Black Friday shoppers fall upon retail workers in a merciless rapine. Mothers and Father's work during the holidays, answering emails and texts while abandoning sacred familial rituals. Families gather for Christmas dinner in a collision of diametrically opposed political views, harsh judgment, and alcohol fueled diatribes. These are the sad realities of Michael Dougherty's deliciously pitch-black Krampus. Expanding upon the framework of Trick R Treat, Dougherty once again explores the power of traditions, and the dangers of transgressing upon them.
Max Engel is still a
believer, fervently loyal not only to Santa, but also devoted to annual customs
that his family engages in each holiday season. When the dysfunction
outweighs the holiday spirit, Max curses the holiday, summoning an ancient
terror whose goal is to remind the Engels of true meaning of Christmas in the
most horrifying ways imaginable. It is evident from both of his features that
Dougherty is intrigued with how traditions form the holiday experience both in
the mind's eye and the present. Creating a world in which life or death
hinges on adherence to them is what makes his films so special. There's a
mythology in Krampus that is overt from the second an endless blizzard
descends upon the ungrateful Engels, but beyond the snow and blood there is a
preoccupation with magic and memory that permeates every scene.
This concept is given life by Krista Sadler's Omi, Max's grandmother. One of the more interesting sequences is an animated visit to the past in which Omi reveals the nature of the creature that is hunting them. Of interest is in how her memories are seen through the lens of the present and, no matter how much things change, they do indeed also stay the same. Even the otherworldly purgatory that envelopes the Engels, brought to vicious life by Jules O'Loughlin's cinematography, is a twisted reflection of the viewer's expectations of the yuletide season, mirroring the crucible that is family gatherings with haunting visuals and ominous angles that hide the various wolves at the door.
One of the strongest parts of Krampus is that is never goes too
far. This may be seen as a weakness by hardcore horror fans, but
Doughtery's refusal to relish in the mean tone of the first act is why this
film works as well as it does. There's something to be said about the
wicked getting their comeuppance, however, horror works best when the
principals are real people whom the viewer not only connects with, but
genuinely cares about and in Krampus, as the Engels slowly claw their
way back towards decency, it is their last moments where each character shines
and the point of the story is slowly, violently revealed.
Now available on a
stunning 4K UHD disc from Shout Factory. Krampus is a powerful Christmas movie
and an above bar horror outing. While not as subversive as Trick R
Treat, this film stands alone on the merits of its cast and crew. The
Adam Scott lead ensemble is packed with memorable performances, hilarious
dialogue, and some unsettling kill sequences dappled throughout, cementing Krampus
as a true holiday classic in which debate on its inclusion in the Die Hard
ruled pantheon may summon the demon itself.
--Kyle Jonathan