Never has a film been so heartwarming, heartbreaking and horrifying. SILENT NIGHT is humanity at its very best in the face of its worst fears with laughter, tears and a poignant reminder of why life is worth living at all before we meet our inevidable ends.
229 Reviews
Everybody gets exactly what they deserve
whitecats3 December 2021
I'm not really sure this film knows what it wants to be. If you want to watch a good film about adults and children facing the end check out 'These Final Hours'. If you want to watch a black comedy about the end of the world try Dr Strangelove. There is a lot of talent on screen but much of the script is nonsense and the characters are both sympathetic and unlikeable - but not in a good way. Roman Griffin Davis was pretty good, but the script was obviously distorted to feature everything he says and does. Nothing felt natural and most of the character's motivations remain a mystery. By the end you don't care how it ends.
Dark Drama
tal-246934 December 2021
Painfully slow....
adambrose-1984223 November 2021
This could have been so much better.
durham10025 November 2021
The last twenty minutes and the end are excellent but sadly to get to that point you have to endure pretty much endless boredom. The acting is ok but the characters are so unlikeable you barely care what happens to them by the time you get to the good bit. The kids are all awful people and the constant swearing is quite repulsive - it may have been a plot point but if it was it was far too heavy handed. It would have worked as a twenty minute episode of an anthology tv show but did not have enough substance to carry it for ninety minutes and the padding that was the building of the characters and their back stories just made it tiresome to watch. It's a shame - handled differently it could have been quite good.
Interesting
Gordon-1123 January 2022
"Silent Night" is an interesting film. It took me thirty minutes into the film to figure out what is going on. The plot is interesting, but I did see the ending coming. It nice to see so many big name actors and actresses.
Great spin on holiday film
MK_Ultra_11 December 2021
Check your "holiday spirit" at the door and be ready for a full on pitchblack snark fest instead of the usual holiday hokiness.
I had forgotten the premise after skimming some previews a few weeks back online, so almost felt like a blind watch, until the very dark paradigm switch happens with the story arch.
I just so happen to appreciate the well acted and directed film and its daring and unique take, but clearly wont be for everyone.
Mix it up this year, but also might want to leave the kids out of this one. Its only depressing if you can't find the humor and there is plenty of that.
I had forgotten the premise after skimming some previews a few weeks back online, so almost felt like a blind watch, until the very dark paradigm switch happens with the story arch.
I just so happen to appreciate the well acted and directed film and its daring and unique take, but clearly wont be for everyone.
Mix it up this year, but also might want to leave the kids out of this one. Its only depressing if you can't find the humor and there is plenty of that.
An inferior version of "Melancholia"
G_top9 December 2021
This film struggles to balance its comedic and dramatic elements, resulting in a disjointed experience for the viewer. The attempts at humor feel contrived and fall flat, while the serious moments lack the emotional weight they deserve. The acting is passable, but unfortunately, the poor writing and direction overshadow any standout performances.
If you're looking for a film that explores similar themes but executes them with far greater skill, Lars von Trier's "Melancholia" is an excellent choice. In comparison, "Melancholia" delivers a powerful and emotionally charged story, with beautifully crafted characters and stunning visuals. Overall, "Silent Night" may have had potential, its lackluster execution makes it a forgettable watch.
If you're looking for a film that explores similar themes but executes them with far greater skill, Lars von Trier's "Melancholia" is an excellent choice. In comparison, "Melancholia" delivers a powerful and emotionally charged story, with beautifully crafted characters and stunning visuals. Overall, "Silent Night" may have had potential, its lackluster execution makes it a forgettable watch.
Love and Death Actually
Lejink20 December 2021
Not your traditional jolly holly Christmas fare in this movie as you might expect from the title, it started off like it was going to be Abigail's Christmas party but ended up in a much darker, post-apocalyptic place altogether.
Matthew Goode and Keira Knightley are the couple living in a big country house with their three young foul-mouthed sons, into whose abode descends a motley crew of family and friends to on the face of it celebrate Christmas with them. After some initial thumbnail character sketches of all the participants coupled with some awkward attempts at humour and family tensions it seems as if we're in potential "Love Actually" territory but things aren't as they appear. Pretty soon, we discern that they are actually all gathering to carry out a mass suicide to prevent them dying a horrible agonising death from the gaseous fall-out blowing into every corner of the country, leaving no survivors as it goes.
