Horror Film Friday: Krampus

Horror Film Friday is back just in time for the holidays :)  If you're looking for something a little darker this holiday season, Krampus is for you! 

Holiday Horror 

Legendary Pictures' Krampus, a darkly festive tale of a yuletide ghoul, reveals an irreverently twisted side to the holiday. When his dysfunctional family clashes over the holidays, young Max (Emjay Anthony) is disillusioned and turns his back on Christmas. Little does he know, this lack of festive spirit has unleashed the wrath of Krampus: a demonic force of ancient evil intent on punishing non-believers. All hell breaks loose as beloved holiday icons take on a monstrous life of their own, laying siege to the fractured family's home and forcing them to fight for each other if they hope to survive.

Well, I must say this was a bit different than what I was expecting. It’s a little bit National Lampoon’s Christmas Vacation, Evil Dead and Gremlin’s with some of the Krampus mythos thrown in. I was expecting more of a flat out Krampus legend with child snatching and such but the addition of his minions were fun and creepy (oh gawd, their laughter!) and kept things on the lighter side.

It’s Christmas time and a middle class family has fixed their house up beautifully for the holiday and for unappreciated relatives. Mom is hoping for the best and trying to remain cheerful despite the fact that her sister along with her redneck, terribly rude hubby, their three awful creatures children and a horrible, uninvited aunt have shown up on their doorstep to mooch off of them and complain about everything for a few days. They will endure make the best of it even if it kills them. And it just might . . .

Things go from awful to much worse for our nice family. When their youngest son turns his back on the holiday he accidentally unleashes some good old-fashioned holiday mayhem. A blizzard arrives, their teen daughter goes missing after going to check on a neighborhood friend and then, well, then Krampus and his cohorts arrive to tear their little neighborhood to pieces and snatch a few kids. Everyone must come together to save themselves so all can end sickly sweet and happily ever after. I’m not going to tell you if it did but will only say that I loved the ending.

The movie was fast paced and well-acted and Max, the main boy, did a great job as the heart of the family. It’s nightmarish, claustrophobic and just evil fun. This movie nails the annoying holiday ruining relatives and I highly recommend it.