Krampus is a holiday horror comedy written and directed by Michael Dougherty. The film stars Adam Scott, David Koechner, Toni Collette, Allison Tollman, Conchata Ferrell, Emjay Anthony, Stafania LaVie Owen, and Krista Sadler.
The Story:
Max (Anthony) and his family are not in the Christmas spirit and the more they bicker and fight during the annual holiday gathering, the more the young boy feels like giving up on believing in St. Nicholas and everything he stands for. This undercurrent of evil, along with Max's wish to be rid of his family's fighting, opens the door for Krampus, another holiday legend, to rear it's ugly head.
The Review:
This movie is one heck of a wild ride that pulls no punches when it comes to holiday hi jinks and Christmas chaos. I was expecting it to be a little more family friendly than it turned out to be so be careful if you plan on showing it to young children. When Krampus sends his evil creatures into the house, things get a little intense although always with a little humor along the lines of what you get in Gremlins so nothing too gory or shocking. Michael Dougherty does a great job of mixing in horror and fantasy elements to the overall holiday theme but it's really a dark comedy at its core and the cast members involved are a perfect fit for this type of film.
Adam Scott is really good as the grounded center of the film and he sort of takes on the Clark Griswold role as head of the household only in a much more twisted setting. If David Koechner (Cheap Thrills, Snakes on a Plane) is in a movie, you know there's going to be some craziness as he excels in excess and delivers every single time. Meanwhile, Conchatta Ferrell, who is most known as the house keeper on Two and a Half Men, plays the drunk aunt no one really likes and she gets the most out of every moment of screen time she has. Throw in Toni Collette (The Way Way Back) and Allison Tollman (The Gift) and you have a very interesting mix of talents to go along with all the kids in the film.
The Verdict:
Krampus should definitely gain a cult following with lots of repeat viewings during Christmas time as it perfectly fills a creepy, scary, funny niche that we never knew was missing from our enjoyment of the holidays. Those expecting full on horror will be disappointed as there really aren't many scares so just go in prepared to have a few laughs and don't lose your holiday spirit or Krampus himself might just be waiting for you outside the theater.
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