The government's considered response apparently is to issue everyone with a suicide pill to enable them to die in their own ordered way and not succumb to an otherwise painful, disfiguring death from the contagion. Before the end, the film has hit full "And then there were none..." mode although a slightly telegraphed, mildly shocking final scene sheds a new light on proceedings.
I'm all for moving away from and indeed satirising "Hallmark"-type cosy, unctuous seasonal features but this did seem a little too drastic in its intent. The different relationships and tensions between the partygoers are too lightly depicted, while the attempts at humour rarely hit the mark. Quite why the young children have to appear so obnoxious and speak so profanely I'm not sure, unless it was a thinly-veiled attack on the middle and upper classes where apparently it's cool for a parent to sit in alongside two of his teenage sons in a bath.
In these continuing days of Covid and its devastating sweep across the planet and it seems Britain in particular, the film has something to say about how society faces a worldwide pandemic and similarly poses relevant questions about the right to die and assisted suicide. In the end though, as the swell of the moody synthesiser and orchestra grows ever louder, I found it difficult to relate to and sympathise with the plights of this extended, unappealing family. Overall for me the film lacked subtlety and failed to strike an appreciable balance between satirical humour and science-fiction horror.
Still, it made for an alternative to the usual "Deck The Halls" / "Christmas Vacation" nonsense that normally gets served up at this time of year and is worth a watch for that reason alone.
Matthew Goode and Keira Knightley are the couple living in a big country house with their three young foul-mouthed sons, into whose abode descends a motley crew of family and friends to on the face of it celebrate Christmas with them. After some initial thumbnail character sketches of all the participants coupled with some awkward attempts at humour and family tensions it seems as if we're in potential "Love Actually" territory but things aren't as they appear. Pretty soon, we discern that they are actually all gathering to carry out a mass suicide to prevent them dying a horrible agonising death from the gaseous fall-out blowing into every corner of the country, leaving no survivors as it goes.
The government's considered response apparently is to issue everyone with a suicide pill to enable them to die in their own ordered way and not succumb to an otherwise painful, disfiguring death from the contagion. Before the end, the film has hit full "And then there were none..." mode although a slightly telegraphed, mildly shocking final scene sheds a new light on proceedings.
I'm all for moving away from and indeed satirising "Hallmark"-type cosy, unctuous seasonal features but this did seem a little too drastic in its intent. The different relationships and tensions between the partygoers are too lightly depicted, while the attempts at humour rarely hit the mark. Quite why the young children have to appear so obnoxious and speak so profanely I'm not sure, unless it was a thinly-veiled attack on the middle and upper classes where apparently it's cool for a parent to sit in alongside two of his teenage sons in a bath.
In these continuing days of Covid and its devastating sweep across the planet and it seems Britain in particular, the film has something to say about how society faces a worldwide pandemic and similarly poses relevant questions about the right to die and assisted suicide. In the end though, as the swell of the moody synthesiser and orchestra grows ever louder, I found it difficult to relate to and sympathise with the plights of this extended, unappealing family. Overall for me the film lacked subtlety and failed to strike an appreciable balance between satirical humour and science-fiction horror.
Still, it made for an alternative to the usual "Deck The Halls" / "Christmas Vacation" nonsense that normally gets served up at this time of year and is worth a watch for that reason alone.
7
fil-nik0913 January 2022
Certainly an interesting film to watch, especially in the time of covid and natural desasters going on everywhere like floods, fires etc...
Not sure what genre it is. Dark comedy or light horror.
Certainly, the last 2 seconds are the scariest.
And I expected that chicken to show up at the end.
7+ from me.
Certainly, the last 2 seconds are the scariest.
And I expected that chicken to show up at the end.
7+ from me.
