Krampus

Krampus is a high-concept mash-up of Christmas Vacation-style holiday comedies, goofy PG-rated horror-comedies like Gremlins, and folklorexploitation monster movies along the lines of Finland’s Rare Exports. The blend feels cynically calculated to inspire opening weekend audiences to squeal about how “crazy” and unusual the film is, despite its not containing a single original idea, gag, or scare. Director Michael Dougherty (Trick 'r Treat) and his co-screenwriters weave the Austro-Bavarian alpine legend of Krampus (a frightening companion of Saint Nicholas who punishes bad children rather than rewarding good ones) into a boilerplate script about an extended family trying to get through Christmas without driving each other crazy.

The strong cast does their best with the two-dimensional, sitcom style characters. Toni Collette and Adam Scott are the suburban yuppie parents who drive a hybrid and serve creme brulee to their macaroni-and-cheese eatin’, gun tottin’, Hummer drivin’ relatives David Koechner, Allison Tolman and a bunch of fat kids. The always-amusing Conchata Ferrell plays Collette and Tolman’s blunt talkin’, hard drinkin’ aunt, and Krista Stadler plays Scott’s German speaking mother, who carries with her the secret of Krampus from the old country. The young cast, headed by Emjay Anthony (Chef, It’s Complicated) are also all terrific, which makes it all the more disappointing that Krampus never rises above its contrived premise. These are appealing characters, even the obnoxious ones, and we should be laughing with them and feeling scared for them. But the oppressively shot movie (most everything is covered in tight close-ups) fails to engage during its lighthearted set-up and becomes instantly tedious as soon as the monsters show up.  The tone is all over the place—saccharine sentimentalism combined with harsh cynicism and crass, easy target-jokes. I can’t imagine this will become the alternative holiday staple it so clearly wants to be.