I found Violent Night, a movie about a group of robbers who attack the estate of a wealthy family on Christmas eve quite delightful. It put me in the best mood for at least twenty-four hours post-viewing.

I truly liked everything about director Tommy Wirkola’s movie, including the fun, violent and Christmasy theme; a welcome difference when compared to the usual Christmas movie fare.

For me, the script, cinematography, fight sequences and overall performances delivered the promise made by the equally charming trailer months earlier. 

There’s no doubt that some people will find the violence too much. Still, I wouldn’t say that Violent Night meets the brutality and savagery levels achieved by Tarantino films.

Give Wirkola’s film a chance if you’re curious. Several people have referred to it as a combination of Die Hard (1988) and Home Alone (1990). I don’t remember too much about the Die Hard films, but it sounds pretty accurate, no?

‘A perfect film’ is not the right phrase to describe Violent Night. But the imperfections are part of what made it so fun to me. There’s also the pleasant-to-watch pairing of David Harbour and John Leguizamo as adversaries. Watch it because you’re curious.

Happy Film Loving,

G