You better watch out… Anti-Claus is coming to town.
Krampus couldn’t have come at a better time, as Black Friday madness reaches its cultural peak. Just in the first few minutes, Michael Dougherty’s holiday horror movie perfectly captures the underlying animosity of what is usually dubbed the “Season of Giving.” The film opens with a slow-motion montage of rabid holiday shoppers clawing and biting their way through a megastore, while Andy Williams’ “It’s the Most Wonderful Time of the Year” sardonically plays in the background. It’s actually a great summation of what Krampus means in the context of Christmas, especially in this day and age.
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For the uninitiated, Krampus is an actual character from Alpine folklore. Basically, he’s the Anti-Santa Claus — a villainous, horned creature who punishes children at Christmastime for being naughty. In the movie, a young boy named Max (Emjay Anthony) becomes disillusioned when his eccentric family clashes over the holidays. Distraught by the lack of Christmas spirit, Max accidentally summons the evil Krampus who lays siege to the entire neighborhood.
However, it takes a little while to get to that point. The movie drags in a few places, particularly the beginning as we patiently wait for Krampus to make his first appearance. Actually, a good chunk of the first half is just straight comedy as Max’s obnoxious, redneck extended family comes to visit.
Luckily, the writing here is very sharp, and it sets up the humorous tone from the get-go. It helps that comedy vets like Adam Scott (Parks and Rec), Toni Collette (United States of Tara), David Koechner (Anchorman), Conchata Ferrell (Two and a Half Men) and Allison Tolman are on hand to lead the pack. Thankfully, the kid actors are also pretty good.
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Slowly but surely, Dougherty’s signature creep factor begins to settle in. Like the filmmaker’s last film Trick ‘r Treat, Krampus has a knack for dark mischief and playful suspense. We get an early tease of the titular character late in the first act when Max’s sister Beth (Stefania LaVie Owen) braves the snowstorm to meet her boyfriend. From there, Krampus’s demented toy minions make their way inside the family’s house to stir up trouble — and this is where Dougherty’s unique style really comes into play.
In terms of the big set pieces, Krampus has a good mix of digital and practical effects. The CG gingerbread men, for example, don’t look great, but their hellion antics are a hoot — especially when paired with Koechner’s gun-toting Uncle Howard. Meanwhile, the jack-in-the-box and teddybear monsters feature a more tactile look, and they get in some good scraps with the other characters.
Then of course there’s Krampus himself who looks suitably terrifying under the hood. At one point, there’s even a stop-motion flashback that tells the story of Krampus, which offers a nice little homage to the Rankin/Bass holiday classics. Overall, the art direction is a big win for this movie, and the actors do a nice job of playing off the horror elements.
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Krampus takes all the best parts of Trick ‘r Treat and gives them a wintery slant. Granted, some of the story beats are a little slow, and the ending doesn’t quite reach the big climax some viewers may be hoping for. But the film does breathe new life into one of Christmas’s most terrifying characters, while also showing how a little bit of love and compassion can go a long way — so long as you do it before the twisted, blood-thirsty version of St. Nicholas comes skulking down the chimney.
Krampus hits that “Nightmare Before Christmas” sweet spot by blending gleeful horror with holiday cheer. While genuine frights are slim, the movie is packed with great imagery, solid commentary and laugh-out-loud moments — not unlike director Michael Dougherty’s last film Trick ‘r Treat. The cast and creature designs are also great. While the film moves a little slow in spots, Krampus is sure to satisfy horror and comedy fans alike. Consider it another good Christmas movie staple to add to your collection.
