Silent Night
A brittle Christmas gathering becomes a darkly comic final reckoning as an environmental apocalypse closes in.
Ember's analysis
- Pacing
- Measured
- Intensity
- Strong
- Complexity
- Easy to follow
- Violence
- Mild
- sardonic
- bleak
- claustrophobic
- dark christmas viewing
- holiday horror night
What critics said
Critics generally found the film an ambitious but uneven blend of festive black comedy, social satire, and apocalyptic horror, with strong performances but an occasionally thin or heavy-handed script.
What sets it apart
May contain story progression spoilers
The annual Christmas dinner becomes an increasingly uneasy stage for jokes, arguments, rituals, and denial about the world's imminent end.
Nell, Simon, Art, and their guests spend the final night at a country estate while the environmental disaster remains an external but omnipresent threat.
The guests continue a polished holiday dinner and party despite knowing that their evening may be their last.
The presence of Nell and Simon's son Art makes the catastrophe inseparable from questions about how adults decide what to do with children at the end of the world.
Films like Silent Night, and why
The Day of the Beast
shared black comedy, ensemble social satire, and impending catastrophe
Krampus
shared holiday setting, bleak humor, family tension, and apocalyptic dread
These Final Hours
shared end-of-the-world premise, intimate domestic focus, and melancholic dark comedy
The Menu
shared claustrophobic ensemble dynamics, social discomfort, and existential disaster themes
Movie Details
- Director
- Camille Griffin
- Release Date
- 2021-12-03
- Runtime
- 92 min
- Rating
- 5.9 / 10 (626)
Cast
- Keira Knightley
- Matthew Goode
- Roman Griffin Davis
- Annabelle Wallis
- Lily-Rose Depp
- Lucy Punch
- Ṣọpẹ́ Dìrísù
- Kirby Howell-Baptiste
- Rufus Jones
- Davida McKenzie
Where to watch in United States
- Streaming
- Philo, AMC Plus Apple TV channel, AMC+ Amazon Channel, AMC+
- Rent
- Amazon Video, Apple TV Store, Google Play Movies, YouTube, Fandango At Home
- Buy
- Amazon Video, Apple TV Store, Google Play Movies, YouTube, Fandango At Home
Streaming options come from TMDB and change over time.
Common questions
- What is Silent Night about?
- A brittle Christmas gathering becomes a darkly comic final reckoning as an environmental apocalypse closes in.
- What is Silent Night like to watch?
- Ember's analysis rates the pacing of Silent Night as measured, its intensity as strong and its storytelling as easy to follow.
- Is Silent Night violent?
- Only mildly. Ember rates the violence in Silent Night as mild.
- What did critics think of Silent Night?
- Critics generally found the film an ambitious but uneven blend of festive black comedy, social satire, and apocalyptic horror, with strong performances but an occasionally thin or heavy-handed script.
- Which films are like Silent Night?
- Films with a similar feel include The Day of the Beast, Krampus, These Final Hours, and The Menu.
- How long is Silent Night?
- Silent Night runs 92 minutes.
- Where can I watch Silent Night?
- In United States, Silent Night streams on Philo, AMC Plus Apple TV channel, AMC+ Amazon Channel, AMC+.
