Krampus (I) (2015) User Reviews

Shadow Of St. Nick

[JackRJosie · 7/10 · 13 December 2020]

"this movie is stupid!" They say. Yeah I know it is. That's the point. Do you think they didn't know that when they were making it? They knew it was stupid. That's what makes it really kind of great.

Come into this movie with no expectations, and you'll be really quite surprised. It's a lot of fun, it's very funny and it's got a nice Christmas warmth to it that you wouldn't expect. Yeah it's goofy, but that's the bloody point.

Don't confuse it with other 'Krampus' movies...

[Go_For_The_Jugular · 6/10 · 3 December 2020]

There are sooooooo many films with 'Krampus' in the title, that it's easy to read a review for one somewhere, thinking it's for this.

This is by far, the best 'Krampus' movie out there...and it stands head and shoulders above the rest.

Better budget, better actors/acting, better cinematography, better sound, better CGI etc.

All the others have this movie's poster on their bedroom walls!

Great Christmas alternative

[elvisklava · 7/10 · 9 October 2020]

Watched it with the family and we all enjoyed it. Not too explicit for the kids but scary and interesting enough for all.

Enjoyable horror for Xmas

[Stevieboy666 · 7/10 · 27 December 2018]

Krampus. The shadow of Santa Claus. The punisher of naughty children. One Christmas a somewhat disfunctional American family have their lives ruined when a young boy summons him by accident. Many Christmas horror movies are slashers so Krampus makes a good alternative. This is a good combination of horror, fantasy and comedy. It certainly starts off with the emphasis on humour but becomes darker as it progresses. Although much of the cast is comprised of young kids I think it would be unsuitable for pre teen children. There are a few good jump moments plus plenty of on screen violence. A bit of swearing too. Credit to David Koechner and Conchata Ferrell, great performances delivering much of the humour. Toys coming to life reminded me of some horror movies from the 80's/early 90's. Trouble I found here is that much action takes place in the loft and there was too much going on in a confined space. Without giving it away there was a good twist at the end. I certainly would not call Krampus a classic Festive horror movie but it is better than many others, I enjoyed it.

A Christmas scare that offers tons of fun for the audience

[Sir_AmirSyarif · 7/10 · 24 December 2020]

Sags a bit in the middle but Michael Dougherty's Christmas scare, 'Krampus,' still offers tons of fun for the audience. It's both lighthearted and funny but also surprisingly horrifying. The movie features strong acting all around with leads Adam Scott, Toni Collette, and David Koechner providing wonderful performances. 'Krampus' also features a wealth of fantastic effects, from the evil toys, to the elves, and especially Krampus himself. There is no lack of great creature effects.

Good Film

[Christmas-Reviewer · 7/10 · 2 December 2016]

Three days before Christmas, a suburban family gets together to celebrate the holidays.

One child named Max wants to continue the family's Christmas traditions, but tensions between members of the family keep everyone from having a good time and the family lose their Christmas spirit, especially Max, who rips up his letter to Santa and throws it to the wind after his cousins read it out at the dinner table Shortly afterwards, a severe blizzard appears and cuts out power in the entire town and Christmas will never be the same.

Now Despite it's Christmas Background this film is anything but cherry. In fact this film is one of the best main stream horror films produced in quit some time.

In this film we get a cross between "Night of the Living Dead" and "Gremlins". If your fans of those films then you will enjoy this movie.

If you have small children please do not let them watch this.

A horror comedy that isn't scary...or funny

[d_stack04 · 4/10 · 14 December 2015]

As a frequent cinema goer I can appreciate when a filmmaker tries something new. I like it when a movie takes a risk. But it is called a risk for a reason. Michael Dougherty took some risks with Krampus and while I admire the effort, I didn't care for the resulting product.

Krampus is that movie that tries just a little too hard. Everything feels forced. The comedy. The "scary" moments. This movie desperately wants to be this generation's Gremlins and it isn't. Not by a long shot.

