Joel KinnamanThe story
About Silent Night
A father sees his young son killed by stray gunfire from a gang shoot-out on Christmas Eve, and is left without a voice by a wound from the same night. Over the following year he trains himself, alone and in silence, for a one-man assault on the gang, timed for the next Christmas Eve. The film is told almost entirely without dialogue.
The CineClaus verdict
John Woo's first American film since Paycheck is a revenge thriller that opens and closes on Christmas Eve, and it tells its story almost without dialogue. That gamble is the most interesting thing here. Joel Kinnaman carries it on his face alone and the gunfights have Woo's old flair, but the long middle stretch of solitary training drags, and between the bookends the season barely registers.
Action fans curious to see a master of the shoot-out work in silence should give it an evening; anyone after festive spirit should look elsewhere.
The family desk
Can the kids watch?
Our take: adults only in all but name: strong bloody violence from the very first scene and drug use throughout. It has no BBFC certificate, and Sky lists it as 18.
Content advice & accessibility
- Not BBFC rated
- The BBFC has no classification for this film, so it has no UK certificate. Our age guidance above is editorial, not an official rating.
