If you are searching for a movie that combines Fantasy, Horror, Holidays and Comedy, definitely take a look at Krampus. The legend of Krampus comes from European folklore, and is meant to be a horrific figure that punishes children who have misbehaved (taking the threat of ending up with coal in your stocking to a terrifying new level). The Krampus movie not only explains the story of the legend, but also shares the scary story of weird, rude relatives coming to visit for the Christmas season.
The story begins with the typical “Christmas movie” family: a dad who spends all his time working, the mom who tries to keep the family from tearing each other apart because “it’s Christmas,” the young boy who believes in keeping the Christmas spirit, and the older sister who cares for her brother deep down but also focuses on “having a life.”
Everything seems cliché at first: the family and their relatives are at each others’ throats, and the little boy (Max) is made fun of to the point where he loses all Christmas spirit. However, when Max rips his letter to Santa and throws it in the wind, the movie begins to change.
His gift is the kind you will never forget. #KrampusMovie is now playing: https://t.co/Th3DVRMdrs pic.twitter.com/0C3riBAwIb
— Krampus (@KrampusMovie) December 7, 2015
The horror is at first promising; there is lots of suspense, the older sister successfully screams like every girl in a horror movie does, and rather than instantly knowing what the Krampus is, they leave it as a creepy surprise.
However, as the movie progresses, the horror seems to be more laughable than actually scary. Part of this is because of the characters that are supposed to be terrifying, such as the rabid gingerbread man. These little animated guys may end up causing lots of damage, but they definitely had the audience laughing rather than screaming (which is most likely intentional, considering this is a comedy as well as a horror).
Krampus definitely has strong acting. Director Michael Dougherty and actors Adam Scott, Allison Tolman and David Koechner help bring this whole movie together. Each person successfully fulfills the personality they are supposed to have, from the uncle that hunts everything, to the cousin that eats everything. They make you laugh and even feel some fear when you are supposed to, making the movie oddly believable.
Some parts of the movie seem a bit far fetched (because psycho gingerbread men and human-eating clowns are not things that you see every day), but if you are willing to enter the movie with an open mind, you will most likely find it enjoyable.
The ending of the movie shows the cliché aspects perfectly while still providing one last plot twist along with a jump-scare. It clearly demonstrates all different parts of the movie; there’s comedy, horror and a Fairytale tie-in all within the last five minutes.
Overall, Krampus is a fun movie to see once, solely for the experience of the truly one-of-a-kind movie. It not only mocks the stereotypical Christmas movies, but adds in its own plot twists to make it original. Though the whole plot, storyline, and “horrific” characters seem absurd, it is a movie to take lightheartedly and just enjoy. If you can’t decide what type of movie you want to watch this December, why not enjoy the Comedy-Horror-Fantasy movie Krampus, which gives you all three and then some?
Featured Photo Credit: Universal Studios
