Summary

John Woo wants to bring back “good old time” movies with a focus on storytelling and characters, moving away from CGI and comic book films. In Silent Night, actor Joel Kinnaman delivers a powerful performance as a grieving father seeking revenge, with beautifully choreographed action sequences filmed in one take. Fans can expect Woo’s trademark action sequences and a mix of heart and character development.

John Woo’s latest film Silent Night may not feature any dialogue, but the iconic filmmaker has plenty to say when it comes to CGI and comic book movies. In an exclusive interview with MovieWeb, Woo addresses the need for more of a focus on storytelling and characters. Woo said:

“I think audience nowadays are missing something. They are missing some ‘good old time’ movies. I guess some of the audience is already fed up with all of those epic CGI and comic book movies, and me as well. I think what I’m trying to do is go back to the original movies, like a good story, a great character, a lot of human stories. Actually, I also change it a little bit because I want the real thing, the real fight.”

Taking the lead in Silent Night is actor Joel Kinnaman, who portrays Edward Baldwin in the Apple TV+ series For All Mankind. This time around, Kinnaman plays a grieving father named Godlock. After a shower of stray bullets kills his child and severely wounds him, Godlock recovers and takes his horrific revenge on Christmas Eve of all days.

Related: Silent Night: Plot, Cast, Release Date, and Everything Else We Know

John Woo: The Master of Action
Silent Night Release Date December 1, 2023 Director John Woo Cast Joel Kinnaman, Catalina Sandino Moreno, Kid Cudi, Harold Torres Rating R Runtime 1hr 44min Genres Action
Actor Joel Kinnaman (Storstad, The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo, The Killing) takes on the lead role in director John Woo’s Silent Night. And, appropriately enough for this context, Kinnaman himself is probably best known by most comic book fans as Rick Flag in DC Comics’ Suicide Squad films. And while Woo’s new movie nixes Godlock’s (Kinnaman) dialogue, there’s still plenty of beautifully choreographed, Woo-ish action sequences to go around. Woo said in the same interview with MovieWeb:

“Most of the action sequences I did in one long take. It lets the audience feel that it’s real fighting; it’s not cheating. I didn’t use shaky cameras or fast cuts. They’re paying for the action and fighting. But I’ll add to that, Joel’s so deep inside the character, so when he fights, he fights with anger, with hate, the hatred for losing his son. And this time I didn’t use pigeons.”

The stage is set by the filmmaker to create the artistry that lies within the action-packed bloodbaths Woo is best known for during his career. But don’t be surprised to find plenty of heart and character development behind Godlock’s vengeful eyes. Now, one has to wonder whether Woo cut out those trademark doves altogether that have shown up in so many of his films, like Mission: Impossible 2 and Face/Off. Regardless, fans can still expect what the filmmaker does best in Silent Night: bringing to life Woo’s unforgettable action sequences.

John Woo’s Silent Night opens in cinemas on Friday, December 1. And fans can check out the trailer for Silent Night right now.