Krampus (2015)

Krampus

• I remember when this movie first came out in 2015, when I was in 6th grade. I became so obsessed with it, even though I never saw it until 2022. In fact, it came to the point that I was so excited about it that I based my 6th grade art project on Krampus’s design. So needless to say, this movie feels special and personal to me. I was so excited to watch it, and now that I finally have, my life feels complete. I wasn’t disappointed at all, and it’s about what I expected. The movie itself was somewhat cheesy and had a great fantasy feel. It’s definitely not the best horror movie made, but I still love it. I love horror movies based on actual legends, so this movie has that special feel to it. I love the story, as it’s exciting, scary, and even comedic. The first 10 minutes of this movie feel a lot like Christmas Vacation, in the sense that everybody has a crazy family to deal with. There are plenty of laughs to be had in the first few minutes, and it doesn’t feel at all like a horror movie. However, as the movie goes on, Krampus is slowly introduced. The folklore of Krampus gives the story a creepy mood that I really like. I really like Krampus’s design, and although it’s not what you expect, it makes sense in the end. Because Krampus, in a way, is St. Nicholas’s shadow, his design reflects that. The characters in this movie were pretty good, and although some were hard to like, a lot of the main ones were fun. I loved Adam Scott in this one, and although I’m biased, I still think he did a great job. Plus, it makes sense that he was in this movie, because after, he’s the mayor of Icetown (iykyk). David Koechner plays his typical self, and you know what I mean if you’ve seen Get Smart or The Office. However, throughout the movie, you learn to like him, which surprised me. I also loved Aunt Dorothy, and she was downright hilarious. Even in the most serious situations, she was still funny. I thought the music was decently good, and this movie has a great soundtrack. Although some of the score felt repeated and cliche, there were still some themes that really grab you. I also loved the inclusion of Christmas songs you’d hear on the radio. One of my favorite things about this movie is how Krampus isn’t the only evil entity present. You get to see his minions and elves before actually seeing him, which I really liked. It brings a whole world onto screen, not just a single monster. It was a great idea, and I thought it worked well. The last thing I’ll mention is Omi’s flashback scene. Instead of just recreating her childhood in live action, it uses animation. It almost looks like stop-motion, which I loved. It also felt like A Nightmare Before Christmas, as well as the three brothers scene from Deathly Hallows. The movie also has a great ending that makes you question everything that happened, as well as everything that is going to happen. Overall, this movie was really fun to watch, and I’d definitely recommend it for all horror/fantasy fans.