By Laura BennettThursday 1 Dec 2022Hope AfternoonsChristmasReading Time: 3 minutes
Christmas entertainment and violence aren’t commonly expected to go hand-in-hand – just ask the crowd who deny Die Hard is a Christmas movie because it is “an action movie set at Christmastime” not a romantic comedy – but can we accept violence when it serves a seasonal purpose?
In Violent Night, a group of mercenary thugs descend on the wealthy Lightstone family estate to steal their $300 million cash reserves and get revenge on the very existence of Christmas. Led by Scrooge (John Leguizamo), the thieves’ plan is threatened by a disillusioned Santa (David Harbour), who is doing his Christmas Eve deliveries when he’s caught up in the drama.
The comedy and chaos that ensues is reminiscent of a Fatman/Home Alone mash-up where the one liners are delivered with as much punch as the head shots and booby traps.
As the name suggests, Violent Night is just that, but in many ways the violence is used as a backdrop to woo an anti-Hallmark audience into heartfelt dialogue about family, belief and having faith in what you don’t understand.
In many ways the violence is used as a backdrop to woo an anti-Hallmark audience into heartfelt dialogue about family, belief and having faith in what you don’t understand.
Sitting at a bar with other Santas on Christmas Eve, the real Santa vows this will be his last year on the job because kids have become ungrateful, money-hungry, videogame-wanting little people who barely believe in him anymore. Santa is convinced his role is mute and that “Christmas magic” is wasted on humanity.
Like most curmudgeons, what’s needed to change Santa’s tune is the innocence of a child who breaks that mould: enter Trudy Lightstone.
In a family raised on wealth, fine wine and schmoosing, Trudy (Leah Brady) has a genuine spirit that pulls away from the manipulative motivations of her older relatives around Christmas.
Her cousin Bert (Alexander Elliot) is a social media-loving product of his aspirational mother (Edi Patterson) and her actor boyfriend (Cam Gigandet), but Trudy prefers the simple pleasures of seeing her parents together and getting her wishlist to Santa.
Over the course of the movie, it’s the relationship between Trudy and Santa that helps him rekindle an affection for humanity and allows Trudy to retain the faith in Christmas her dad ultimately tries to quash.
We also learn more about why Scrooge is so anti-Santa and why he tries to explain away the moments of “Christmas magic” he doesn’t comprehend. What began as a robbery becomes a battle to disprove Santa’s existence.
Whether or not it’s what the filmmakers intend, narratives about Santa always have parallels to our belief – or not – in God.
The “childlike faith” we start with is tested when life’s harshest experiences rub against our certainty in God’s goodness.
The “childlike faith” we start with is tested when life’s harshest experiences rub against our certainty in God’s goodness. Then “rational maturity” says we should outgrow a belief in something we can’t see, and as adults we have to weigh up whether the evidence for our belief in God is greater than the things that push against it.
The parallels become complicated when a fake identity like Santa is used to exemplify a God many believe is real, but the point Violent Night makes is that our willingness to believe in something is what can give it presence in our lives. Even when we don’t fully understand why or how something works that doesn’t mean it isn’t legitimate.
Violent Night is surprisingly inspiring and funny for something sold on its bloodlust – which does need to be taken into account – and offers audiences unexpected food for thought. If you do see it, go the cinema. The collective audience reactions are worth ditching the couch for.
Violent Night is rated MA15+ and in cinemas now.