What better way to start the holiday season then with a movie about the dark shadow of Santa. Well that's what the film Krampus is about. Now for those who are unaware about the lore of Krampus, Krampus comes from German folk lore and is described as the dark shadow of St. Nicholas. Instead of giving gifts to good children he instead punishes the naughty children by kidnapping them by. Krampus, in this film, instead of punishing children for bad behavior, uses demonic toys to kidnap the family of any child who loses faith during the holiday season. i should point out that Krampus never steals the child, only their present family. The child will receive a bauble to remember what happens when they lose faith during the holdiaysThis happens to the family of Max, who loses faith in the holiday after he tears apart his letter to Santa after he is embarrassed by his extended family members.
The family features many comedic actors like Adam Scott, from Parks and Recreation, David Koechner, who played Champ in the Anchorman films, and Conchata Ferrell, who was in Two and a Half Men. If you couldn't tell from the casts' reputation, this is a horror comedy. And its not a bad horror comedy but its no Army of Darkness. Most people could compare this to Gremlins and I can see why. It's a horror movie taking place during Christmas and there is some comedy put in the movie.
The problem with Krampus is that it does not do a good job balancing out the horror and comedy. One moment David Koechner is being attacked by evil ginger bread men and the next we see a demonic jack in the box eating a child. The horror and the comedy never go hand in hand. But one thing that most people have to understand when going into these kinds of movies is that it is a horror comedy. The movie is not meant to be taken very seriously. Watching it after a couple of times, you could see where the cast had fun making this movie. The actors know that this isn't a suspense thriller but, again, like Gremlins.
The movie actually offers a good message: Never give up hope around the holidays. It's something most people need to be reminded of, especially given what has been happening in the world recently. Even though bad things happen and because of those bad things people are hurt, we must always remember to never give up hope. Also, even though some people can be annoyed by the excessiveness that is the holiday season, just remember it will all go away after New Year. There are good things happening in the world, we just need to acknowledge them once in a while.
Overall, Krampus is a cult-classic Christmas movie that most horror fans can pop in during the holidays. And even if you're not into horror, if you go in thinking its going to be goofy and campy, you might enjoy it. It's not graphic at all, in fact its PG-13, but some the images are a little creepy. If you're in the mood to be a little scared during the holidays, I would give Krampus a glance.
Grade: C+
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