drink and his generally rugged behavior makes him a much looser Santa leading to some hilarious moments. There’s a hilarious sleigh ride sequence full of great laughs and Harbour has some amazing line delivery throughout that solidifies him as an action hero. The overall writing has a lot of funny moments and exchanges as it pokes fun at and plays around with the obnoxious personalities of its characters nicely.
What’s most surprising about Violent Night though is how it’s actually a Christmas movie. This really isn’t just a typical action movie with a Christmas theme to it. It legitimately has some good heart that’s fitting for the holidays. The bond that’s formed between Santa and Trudy (Leah Brady), the young daughter of the family that’s taken hostage, is instantly warming and really touches on the innocence of Christmas well. Their conversations about family and the holidays are constantly engaging and come off genuine in a way that makes you care. Trudy and her parents have a good emotional thread throughout thanks to great performances and writing that showcases a complicated family dynamic around the holidays.
Violent Night’s Christmas movie magic is not only further fueled by its depiction of Santa, but also its stylistic odes to the holiday. There’s something kind of emotional about Santa contemplating his feelings towards Christmas and rediscovering inspiration to keep that innocent love for the holidays alive. He’s the perfect kind of down on your luck hero that audiences can immediately love, and his personal arc is easily the film’s strongest.
Also, the film is just a great ode to Christmas movies, in general, through its stylistic choices that just scream Christmas. There’s plenty of great Christmas music throughout, both through classic tunes and Dominic Lewis’ score, and a sequence that’s basically a gruesome homage to Home Alone audiences will adore. By the end, you’ll feel all these fulfilling vibes of Christmas that put you in the right spirit making Violent Night a perfectly subversive modern Christmas movie.
Christmas movies are a pivotal part of the modern holiday season with families and friends getting together every year to watch classics like A Christmas Story, The Nightmare Before Christmas, or maybe even Die Hard to get into the holiday spirit. Well, audiences have a new Christmas classic to watch with the action-packed, highly entertaining, and surprisingly strong Violent Night.
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