Studio: Lionsgate Films
Release Date: 1/30/2024
Rating: R
Film Grade: C-
The Story: Brian Godlock is a father who’s lost his son to a stray bullet from a gang’s drive-by shootout on Christmas Eve. Unable to find comfort or rest, he becomes obsessed with avenging his son’s death.
My Take: John Woo returns to Hollywood for the first time in two decades with this revenge-thriller. All of the expected elements are there: slow-motion shots, gangs, guns, violence, car chases, yet the film feels largely like a lifeless exorcise.
The story is just a simple revenge tale that we’ve seen so many times in the past. Tragic death, protagonist plans and prepares through various montages, culminating in a final battle. There’s little in surprises or subtlety, and even the fighting seems lackluster compared to other recent films.
There is one aspect of the movie that sets it apart in that it’s practically dialog-free. That’s a challenge for the audience in that our sympathies are dependent on physical action only. Those feelings are pushed by flashbacks of the family’s happy life before the accidental death. While touching, they also come across as clumsily manipulative and consume too much screen time.
Joel Kinnaman’s performance is steady but lacking in subtlety. Much better is Catalina Sandino Moreno as Brian’s wife, Saya. While her role is limited, she’s able to wring as much as possible out of a silent role with her eyes and facial expressions. The bad guys are all portrayed as stereotypical gangland thugs.
Woo doesn’t try to romanticize any of this. Gang leaders are surrounded by money, but their headquarters is a mixture of gaudy indulgence and filthy squaller. The police are depicted as overpowered, outmanned, and largely ineffective, creating the vacuum that sets up the story.
Video: This is not a great looking Blu-ray. The production features muted, drab environments, with an overall muddy look. There’s even noticeable banding in the movie, most evident at the 49:45 minute mark. Maybe the 4K looks better, but there’s no eye candy to be seen here.
Audio: Surprisingly, the disc comes with an Atmos mix, disappointing as it is. With no dialog to speak of, it relies heavily on environmental sounds to drive the film, but it doesn’t really do much to support that need. Tops are used primarily to enhance the size of the soundstage, but not necessarily discretely. While wides are used, it’s infrequent and at such a low level that any sounds from them are overpowered by the mains and surrounds. In fact, it forced me to check the sound levels in my processor to verify that the channel levels were set correctly (they were). While I applaud the studio for including the Atmos track on this disc, the actual execution is a letdown.
Special Features: - Actions Speak Louder Than Words
Final Verdict: I’m not a real fan of John Woo’s earlier movies, and this one continues that streak. In Silent Night, he’s put together a rote revenge story only interesting in that there’s little in the line of dialog, and the film isn’t as action-packed as one would expect.
If you’re a fan of Woo’s movies, it might be worth checking out. For others, there’s not much to recommend it and you might want to wait for it to hit a streaming service if you’re curious. There are better examples of this genre to choose from.
Fun Fact: In preparation for the film, Kinnaman attempted to go two months without speaking. He didn’t make it.
My Review System:JVC DLA-RS3100 4K Ultra High-Definition Front Projector
Elite Screens Sable Frame B2 117” Width with Infinitely Variable Height
Monolith by Monoprice HTP-1 16 Channel Processor with Dirac Live
Monolith by Monoprice 7x200 Watts Amp
Monolith by Monoprice 3x200 Watts + 6x100 Watts Amp
JBL Studio 590 for Left, Center, Right, Wides, and Rears
JBL Studio 580 for Side Surrounds
JBL Studio SCS 8 for Tops
JTR Captivator 1400 Subwoofer X 4
Panasonic DP-UB420 4K Ultra HD Blu-ray Player
NVIDIA Shield Android TV - 4K
Xbox One X
HTPC Running madVR (work in progress)
Remote: URC MX-780
Mini DSP 2X4 HD controlling all subwoofers
APC S15 Power Conditioner with Battery Backup
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