David Harbour channeled Harrison Ford for his beloved role as Jim Hopper in “Stranger Things,” but for 2022’s “Violent Night,” it was all John McClane. The Christmas action comedy saw Harbour suit up as none other than Santa Claus. But this version of Saint Nick isn’t only spreading Christmas cheer, he’s also handing out beatdowns à la Bruce Willis’ legendary action hero. It’s not exactly the festive season, but “Violent Night” is currently available to stream on Netflix, and thanks to a great performance from Harbour and some impressive action, this one’s worth a watch any time of the year.
“Violent Night” was directed by Norwegian filmmaker Tommy Wirkola, who got his start with satirical dark comedies and horror movies like 2009’s “Dead Snow” and its 2014 sequel. More recently, he was responsible for the surprisingly great 2026 shark disaster flick “Thrash” (which premiered as a Netflix original). With “Violent Night,” though, he turned his satirical sensibility and action chops to old Saint Nick, delivering a version of “Die Hard” where Santa is the one tasked with taking down the bad guys. It’s one of his best films.
Harbour does in fact play the big man in “Violent Night,” although, in this film, he’s essentially an immortal Viking who’s grown jaded and cynical and is ready to retire. However, after he sets out for what might be his last Christmas Eve delivering presents, he finds himself accosted by a mercenary, leading to a brawl between the two in which Santa comes out on top. Little does he know he’s just got himself into the festive equivalent of the Nakatomi Tower terrorist siege.
Violent Night is a gore-drenched good time at the movies
“Violent Night” sees David Harbour’s Santa Clause embroiled in a plot to take a wealthy family hostage and steal $300 million from their safe. The mercenaries responsible are, unfortunately for them, on Santa’s naughty list, and after dispatching a merc named “Tinsel” (Phong Giang), Harbour’s hero sets about picking off the bad guys one by one in a blood-soaked crusade to save the family and restore his faith in Christmas. Though undeniably savage, “Violent Night” is full of hilarious moments to boot.
The movie hit theaters December 2022 and made $76.6 million at the box office on a $20 million budget. Not bad at all! It also fared well with reviewers, earning a 74% critic score on Rotten Tomatoes based on a very healthy 215 reviews. /Film’s own review argued “Violent Night” was destined to become a Christmas classic, while Pat Padua of The Washington Post was charmed by the plot beneath all the “gore-splattered walls and domestic rancor,” praising what he saw as a “sweet-and-sour bedtime story of good triumphing over evil.” Elsewhere, The Observer‘s Wendy Ide was particularly complimentary of Harbour’s “jaded charisma,” calling it the film’s secret weapon.” Indeed, Harbour is fully at home as a cynical Santa, and is clearly having a ball, making the movie even more charming despite its over-the-top gore.
If you missed “Violent Night,” it was added to Netflix on July 20, 2026, and it’s available to stream right now. Meanwhile, Tommy Wirkola and Harbour are re-teaming for a sequel, “Violent Night 2,” which is slated for a December 2026 release. If nothing else, then, you should probably catch up on the original film ahead of what will no doubt be a bloody return for Harbour’s Santa.
