'Silent Night' is a 2021 black comedy film that follows a family, Nell and Simon and their three sons Art, Hardy and Thomas, as they get ready to host Christmas for their family and friends. Everything points towards the perfect gathering, except everybody is preparing to enjoy their last Christmas.
The film opens with Nell and Simon running around, as they get ready to host their yearly Christmas dinner at their country estate for their former school friends and their partners. For the special occasion, everybody dresses in formal wear and the children are allowed to swear. As everyone arrives, it is gradually revealed that an imminent environmental catastrophe, by way of poisonous gas cloud, is due to roll over the country, killing most life forms in its path. As a response, the UK government has issued suicide pills as a quick and painless death before the cloud reaches the population.
Nell, Simon and the rest of their friends have made a suicide pact to take the pills and give them to their children. All are in agreement, but James's new wife Sophie has recently found out she is pregnant, and is still unsure if she'll take the pill. During the course of the evening there are several confrontations; - Art finds the gift giving ridiculous, as they won't get to enjoy them; Sandra tells James she was in love with him during their school days; Tony, her husband becomes visibly upset at this and claims he's never made a mistake at which point Bella confesses that she had slept with Tony, which eventually led to Tony and Sandra getting together; Alex feels left out and drinks too much, passing out in her bed.
Nell and her family video-chat with her mother, who is abroad. As the poison gas cloud rolls in, the call is cut short, with Nell leaving upset and the children insisting on calling back. Nell's mother is then seen taking the pill in anticipation of the gas cloud. After the call, Art is left distressed, prompting him to question the governments decision and insisting the scientists may be wrong. Art then approaches James and Sophie, who reveals that she is unsure whether to take the pill, as she does not want to end her baby's life. Art then tells Nell he wants to stay with Sophie to hold her hand as they both die. Nell and Simon talk with Art, telling him he must take the pill with the rest of the family. Distressed, Art runs away and discovers a car by the side of the road. Inside he sees a family of five, all dead with empty government-issued suicide pill packs in the car. Seeing this Art screams as a small swirl of gas closes in on him. Hearing Art scream allows Simon to find him and they return home.
As it's past midnight, the group realises they have to take their pills. They split up into different rooms to say goodbye. Before the family take their pills, Art succumbs to the effects of the gas, bleeding from his eyes, nose and ears. James pressures Sophie into taking the pill. Bella tries to wake Alex to take the pill, fails and ends up forcing it down her throat while she's unconscious. Bella takes her pill, and Alex soon awakens only to throw up and discard of the pill. Bella doesn't tell her the gas is coming, distracting her by dancing with her in the kitchen as she grabs a knife and stabs her. Bella then collapses and Alex falls next to her. Tony, Sandra and their daughter Kitty all lie in bed to await death, when Kitty remembers her doll, runs to get it and returns to her parents already having died. The following morning everyone is seen having died, except, as the film closes, the camera pans over Art and he opens his eyes.
'Silent Night' is a black comedy with a dark twist on the holiday feature. The film sets out with and mostly maintains a high-spirited and cheerful tone throughout its runtime, as the story develops and revolves around friends and family gathering for Christmas. As it is slowly revealed that there is an inescapable death-cloud heading their way, the film continues to maintain a somewhat light-hearted mood, not focusing too intensely on the characters impending doom.
As the group sit down for dinner, the parties concerned about the poison gas express their views. Most prominently Sophie voices her concerns which then leads to Art's outburst about his disappointment in the older generation for having been the cause of the issue. Here the film veers towards commenting on the irreparable damage that humans have caused and are responsible for in regards to climate change. Art's brutal tirade encompasses the fear and anger that the next generation feels towards its predecessors, unabashedly blaming them for carrying on as they did for as long as they have. 'Silent Night' makes a strong statement towards the damage that has been done and by coupling it with an outraged expression of dismay from a child, the film reaches the apex of it's comment on climate change.
In addition to its strong views on climate change, the film also serves as a platform for delivering varying ideas on public opinion and consent towards government policy. As the characters are provided with an option to avoid a painful death, it is through its younger characters that the story explores the doubt and abstention to opt for what the government has deemed to be the best way forward. Through Sophie, the film illustrates an individuals view and unwillingness to take their own life at the cost of their unborn child, and explores the considerations that Sophie has about having to make the decision to take not only her own life, but also taking that of her child. Further, Art is shown the information and policies that the government is putting out regarding the poison gas, its effects and what they advise individuals to do. The more Art views the policies, the less faith he has in the fundamental concept of what the authorities are basing their decisions on. In confronting his parents, Nell and Simon express their reliance on taking the pill, so as to avoid a painful death, yet Art insists on doubting the science behind it. The film presents both the reliance on government authority and choosing not to believe the scientific consensus even-handedly, not favouring either opinion, leaving the audience free to make up their own minds about what the best way to proceed may be. The conclusion of the film does open the door for further speculation however, as Art awakens the morning after being exposed, giving rise to potentially incendiary arguments regarding the questioning of scientific consensus and individual beliefs when it comes to making life-changing decisions.
The film comprises a stellar cast of actors, including Keira Knightley, Matthew Goode, Roman Griffin Davis, Annabelle Wallis, Lily-Rose Depp, Kirby Howell-Baptiste, Sope Dirisu, Rufus Jones and Lucy Punch. The entire cast performs well by clearly establishing their role in the group dynamic, hitting their comedic marks and also allowing for more sombre moments to play out to add dramatic weight to the story where it is necessary. Each actor fits into their respective scenes seamlessly, allowing for the story to flow evenly and to reach an impactful conclusion.
The film is written and directed by Camille Griffin in her feature directorial debut, and the creator has delivered a film that encompasses both the warm feel of a classic holiday film whilst also managing to incorporate the brutal elements of a pending dystopian reality. By keeping the tone of the film mostly light and interspersed with excellent comedic highs, Griffin has managed to present difficult moral quandaries whilst allowing the audience to approach the issues without being dragged too deep into the dark abyss that the discussion of those issues may result in.
'Silent Night' is a wonderfully sharp and hilarious film that presents the viewing audience with an array of difficult topics, yet due to the well written script and excellent performances from the entire cast, the film gets away with raising divisive issues. The conclusion of the film does serve to validate a certain viewpoint, and as such, should be enjoyed for what it is and with an open mind from the viewing audience, going along for the ride and enjoying the laughs along the way.
Score: 3/4
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