Short version: it’s either the bloodiest wholesome Christmas movie you’ll ever see, or the most wholesomely Christmas splattercore movie you’ll ever see. Either way, worth watching. (Note: there’s lots of blood in this movie.)
Slightly longer version: the key element of VIOLENT NIGHT is that it is played absolutely straight in its core elements. There is Santa, who is absolutely a magical creature with particular powers; there is a crisis over the loss of Christmas spirit; and there is a precocious moppet who has only one wish for Christmas that Santa can’t grant, but ends up granting anyway. There is also a ruthless band of ultra-violent criminals, a copious use of the director’s favorite fake blood recipes*, and so much bad language that Santa himself brings it up — but that’s almost incidental. The important thing here is family.
Oh, and not menacing children. Santa Claus gets rather intense over that.
Moe Lane
*Favorite blood recipes are totally a thing.