Movie Review: Krampus

Krampus is a fun and non-traditional take on the Christmas movie arena. It’s refreshing to see a unique tale of horror and Christmas that steers clear of the trite and cliche stories of this genre. Aside from the factual focus of the story, the German legend of Krampus, the demon who comes for children who refuse to engage in Christmas cheer, it’s many of the supporting roles which make this so much fun. Although the movie involves Krampus, it’s important to note that the focus is more on the family and how their relationships with each other have become compromised. These colorful characters add some flavor to the story. I mean haven’t you always wanted to see killer gingerbread cookies? I thought so. And how long have you been waiting for a maniacal jack-in-the-box? Years. Well you’re in luck, the time has finally arrived!

Poor Max, (Emjay Anthony) the young boy of the family just wants the spirit of Christmas to return to his family in the happy memories he holds onto from years past. Presently, his parents, (Toni Collette and Adam Scott) aren’t close, his cousins are mean to him and he is less involved with the family. Upon everyone fighting, Krampus in invoked, when Max, who was the last hope for holiday cheer, gives up. The only thing I can say the storyline is missing is some backstory to support what Max misses. It would be nice to catch a glimpse of the holiday happiness he speaks of so fondly. He is so young so how many events can he possibly remember anyway? And it’s hard to imagine those cousins and aunt Dorothy (Conchata Ferrell) ever being decent enough to him, let alone people he so desperately wants to be around.

  

Everyone can relate to the irritating family you are forced to be with and this story spares none of that. Perhaps there is a little too much of it, but it helps us to identify with the characters more. There’s an interesting backstory revealed and the twists at the end are not too predictable. When Omi, (Krista Stadler) the German grandmother of Max offers her knowledge of what’s at play here, Krampus is the name of the game and he “comes not to reward, but to punish. Not to give, but to take.” One element I have to commend is the cinematography and ability to conjure (pun intended) up some eerie imagery, which is sure to offer some loss of sleep. It’s beautifully shot and captures the snowy, ice-covered scenery in a magical way.

In closing, I’d like to give credit to anyone (besides Taylor Swift) who said “haters gonna hate” because that is totally relevant here. It’s easier to criticize and takes a lot less energy to hate than to love and try to see the good elements in things. Sure, it’s no Godfather. But if you don’t generally enjoy the genre of horror/comedy, don’t weigh in here. Even if you don’t enjoy horror, there’s a lot of positive messages and spiritual aspects to the film. Christmas time should be about selflessness and love. Also, if you care more about keeping true to the Krampus legend, you’ll have some shade to throw. But if you consider yourself smart enough to keep an open mind, you’ll see this for the fun and amusing tale that it is and enjoy the sleigh ride to the underworld.

Post by
Amy (Snapchat: Moviegirl1204)
and Dana 

Thank you ladies for checking out this movie and sharing your thoughts.