'Krampus' review - A delightfully dark holiday spectacular

[yasr_overall_rating]

As we get older, Christmas can become an increasingly bleak time of year. We speak of togetherness and giving, only to trample one another for low prices, argue about politics over the dinner table, and abandon any notion that the holiday represents something greater. Sadly, this loss of enthusiasm among the adults can translate onto children, making them feel like the season's joy is fading away. Just as he did with Trick 'r Treat, writer and director Michael Dougherty has come along with the new movie Krampus, a delightful and dark horror spectacular that reminds us what the the season is all about.

In the days leading up to Christmas, a family of four can't wait for the holidays to be over. Tom (Adam Scott) and Sarah (Toni Collette) don't know how they're going to get through their family staying with them for three days. After all, Howard (David Koechner), Linda (Allison Tolman), Aunt Dorothy (Conchata Ferrell) and three bratty kids immediately push everyone to the brink of insanity. Through all this, Max (Emjay Anthony) misses the way that Christmas used to be, and he appears to be the one member of the family who remembers the holiday's true meaning. But in the opening scenes, the turmoil around Max wears him down and forces him to lose that spirit, tearing up a letter to Santa and declaring hatred for his family. Little does he know that this act will unleash Krampus, the anti-Santa Claus who punishes those who are not well behaved around the holidays.

Krampus attempts to mix horror with comedy, and for the most part it works rather well. The absurdity of this Christmas from hell scenario is played up quite a bit, and Dougherty frequently has his leads acknowledge the insanity with slightly fourth wall breaking quips. It's one of those films that has the audience simultaneously tensing up and laughing at what they're seeing, making this is a highly enjoyable theatrical experience. When it comes to the comedic pieces of dialogue, though, Krampus could have benefited from one more rewrite. The movie elicits some light chuckles, but too often do jokes not completely stick the landing. Gags related to Aunt Dorothy in particular feel like they were intended to be one of the movie's main sources of humor but sometimes feel lazy and uninspired.

The opening third of Krampus might be a bit slow for some, as Dougherty takes his time setting up the family dynamic. The movie doesn't even enter the horror genre for a solid thirty minutes, but that's actually a wise move in retrospect. Initially, it appears that all of the leads will be terrible people who deserve to die, but the film does an excellent job developing the family and not simply painting everyone as a walking cliche. We feel a sense of camaraderie with them after a while, as if we too are trapped in this blizzard and have become a part of the group. Along with all the appealing holiday imagery, that makes for what will prove to be a Christmas tale that can be viewed over and over. Adam Scott and Allison Tolman are certainly the highlights, and though Linda and her family are at first presented in a derisive fashion, the way Dougherty allows her and her husband to become more complex as things unfold is a real treat.

That's not the case with a few supporting characters like Aunt Dorothy and the cousins, and so perhaps a longer running time would help make the secondary characters feel more vital. And when these less important family members are in danger, it's unclear if we're meant to cheer for their demise because of how bothersome and useless they've been, or if we should be hoping for their survival like with everyone else. Either way would be fine, but Dougherty sends mixed messages.

As with Trick 'r Treat, the best thing about Krampus is piecing together the villain's mythology, even if we don't have a firm understanding of it until late in the game. During an absolutely spectacular sequence, the story of Krampus is relayed via a stop motion animation flashback, and his rules are a bit more complicated than you'd expect if you're familiar with the folklore. In addition, the aesthetic of Krampus and his minions couldn't be more perfect: with one exception, practical effects are used for all of the creatures, each one of which is nightmare inducing and utterly convincing. One set piece is reminiscent of The Cabin in the Woods in that we're being bombarded with one creative monster after another, and we never want it to stop. Dougherty and his co-writers must have had a lot of fun brainstorming silly Christmas beasts, and that fun is undeniably contagious.

A lot of genre fans were upset when it was announced that Krampus would be PG-13 rather than R, and as expected, the movie is far less violent than something like Trick 'r Treat. But while the blood-thirsty might be disappointed they don't get the guts they were hoping for, so much brutality would just not be appropriate for a story like this. Dougherty is going for something more restrained, more focused on characters, and in the end, more heartfelt. Spraying gallons of blood across the walls and reveling in the death sequences would be in direct opposition to that goal.

The ambiguous ending will annoy some, make others smile, and leave just about everyone scratching their heads, but it's one that will surely be discussed and debated for years. Who would have expected something so layered out of a demonic Santa movie?

Overall, Krampus is an uneven flick: not every character is well developed, and a few of the jokes don't go over as well as they should. But the story behind its main villain, the dynamic between the primary characters, the sense of togetherness, and the killer final third more than make up for the fact that it's a bit rough around the edges. Along with Black Christmas and Silent Night, Deadly Night, Krampus has instantly entered the pantheon of great Christmas themed horror films, and it's practically destined to become a cult classic that fans revisit every December. Move over, Home Alone.