Krampus (2015)
Directed by Michael Dougherty
Viewed on DVD
Oh man, Krampus has been exploding these past few years! The once obscure figure of Christmas folklore has starred in at least half a dozen movies, usually of abysmal quality, but this is the film that really got him popular, so we’ll be talking about this version and not any of those other movies, at least not yet, anyway. I can understand why this movie was in stuck in production hell for so long though, the idea of Santa’s evil counterpart probably sounds silly to a lot of people, but let’s see how well this oddly premised film can execute its ideas!
Krampus focuses on the Engel family, a dysfunctional bunch who seldom get together except around the holidays. It just so happens to be the holidays though, as Tom & Sarah Engel, Adam Scott and Toni Collette, along with their children, Beth and Max, Stefania Owen and Emjay Anthony, welcome Sarah’s sister, Linda and her husband, Howard, and children, into their home for Christmas. The two branches of the family immediately are at each other’s throats, much to the chagrin of young Max, whose only Christmas wish is for everyone to get along and for Christmas to be as fun as he remembers it used to be. Max’s wish is quickly dashed, as, through a series of negative encounters with estranged family members, Max loses hope and changes his wish of togetherness to one of separation, as Max wishes his family away, unintentionally drawing the attention of a certain Christmas demon who may have a mind to grant Max’s wish. Soon, the Engel family will have to fight for their lives and deal with Christmas itself turning on them.
I’ll just get this out of the way now, I kind of love Krampus. It does everything that I want movies like this to do and more! The cast is just phenomenal, Toni Collette and Adam Scott play off each other incredibly well and have a very believable dynamic as a married couple whose marriage is in a bit of a rough patch and they both play off the rough and tumble in-law duo played by Allison Tolman and David Koechner just perfectly. Koechner, who is perhaps best known for playing Todd Packer on The Office, is always a great go to when you need someone to play an asshole, and his casting is really appropriate here. Conchata Ferrell also shows up as well as a party crashing Aunt and she is just hysterical.
The children aren’t as notable but they’re all good for the most part, and what I think I like the best about this group of characters is that they’re this group of easily understandable familial archetypes. You know, the kind of people who a lot of us have to deal with every year during the holidays when you go and spend time with family members who know nothing about you and who might not be happy to see you either. But they don’t go full cartoonish with everyone, even the buffoonish Howard has more depth than he initially lets on, and it’s a really neat way of communicating the complexity of people you may not understand, especially when you’re dealing with them at a time like Christmas. Krampus never gets into an ultra cynical, “everyone is a jerk who deserves all the horrors befalling them,” mood and I really appreciate that, because it makes the scares so much more potent.
Speaking of scares, Krampus is actually pretty scary, blending a lot of different horror elements together in order to make each individual bit have more punch. What really impresses me about the movie is how successfully it creates an oppressive and dangerous atmosphere. Not long after the Engels’ troubles start, a massive blizzard strikes the area, cutting off power, heat, and transportation in the area, completely isolating the Engel family and forcing them into close proximity with the people they were so recently at odds with. As the storm gets worse and worse, the family realizes that everyone in the surrounding area has gone missing, leaving the group completely isolated and alone. This itself wouldn’t be the worst thing, were it not for the fact that a cadre of twisted Christmas monsters have begun a coordinated attack on the lone family.
Let’s talk about these monsters for a moment. They are wonderful! The perfect blend of Christmas inspired whimsy and threatening/creepy, which lines up so well with the overall themes of Christmas being this deceptively cute but threatening event. And it’s not just symbolic of metaphorical success, these monsters are genuinely creepy and a bit disturbing at times, I won’t spoil all the designs but the jack in the box in particular has some of the best monster design I’ve seen in a long time. And these problems, the family issues, the monsters, the storm, all layer, creating a masterful combination of horror with a fun satirical edge.
If you can’t already tell, Krampus is a great horror movie, probably my favorite Christmas horror movie. Everything about it builds perfectly to a truly earned finale that stays with you and establishes Krampus as one of the best modern Christmas horror movies. Krampus is the perfect movie if you’re feeling a little burnt out on Christmas cheer, or if you’re in the mood for a clever and well crafted horror tale. Definitely recommended!
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