Not a creature was stirring…

With just over five lines of dialogue in its hour and forty-four-minute runtime (and no we’re not counting radio chatter), 2023’s Silent Night wears its ambitions directly on its sleeve. With no dialogue providing filler or alleviating stress from inevitable exposition, one could only assume that this film is either amazingly innovative, or inertly disjointed. Thankfully it does just enough to go above the average revenge action thriller. No thanks to strong direction from John Woo, and an intense, yet silent turn from lead actor Joel Kinnamon. Let’s find out if Silent Night is worth your patience on this week’s Gaber’s Two Cents.

With an opening that throws the viewer directly into the inciting incident of the films conflict, we view our hero chasing down two vehicles filled with savage gangsters trading fire with one another. Shots roar from their submachine guns and blood splatters with every bullet that has found its home. The sound design alone is quite impressive, with every shot thundering chaotically with little to no accuracy. The little regard for human casualties from this duel feels alarmingly authentic and raw. Innocent people minding their own business are killed for simply going about their lives. These inclusions were cleverly included by director John Woo, providing an excellent portrayal of the world we are witnessing and illustrating how this brutality has become the norm for the showcased community.

Our hero, John Godlock (which is a gnarly name in itself) played by Joel Kinnamon hasn’t taken the steps to become the ultimate revenge killing machine just yet. Which is why when he finally does catch up to the thugs, his way of debilitating them is utter lunacy. With the swing of a pipe found by a garbage can, he smashes their windshield, invertedly sending the vehicle flying towards a forklift where the driver is decapitated. Why am I going into so much detail on this small opening you ask? Well, it’s unpredictability is both entertaining and absolutely hilarious, yet I don’t know if the latter was Woo’s intention.

That’s not to say there is no humor in the film. There are several moments that surprise and shock with humorous undertones. For example, John Godlock is not John Wick. At first, he is completely out of his league when undertaking his mission. The majority of the film invests in his rigorous training to become a gun toting vigilante. He gets into several physical encounters when the night of his vengeance arrives, and he realistically gets demolished in most of these encounters, before getting lucky enough to find his chance to deliver a killing blow. It’s moments like these that give the film a unique charm, a noteworthy achievement for a movie where its protagonist cannot speak.

Speaking of silence, Joel Kinnamon is fantastic in the leading role. We weren’t kidding, even at the films start when he technically could speak, he never says a word. After he’s shot through the neck, he rejects using an electrolarynx to communicate with his wife, and his silence truly begins. Through subtle facial gestures communicating the most acute emotions, Kinnamon pulls it off. So much so, that you forget he’s not talking in the first place. It’s surprising how much range Kinnamon shows, whether it be from the sadness of mourning his lost son at the film’s beginning, or the slight smirk of surprise when he realizes his training is beginning to work. I can’t think of anyone else who could embody the action-man look and possess the acting prowess required to convincingly portray such a challenging character.

Silent Night isn’t completely devoid of problems, however. There are some pacing issues that arise on the night of his revenge. What should be a nonstop onslaught of action, turns into a slightly anticlimactic lull cycle. Big action scene, mourn son, big action scene, mourn son, etc. It’s off putting for sure and essentially one of the only issues I have with the film, but it does take you out of the experience enough to make you scratch your head a tad.

All in all, Silent Night mostly gets the job done. Through great performances, strong action, and mostly competent direction, it very well could be one of the best Christmas action movies out there. Why by no means does it surpass the likes of Die Hard, it just might be enough to bring some Christmas cheer to any action enthusiast. All that and more is why Silent Night received this particular Cent Score.

Cent Score: 3 Cents

The pros outweigh the cons, sit back, don’t think too much and you’ll be fine.

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