*This is a spoiler-free review so feel free to read on!*
“Kill them all…”
Silent Night released in theaters on December 1st 2023. The revenge thriller-action film (directed by John Woo) stars Joel Kinnaman, Kid Cudi, Harold Torres, and Catalina Sandino Moreno. It runs for approximately an hour and forty-four minutes.
On Christmas Eve, a man witnesses the tragic death of his son when a stray bullet from a local street gang takes everything from him. After recovering from a wound that costs him his voice, he vows to take revenge on those responsible the following year.
Here is the trailer:
Silent Night features a strong lead performer accompanied by lots of blood-soaked action, but is it worthy of YOUR next watch? Let’s find out…
The Pros:
Joel Kinnaman gives it his all.
Without being able to talk, I was pleasantly surprised by how well he commanded the screen. I loved him in The Killing and was super excited to see him in this. His acting was on point and I honestly felt his pain and grief throughout the film. This is no easy task when you can’t express yourself verbally and yet he managed to really make me feel something, which says a lot.
Brutal and flashy violence.
If that’s what you came to see, it will deliver on that…but it takes a while to get there. That being said, I thought a lot of the fight scenes were well done and John Woo fans will have something to be excited about.
The Cons:
A revenge thriller I’ve seen before…
Sure, you can wrap a bow on it with a “no talking” gimmick, but the film doesn’t really stray far from your standard revenge thriller. I actually think the “no talking” aspect hindered it in a lot of ways and made this an exhausting watch at times.
It also took way too long to get to the heart of the film. Yes, the moments leading up to it added to the emotional motivation, but I felt like we were crossing off calendar dates for hours and I couldn’t take some of the silent stare downs much longer.
Luckily we got to plenty of satisfying action, but I wouldn’t say that this was anything that new or extraordinary…but it was still enjoyable enough for action fans. You just have to sit through a lot of boring fluff to get there.
So am I in or out?
I’m in about 75 percent…
Silent Night delivers in the action category, but its slow burn approach and insistence on staying true to its gimmick loses a little holiday magic.
Perhaps I set my expectations too high because I thought the trailer was brilliant, but this wasn’t the revenge action film I was really hoping for.
I hope you enjoyed the review and please feel free to share your thoughts on Silent Night in the comments section!
Best,
Amy Koto, TV Fanatic Girl
IN THE CITY THAT NEVER SLEEPS, HER NIGHT FROM HELL HAS ONLY JUST BEGUN…
After working the night shift, Ashley becomes entangled in a deadly game of cat-and-mouse with a local street gang, forcing her to come up with a plan to survive the night by turning the tables on them.
Ashley must fight for her life and take them out one by one if she wants to make it to morning…
My young adult revenge thriller is out now! I hope you enjoy!
Make it Through the Night is available here!
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