Krampus.

Review #1309: Krampus.

Cast.
Emjay Anthony (Max Engel), Adam Scott (Tom Engel), Toni Collette (Sarah Engel), David Koechner (Howard), Allison Tolman (Linda), Krista Stadler (Omi Engel), Conchata Ferrell (Aunt Dorothy), Stefania LaVie Owen (Beth Engel), Lolo Owen (Stevie), Queenie Samuel (Jordan), Maverick Flack (Howie Jr.), and Mark Atkin (Ketkrókur) Directed by Michael Dougherty (#1227 - Godzilla: King of the Monsters)

Review: 
I suppose the best way to enjoy the holiday season would be to have at least one good scare to go along with the usual festivities, at least one holiday horror film to differentiate from the usual Christmas fare (or at least something that isn't a shameless remake of a classic without any new ideas). In that regard, this is inspired by Central European folklore with its title character, a half goat/demon that punishes children that have been bad for the year. Of course, the key thing to remember here is that this is trying to be a Christmas horror comedy, filling its cast with a mix of notable names and others alongside demented holiday creatures and an occasional sprinkling of Krampus, which proves to be an okay if unwieldy mix. It definitely does alright with tongue-in-cheek humor, mixing its familiar yet dependable character types with fairly decent special effects, that much is for sure. Anthony proves a worthy child lead to follow with, where a unwieldy family visit isn't always the most terrifying possibility to have for the holidays, and he does well with reacting to his surroundings when needed. One needs levelheaded people with a little sense of humor before the storm, and Scott and Collette do a fair job in that regard, who play off with Koechner and Tolman to pretty good effect when it comes to small consistent moments or when faced with the cold reaches of disagreements or killer gingerbread men. Stadler stands out just as much as the others without having to say as much as the others, a warm presence that lends the film's most interesting moment, a description of her first encounter with Krampus (told through stop motion). Ferrell delivers a good portion of the laughs throughout the film as well, and the other castmates prove fair with rounding out the remainders of a family dealing with a lack of holiday spirit. Honestly, while I did find myself chuckling at times with the film, I do wish that it had gone for a more serious turn with its main focus, where the stakes could be a little higher than where it eventually finds itself before its 98 minutes are up. Does this film even have a body count? Sort of. The creature is certainly a terror to think about, where he doesn't just lumber down on a family as much as he sends in smaller terrors to wear them down, but it seems to make one wonder for a little bit more. The ending is at least fine for what is needed (something to think about), accompanied by a cheesy jump scare. For the parts that seem reminiscent of Gremlins, it only just seems to remind me that some horror comedies handle their balances better than others. It is technically scary, in that one would probably go nuts wrapped with the idea of not having any power before a bunch of weirdo holiday creatures try to take you down in a blizzard. I ultimately found more to like than dislike when it reached its endpoint, so I can say I liked the movie okay. It isn't so much disappointing as it is just an okay film for the holidays, whether for a scare for the relatives or for a take on a different kind of folklore.

Overall, I give it 7 out of 10 stars.