This movie is not without its positives. The actors in this movie do a very good job and I was very close to caring about their characters' fates. But the good acting is wasted on the movie thanks to its clichéd dialogue. And the exception of this would be Conchatta Farrell. She plays the same loud, brash, sarcastic old broad that she annoyed us with for years on Two and a Half Men. I can't help but think that a better actress who could play the type of character they were aiming for, like a Kathy Bates, would have made the character more sympathetic and the movie a little better.

The biggest problem with this movie is it doesn't ever really decide if it's a horror or a comedy. It gets more serious at the end as horror comedies naturally do but by that time you really don't care about these characters. It was a horror movie that didn't make you root for the bad guy per se, but man was I waiting for everyone to die. There are scenes where these people are getting attacked by their toys (yeah, I know. Stupid.) and you can't tell if you're supposed to laugh or be terrified. I laughed at how unterrifying the creatures were but I'm sure that wasn't the filmmaker's intent.

And as for the creatures, once again I appreciate the deviation from the norm and using practical effects, but they are really cheesy and look too puppet-y. First off, we see some toys come to life and attack the family. Sounds like a real scary Christmas scenario. But the toys that come to life are a jack in the box; something that hasn't been under a Christmas tree in about 50 years, a porcelain doll that wouldn't be a suitable gift for ANY of the female characters, and an obviously CGI killer teddy bear. But my biggest complaint is the actual Krampus creature itself. The movie shows you flashes of the villain and even got me excited to see what this thing looks like. Then when they show the Krampus it looks like a prop from a local theater production. At that point, I wish they had never shown him, the mystery would have been way better.

The movie's story is just flat out inconsistent. For a good while you forget about the Krampus completely because of the endless attacks from his minions. You never get any kind of explanation as to where everyone else in this town went to. The grandma character was most frustrating. They used the very annoying foreign language ploy to get more dialogue on the page. As in the character says something in a foreign language, another character asks what they said and yet ANOTHER character translates. See how I just wasted three sentences to explain something that could have been done with one? Yeah, THAT annoying. She also happens to be the living exposition machine. Why is this happening? Grandma will explain after the fact when saying this earlier might have saved a person's life but whatever, I guess. And at the end they kill off about 4 or 5 characters within a matter of seconds. It's as if they realized they had too many survivors at the end and just sloppily had the creature take them out.

The most disappointing aspect of the film is its comedy, or lack thereof. I know how subjective comedy is but you see every joke coming from a mile away like you do this film's jump scares. Maybe it's the Conchatta Farrell thing bothering me still but the jokes feel like they were written by the staff of Two and a Half Men. It's just set up, break, punchline, repeat. They never take advantage of any physical comedy that could come out from a story like this.

Overall, you could see that everyone really tried on this movie but the execution left so much to be desired. I wouldn't recommend seeing this in a theater simply from a financial standpoint. If you're still curious about this one by the time it gets to disc, go ahead and rent it if only to feed your curiosity. No offense but if you're a teenager you might really enjoy this one. I saw plenty of teens enjoying this one and laughing at the jokes I groaned over. So who knows? Maybe I'm just too old for this one.

4 out of 10 stars

One of my favourite christmas movies🎅🏿

[jonflottorp · 9/10 · 27 December 2021]

Krampus is a christmas horror/Comedy it has some really good acting and the characters Are Also really likeable.

It is very entertaining and it is funny but at the same time you can still feel that it is a horror movie.

It has good effects, cool monsters and you Get a really good feeling while watching it.

I really recommend watching it🐐🎅🏿🌛

Good actual horror.

[mavoro · 7/10 · 25 November 2015]

Since no one written a review its on me i guess.

I really Enjoyed the Movie so sorry if i don't really have much negative to say.

The Good:

-Scary scenes are actually scary. (suspence build up pretty well, i liked seeing the "Monster" which I usually dislike in other Horror Movies)

-Krampus is pretty accurate. (And Scary)

-Additions to the old myth are either working well or are too funny to not include.

-Brings the world closer to the real old Christmas we "enjoy" in central Europe.

