Christmas Horror Movie Review: Silent Night (2021)

Silent Night is a horror-black comedy film that was written & directed by Camille Griffin, releasing in 2021. The film focuses on a group of family & friends who reunite for one final Christmas right before an impending apocalypse will wipe all of humanity out.

Married couple Nell (Keira Knightley) and Simon (Matthew Goode) host a yearly Christmas dinner at their country estate for their former school friends and their spouses. This Christmas is a special occasion with everyone dressing in formal wear and the children being allowed to swear. It is gradually revealed that an environmental, gigantic, poisonous gas cloud is rolling its way across Earth, brutally killing everyone in its path. Thankfully, the British government has issued suicide pills for a quick and easy death before the cloud hits Britain.

Nell, Simon, and the rest of their friends have made a suicide pact to take the pills and give them to their children. However, while James agrees with his friends over the decision, his young wife Sophie has recently discovered she is pregnant and is still unsure whether to take the pill.

Throughout the night, the group goes through a range of emotions. There are moments of joy, sadness, anger and more than one confrontation. Nell, Simon and their children video chat with Nell’s mother, to say goodbye. She sees the gas coming, so hangs up and takes the pill. The conversation leaves their eldest, Art, distressed. He begins to speculate that the government and the scientists are wrong.

Art tells his parents he will not take the pill; this culminates in him running away after a discussion. Art soon discovers a family, including a baby, on the side of the road. They are dead, and there are several packs of the pill in the car. Shocked, Art begins to scream as small green tornadoes twist around him; his screams allow Simon to find him and he carries him home

After returning home, the group realizes it is past midnight and time to take their pills. They divide into their separate rooms to say goodbye…..

Silent Night is the type of film that’s hard to recommend due to the fact that its primary focal point is planned group suicide. Unless you’re looking for something bleak, depressing and enjoy melancholic movies that is. I imagine most people will feel as conflicted as I do because it’s hard to say that you enjoyed something when this is the subject matter. Still, this is a black comedy movie so there are attempts at making light of such a dark situation. It did have me amused at times but it could have been better in that regard. Additionally, I thought it nicely conveyed the idea that we all allow the little, inconsequential things bother us when ultimately they don’t mean much.

The concept is solid but the slow pacing and lack of character development hurt the experience. Most of the movie is scene after scene of these people conversing which is maddening when you realise that you’ve learnt so little about any of them, how is that possible? What’s worse is that Silent Night does a really good job in making them all pretty damn unlikeable. Then, there’s the lack of depth or answers for even the most basic of questions. There’s a few hints here and there but it all doesn’t quite add up if you delve too deeply. How were the “Exit” pills distributed? How long did that take to happen? What’s going on in other parts of the world? Do they have a similar system? People didn’t lose their shit and riot when they found out the world was ending? I could go on.

Character issues aside, I cannot fault the performances which are enjoyable. It is that strong acting and the depressing scenario at hand that does manage to deliver a few emotionally charged moments.

Anyway, Merry Christmas? Take your cyanide capsule as instructed. Might not want to put this one on when you’re round your Nan’s this holiday season. Well, unless you want to make Nan cry then in that case it’s perfect.