Review of Krampus (2015) by Evan L — 12 Dec 2015

I was very excited to see Krampus. I'm a sucker for horror-comedies and I adore holiday-themed horror. I am also a big fan of director Michael Dougherty's last film, Trick R' Treat. The poster for Krampus is reminiscent of classic 80s horror films and the teaser trailer was awesome! Well, Krampus was one of the best times I've had at the movies in years!

The acting all around is so-so. Adam Scott gives a surprisingly great performance as a caring father, and it's his most likeable performance! Toni Colette is also great as his co-star! The child actors are serviceable, and the rest of the supporting cast is fine. I especially enjoyed Conchata Ferrell's performance as a bitchy aunt.

The thing I loved the most about Krampus is how goddamn fun it was. From the first scene, I was laughing and smiling the whole way through. The movie knew exactly what it was. It was a cheesy as hell, over-the-top horror-comedy! The story, though predictable, was super enjoyable and a blast to watch unfold! The characters were both loveable and despicable at the same time.

Creativity is a key-point in Krampus. The elves/minions of Krampus are very interesting and hilarious in their own right. I found myself saying "it can't get more insane than this", and it always did! The effects were mostly practical, too, which is very respectable from a filmmaker's perspective!

I was constantly entertained and invested in Krampus. The pace is super fast and I was never bored. The editing is great, the musical score is fantastic and the cinematography is surprisingly effective. Though Krampus may be an incredible time at the movies, it is still a flawed film. To start, some jokes just don't hit. The writing is usually great, but some moments don't work. Secondly, the horror just isn't scary. It's fun as hell, but there was a total of one suspenseful moment. For a "horror movie", it just wasn't scary enough.

Overall, Krampus is exactly what you want it to be and more. It is one of my favourite horror-comedies, and also one of my new favourite holiday movies! It'S campy, cheesy movie gold! See it!

RATING: 8.5/10.