It’s tough to mix the bookend holidays of Halloween and Christmas into one movie. Its been done with varying degrees of success in films like “Silent Night, Deadly Night” and the legendary classic “The Nightmare Before Christmas” and the 2015 effort “Krampus” does the same.
Lets get one thing straight before proceeding; the Michael Doughtery written and directed “Krampus” is not to be treated as a horror movie. Yes there are creepy and cool looking monsters, yes there is a haunting atmosphere, and yes the titular character is an evil demonic being referenced at one point as the Shadow of Saint Nicholas, but the intentions from go are of spoof not spooky, and the result is a movie that’s funny in a really dumb sort of way, presenting a perfect lighthearted alternative to the traditional mayhem of horror.
“Krampus” opens with a montage of the commercialized Christmas season; wonderfully captured moments include a crowd of deal-craving consumers trampling over a store worker, children perched on Santa’s lap crying and wailing, and doing anything other than sitting with a smile as their patents silently count down the seconds until January, and people in a general state of misery as Bing Crosby drearily croons in the background.
We meet the Engel family at home; father Tom, mother Sarah, daughter Beth, son Max, and grandmother Omi. Max is wrestling with the notion that Santa doesn’t really exist, despite assurances from his Austrian born grandmother.
The arrival of the usual objectionable family members, lead by obnoxious in-law Howard (David Koechner) his wife, and their anything but normal children to the home rounds out the characters.
With actors like Adam Scott (Parks and Recreation) as Tom, and the hysterical David Koechner (Todd Packer on The Office) its impossible not to laugh, and the jokes are plentiful from the very onset of the piece. I rewound and re watched and laughed out loud throughout the entire 98 minute movie.
When Max tears up his heartfelt letter to Santa, opting to abandon his belief in Christmas, he inadvertently summons the demonic Krampus, which begins with a blizzard that knocks out all power before an assortment of cool but silly evil toys and festive characters are unleashed.
One early scene is truly frightening, when daughter Beth (Stefania LaVie Owen) is alone in the dark night watching as a horrifying Krampus is leaping from rooftop to rooftop amidst the snow. But the scares don’t last long, nor are they meant to.
The ensemble cast works well together, particular the relationship between Tom and Howard. Also great is Conchatta Farrell (who I went the entire movie thinking was Kathy Bates).
Her Aunt Dorothy shows up uninvited and unwelcome, and immediately grimaces at the house decor – “It looks like Martha Stewart threw up in here.” At dinner, she chastise Sarah (Toni Collette) with “who doesn’t make a ham at Christmas? What are you now, a Jew?”
“Krampus” isn’t a typical horror movie. While not for young children, it’s a funny spoof that puts you in a festive holiday mood without the benefit of sappy and unrealistic love tones.
I score it a B becuase of its great humor and potential replay value.
by – Matt Christopher
