Violent Night - Movie Review

 

Violent Night

Movie Review

 

Violent Night is an American Christmas action-comedy film directed by Tommy Wirkola from a screenplay written by Pat Casey and Josh Miller. Violent Night follows Santa Claus played by David Harbour as he fights mercenaries who have taken a wealthy family hostage in their home. The film stars John Leguizamo, Alex Hassell, Alexis Lauder, Eddie Patterson, Cam Gigantet and Beverly D'Angelo.

 

Set in Greenwich, Connecticut, Jason Lightstone, his estranged wife Linda, and their 7-year-old daughter Trudy visit their mother Gertrude's mansion for Christmas with his sister Alva and her new boyfriend, action star Morgan Steele and Alva's online streamer son Gertrude. Trudy finds an old walkie-talkie to "talk to Santa," and Jason and Linda hear her one wish: to be a family again. A drunken gift-giving Santa arrives at Lightstone Estate, where the caterers reveal themselves to be mercenaries with Christmas-themed code names. Led by "Mr. Scrooge", they massacre the crew and take the family hostage.

One of the henchmen finds Santa, whose firework scares the reindeer, and they fight until Santa knocks him through the window and dies. Confused, Santa decides to rescue Trudy and her family from Scrooge, who demands $300 million from the mansion's vault. Santa kills another henchman and bypasses Trudy's channel to find the mercenary on his magical prank list. Jason tells their captors that he was just playing make-believe when he finds Trudy's walkie-talkie, and she runs upstairs and hides, declaring that Santa isn't real. Santa reassures Trudy over the radio that he was once Nicomond the Red, a bloodthirsty Viking warrior, and finds solace in his 1,100-year marriage to Mrs. Claus. Mr. Scrooge's henchman Krampus forces the family to deliver their gifts to Gertrude, who is stunned by Jason's card.

A wounded Santa is captured by Scrooge, harboring his childhood hatred of Christmas. Santa's knowledge of their true identities leads his henchmen, Gingerbread and Candy Cane, to believe he is real, and when he uses his magic to escape down the chimney, they burn his magic sack. Gertrude's personal "kill squad" led by Commander Thorpe arrives, but in league with Scrooge, they kill Morgan as he tries to escape. Finding the vault empty, Scrooge threatens Linda, and Jason confesses that he stole the money and plans to run away with his wife and daughter, which he explains to his mother on his card. He reveals the money hidden in the nativity scene outside, and Gertrude forgives his infidelity and chooses him as her heir as a secret rite of Lightstone.

Retreating to a shed, Santa finds a sledgehammer and brutally kills the gang of assassins. Trudy sets traps, resulting in Gingerbread's death. Candy Kane prepares to shoot her, but she is killed by Santa. Scrooge orders the hostages killed, but Alva, Linda, and Bert manage to kill Krampus instead. Scrooge and Thorpe flee into the woods with the money and Gertrude as hostages, followed by Santa. Linda kills the last mercenary and Trudy sees her parents reunite with a kiss. Fascinated by Scrooge, Santa crashes a cabin, Scrooge finds himself on the naughty list, admits Santa is real, and decides to kill him for ruining his childhood at Christmas. They fight and Scrooge gets the upper hand but is killed instantly when Santa uses his magic to throw him up the chimney of the cabin, crushing him and knocking him out.

Santa is fatally shot in the back by Thorp, who is killed by Gertrude. Although Jason burns some of the money to warm him, Santa succumbs to his injuries. Trudy urges her family to declare their faith in Santa to everyone, and brings him back to life, admitting that she still doesn't understand how the magic of Christmas works. When his reindeer return and Santa bids Trudy farewell before flying off to deliver presents, her faith in Christmas is renewed.

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