Joel Kinnaman doesn’t use his words; he just kicks ass.
“Silent Night” is a dialogue-free action thriller that plays like “John Wick,” but with less words and Reeves and more action and silent emotions. Director John Woo (in his first American feature since “Paycheck” 20 years ago) gives this genre a certain kind of style and charisma with an action star like Joel Kinnaman in the lead role. They both seem to entertaining new territory without the obligatory “Get down on the ground” or “Kill that SOB” lines.
The only time we do hear words is on the news, the police scanner, a quiet “It’s okay,” and a muffled “FU.” Other than them, the movie doesn’t rely on dialogue to tell an action story. But it also doesn’t have to be as mindless as “Expend4bles” was. In fact, it can use emotions, flashbacks, and notes to explain things. Would Buster Keaton or Harold Lloyd be spinning in their graves if they found out what the silent movie genre has resorted to? Probably so. But does “Silent Night” deserve the BOTD? Yes, it does.
Kinnaman plays a grieving man named Brian Godluck, whose son was murdered during a chase shootout within a drug operation. He chases them, and gets shot in the throat by their ringleader (Harold Torres). He survives but is rendered voiceless. It would make sense considering the genre he has entered, but it’s also unimaginable for anyone to lose their voice like that.
Since his boy was killed on Christmas Eve, he decides to put in months of training to get revenge on the whole organization on that very day. He trains himself to stab, shoot, fight, and drive, all the qualities to make him a Wick. He marks his calendar, sets the date, and becomes Krampus for the villains.
The story could have been more challenging, especially since the movie wants to go for the dialogue-free approach. But then again, the final battle between Jason Statham and Andy Garcia ended with the villain being blown to bits in “Expend4bles.” So, “Silent Night” is miles and miles ahead of that pile of butt release. It has nonstop action and energy in a 40 minute movie, but it doesn’t rush into things. It wants us to get to know the pathos and how the main protagonist can overcome it.
Kinnaman did a good job this year in “Sympathy for the Devil,” but I like him even more in this movie. I’ve heard he tried using less dialogue as he was filming this movie, which can be challenging. You need to use words at certain moments in your life, like ordering food or trying to clarify something. This actor seems to be a pro, however he pulled it off, and it all pays off here. Displaying the right emotions with gritty skills, he also plays a hero moviegoers can root for. And he also has some good support from Catalina Sandino Moreno as his wife, who shares his grief, and Scott Mescudi (Kid Cudi) as a detective, who failed to catch the villains.
Are we going to keep seeing cartels killing and heroes killing cartels again and again? Definitely. I’m not all in (after all “Peppermint” didn’t justify itself and “Bad Boys II” made absolutely no sense), but without the typical dialogue, it isn’t irritating. I mean it sounds derivative, but it’s all in the execution, nicely directed by Woo. It’s a fun ride with or without words.