-Funny half of the movie working well.

-Scary half works perfectly fine.

-Overall pretty good contrast to the rest of the commercial holiday.

The Bad:

-Maybe a little slow on the start.

-Maybe overall a bit too harsh for some viewers. (but no blood or overuse of the F Word, but still pretty scary but the closer the end the more serious it gets with less comedy)

The cinema was pretty much enjoying it some people hated it i guess. But i felt it was quite good and had a good evening.

I would say overall if i wanted to watch Krampus in the very beginning, which i didn't intend to, i would be happy with the actual Movie.

It Keeps its Promises and does very well what it intends to do. Don't expect something like Tucker and Dale, Shawn of the Dead or Braindead more a mix of Jeepers Kreepers and and regular Christmas Comedy, but does this much better. (i disliked jeepers creepers and all this Christmas comedy but liked this)

Not comedy, not horror, just plain awful

[beccabentley · 2/10 · 29 March 2016]

I don't normally write reviews but felt compelled to because I couldn't get over all the positive reviews of this film. It starts off like a family film (home alone style) but then abruptly changes into unfunny, excruciatingly bad horror. I wouldn't mind but the acting is poor, the plot nonsensical and the characters so unappealing and idiotic that I really stopped caring what happened to them. Spoilers here..what mother would let her daughter go out in a horrendous blizzard and then not worry when she hasn't text to confirm her safety? And what father would hear what he thinks are his daughter's cries and then not investigate? In fact he just returns to the house and battens everything down (even though at this point no attack has been made on the house!) The film is full of these kind of inexplicable decisions. The back story is done in this weird animation and it makes no sense that krampus would descend on this family simply because a boy ripped up his letter to santa. I just couldn't buy into it at all. Krampus himself does nothing and just looks like some frozen puppet. I like comedy horror but this film is not scary and only funny in that it is laughably poor. It takes elements from other films and mashes them together as if this will somehow make a good movie. I've only given it 2 instead of 1 because i liked the montage at the beginning with the fighting Christmas shoppers. I wish I'd turned it off after this as the film just deteriorated from there.

The next horror cult classic

[AstridKent · 8/10 · 1 December 2015]

Honestly Universal should be paying me for the amount of hype i've created for this film among my friends and their friends. I was without a doubt super excited for Krampus for two reasons. Firstly it's a horror film that isn't from Blumhouse, honestly with every horror film these days being "from the producers of Paranormal activity, Insidious and The Purge" I was starting to think Jason Blum made a pact with the devil to produce all mainstream horror films. Secondly this was the kind of film I hadn't seen in ages, something along the lines of Gremlins but more horror focused was what I've been wanting for a long time. So after seeing Krampus I was not disappointed at all. Was it a horror masterpiece on par with The Exorcist? No it wasn't but thats not at all what I wanted. I wanted a fun imaginative horror film and one that finally does justice to the long overlooked legend of Krampus. The idea of a Christmas horror film is nothing new but all the well known ones (Black Christmas, Silent Night Deadly Night) are always slasher films with human villains when Christmas had it's own traditional villain with Krampus why has it taken so long to bring him to the big screen?

But anyway Krampus is unlike any film i've really seen before it's both lighthearted and funny but also surprisingly horrifying. I mean it when I say there's some nightmare fuel in this film even if i didn't find it that scary It is still in my opinion a legitimate horror. The Visit proved to me that horror and comedy can mix well. When a horror film is 100% serious thats OK as long as it's warranted. When a horror film takes itself too seriously though it can make it a boring watch. A great comparison is A Nightmare On Elm Street from 1984 and it's remake in 2010 the remake was largely panned because it was too serious while dealing with some ridiculous subject matter whereas the original made it into some morbid humour which worked much better. Krampus does the same although it is obviously more of a comedy than Elm Street.

