by Zach DeBruin and Kinsey Phipps
He said: The first week of December brought a new look at Christmas movies: “Krampus.” This modern Christmas horror film really pushes kids to be good this holiday season.
The story of Krampus basically tells children to be good or get sent to the underworld. When the youngest child in a family wishes a change upon his family, a change is what he gets. The entire town turns to a frozen wasteland, and the family gets picked off one by one by possessed toys and Christmas cookies. Now they have to bond together to remove the burden their torn family brings to the entire town.
Honestly, I don’t know what to think about this movie. It messed with my head almost as much as “Interstellar.” The mixture of comedy and minor horror was great.
“Krampus,” or the shadow of St. Nicholas, was a believable character who would have ruined Christmas for any child in the theatre.
With the basic horror storyline, I was hooked the entire movie. The loaded comedic cast totally helped keep the movie rolling smoothly and gave everyone a good laugh, too. The plot kept me on my seat, not knowing what was about to happen, like when the family went into the attic and got attacked by multiple evil toys and creatures. There was a flashback scene in cartoon form, and I personally loved it. The flashback basically warned the main characters of what was to come, and no one ever thought to listen.
This movie is a must-see, in my opinion, and I will be watching it every year around this time. I suggest you do, too.
She said: This movie opens up with people fighting over items on Black Friday. Can you ask for a more perfect start to a Christmas horror movie? I think not.
“Krampus” is probably the most creative and well-thought-out movie I have ever seen. It is a perfect mix of comedy and horror, which doesn’t really make sense in my mind, but it totally works.
First off, they have a star-studded cast, from Conchata Ferrell from “Two and a Half Men” to David Koechner from “Anchorman.” These two are hilarious. I was thoroughly entertained from beginning to end.
“Krampus” was a roller coaster of emotions. I couldn’t tell if it was a bad horror movie, or if what seemed to be ridiculous monsters were strategically placed in the movie to add to the storyline. I can’t decide if it is one of those movies I want to watch as a tradition every year, or if I never want to see it again. You should definitely go out and see this movie to form your own opinion, but DON’T take your children for fear of ruining Christmas for them forever.
As we were writing this review, we found out Krampus is an actual character celebrated during Christmastime in Europe. The centuries-old legend is a Christmas tradition in Germany, where celebrations start in early December. Krampus was created as the opposite of St. Nicholas, essentially being his dark shadow. Unlike St. Nick, who rewarded children with candy for good behavior, Krampus would swat wicked children and take them down to his lair. Folklore says Krampus shows up in towns the night before Dec. 6, or St. Nicholas’s Day. The eve of St. Nick’s Day is called Krampusnacht, or Krampus Night. On the morning of Dec. 6, children looked out their windows to see if the boot they had placed outside was filled with candy and presents for good behavior or a metal rod for bad behavior.
A more modern take on the holiday involves drunken men dressed up as Krampus running the streets chasing children on Krampus Night. This is traditionally celebrated in multiple European countries, such as Austria, Germany, Hungary, Slovenia and the Czech Republic.
With the added knowledge we found out about the legend, it makes us appreciate the movie “Krampus” even more.
