Welcome to The Attic, let’s get festive!

If you’re a fan of the horror genre like I am than you have undoubtedly noticed the severe lack of decent “scary” movies set around Christmas. So far, the only one I have liked is the superb 1970s Black Christmas. That changed, however, when I finally sat down to watch Krampus. I realize that I am a year behind, but I honestly didn’t think I would like it. To be blunt, I thought it looked stupid based on the trailers. But I’ll admit I have been feeling a bit… Scrooge-ish this year and I desperately needed a horror movie to watch. I happily found it on demand for free, and snuggled in with my coffee on a lazy Tuesday morning. I was floored with how much I enjoyed watching Krampus, and I would dare say it got me more into the holiday spirit than anything else has so far.

Krampus is based on an old folk tale, and while there are many variations on the topic, the one thing that remains is that a beast (half-demon, half-goat, typically) appears around Christmas to punish children that have been bad. In much the same way that Santa Claus appears to bring joy to those that deserve it, Krampus will wreak havoc on those that have lost any hope in miracles or the joy of giving.

The movie is set around a picture-perfect modern day family. Max, the youngest child, is disheartened by the lack of Christmas spirit around him. He wants to watch Charlie Brown while wrapping presents, and he gets very upset when another kid claims that Santa isn’t real. But while he is desperately trying to keep his family cheerful, they have simply given up on any festive feelings. His only solace is found in his grandmother, Omi, who understands and encourages him to send a letter he wrote to Santa.

To make matters worse, his mother’s family is coming to stay with them for a few days, and no one is looking forward to seeing them. This crude family reminds me quite a bit of Randy Quaid’s clan in National Lampoon’s Christmas Vacation. Max’s aunt, uncle, cousins, and great-aunt Dorothy are quite the characters and everyone is put on edge immediately once they arrive. After dodging many insults, the last straw for Max is when his two cousins read the letter to Santa out loud, exposing family problems while they’re at it. Max storms out of the room, and while sitting alone in his bedroom, he tears apart the letter, giving up on Christmas. He goes to sleep despondent, and that is when the storm arrives.

A blizzard hits their area so hard that it knocks out everything from electricity to cellular service. They all awake to a devastating sight, and what has been a difficult family reunion is now even worse. Beth, Max’s older sister, is concerned about her boyfriend, and so she heads out to make sure he is okay. It is just a few blocks away so it shouldn’t take long, but when hours have passed and Beth still hasn’t returned, her father and uncle decide to head out into the storm and look for her. They are attacked by some unknown entity, and rush back to the house. It begins to dawn on the family what is happening, and Max’s grandmother tells them all the tale of when she was a little girl and Krampus took her family away from her. She had allowed herself to lose faith in Christmas, and it now appears the same thing is happening all over again.

From here on the movie takes the occasionally cheesy route, and while I still greatly enjoyed watching it, I wish they had kept it a darker film. The CG gingerbread men running around reminded me of the scene in Gremlins when they are tearing the house apart. It’s just a shame that I found myself cringing at times with Krampus, where I find Gremlins to be absolute perfection from start to finish. A dark comedy can be executed perfectly, but there is a fine line here and the genre can turn corny very easily.

This aside, I really liked how most of the movie was executed. In the beginning, I noted how it began like every other holiday movie. A worn-out family dreading the obligations that are looming ahead during this over-commercialized holiday. There is no Christmas cheer to be found except for in the heart of one child. But unlike other holiday classics, it doesn’t take a regular old conflict to make them see what is important. It takes the holiday turning against them and threatening their very lives before they can come together and fight this evil presence.

The many snowmen appearing outside the home felt like an army slowly building around them, and I thought that was a really cool touch. I’ve never been one to see a snowman as even remotely creepy, but they really managed to pull that off. Unfortunately, near the end of the film I found myself losing interest a little bit, as it went farther and farther into over-the-top territory. They did manage to pull it back just enough at the end to get my attention back on track, so that was good.

It’s also worth noting that the cast was a fantastic ensemble. Max’s parents are played by Adam Scott and Toni Collette (The Sixth Sense). Conchata Ferrell, who played the beloved Berta in Two and a Half Men, is the alcohol-loving, cranky Aunt Dorothy and it is no surprise that she did it brilliantly. If you didn’t already notice, I love her. David Koechner plays Uncle Howard, and he did a fantastic job as well. He will always be Todd Packer from The Office to me, but Howard was an annoying yet somehow likable character in the end (perhaps that’s sort of David’s thing…) When you combine the very strong first half, the ending, and the cast, I was sold. It’s not perfect, and at times it’s more holiday movie than horror movie, but I am definitely adding Krampus to my “watch every December” list.

Stay scared,
Dark Princess