Christmas is right around the corner so it’s time to watch a Christmas horror comedy where a Santa figure lays waste to unsuspecting civilians. “Violent Night” and “The Mean One” face off in this week’s Christmas Edition of Movie Duel!

“Violent Night”(2022, directed by Tommy Wirkola) boasts an impressive cast with David Harbour (best known for his role in “Stranger Things”, 2016) and John Leguizamo (who appears in many movies including “Super Mario Bros”, 1993) facing off as Santa versus a mercenary named Scrooge. Both actors are not only watchable, but seem to be having genuine fun in their roles.

Though name recognition is not the end all be all of success (but if it was “Violent Night” would win hands down), the cast of “The Mean One” (2022, directed by Steven LaMorte) just doesn’t shine in the already lacking plot and writing. “The Mean One” gives us the Grinch as the primary antagonist and he’s not as endearing or fun to watch as Harbour’s Santa portrayal.

Perhaps the most contrasted aspect of these two films is the money they made.

“Violent Night” made a pretty decent profit during the holiday release with $76.6 million, but it didn’t take much to overtake “The Mean One” which made just over $600,000 worldwide. 

That is not a typo by the way, “The Mean One” was a massive disappointment both financially and critically. Its 3.7 IMDb rating should tell you everything you need to know about this face off. “Violent Night” stays ahead this round with a respectable 6.7 IMDb.

Many Movie Duels can feel one-sided, and this chapter is no different. “The Mean One” does not rise to the occasion in any of the categories this time, and “Violent Night” is just an all around pleasant watch. 

For what it’s worth, the timing of these two films does not seem to be a nefarious theft of ideas, as both creators found out they were already making their movies during a friendly conversation. That being said, they found themselves toe to toe in a Movie Duel, and “Violent Night” found its way on the nice list.

There you have it! If you have any twin films you would like to see compared, just send your request to tword@highline.edu and we will see which one survives in the next Movie Duel!