Christmas apocalypse
Horror_Flick_Fanatic4 December 2021
Feels extremely pointless
TuesdayThe17th13 March 2022
This is a very bizarre vision for a film. I get the apocalyptic angle and I really like movies like that but this movie in particular is so aimless. I guess there's some sort of meaning in here but honestly it's all too boring and uneventful. I also really like dialogue driven films but they have to have a point to them. This movie is beyond pointless and is an utter disappointment. I usually like Matthew Goode but his character was horribly written here. He gets very little lines and he's just underwhelming. Any time he is on screen he doesn't say more than 5 words or is whisping by in the background. This movie is also overly depressing for what it is. It's like, um ok which genre is in the forefront here? It's clearly a drama but they tried to inject some dry humor in there just to have it fall on its face. Hard.
Strong characters carry a middling film
jtindahouse5 December 2021
I'm not a big fan of Christmas films but if I'm going to watch one it's probably going to be a horror. I've been excited for 'Silent Night' for a while now. It just sounded like an interesting premise for a film and the cast was extremely strong. It wasn't quite the sinister film I was hoping for. It was much more of a drama than anything else. I still managed to find enjoyment in it, but I'd be lying if I said it wasn't a little bit of a let down.
The film is kind of secretive and discreet about what exactly is going on. I think the film would've been stronger if it was more up front right from the get go. It didn't add anything to the film being sly about the plot. A lot of scenes can't be fully appreciated on first (and likely only) watch because you don't have all the information.
The film presents some interesting situations for the characters to deal with, but it sometimes feels like it's too afraid to be overly daring and push the limits. I did like the characters themselves though. They were what made the movie as watchable as it was. 7/10.
The film is kind of secretive and discreet about what exactly is going on. I think the film would've been stronger if it was more up front right from the get go. It didn't add anything to the film being sly about the plot. A lot of scenes can't be fully appreciated on first (and likely only) watch because you don't have all the information.
The film presents some interesting situations for the characters to deal with, but it sometimes feels like it's too afraid to be overly daring and push the limits. I did like the characters themselves though. They were what made the movie as watchable as it was. 7/10.
I've never been so bored
digitalhat4 December 2021
Maybe it's an English thing, but this film is not funny at all. It's dark, I will give it that. Are we supposed to believe that this is what people would do on their last night alive? "I know, let's have a dinner party and talk about stuff - maybe make a few quips. Cheerio!"
A pleasant yet bleak surprise
Alexander_Blanchett8 December 2021
Actually not bad! I guess another victim of bad marketing because I think people went to see it with the absolutely wrong expectations. Its not your typical Christmas flick but rather a very, very dark comedy with many truly dramatic aspects.
And its funny how up to date it is in a certain way. Truly surprising that this was written and directed pre covid because in many ways it mirrors our current society.
The characters are 95% really unlikeable, especially at the beginning. Yes the beginning is weird, but it kind of makes sense. And dont read too much about it in advance, that will help.
Keira Knightley was good but she has been better. I really liked Matthew Goode here, he was not as stiff as usually. Lucy Punch was great as well.
But the most outstanding performance comes once again from "JoJo Rabbit"s Roman Griffin Davis. He was SO good. Quirky and bad mouthed but also very dramatic in a convincing way. Wouldn't be surprised if he makes my line up once again.
Good soundtrack, very good writing and a decent direction round this up to a pleasant surprise that really deserves a way better reception than it got.
And its funny how up to date it is in a certain way. Truly surprising that this was written and directed pre covid because in many ways it mirrors our current society.
The characters are 95% really unlikeable, especially at the beginning. Yes the beginning is weird, but it kind of makes sense. And dont read too much about it in advance, that will help.
Keira Knightley was good but she has been better. I really liked Matthew Goode here, he was not as stiff as usually. Lucy Punch was great as well.
But the most outstanding performance comes once again from "JoJo Rabbit"s Roman Griffin Davis. He was SO good. Quirky and bad mouthed but also very dramatic in a convincing way. Wouldn't be surprised if he makes my line up once again.
Good soundtrack, very good writing and a decent direction round this up to a pleasant surprise that really deserves a way better reception than it got.
Strange yet compelling.
acunnington-4973230 November 2021
I saw this at a preview screening in an almost full cinema, and probably the most telling comment I could give is that at the end of the film, as the final credits rolled, the whole cinema was eerily quiet.
