It’s December, so it’s time to get in the festive spirit. Although that doesn’t necessarily mean sugary and insufferably cliched. Santa Claus and family gatherings – two holiday staples – get an offbeat treatment in two new movies hitting South African cinemas tomorrow, 2 December. Below you can find out more about them.
Violent Night
From the producers of Bullet Train, John Wick, Atomic Blonde, Deadpool 2 and Hobbs & Shaw, comes holiday action-comedy Violent Night. When a team of mercenaries, headed by Mr. Scrooge (John Leguizamo), take the wealthy Lightstone family hostage on Christmas Eve, the team isn’t prepared for a surprise combatant: Santa Claus (Stranger Things’ and Black Widow’s David Harbour). Directed by Hansel & Gretel: Witch Hunters and the Dead Snow franchise’s Tommy Wirkola.
The Estate
From Death at a Funeral writer Dean Craig comes this dark comedy about greedy family members. Macey (Toni Collette) and Savannah (Savannah) are sisters and business partners struggling to keep their cafe afloat when they learn that their wealthy estranged Aunt Hilda (Kathleen Turner) has terminal cancer. The sisters immediately set out to get in Hilda’s good graces, but learn that several of their cousins have had the same idea. Also with Rosemarie DeWitt, David Duchovny and Ron Livingston.