Silent Night (2023)

User Review

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  ScreenZealots

  7 / 10

  The gimmick of having a film with very little spoken dialogue works quite well with “Silent Night,” acclaimed director John Woo’s super stylish revenge thriller. Woo strikes the perfect balance between intense action sequences and equally commanding emotional moments to create a stunning film that fires on all cylinders.
  
  When a father (Joel Kinnaman) watches his young son die by a stray bullet on Christmas Eve at the hand of a careless gang’s drive-by shooting, he decides to exact revenge on the bad men who murdered his kid. The desperate dad tried to chase after the ruthless killers but was gunned down himself. The wound was so serious that it cost the man his voice, and eventually the grief cost him his marriage. Unable to speak and tormented by the ordeal, he makes vengeance his life’s mission, embarking on a training regimen where he gains muscle, agility, and the knowledge of how to wield a knife and use a gun like a true professional.
  
  It’s a simple yet satisfying plot that’s completely predictable, but Woo’s natural talent for filming breathtaking, gritty action scenes takes this to another level. The strong violence is bloody and harsh, and Kinnaman is completely believable as a grieving dad who has no other choice but to take matters into his own hands. He chooses violence over doing nothing.
  
  The lead role relies on a physicality that Kinnaman pulls off, portraying a father’s thirst for revenge with a potent intensity. Although he makes his fair share of mistakes, he’s still a character you’ll root for because it’s understandable to have a burning desire to make those responsible for such a horrible tragedy actually have to pay for what they’ve done. When the character marks a date on his calendar by simply writing “KILL THEM ALL,” it becomes a sort of stand-up-and-cheer moment.
  
  This is a depressing movie, and it’s one that will likely divide audiences. There’s a lot more than just a series of violent stunts, which takes the story up a level.
  
  The weighty emotional moments in “Silent Night” are heartbreaking, which adds an unexpected depth to what could be considered a typical revenge story. There is a warmth within writer Robert Archer Lynn’s narrative that makes the film deeply touching, and it’s just one of the many surprises to be found in this beautifully shot and well-executed film.
  
  By: Louisa Moore for Screen Zealots

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