A surprise hit, Tommy Wirkola’s “Violent Night” is basically a “Die Hard” ripoff, but replace Bruce Willis with Santa Claus. The plot is practically identical: a team of mercenaries breaks into a wealthy family mansion on Christmas Eve, taking everyone hostage, but they have no idea there’s another person in their vicinity. Santa Claus (David Harbour) is on the grounds, he stopped by the compound to drink milk and eat the cookies left for him. He hears gunshots, there’s a clear disturbance in the house, naughty people trying to commit some very bad things. It helps that Wirkola’s depiction of jolly St. Nick has him haunted by his past life as a Viking. Flashbacks show him handling a sledgehammer as effortlessly as Sarsgaard in “The Northman.” There’s a bluntness to this film’s delivery that makes it work well. It never takes itself too seriously and its silly nods of films ranging from “Die Hard” to “Home Alone” add to the holiday cheer. It’s an R-rated black comedy that might eventually become a cult classic. [B]
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