I think most people (myself included) were left wondering "what have I just seen?".
That is not a criticism as such, more a reflection on what is a very strange, sometimes profound, and yet an extremely compelling film.
There are some strong and hugely enjoyable performances from most of the cast, and the script is clever and occasionally funny - albeit with many more than necessary profanities (particularly from the children!).
The ending was inevitable, yet I found it somewhat unfulfilling. Having said that I'm not sure how else they could have wrapped it up.
Certainly it is not a film for everybody, but it is a film that makes you think.
I think most people (myself included) were left wondering "what have I just seen?".
That is not a criticism as such, more a reflection on what is a very strange, sometimes profound, and yet an extremely compelling film.
There are some strong and hugely enjoyable performances from most of the cast, and the script is clever and occasionally funny - albeit with many more than necessary profanities (particularly from the children!).
The ending was inevitable, yet I found it somewhat unfulfilling. Having said that I'm not sure how else they could have wrapped it up.
Certainly it is not a film for everybody, but it is a film that makes you think.
The Anti-Hallmark Christmas Movie
solojere3 December 2021
Every so often, a movie like this pops up around this time of year as a sort of Anti-Hallmark Christmas Movie. Some movies like Krampus can be fun and thought-provoking. But this film isn't fun or thought-provoking. The only reason I watched this is that I liked the cast. But they couldn't save this mess. It's Christmas, and a family gathers for one last time as there is a plosion or something that is supposedly going to kill them all. Or they may just kill themselves. It's kind of vague at the start. It's like M Night Shyamalan's The Happening at Christmas. Kind of. I won't spoil anything, but the main conflict is whether you want a painless death or take your chances knowing you might have a painful death. While this could be an interesting premise, it doesn't work here. The characters are all jerks and unlikeable except Art (the kid from JoJo Rabbit). I didn't relate to any of them at all. I also didn't like that this film was kind of preachy, and it seemed to promote conspiracy theories. Supposedly they started making this film pre-Covid-19 and then, so I'll give them a pass on some aspects of the story. However, it still feels awkward watching it now, and I doubt that it will age well. Also, I find it hard to believe that the government would give its people suicide pills. They didn't even give us a mask, lol. In real life, they would be like, the economy can't take this. You just have to do your best. Or they would let people fend for themselves. The only redeeming part of this movie is Roman Griffin Davis, who proves again that he is a great actor. I love Keira Knightly, but this isn't one of her better performances, and honestly, I feel like she could do better. She has done better. If this movie sounds interesting to you, go watch Seeking a Friend for the End of the World, The Walking Dead, or, I never thought I say this, The Happening.
Good questions, but tonally unfocused
PedroPires9014 December 2021
The tone is not perfect and I would even say that is almost impossible to balance drama and comedy with such strong and immediate situation: the climate phenomenon and the group suicide theme. Unfortunately, the comedy didn't work for me and felt forced, so the biggest impact was on the emotional side.
The film has some things to say, but, more importantly, a lot of questions to make us think: about the way we treat our planet, about the way we treat the others, if we still have time, if we want/should fight, the importance of our choices, of our family, of our friends, life, suffer, acceptance. There are some really impactful scenes (the ending is good - even if slightly predictable - but also the scenes when Art find out the car and when they are speaking with the grandma are highlights) and it's a film that is not afraid to make you uncomfortable, no matter the side and the interpretation you want to make of it.
Not perfect and I kind of think that is could have been memorable with a different tone. However, it's very unique, really well acted and shot and a challenging final product.
The film has some things to say, but, more importantly, a lot of questions to make us think: about the way we treat our planet, about the way we treat the others, if we still have time, if we want/should fight, the importance of our choices, of our family, of our friends, life, suffer, acceptance. There are some really impactful scenes (the ending is good - even if slightly predictable - but also the scenes when Art find out the car and when they are speaking with the grandma are highlights) and it's a film that is not afraid to make you uncomfortable, no matter the side and the interpretation you want to make of it.
Not perfect and I kind of think that is could have been memorable with a different tone. However, it's very unique, really well acted and shot and a challenging final product.
