Violent Night

GenerationofSwine 1/10/2023 3:08:19 PM 8.4

Yeah I'm going to give this top marks, not because it is really that good, but because it came out in 2022 and was probably the best thing in the theater at the time (which was probably why the other Movie Data Base started deleting positive reviews of it). But a lot of it is done right, it features an interracial family but doesn't make the race a key part of the story. In fact, it doesn't even mention it at all. Instead it follows the story of a little girl and Santa. And the Santa is a bit weird, there is a lot of things that just don't fit with his character, but that doesn't matter because the story is just so fun that you willingly suspend most of your disbelief. It is violent and does a great job of making the violence both exciting and at times comical. It drops Easter eggs in some of the best possible ways. Not all the men are evil and idiotic and not all the women are practically perfect in every way. They are just written as, well, as unique characters. And you really have to appreciate it in 2022 when most movies drop characters for checked boxes. It was probably the only movie that you could go into in 2022 and just be entertained by. That was the clear intent in making this and that was the end result. Twenty years ago it would have been "Meh" but in 2022 it is the best thing in theaters.

tmdb47940942 2/14/2024 8:22:21 PM 8.4

This shouldn't be my favorite film that I have ever watched. But it is. This film made me love Santa as a character. This film fills the very need for "What if Santa was a badass?"—the shots, the use of music, the actors, the backstory of Santa, the EVERYTHING. I've watched this film twice, and both times I had a smile on my face. Such a good film. If you, the reader, haven't watched this film, please do yourself a favor and watch it now.

Manuel São Bento 11/30/2022 7:22:18 AM 8.4

FULL SPOILER-FREE REVIEW @ https://www.msbreviews.com/movie-reviews/violent-night-spoiler-free-review "Violent Night is one of the biggest surprises of the year, instantly becoming a contemporary Christmas classic! David Harbour expertly embodies a shockingly brutal, savage version of Santa Claus that somehow still delivers lovely messages. Fighting sequences feature truly violent practical stunts, taking advantage of the R rating to provide unmeasurable amounts of gore. Creative use of Christmas songs will leave audiences crying with laughter. A brilliant homage to the seasonal genre classics that should be seen in a packed theater!" Rating: A-