Silent Night suffered from one of Lionsgate’s weak advertising pushes, contributing to a pitiful domestic gross of just over $8 million, but it’s one of the more exciting films from the end of 2023. It’s legendary director/producer John Woo’s first English-language – well, sort of – film in 20 years, and it’s the first widely distributed silent film I’m seeing since The Artist won Best Picture and then completely disappeared from the culture in 2011. There’s been some flirtation with this, as Mad Max: Fury Road, the king of modern action movies, announced both black and white and silent cuts for home media, but has only delivered on the Black and Chrome edition.
It’s possible I’m still the only one waiting for that silent version of Fury Road, but Silent Night is a decent consolation.
Las Palomas, Texas, Dec. 24, 2021, dusk- Brian Godlock (Joel Kinnaman, who also produces executively) runs through alleyways in an ugly Christmas sweater and a single jingle bell, his hands already covered in blood. His daughter has been killed by stray gunfire from a nearby gang dispute, and he catches the car the bullet flew from, but is beaten and shot in the throat. He survives, but is rendered mute, and Silent Night plays out with no dialogue – a modern silent film.
One year later to the day, armed to the teeth and educated on the local cartel’s structure and hideouts, Godlock marks Christmas Eve with a roaring rampage of revenge.
Subscribe to continue reading
Subscribe to get access to the rest of this post and other subscriber-only content.
Reel Entropy 