Krampus (2015)

The greatest trick “Krampus” pulls is making you believe it’s not hopelessly bleak for the majority of its run time. For an hour and 10 minutes you believe there’s a lesson to be learned here about the Christmas spirit and the importance of family.

“Krampus” says, to hell with family and to hell with forgiveness. The logistics of the way Krampus enacts his unholy vengenace is fuzzy at best (I can’t imagine Max is the first kid to ever say he hates his family over Christmastime, and I haven’t heard of mass murders happening all over America every Christmas) but if you don’t overthink it you’ll have a lot of fun.

You’ll also be horrified. “Krampus” pushes the boundaries of PG-13 not because of gore or sex, this isn’t about Kreuger afterall, but because of pure intensity. A marketing campaign that pitched “Krampus” as mediocre, safe family horror will surely sucker in some kids that are not going to be prepared for the fear “Krampus” brings.

The creatures are terrifying and carefully crafted while the cast does its best to liven up a script that falls flat a little too often. There was likely no way to avoid a relatively dull first act that focuses more on “Home Alone” like tropes than it does on horror, but once “Krampus” gets going it doesn’t let up.

There’s a lot about “Krampus” that will make you squirm in your seat and a fair amount that will cause you to laugh. It’s likely this movie’s ceiling was never going to be above pretty darn good, but it doesn’t have to be. “Krampus” is pretty darn good horror and serves a bleak reminder that the Devil doesn’t forgive, nor does he forget.

Rating: 3.5/5