Christmas is a time full of joy, goodwill, and spending time with the people you love most. For some, however, it’s a literal nightmare. Looking for a break from the exhausting cycle of watching Will Ferrell act like a man-child who’s injecting a bit too much “Christmas Spirit” in New York every year? I went out with a friend to see the new feel-bad Christmas movie: Krampus.

Since the trailer was released a few months ago, I’ve held a skeptical yet excited interest in this movie. On one hand, I’m a huge horror fanatic - especially creature-features such as this one. On the other hand, it’s a PG-13 horror movie, and those always seem to have too much in common with my ex; dull, underperforming, and desperate for cash. While the latter may be true of this film, I found myself pleasantly surprised that this movie was one of the rare exceptions.

-SYNOPSIS-

The film centers around a hopeful young lad, Max (Emjay Anthony), struggling with the lack of any and all Christmas spirit when his dysfunctional family comes to visit (where’s Will Ferrell in tights when you need him?). After a dispute at dinner pushes Max over the edge, he tears up his admittedly adorable letter to santa and casts it asunder, summoning a big, cranky goat and his posse of terrifying toys. After Krampus, or St. Dickolas, abducts one of their children, the family is forced to cooperate as a tactical unit, so they, too, are not taken by an overweight animal you can find at a petting zoo.

-THE GOOD-

Let’s delve right into what I liked about the movie. The acting wasn’t bad, though considering the talented cast at hand, that shouldn’t be much of a surprise. The characters were believable, relatable, and fun to watch. Given that this is a holiday horror-comedy, the actors did a very good job at playing up the campiness factor. It was a fun throwback to 80’s monster flicks.If you’re a fan of those, you’ll appreciate how nostalgic this film feels. The comedy was well-balanced with the scares. One second you’re laughing because the alcoholic aunt is giving slipping 10-year-olds whiskey, and then you’re wondering if they’re gonna be the next to go.

The horror sequences were good as well. The most tense part of the film for me was when I was introduced to Krampus. He was jumping from rooftop to rooftop, causing some moderate to severe property damage, and roaring ferociously as one of the kids was running away in pure terror. It legitimately gave me chills. One of the main reasons the scares were so effective is due to the practical effects. I love practical effects more than I imagine I’d love my newborn. I just… I love them so much. There is very little CGI in this film, save for a few excusable homicidal Christmas cookies. Most of the scares are delivered by Krampus’ satanic toy helpers. The fact that they are all puppeted and are physical, tangible entities adds an incredible sense of believability to the on screen chaos that ensues.

At one point in the film, as a minion is devouring a child, I lean over to my friend and whisper quite audibly, “That is the coolest f*****g thing I have ever seen in my life”. Alongside these things, the movie actually felt like a Christmas movie - despite the demons and child abductions and all that jazz. The overall theme of family would fit right in with just about any yuletide flick. While otherwise very impressive, Krampus has some flaws that could have made the movie so much more perfect.

-THE BAD-

The first thing that comes to mind when I hear “What’s a negative thing about Krampus?” being spoken by myself out loud as I type this is… well… the horror. Now don’t get me wrong, the movie had me on edge a lot. However, the whole middle act of the film seemed to be a nonstop orgy of pandemonium between the toys and the family*. Rather than coming across as frightening, it all seemed pretty sloppy. So much was happening on screen at once that it was hard to keep track of who was where and what kids were being eaten and why Will Ferrell wasn’t trying to hug any of them into submission… Which is a shame, because the minions were all so cool-looking. I wish they had devoted longer segments to each one of them individually rather than sticking them all in one room and have them go Krampus over everyone’s asses. While I do appreciate the filmmakers pushing the PG-13 rating as far as it could go in the film (Like how Gremlins would never fly as a PG film today), it still feels held back by its rating.

The movie wanted so badly to drop the F-Bomb on several occasions, but it used its allotted one on a line that didn’t benefit by it. There were a few other times when a character’s one-liner would have been made so good with that explicatory, but instead they chose to let it go to waste. If the movie had been R, I feel like Krampus would’ve better secured itself as a classic. With an R rating, the movie could have gotten so much more creative with the script.

-THE VERDICT-

All in all, Krampus is an insanely fun horror-comedy you’ll want to see in theaters. You’ll laugh, you’ll jump, you’ll wish Will Ferrell was next to you pouring syrup into your popcorn. You may leave the theater thinking that the movie could’ve been something better, but that you still had a fun time anyway. It’s a tension-filled carnival ride from start to finish that never strays away from its positive Christmas message, and it has definitely solidified itself in my library of Christmas movies to watch every year.

That is why I give Krampus FOUR unhappy children screaming in terror… out of five.