Silent Night

— "Silent Night" fits perfectly into the Black Comedy Christmas Apocalypse genre, except I’m having trouble coming up with other films to give it genre-defining status. Suffice it to say you’re in for something different if you decide to watch this film. Actually, it’s almost like watching two films since the first third moves to one beat, with old friends arriving at a country estate for the holiday. A smiling Keira Knightley greets the arrivals at the door and handsome hubby Matthew Goode is by her side, making it look like we're in for a pleasant enough time. At some point things shift. You notice Ms. Knightley’s mouth may be smiling, but if looks could kill, some of her guests would be dead. Goode’s calm voice is starting to be a little less convincing, as though he's holding back the urge to run screaming into the night. Heck, if I had to be around the children in this film, I'd run screaming into the night too! Both Knightley and Goode ably depict sadness and anger under a façade of holiday cheer. But really, this isn’t a Christmas film, just a film set in December. I won’t spoil the film, but I will say I didn’t exactly enjoy the viewing experience—it’s so very, very dark—but I liked it after I’d seen it and kept thinking about it, and could appreciate the sliver of hope that may still have existed at the end. Dare I suggest that hint of hope might be enough to make it suitable New Year’s Eve viewing fare as well—if you dare! Included in the cast are the boy from “Jo Jo Rabbit” who is fantastic, his brother, and Johnny Depp's daughter. [AMC+ streaming.]

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[2021. 92 minutes. Written and directed by Camille Griffin. Starring Keira Knightley, Matthew Goode, and Roman Griffin Davis.]
https://www.rogerebert.com/reviews/silent-night-movie-review-2021