Krampus himself looks fantastic being made entirely of practical effects and carries a great presence in may opinion he is a classic horror villain in the making. Of course he isn't alone and is accompanied by demonic toys and wicked elves who's sadistic and playful nature makes for some truly horrifying visuals. Oddly enough though this is still a Christmas movie and does manage to bring me those warm holiday feelings. I think this film in it's own right will hold a special place in my heart as a holiday movie with a wickedly twisted side that I just loved so much.

In conclusion Krampus won't win Oscars but I think if you go in wanting to have fun and experience some scares along the way you'll be more than satisfied. Krampus is one hell of a Christmas gift.

Krampus (7/10)

[skybrick736 · 7/10 · 10 July 2016]

Christmas usually a time of cheerfulness and presents thanks to the jolly Santa is flipped upside down when Krampus comes to town. The events follow an obnoxious family, who are crude in their comedy, and have poor decision making. Funny man Adam Scott and horror vet Toni Collette make a unique couple but are relied upon heavily being the only serious roles written for the film. There is an appropriate blend of comedy and horror, which is seen in the absurdity of characters, evil gingerbread men, and killer toys, not so much the written dialogue. Once Krampus is seen fully his appearance is pretty cool looking like an old decrepit vile Santa. The ending was rather a letdown but overall it was a decent fun horror flick. It would be best to watch Krampus during Christmas time because it does have a great holiday feel to it, worthy of a watch for sure.

A cross between Gremlins and the League of Gentlemen Christmas Special

[BolgTheVillan · 30 June 2020]

Not awful. Entertaining. Good effects. Good creatures.

Waste of a great idea.

[paddyboy-31595 · 1/10 · 8 November 2016]

Horror comedies haven't always been my favourite mix of genres. The idea is a real juxtaposition and puts me off being truly horrified or dulls down the comedy in non-comedic circumstances. Since I have heard of Krampus before and have seen a few great horror comedies like Shaun of the Dead I'll put my preconceptions about the movie to one side. After watching the movie I feel like it should have been full horror and leave out the pathetic and forced attempts of comedy via awful characters or crude slapstick. Krampus is met through an oddly placed cartoon which felt a little more Disney and a little less Tim Burton that I think it should have done. Throughout the rest of the movie however, his ever looming presence was a great source of terror and really created most of the horror in the movie. Unfortunately, we see much more of his "minions" than him, which may not be so bad but the minions are actually 3 gingerbread men, an owl with a doll's head (yeah, it does sound cool, doesn't it?), a very useless teddy bear, a large jack- in-the-box and some Oompa-Loompas in tiki masks with Greek letters sharpie-d onto their heads. Krampus may have been worth the wait if he hadn't ended up being a bloke in a latex mask with a blanket over his head who's had a little too much Christmas pudding. Perhaps if he had been gifted with a little more mystery and special effects, just to keep him scary, he may have made me consider this a worthwhile wait instead of making me not care about the characters who got eaten. Also, there are a few inconsistencies and plot holes with this movie. No rhyme or reason has been given as to why any character is sacrificed or taken before the others; they aren't particularly naughty within the 30s between their mates getting captured so I'm not sure as to why Krampus holds off. The sweet old grandma notices the house is shaking and everyone is slowly disappearing but fails to mention that she knows exactly what's happening until a couple minor characters are dead. But above all else, the most frustrating, horrid and awful thing that this movie does is in its ending. The infamous "It was all a dream" ending where everything goes balls up and the writers can't undo the dead-end ending they have created so instead erase everything and say that nothing matters, except for some stupid paradoxical memento makes a character stop and look at the camera and ask themselves "was it all a dream?". I sure hope this terrible movie does not have a sequel but I am hoping for a remake with actual horror, more Krampus and some plot consistency.

And all through the house, a whole damn bunch of creatures were stirring.

[Hey_Sweden · 7/10 · 1 December 2016]

"Krampus", based on actual folklore in Germany and Austria, may not be without faults, but damn if it isn't a reasonably impressive new addition to the canon of Yuletide genre movies. It starts out as an obnoxious domestic comedy, as one family welcomes their grating relatives in for the holidays. Young Max, played by the very appealing Emjay Anthony, is so distraught by the friction between his kin that he destroys his letter to Santa and turns his back on the Christmas season. Big mistake: an imposing demon named Krampus makes it his mission to punish - make that SEVERELY punish - all those who lose their hopes and beliefs. Soon, horrible weather conditions presage an escalating series of terrors for Max and company.

