“We Know You Still Believe In The Big Fat Creeper.”
The most recent film on my Focus On Christmas series this year is 2015’s Krampus. The film is a horror/dark comedy Christmas tale loosely based on the legend and folklore surrounding Krampus, a pre-Christian Germanic being that has become a part of Christian traditions in many regions of Europe. While there are tons of variations of Krampus floating around, he’s basically a demonic goat-man that captures bad children and, depending on the region, whips them, kills them, murders them, eats them or drowns them. He does all of this just before Christmas. He is essentially Santa’s hit man.
According to the film, when Christmas spirit dies somewhere, Krampus shows up with a ton of evil elves, demonic toys, and cackling cookies, and throws all offending parties into Hell. He allows all of his wicked friends to torture, assault, and, in a few cases, eat, some of the offenders before sending them to their doom. Age is not a factor to Krampus or his entourage.
In the movie, young Max Engel (Emjay Anthony) is one of only two members of the Engel family that still believes in Santa Claus and the spirit of Christmas. The other family member that believes is Omi (Krista Stadler), Max’s grandmother from the old country who not only believes in Santa, but Krampus as well. Max has an older sister named Beth (Stefania LaVie Owen) who is protective of him and his innocent ways, but is slowly distancing herself from him due to her interests in her boyfriend, social media, and the life of a teen in general. Max’s parents, Tom (Adam Scott) and Sarah (Toni Collette), are also a tad distant to one another.
When family arrives to celebrate Christmas with the Engels, Max is pushed to the limits by his cousins, Stevie and Jordan (Lolo Owen and Queenie Samuel). The duo taunt him and read his note to Santa Claus aloud at the dinner table. Embarrassed and angry, Max tears up his letter and tosses it out into the night.
A blizzard sets in and the entire city appears to have lost power. Beth goes to check on her boyfriend and doesn’t return. Tom and his brother-in-law, gun-happy Howard (David Koechner), attempt to find her in the blizzard but are attacked by an unseen creature beneath the snow. They return to the Engel home and secure it as best as they can and wait for whatever might be attacking them and their neighborhood.
Howie, Jr. (Maverick Flack), is yanked up into the chimney by a gingerbread man later that evening. Omi reveals to the family that the loss of their Christmas spirit has brought Krampus to their home. She tells them of her own encounter with the demon and Krampus’ toys attack. They split the family up inside their home and start picking them off one by one. The adults battle as best as they can with evil teddy bears, a monstrous cherub, gingerbread men, a diabolical robot, and a massive jack-in-the-box that eats children.
Things come to a head when Krampus’ elves show up and pick off everyone except for Max, his parents, and his cousin, Stevie. They make a break for an abandoned snowplow but the elves and the creature in the snow finish all of them off, save Max. He soon finds himself facing off against Krampus. Can he save his family? Will Santa’s shadow drag the entire Engel family to Hell? You’ll have to watch Krampus to find out!
The film is surprisingly good. It features a very strong cast that give excellent performances. Koechner is especially good in this film, as his Allison Tolman (Emergence, Fargo), who portrays his wife. Also delivering a solid performance with minimal screentime is Conchata Ferrell (Two And A Half Men, L.A. Law, E/R). Her role is a tad limited, but she has some of the best lines in the movie.
The effects in the film are almost entirely practical. From the demonic cherub and evil teddy bear to the masks worn by Krampus and his elves, the practical effects used add to the horror elements of the story. CGI is used for the gingerbread men, Krampus’ tongue, and Krampus’ fast movements across rooftops. It’s also scattered in a few other places but it blends in very well with the practical effects in the movie.
If you haven’t watched this film yet, do yourself a favor and check it out. It’s one of the best Christmas horror films out there, although I must admit that the competition is pretty slim. That being said, it’s still a very good film worth seeing.
Thanks for reading my post. Just a few more days until Christmas!
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