Bad Santa meets Rambo meets Home Alone in my review of the delightfully brutal Violent Night starring David Harbour as Santa Claus. Who just so happens to be delivering presents to a home being invaded by a rather large paramilitary group.

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Written by

PAT CASEY & JOSH MILLER

Directed by

TOMMY WIRKOLA

Written by

PAT CASEY & JOSH MILLER

Directed by

TOMMY WIRKOLA

Starring

DAVID HARBOUR, JOHN LEGUIZAMO, ALEX HASSELL, ALEXIS LOUDER, LEAH BRADY, CAM GIGANDET, BEVERLY D’ANGELO

Synopsis

To hell with “all is calm.”

From 87North, the bare-knuckle producers of Bullet Train, Nobody, John Wick, Atomic Blonde, Deadpool 2 and Fast & Furious Presents: Hobbs & Shaw comes a holiday action-comedy that says you should always bet on red.

When a team of mercenaries breaks into a wealthy Lightstone family compound on Christmas Eve, taking everyone inside hostage, the team isn’t prepared for a surprise combatant: Santa Claus (DAVID HARBOUR, Black Widow, Stranger Things series) is on the grounds, and he’s about to show why this Nick is no saint.

The film also stars Emmy winner JOHN LEGUIZAMO (John Wick) as Scrooge, the leader of the mercenaries; ALEX HASSELL (Cowboy Bebop) as Jason Lightstone; ALEXIS LOUDER (The Tomorrow War) as Jason’s estranged wife, Linda, and LEAH BRADY (The Umbrella Academy) as their daughter, Trudy, who forms a heartfelt bond with Santa and provides him with vital assistance as he attempts to dispatch the intruders. EDI PATTERSON (The Righteous Gemstones) plays Alva Lightstone; CAM GIGANDET (Without Remorse) plays Morgan Lightstone and Beverly D’Angelo (National Lampoon’s Vacation franchise) stars as the imperious Lightstone matriarch, Gertrude.

Directed by razor-edged Norwegian director TOMMY WIRKOLA (Hansel & Gretel: Witch Hunters, Dead Snow franchise), Violent Night is produced by 87North’s KELLY McCORMICK p.g.a., DAVID LEITCH p.g.a. and GUY DANELLA. The original screenplay is by PAT CASEY and JOSH MILLER, the writers of Sonic the Hedgehog. The film’s executive producer is MARC S. FISCHER.

The film’s director of photography is MATTHEW WESTON, fnf (Dead Snow), the production designer is ROGER FIRES (Nobody) and the editor is JIM PAGE, ace (The First Purge). The film’s music is by DOMINIC LEWIS (Bullet Train) and the costume designer is LAURA DeLUCA (assistant costume designer, Nobody).

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