Krampus (2015)

"His name is Krampus. 

He and his helpers did not come to give, but to take."

Comedy? Good. 

Christmas? Gooood. 

Horror? Gooooood!

After a young boy accidentally summons a Christmas demon, he and his family must survive the holiday as Krampus comes to claim them all.

I love a good Christmas horror film. There's something about the two contrasting ideas that make for some twisted entertainment, whether it's 'Black Christmas', 'Silent Night, Deadly Night' or 'Gremlins', they're always amusing. It's like combining two of your favourite soft drinks when you were little to see what they tasted like. You don't know why but it's fun, it's a bit risky and it's silly. Safe to say we all need a bit of that in adult life.

'Krampus' manages to effectively combine Christmas with black comedy in a really enjoyable little film. Almost reminiscent of 'Gremlins', it makes you laugh while being pretty darn creepy at the same time. 

Going by the trailer, I was expecting a very confused mish mash of horror and comedy so I wasn't really expecting much going in to 'Krampus'. It's not often I'm pleasantly surprised by a film but that was certainly the case with this twisted seasonal tale. 

The film kicks off with a satirical glance at what Christmas has become and really sets the humorous and slightly twisted tone for the rest of the film. 

The film features a strong cast with the likes of Adam Scott, David Koechner, Conchata Ferrell and young aspiring actor Emjay Anthony in the leading role. 

After losing his faith in Christmas and throwing away his list to Santa, young Max accidentally summons Krampus, who is Santa's evil shadow. Krampus punishes you for not having any Christmas Spirit and brings along his sack full of evil tricks. 

What impressed me most about 'Krampus' was the strength of both the horror and the comedy. Usually with horror/comedies the actual horror aspect of the genre is lost in favour of the comedy, however, 'Krampus' proves you can do both with some stunning set pieces and scenes that will send a shiver up your spine. The imagery and the cinematography is so cinematic and true to the horror genre that it puts a lot of straight up horror films to shame. It just adds a whole lot of credibility to the film. It stands up on its own and isn't just a cheap spoof. 

Alongside the horror, the humour is crude, sharp and sometimes in bad taste which is great. I thought there were some very funny scenes and jokes that brought a lighter tone to a film that could have so easily taken itself too seriously. I was relieved that it knew what it was and, instead of trying to be something it's not, embraced the silliness and the comedy of the situations.

The whole film feels like a 90's movie and that is no bad thing. There are classic elements incorporated in the film but also a lot of modern flavours that give the film its own personality.

A lot of this was down to the use of practical effects over the extensive use of CGI. I was silently applauding the films bravery in this day in age to opt for in-camera effects and characters. CGI was only used when absolutely necessary and it pays off immensely. It feels more realistic and gritty which compliments both the horror and the comedy. 

You don't see Krampus all that often for the duration of the movie which was a smart move on the filmmakers part. The best horror is what you don't see rather than what you do so, even when you do see Krampus in full regalia, you don't see everything. Your imagination fills in the blanks and it leaves you with a satisfying ending to a very enjoyable film.

I wasn't surprised to hear that director Michael Dougherty also directed 'Trick 'r Treat', a film quite similar in style and tone to "Krampus' but based on Halloween. The clever and effective blend of comedy and horror seems to be a talent of Michael Dougherty and makes me excited to see what he can come up with next.

Overall, 'Krampus' knew exactly what it was and delivers on a lot of levels. It ticks all the boxes that a horror/comedy should. As you would wrap up a Christmas gift, 'Krampus' ends with a bow on top and leaves us with a neatly packaged horror/comedy that is in instant favourite. It's funny, creepy, twisted and a lot of Christmas fun.

After all, it's the most wonderful time of the year. Unless you've lost your Christmas spirit... In that case you're in for a world of seasonal pain from Santa's crazy evil twin Krampus.