Hello, horror fans! Welcome to the newest edition of Underrated Horror Movie of the Month. For the newbies, twice each month, specifically on the second and fourth Fridays, I talk about horror movies I think are underrated and underloved. No genre stone goes unturned, and no decade is left behind. As I began to sift through my stack of holiday movies I watch every year, I came across this week’s entry, Krampus. After reading reviews, I found this film does not get enough love. Stick around to see why it is in my top three winter holiday movies.
About Krampus
The premise of this film comes from a European legend believed to originate in Germany. Krampus is a counterpart to Saint Nicholas. The latter rewards good children. The former metes out punishment for “evil” children. In the movie, a young boy writes a letter to Santa asking for help for his family. After a terrible argument, he tears up the letter with malice. It travels out the window and away in the wind. Soon after, everything goes downhill.
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With extended family staying over, a colossal snowstorm comes out of nowhere and knocks out the power. After a grueling 24 hours, the family will never be the same again. The question is, can they survive the Christmas Demon, or will they be dragged to hell?
Krampus stars Adam Scott, Toni Collette, Emjay Anthony, Stefania LaVie Owen, Allison Tolman, David Koechner, Krista Stadler and Conchata Ferrell. Michael Dougherty directed the film. Todd Casey, Zach Shields and Dougherty wrote the story.
This movie has a 66 percent Tomatometer Score and a 51 percent Audience Score on Rotten Tomatoes.
My Thoughts
Over time, I have seen many movies marketed as “holiday horror.” A popular theme has always been a slasher Santa, but few have taken on the challenge of showing the darker side of the holidays. In Krampus, we see the mismatched branches of a family trying to spend Christmas together. The hostess is stressed, the aunt is condescending and the sister has chosen an incredibly different life path which causes the siblings to clash. This type of situation is the reality for many. Even though a cloven-hoofed demon is the main villain, it is perhaps the depicted family dynamic that initially drew me to this film. I love the story.
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Anytime I talk about an underrated horror movie, I like to read reviews from others to gain insight into outside perspectives. In the case of this film, I saw two primary arguments. The first complaint I want to address is the claim that it is boring. After the wild opening scene, the story takes a heartbeat to introduce the characters and their familial dynamics. Generally speaking, I prefer action out of the gate in a horror movie; however, there are times when a buildup works. Also, it does not take long to get to the point. Some films have stories best told without constant blood and guts.
The second complaint is oddly on the opposite end of the spectrum. Several reviewers said Krampus is too intense. In each instance I saw this stated, the person said it is not family-friendly. Specifically, I kept seeing statements that this film was too scary for children. My question to these reviewers is, why did they think a horror movie would be appropriate for all kids? Some kids enjoy mild horror, others not so much. The marketing for Krampus always called it a horror movie. At no point was it called a family drama or other all-ages-welcome film.
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Another thing I have to talk about is the scenery and filming. This film is one of the most gorgeously shot horror movies I have seen. There are moments when the audience glimpses Krampus, which creates an incredibly eerie scene. The snow shots are brilliant, and the sets are equally impactful.
Finally, the actors did a splendid job bringing their respective characters to life. They each gave incredible performances.
Final Thoughts
There we have it, another underrated horror movie in the books! Krampus is one of my favorite holiday films, and I watch it every December without fail. Perhaps you will include it in your next holiday horror viewing.
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What are your thoughts on this movie? Sound off in the comments! Also, let me know which underrated horror movie you think I should feature next.
Before you go, take a look at the Krampus trailer below. Until next time, stay spooky and watch more horror movies!
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