Disappointing movie with hardly any substance
leonmessyb23 July 2022
This is more a dark comedy than a horror. It is absolutely insulting that they labelled this a horror. They should have called it a drama/dark comedy. There were was some interesting dialogue and some interesting characters and funny exchanges, but ultimately it just wasn't a good movie. I'm surprised and actress as big as Keira Knightley would have signed on to such a poor movie! The biggest disappointment of all was calling it a horror, which it just really isn't at all.
Mixed to positive feelings with this one
lareval7 December 2021
During its introduction I felt zero sympathy for the characters. Then (I must say the marketing with this one has been darkly kind which is good), once the real thing is presented -20 minutes in-, I didn't know what to feel. But the latter half of the film and specially the last 20-25 minutes are surprisingly emotionally investing and redeems the flaws of the characters and the situation for me. With better leading actors (the kid is wonderful, though) and a polished script this may have been remarkably shocking. But nevertheless it's a very watchable, good entertainment that's worthy of your time. The last shot will stay with me probably longer that I have ever expected.
Watching Grass Grow Is Better
DongDiggity4 December 2021
I really question anyone's ability to tell a good film that rate this movie high, it's probably the most boring unrewarding film I've seen in a long time, especially for a "holiday" film. I will say, the kids were handled better than expected because they weren't "dumbed" down and did a good deal of swearing.
The overall movie is a bore! After the 20 minute mark one expects things to up the pace a bit, but not this movie. It's all annoying banter and the typical "rich" family crap that's been done to death. The most interesting thing about the film is the mysterious "gas" that is glossed over.
I'll say that the ending surprised me, and while I don't like doing "spoiler" reviews, I'll just say that it wasn't typical and while I like that, it made the film feel like such a waste of time. I'll save you 90 minutes and recommend that you avoid this film because not only is it a poor holiday film, it's really lame too.
The overall movie is a bore! After the 20 minute mark one expects things to up the pace a bit, but not this movie. It's all annoying banter and the typical "rich" family crap that's been done to death. The most interesting thing about the film is the mysterious "gas" that is glossed over.
I'll say that the ending surprised me, and while I don't like doing "spoiler" reviews, I'll just say that it wasn't typical and while I like that, it made the film feel like such a waste of time. I'll save you 90 minutes and recommend that you avoid this film because not only is it a poor holiday film, it's really lame too.
Boring
labeatkryeziu5 December 2021
Closing Night - at Fantasy Filmfest
kosmasp24 October 2021
This was the final film that played at the Fantasy Filmfest in Germany (and will be playing in a few more cities after Berlin and Stuttgart to be more precise, in the next couple of weeks) - and what a film it is. It reminded me of some really good slow paced and creepy horror movies I have seen - and a bit of Stephen King (in more than one way).
We got a foreword by the director and she sort of said ... well revealed something major - a twist that is. I will not do that, even though apparently the movie has been misused to spread a certain kind of message. To that I can only say: do not read too much into certain things! This is a horror movie and while it does have something to say overall, this is not (covid) pandemic related.
Great actors and if you are like me and do not read anything about this ... quite a few surprises coming your way ... with a lot of Christmas songs to counter the mood - but no Last Christmas or Rudolph the Red Nosed Reindeer ... in case you were wondering.
We got a foreword by the director and she sort of said ... well revealed something major - a twist that is. I will not do that, even though apparently the movie has been misused to spread a certain kind of message. To that I can only say: do not read too much into certain things! This is a horror movie and while it does have something to say overall, this is not (covid) pandemic related.
Great actors and if you are like me and do not read anything about this ... quite a few surprises coming your way ... with a lot of Christmas songs to counter the mood - but no Last Christmas or Rudolph the Red Nosed Reindeer ... in case you were wondering.
Clouds
naveris-114-1077495 December 2021
Meaningless
shantanubhujbal4 December 2021
This is a meaningless piece of shiet. You'd think there's some meaning to the story BUT NO it is senseless. TERRIBLE dialogue, both writing and delivery. This movie has good actors but the directing is so bad those actors lose credibility. Awkward placement of jokes which aren't even funny.
Tldr; BAD execution BAD acting BAD direction.
Tldr; BAD execution BAD acting BAD direction.
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