Review: KRAMPUS Is the Best Christmas Horror Movie Ever Made
I had the opportunity to attend a screening of Michael Dougherty’s new horror film Krampus earlier this week, and if you’re a fan of Dougherty’s twisted Halloween classic Trick r’ Treat, you’re going to love what Krampus has to offer! One of the main reasons I was so stoked to see this movie was because it came from the writer and director of Trick ‘r Treat. It's also because of that that my expectations were set so high for Krampus.
I went into the screening expecting to see horror movie greatness, and I’m happy to say that’s exactly what I got! There are a handful of great horror Christmas movies that have been made over the years, like Gremlins, which was one of the inspirations behind it, but in my opinion, Krampus is easily one of the best that has ever been made. Gremlins has been my favorite for so long. It's an amazing film, but putting all nostalgia aside, Krampus has taken the top spot for me. So if you’re a fan of horror films and Christmas, you’re going to love this.
Krampus is an instant classic in the same way that Trick ‘r Treat was an instant classic, and it’s going on my list of movies that I have to watch every year during the Christmas season.
The story centers on a young boy and his family who seem to have lost the Christmas spirit. In a fit of rage the boy, who believes in Santa Clause, tears up his letter to him and throws it out the window of his home. This act of anger unintentionally summons the Christmas demon Krampus, who unleashes the fury of Christmas hell on this family, and they do everything they can to survive.
The movie has the perfect mix humor and horror and from start to finish it’s entertaining as hell. One of the things that I enjoy most about Dougherty’s style of horror is the classic nostalgic vibe that they have. I also freakin' love his creature designs and the creepy way they are presented in his movies. They stuff you see in Krampus is the stuff that nightmares are made are of. No joke, I have seriously dreamed about some of the shit that he put in this movie! It’s crazy how he is able to bring this kind of horror to life in a way that audiences can enjoy.
The film has an amazing cast that includes Adam Scott, Toni Collette, David Koechner, Allison Tolman, and Emjay Anthony as the young boy that unleashes the madness on his family. They all did a great job in their roles of wonderfully created characters. The film was full of colorful characters, and they made the film all that much more enjoyable. One of my favorite characters in the movie was Howard, who was played by Koechner. He is the crazy redneck brother-in-law of Scott’s character, Tom. He stole the show. Every scene that he was in was a hysterical delight.
I know this may sound demented, but it was just so much fun watching these characters fight off a gang of evil Christmas demons out for their blood. Those demons are presented in the form of everything we love about the holidays. They were terrifyingly twisted versions of teddy bears, gingerbread men, snowmen, and even evil angelic cherubs.
Krampus may be a horror film, but it's a perfectly horrific Christmas film for the whole family to enjoy… if your kids enjoy scary films, like mine. When talking to the director about the film, he said that he made it for families, because in an interesting way, on top of all the horror and chaos, it still has a positive, uplifting, and heartfelt message about the meaning of Christmas. This movie is all about the Christmas spirit, it's just wrapped in some insanely deranged wrapping paper.
The movie hits theaters this weekend, and I really hope you all go out and see it to help you get into the Christmas spirit!