Review of Krampus (2015) by Josh K — 05 Jan 2016

Want to see a good holiday horror film this year just in time for Christmas? Well Krampus is the perfect bet, a demented, dark horror film with elements of Joe Dante in it that at times feels like a modern day Gremlins for a new generation of horror enthusiasts.

The mythological being Krampus comes from Germany, where Krampus, who has elements of a goat, accompanies Saint Nicholas, the German Santa Claus, from door to door. If a child was good, Saint Nicholas would reward, but if a child was bad, Krampus would punish them. This film brings the legend to a North American audience in a very effective and successful fashion.

Taking place around Christmas, a suburban family gets together. The family supports every element of dysfunctional since they don't get along well. When the child of one of the families tears up his letter to Santa Claus, feeling that he can't get his family to celebrate Christmas the way it's supposed to be, he unintentionally causes the wrath of Krampus, who arrives to the suburb after a dangerous storm causes the power to go out and a blizzard occurs.

This film is pure demented joy and proves that Michael Dougherty is a pro at the horror genre, successfully changing and revitalizing it at the same time. This is the second holiday for Dougherty to focus on, following Trick 'r Treat, an anthology film wrapped around Halloween.

The cast in this film is stellar, at times adding comedy to certain spots of the film. Adam Scott and Toni Collette perfectly lead the film, while Scott successfully transitions from comedy to drama, in this case horror. Emjay Anthony puts forth a terrific performance as Max, the son of Scott and Collette's characters. Anthony is really the central figure of the film and proves that he's a fantastic actor. David Koechner acts perfectly as comic relief, while Allison Tolman puts forth a great performance as Koechner's wife. Conchata Ferrell ads her own sense of comedy, while her character at times gets the best lines of laughter. Krista Stadler is also perfect as Omi, the Austrian grandmother who is fully aware of the history of Krampus.

The cinematography by Jules O'Loughlin is highly effective, always adding a sense of suspense and horror, while also helping this film to act like a different type of Christmas film with a strong horror element. With many of the scenes mostly taking place in the house, the camera work adds a great feel of claustrophobia. The effects in the film, which are entirely practical (except for some rather nasty gingerbread men that are created through digital), are amazing, wonderfully paying homage to the 1980s and supporting the film. The effects are highly demented and Krampus, who looks like Santa's dark shadow, is amazing, original and scary. While Krampus is rarely seen until the end, I think this works, since it keeps up the suspense and slowly introduces the character until the right moment. This approach is almost like Jaws, where the shark was rarely seen, and like Jaws, the effect works perfectly here. The score by Douglas Pipes is also amazing and original, with elements of a demented Christmas score that supports the film. The score is not only scary at times, but wonderfully supports the film and the overall storyline.

While some horror fans may be disappointed by the PG-13 rating and the fact that the murders aren't really seen, I can defend this, since I think it works. Having the murders occur offscreen works better to the imagination of the viewer.

The end result is a film that not only works as a great Christmas film, but also as a great Christmas horror film that can be placed on that shelf for annual Christmas viewings. The twist ending, which is worth the wait and which I will not ruin, is remarkable and will be open for debate and wide discussion, which is one of this film's many great points. This is not only a great horror film, but also a great Christmas horror film, with a great message and real originality. Outstanding.