Little Miss Horror Nerd’s Little Horror Blog 112

KRAMPUS

Christmas might be over but that doesn’t mean you cannot enjoy some Christmas horror.

This weekend I had the chance to check out Krampus, released this past December. I’ll start with a little background on the Krampus. Krampus is a horned figure that looks to be half goat, half demon. He has hooves, a long tongue and long claws or nails. His origins are thought to pre-date Christianity. Krampus is said to be the son of Hel a Norse mythological figure and may be related to the demons of Greek mythology.

Krampus and other similar figures were introduced into winter celebrations and paired with Santa by the 17th century.  Krampus, not Santa,  will show up at your house on Christmas to punish you if you have been naughty!

Krampus begins a few days before Christmas. The story revolves around a little boy named Max, his parents, sister, and grandmother. Max’s mom (Toni Collette) and dad (Adam Scott) are hosting the family  Christmas celebration at their house. Everyone is on edge waiting for Sarah’s sister and her family to arrive. It seems the two families are very different and barely get along. Once Max’s cousins arrive things go downhill very quickly. They discover he has written a letter to Santa. They steal it from him and read it aloud. A fight between Max and the cousins ensues. He eventually gets the letter back but is so angry he makes a wish that he will regret.

I knew virtually nothing about the Krampus lore going in and creature movies are not my favorite. It is one of those films that is so many things at once and makes you feel so many different emotions. I loved all of the creatures, critters, and baddies — of which there are many. At its heart, this movie is absolutely a fairytale and there is a moral to the story. My favorite line from the movie was when Max’s dad told him family are people we try to be friends with even if we don’t have a lot in common.  Anyone who has ever struggled to get through a holiday celebration with family members they aren’t sure they like will be able to relate to these characters.

I thoroughly enjoyed this film. The cast was excellent. I loved the cinematography in the outdoor scenes especially. Krampus was such a fun movie but it about the story. If you are looking for a lot of murder and gore this movie is probably not for you. Last but not least, if you are a fan of Trick ‘r Treat you will likely enjoy Krampus. Michael Dougherty wrote and directed both of these films and the quality of the writing in Krampus is on par with Trick ‘r Treat.

LITTLE MISS HORROR NERD’S RATING: 5 out of 5