Pre-Screening Sips
- I saw this movie five years ago on opening night for my birthday (birthday screenings will be a recurring theme here since I’m a December baby)
- I mostly remember having a good time but being surprised by the lack of actual Krampus
Post-Screening Snippets
- The title credits for this movie are wonderful; In no way does the Christmas shopping stampede interact with the narrative at all, but it’s a great way to set the cynically comic tone
- The introduction of the “other side” of the family is rich with comedy and relatable anxiety
- I appreciate that this movie continues the Home Alone trend of piece of shit cousins and siblings
- If there is one actor I want in every movie, it’s Toni Collette
- The Spielberg-esque score serves the dark whimsy of the film so well
- The Krampus’s first introduction is still confusing to me since he is jumping from roof to roof with ease, but later takes a full minute to turn his head
- Once the horror elements are actually introduced, the film really struggles to maintain a consistent tone – we lean too far into serious horror or goofy comedy instead of balancing a horror-comedy tightrope best walked by the evil gingerbread cookies shooting nails at David Koechner (yes, you read that sentence correctly)
- Why can’t I see anything? Did this lighting team go on to work on the eighth season of Game of Thrones?
- Woah. The Claymation-esque flashback sequence is pretty impressive
- The unveiling of all of Krampus’s little creatures is like dark Christmas Jumanji
- I rarely recommend sitting through the credits, but the classic Christmas songs rewritten with creepy lyrics is worth it
- I appreciate the interpretable twist ending, though I envision this infuriating some viewers
- Okay, I was right, there is surprisingly little Krampus in Krampus
The Final Hot Chocolate
Unless you’re a horror fan, Krampus is not destined to join your list of annual Christmas movies, but it’s a great choice if you want to add a dark twist to your rotation—it would also work really well in a Gremlins-centric marathon. The cast really gives it their all, especially Toni Collette and Allison Tolman, and there is enough macabre silliness to delight audiences more naughty than nice.
GRADE: B
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