Co-written and directed by Michael Dougherty, who also gave us a modern Halloween favorite in the form of "Trick r Treat", this is surprisingly engaging entertainment. However, it's not so much a horror comedy, as it is a full-blown horror movie with some moments of levity. Despite the PG-13 rating, it's not for the youngest members of your own family due to some incredible intensity. It does take on the tones of a nightmare.

It does have its pleasures, such as a rich variety of "monsters", which are huge, hideous abominations of familiar toys and goodies. (This viewers' personal favorite was the anaconda sized Jack in the box.) There is some very potent atmosphere and quite a bit of macabre imagery filling up the 2.35:1 frame.

How one responds to the protagonists will most likely affect how they respond to the film. Yours truly wouldn't have minded seeing almost everybody get theirs. Still, the actors give it 100%: Adam Scott and Toni Collette as Maxs' parents, David Koechner as the gun loving uncle, Conchata Ferrell as the grumpy great aunt, and Krista Stadler as the wise grandmother who knows the score, right from the start.

A solid diversion overall, with some groan inducing dialogue and moments but quite a bit of energy & pizazz and a twisted nature.

Seven out of 10.

Have yourself a scary little Christmas.

[BA_Harrison · 7/10 · 26 December 2017]

Having already given horror fans Trick 'r Treat for Halloween, director Michael Dougherty turns his attention to Christmas, delivering festive escapement and frights with Krampus, in which an evil creature - an 'anti-Santa' - pays a visit to a family who have lost their seasonal spirit.

I'm not one for saccharine, family-friendly Xmas movies with a cheery ending (my initials aren't BAH for nothing), and I relish the thought of some demented Christmas comedy/horror. Krampus takes a while to get into the swing of things, but once it does, it's non-stop fun, getting darker and darker as it goes on.

Things start out light-hearted enough, with an amusing opening credits sequence that mocks the commercialism of Christmas, and the film continues in this manner up to the moment when disillusioned Santa fan Max (Emjay Anthony) tears up his letter to the jolly old man, an act that is as good as an invitation to Krampus and his helpers.

From hereon-in, it's twisted entertainment, as the family (including their National Lampoon's Vacation-style relatives) are captured one-by-one by the horned, cloven-hoofed Krampus, a gang of wicked ginger-bread men, a massive jack-in-a-box, a terrible teddy, a creepy doll, and some nasty elves. Dougherty handles the action with skill, providing moderate scares and silliness in the vein of that other holiday comedy/horror classic, Gremlins.

After a lot of enjoyable Chrimbo chaos, with Max's family all captured by Krampus, it looks as though Dougherty has run out of ideas with an 'it was all a dream' conclusion, but a final shot ensures us that all is not as it seems.

While not quite in the same league as Gremlins (largely thanks to the slow start and a lack of Phoebe Cates), Krampus should provide those who struggle with seasonal cheer with a few ho-ho-hos and some memorable monster fun.

Far and away the best Krampus film

[kevin_robbins · 7/10 · 16 December 2021]

Krampus (2015) is a movie I recently rented off Amazon Prime for $3.99. The storyline follows a young man whose family seems to be falling apart and just in time for Christmas. He can't believe this is happening and decides to curse the holiday not knowing his actions may lead to a visit from the opposite of Santa Claus, Krampus, who hunts down bad boys and girls.

This movie is directed by Michael Dougherty (Trick 'r Treat) and stars Adam Scott (Step Brothers), Toni Collette (Hereditary), David Koechner (Anchorman), Stefania LaVie Owen (The Lovely Bones), Conchata Ferrell (Edward Scissorhands) and the voice of Seth Green (Robot Chicken).

