The Holiday Hitman is a very very average action comedy that delivers exactly what you would expect from a low budget holiday flick but still somehow feels very disappointing. Directed by Bradley Striker, there are loud explosions, a ridiculous premise and a lot of rough edges.
The movie flows a world-weary assassin (Nick Sagar) trying to give his family a prefect Christmas, save his marriage while dodging waves of festive bounty hunters. The movie functions best as a mindless background watch, mainly because it is hard to care about the family caught up in a very predictable genre beat.
The main problem is the pacing. The film frequently stalls because it never successfully balances its thin family drama with full-throttle shootouts, causing the momentum to drag, especially in the second act. I really struggled to get to the end.
To be fair Nick Sagar commits fully to playing the deadpan Hank Carter and he single-handedly elevates scenes that otherwise would have fallen flat. He has his work cut out as the plot is so cliched, for example weaponizing Christmas decorations as a set piece rather than concentrating on a creating a memorable script.
The supporting cast gamely try their best with clunky dialogue and ridiculous narrative turns, but it’s an uphill battle for all concerned.
The action scenes are very much B movie material. While the assassin on assassin have a fun chaotic energy, the choreography is visibly rough round the edges and there is a lack of precision.
Holiday Hitman is a middle of the road “stocking filler” rather than a Christmas classic that must have looked better as a concept on paper. Its a bit like the ugly Christmas sweater that you wear once and then never put on again.
A missed opportunity.