Silent Night
November 30th, 2023
MOVIE: SILENT NIGHT
STARRING: JOEL KINNAMAN, CATALINA SANDINO MORENO, KID CUDI
DIRECTED BY: JOHN WOO
AMovieGuy.com’s RATING: 2 STARS
The concept of Silent Night is an exercise I respect. It’s also a frustrating activity because I hoped the return of legendary action movie director John Woo would make more noise. At about ten minutes in, when a character has a moment to speak, they pause, look down, and turn around. It’s at that moment where you realize, oh, this is called SILENT Night for a reason. Not just because it’s set at Christmas time but because there is zero dialogue. Outside of grunts or screams, this is an action movie without anybody talking and although it’s an idea to respect, the execution is solely missing the mark. Silent Night is the return of a king without much to say.
We meet our hero Brian Godlock (Joel Kinnaman) chasing a pair of cars with gang members shooting at one another. There’s blood on his hands but it’s not his own. His son is caught in the crossfire, and in his attempt to confront the assailants, he is shot in the throat, causing him to lose his ability to speak. Brian and his wife Saya (Catalina Sandino Moreno) try to keep going. Instead, he goes into a spiral, drinking too much, haunted by flashbacks of his son, and eventually his wife leaves him. When he finally hits rock bottom, he decides to have revenge fuel him, writing KILL THEM ALL on the calendar for December 24th. He learns to shoot a gun, watches hand-to-hand combat videos on YouTube, and hits the weights in an endless montage. We know where this is going.
Some of that sounds cool, as it’s impossible for Woo to not succeed with his signature action sequences, but there’s ultimately not enough. The lack of dialogue leaves us with a lead character lacking depth and a supporting cast with even less. Kid Cudi’s role as lead Detective Vassel has nothing to do. His only screen moments include missing Godlock at the police station and the big finale where he shows up to help in the fight. The screenplay by Robert Archer Lynn revolves around parting glances, words unsaid, and montages of preparation. Certainly nails the Silent part.
I won’t say it’s all awful. Woo saves the best for last in an action sequence of Godlock climbing up flights of stairs and leaving bodies in his wake. It’s reminiscent of John Wick: Chapter 4 and Atomic Blonde but those two are undoubtedly better. Even the signature John Woo aesthetics seem to be lacking, no doves flying in the air, slow-motion shootouts, or the battle between the duality of men. Those added flares could have added a robust sound to a muted movie.
The fact is that Silent Night is a big disappointment. Hopes were incredibly high with the return of John Woo. Give credit for sticking to the gimmick and trying to make it work. Sadly, it’s reminiscent of films such as Jennifer Garner’s Peppermint or if John Wick was a silent film. This is an exercise instead of a full-length feature, an attempt to see if this blend can work, but we find that answer quickly. Action and silence just don’t mix. The final result is a big lump of coal. I’ll be Silent now.
SILENT NIGHT IS PLAYING IN THEATERS THIS FRIDAY DECEMBER 1ST, 2023.
2 STARS
Written by: Leo Brady
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