This is far and away the best cast in a Krampus movie. The storyline is also the best written and executed and I loved how they delivered Krampus and his movements. The house running sequence is an A+ delivery of him and was very entertaining. Some of the closeup shots of him were uneven (I liked him better as a man than monster), but it didn't detract too much from the movie. This also has a solid conclusion.

Overall this is definitely a must see and fun film. I'd score this a 7/10 and strongly recommend seeing it.

really really really really odd movie

[A_Different_Drummer · 4/10 · 28 February 2016]

Reviewers notes humbly submitted: 1. I have seen odder movies, check my reviews, but I have never seen such an odd movie with A-list production values, SFX and casting.

2. The opening title sequence is one of the best I have ever seen. Do they give Oscars for that? If they did, it would win.

3. The next 10 minutes after the titles is very X-Mas with the Kranks and actually funny and engaging. THEY SHOULD HAVE STAYED WITH THAT THEME.

4. The rest of the movie is very Gremlins and Tremors and not very engaging or very entertaining or very anything. Just odd. Very very odd.

What a waste of resources that could have been used to make a better movie!

A Very Good throwback to 80s horror.

[jonathanmark-77048 · 8/10 · 7 December 2015]

Plot: A boy who has a bad Christmas ends up accidentally summoning a Christmas demon to his family home.

This was a fun movie to watch, the kind of film I've been wanting to see done with much love and respect to the fans of the genre. Each of the cast does a good job portraying their characters even if the characters are not the friendliest people in the world. The practical effects are terrific and are a huge relief from all the CGI these days. Even though I don't hate CGI, a lot of filmmakers tend to overuse it these days. This film only used CGI when necessary which is something that most filmmakers should learn.

I only have 2 problems hence why I gave this an 8 and that is the ending is kind of weak and not every joke worked for me, but that's it. This film is a really good throwback to the 80s with a really good cast, script, story and great practical effects. Please go see this, these type of films need to be made nowadays, not reboots of movies and TV shows.

Delightfully mean-spirited Christmas horror

[Tweekums · 7/10 · 23 December 2021]

It is Christmas and Engels, parents Tom and Sarah, children Max and Beth and grandmother 'Omi', have invited Sarah's siblings and their families to stay in their large home. From the moment they open the door it is clear that they are, to put it mildly, less refined... Max's dream of a lovely Christmas is doomed. Upset he tears up his letter to Santa and throws it out of the window... little knowing that he will summon Krampus; a demonic spirit who punishes those who haven't been as good as they might have been. A blizzard hits the town and the power goes out... soon people start being taken and attacked by demented versions of Christmas favourites.

I quite enjoyed this film. Although I don't think it is in the same league it should appeal to those who enjoyed the mean-spirited Christmas mayhem of 'Gremlins'. It opens really well with a familiar Christmas song playing over scenes of near riot in a pre-Christmas sale before introducing us the 'normal' Engels and their somewhat dysfunctional relatives. Once the scares start they build nicely; at first we only get glimpses of the potential danger but later we see them in all their demented glory... I loved the gingerbread men armed with a nail-gun! Grampus himself is suitable scary; like a horned anti-Father Christmas. There are some decent scary moments and quite a few laughs but nothing really disturbing. The cast does a fine job and the special effects are impressive. Overall I wouldn't say this is a must see but I can see it being a festive favourite among horror fans.

Disappointingly low on laughs and scares

[adamonIMDb · 4/10 · 24 December 2016]

'Krampus' is a comedy horror film that isn't very funny or scary. The scares are few and far between and the humour is almost entirely in the last quarter of the film. So much so that, when I finally laughed, it was a handy reminder that this is a comedy movie - I'd forgotten.

This isn't a particularly bad film, it's okay as a mystery drama, which is exactly what it is for the first three quarters. Then it takes a humorous turn, but by then it's just too little, too late.

'Krampus' can't seem to decide what it wants to be. It had the potential to be a scary and funny film, but falls short on both counts.

