Silent Night
Theatrical release poster
Directed byJohn Woo
Written byRobert Archer Lynn
Produced by
  • Basil Iwanyk
  • Erica Lee
  • John Woo
  • Christian Mercuri
  • Lori Tilkin deFelice
Starring
CinematographySharone Meir
Edited byZach Staenberg
Music byMarco Beltrami
Production
companies
Distributed byLionsgate
Release date
  • December 1, 2023 (2023-12-01)
Running time
104 minutes[1]
CountryUnited States

Silent Night is a 2023 American action thriller film directed by John Woo and written by Robert Archer Lynn. The film does not feature any dialogue and stars Joel Kinnaman, Scott Mescudi, Harold Torres and Catalina Sandino Moreno. Principal photography began in April 2022, in Mexico City. It marks Woo's first American film since Paycheck (2003).[2]

Silent Night was released by Lionsgate in the United States on 1 December 2023.

Premise

Brian Godluck is an electrician who leads a happy life with his wife Saya and their young son in California, but things takes a drastic turn as Brian and his son get caught in a crossfire between two gangs on Christmas Eve. Brian loses his voice and learns that his son died in the crossfire, where he sets on a mission to exact vengeance against the gangsters.

Cast

Production

Development

In October 2021, Silent Night was first announced as an action film without spoken dialogue, with John Woo as director and Joel Kinnaman as lead star.[4][3] In March 2022, a special effects assistant was injured during pre-production in a stunt trial run in Mexico City. The crew member was hit by a car, breaking his femur and dislocating his shoulder.[5] In April 2022, Kid Cudi, Harold Torres, and Catalina Sandino Moreno were added to the cast.[6]

Filming

Principal photography began in April 2022 in Mexico City.[6] Filming wrapped on May 17, 2022.[7][8]

Post-production

Marco Beltrami composed the film's score.[9] In March 2023, producer Erica Lee confirmed the film features no dialogue.[10]

"It really has no dialogue. It was another spec script that I was given and read, and I was like, "This is either going to be a genius move or a disaster, there's no in between." It's execution dependent for sure. I mean, John Woo kills it. Joel Kinnaman is the star and really delivers. I mean, there's some ambient noise and background and chatter like radio and stuff like that. But, yeah, it's awesome. I can't wait for you to see it

Erica Lee (producer)[10]

In an interview with Vulture, Woo said: "Very interesting movie. The whole movie is without dialogue. It allowed me to use visuals to tell the story, to tell how the character feels. We are using music instead of language. And the movie is all about sight and sound. The budget was a little tight, and the schedule was tight, but it made me change my working style. Usually, for a big movie, a studio movie, we shoot a lot of coverage, then leave it to the cutting room. But in this movie, I tried to combine things without doing any coverage shots. I had to force myself to use a new kind of technique. Some scenes were about two or three pages, but I did it all in one shot."[11]

Release

In September 2023, it was announced that Lionsgate had acquired the distribution rights for the film. The film is scheduled for a theatrical release on 1 December 2023.[12]

Reception

On the review aggregator website Rotten Tomatoes, 64% of 43 critics' reviews are positive, with an average rating of 5.9/10. The website's consensus reads: "Silent Night reaffirms that an action movie doesn't need much dialogue if the set pieces are solid enough -- and that even second-tier John Woo can be worth the price of admission."[13] Metacritic, which uses a weighted average, assigned the film a score of 51 out of 100, based on 11 critics, indicating "mixed or average" reviews.[14]

Peter Debruge of Variety wrote, "Silly as it might be, Silent Night gives audiences reason to get excited about the Hong Kong innovator once again, ranking as one of the few bloody Christmas counterprogrammers since Die Hard that feels worthy of repeat viewing down the road".[15] Frank Scheck of The Hollywood Reporter wrote, "It's to Woo's and screenwriter Robert Lynn's credit, as well the fiercely commanding, intensely physical performance by Kinnaman, that the film's lack of dialogue proves not a gimmick but an asset. Norma Desmond would surely have approved". He noted the film's highlight was "not one of many lavishly staged gun battles, but an intensely brutal, lengthy hand-to-hand combat between Brian and one of Playa's minions that makes the classic fight scene in Hitchcock's Torn Curtain seem like a schoolyard tussle".[16]

References

  1. ↑ "One Paper". Lionsgate Publicity. Retrieved October 7, 2023.
  2. ↑ Lutz, John (March 9, 2022). "John Woo's New Action Movie, 'Silent Night,' Has Begun Filming". Collider. Retrieved May 29, 2023.
  3. 1 2 Scheck, Frank (November 27, 2023). "'Silent Night' Review: Joel Kinnaman in John Woo's Gripping Hollywood Comeback". The Hollywood Reporter. Retrieved November 27, 2023.
  4. ↑ Fleming, Mike Jr. (October 29, 2021). "John Woo Returns To Direct Joel Kinnaman In No-Dialogue Action Film Silent Night – AFM". Deadline Hollywood. Archived from the original on October 30, 2021. Retrieved April 4, 2022.
  5. ↑ Cordero, Rosy; D'Alessandro, Anthony (March 21, 2022). "Special Effects Assistant Injured During Pre-Production Stunt Trial On John Woo's Silent Night". Deadline Hollywood. Archived from the original on March 22, 2022. Retrieved March 22, 2022.
  6. 1 2 Galuppo, Mia (April 4, 2022). "Kid Cudi Joins John Woo Action Thriller Silent Night". The Hollywood Reporter. PMRC. Archived from the original on April 6, 2022. Retrieved April 6, 2022.
  7. ↑ Luchies, Adam (May 17, 2022). "'Silent Night' Wraps Filming on Joel Kinnaman-Led Action Thriller from John Woo". Collider. Retrieved October 20, 2022.
  8. ↑ Horst, Carole (May 17, 2022). "Joel Kinnaman Stars in John Woo Action Film 'Silent Night'". Variety. Retrieved October 20, 2022.
  9. ↑ "Marco Beltrami Scoring John Woo's 'Silent Night'". Film Music Reporter. January 2, 2023. Retrieved March 28, 2023.
  10. 1 2 Massoto, Erick (March 27, 2023). "'John Wick 4' Producer Erica Lee on John Woo's 'Silent Night's Lack of Dialogue & When We Might Get the First Trailer". Collider. Retrieved March 28, 2023.
  11. ↑ Ebiri, Bilge (July 3, 2023). "'My Films Had So Much Anger'". Vulture. Retrieved August 11, 2023.
  12. ↑ D'Alessandro, Anthony (September 22, 2023). "John Woo's First American Pic In 20 Years, 'Silent Night', Sets December Release". Deadline Hollywood. Retrieved September 23, 2023.
  13. ↑ "Silent Night". Rotten Tomatoes. Fandango Media. Retrieved November 30, 2023.
  14. ↑ "Silent Night". Metacritic. Fandom, Inc. Retrieved November 30, 2023.
  15. ↑ Debruge, Peter (November 27, 2023). "Silent Night Review: John Woo Lets Guns Do the Talking in Tight Dialogue-Free Revenge Thriller". Variety. Retrieved November 27, 2023.
  16. ↑ Scheck, Frank (November 27, 2023). "Silent Night Review: Joel Kinnaman in John Woo's Gripping Hollywood Comeback". The Hollywood Reporter. Retrieved November 27, 2023.
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