Universal
2015 Color
98 Mins.
Horror/Comedy
Adam Scott, Toni Collette, David Koechner, Allison Tollman, Conchata Ferrell and Stefanie avie Owen star.
Written and Directed by Michael Dougherty
Rated PG-13 for language, violence and gore.
It would figure that the guy who recently made one of the definitive halloween movies would return with not just the best Christmas horror film of all time but one of the most satisfying theatrical experiences in quite some time. My expectations were high going into "Krampus" and I'm happy to say they were mostly met. Harking back to the golden yester years of 80's horror flicks Krampus delivers the creepy goods with a movie that's so imaginative,so original and most of all just so fun. The movie centers on a dysfunctional family around the holidays who find themselves coming face to face with the ancient Christmas legend Krampus and his minions of evil which include demonic gingerbread, ghastly doll faced angels, an anaconda jack in the box, an aggressive teddy with razor sharp teeth, the creepiest elves I've ever seen and lots of other wicked terrors. After a dark Christmas wish from a sad young boy is answered. The family find themselves in the middle of a freak blizzard and stalked and dispatched in gruesomely inventive ways one by one. Those expecting a kind, heartwarming finale will be disappointed as Dougherty delivers on the dark side of the material but that's not to say that there's not a good message. Such as the real meaning of Christmas, family and sacrifice.The family led by Oscar Winner Toni Collette and Adam Scott deliver solid performances as does the supporting cast like Koechner and Tollman. The reason why all of this works so well is the confident direction by fanboy Koechner he balances horror, comedy and the spirit of the season perfectly and he isn't afraid to give his performers the room they need to have smaller moments that develop their characters as well as the story line. While all along delivering creepy scares, well earned laughs and a social commentary on the materialism of Christmas and the disconnection of the modern family. What makes the proceedings that much more effective are the combination of amazing creature design, practical effects and a dark sense of humor that takes the proceedings seriously but with a winking eye. Also Dougherty does accomplish a feat in achieving that balance as most of the holiday themed horror movies that have proceeded tend to be a bit too mean spirited to pull in a bigger audience as well as most genre movies that tend to involve kids are either too vulgar or too kiddie to be effective for everyone. If any film can do it, this is it. All in all Krampus is blast a film that's sure to be a cult classic that will deservedly be visited every holiday season! ****.75/5
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