Overall, not what I expected or had hoped for. 'Krampus' has too few scares and not enough laughs.

Excellent yuletide horror winner

[Woodyanders · 8/10 · 26 October 2016]

Young boy Max (a fine and likable portrayal by Emjay Anthony) has become so disillusioned about the Noel season that he inadvertently summons evil ancient spirit Krampus (Luke Hawker in a gnarly animatronic suit) and his equally wicked minions to terrorize his dysfunctional family around Christmastime.

Director Michael Dougherty, who also co-wrote the twisted and witty script with Todd Casey and Zach Shields, keeps the enjoyable story moving along at a quick pace, takes time to develop the colorful and distinctive characters, milks plenty of laughs from the wickedly funny sense of pitch-black humor, ably crafts a strong feeling of isolation and vulnerability (the family are trapped inside their home by a fierce blizzard), generates a considerable amount of suspense, maintains a deliciously dark, yet playful tone throughout, stages the attack set pieces with skill and flair, and tops everything off with a surprising downbeat ending. Moreover, it's acted with zest by an enthusiastic cast: Adam Scott as meek workaholic dad Tom, Toni Collette as harried mother Sarah, Stefania LaVie Owen as the snippy Beth, Krista Stadler as wise and kindly grandmother Omi, Conchata Farrell as the sarcastic Aunt Dorothy, Allison Tolman as the mousy Linda, David Koechner as the crude uncle Howard, and Maverick Flack as the boorish Howie Jr. Kudos are also in order for Jules O'Loughlin's sharp widescreen cinematography, the dynamic shuddery score by Douglas Pipes, and the nifty practical special effects. Best of all, this movie even comes complete with a pertinent central message about the bitter spiritual price one must pay for giving up on the true spirit of the Christmas holiday. Good ghoulish fun.

You better watch out...

[Pjtaylor-96-138044 · 6/10 · 25 December 2020]

'Krampus (2015)' is centred around the myth of its eponymous creature, a dark reflection of Santa Claus who punishes naughty children - and, in this case, entire families. The narrative involves an extended family gathering that goes a little bit wrong when an argument breaks out between cousins with opposing views on whether or not Father Christmas is real. When all Christmas spirit is sapped from the family, Krampus is called to drag them all to hell. Most of the movie involves various members of the family being picked off by the big bad's various minions, learning to work together as they try to find a way out of their bleak situation. There are scenes in which it feels as though it wants to be a full-on comedy-horror, which are probably its most successful moments. The movie never goes far enough down this path, though. As such, it doesn't so much as feel cohesive as it does tonally inconsistent. Still, the affair maintains a decent atmosphere throughout and is coated with a looming sense of dread. It's rather visceral, at times, despite being relatively bloodless. It's also straight-up silly at others, even though its stakes are always sincere. It all comes together in an ending that sort of seems rushed. It's not bad, but it feels a little half-baked and doesn't quite have the impact it perhaps should. Overall, this is a relatively enjoyable alternate Christmas flick. It isn't all that scary and it isn't all that funny, but it works well enough to be worth a watch during the holiday season. 6/10

Worst movie I have ever seen

[nelsonhipp · 1/10 · 15 December 2015]

This was one of the worst movies i have ever seen in my entire life. Its worse than (Teeth). about 20 minutes I wanted to leave the theater and see The Night Before instead. Heard many laughs from the theater next door. I felt that I had wasted every cent I had paid to see this movie and I would have rather thrown the money in the garbage as I feel it would have gotten better use. It felt as if every minute that passed was worse than the next. The trailer did a great job of making the movie look like it was going to be good (somehow). i feel as though any movie in the history of movies would have been more pleasing to watch than this film and I will never recommend this film to anybody ever.

Never gets old, favorite Christmas horror!

[natashialw · 7/10 · 20 December 2021]

Watched this in theaters and was entertained and thrilled, years later still entertained and thrilled - such a great addition to Christmas horror movies. Fans of Trick R' Treat will love Michael's Christmas horror here. Just waiting now on his next holiday horror!