Surprise ! Krampus: Movie Analysis
Surprise! Krampus is good! Not great, but certainly better than anyone could have expected. It’s a film that has hysterical commentary, and even uses it to play with the audience. The real meaning of Krampus is to reveal the true meaning of Christmas… but with gore, and monsters and stuff like that. It’s not a perfect film, but the opening certainly is. The film from minute one seems less concerned with actually being scary in the sense that it’s trailers reveal, but more scary in the sense that it wants people to consider how terribly materialistic they are around this time of year. It’s the type of film that will let little things like a christmas tree catching on fire seem to hit so hard, but then turn around and leave you asking “Why
is it that I actually care so much that the trees burning down?” Krampus isn’t a horror film. It’s a vicious satire. The script pretty much proves that much too. As it’s written Krampus is actually a funny movie, and many of the lines call to mind the work of John Hughes, especially near the beginning when the family at the center of the film first meets up to “enjoy” Christmas dinner. Not that they do very much. The hosts (played by Adam Scott and Toni Collette) are exhausted, and judgemental of their in laws. The in laws are a stock type poor trailer family with guns, and a dog, and they have brought along the complaining and boozing Aunt Doris. John Hughes name came up earlier, and that’s not a mistake. The beginning of this film is reminiscent of the opening 20 minutes of Home Alone as Murphy’s law hit’s, and the little boy in the family Max (played with surprising range by Emjay Anthony) gives up on Christmas and Santa Claus. These opening 20 minutes also bring to mind Hughes archetypical writing style unfortunately. The jokes all work, but the characters aren’t particularly as interesting as they could be. Still the actors make do, and Adam Scott and David Koechner really steal the show. They’re given the most bonding time when the horror elements start to crop up, and that’s the closest the film ever gets to taking itself seriously.
As far as those horror elements go the film’s use of practical effects is commendable, but none of it is really scary just kind of creepy. The parts that should be scary are more intense, and just as fun as the other parts of the movie. Director Michael Dougherty seems to be working with working off the same tools that Sam Raimi might have in his early career in making ultimately goofy things scary, but he only partly succeeds. Krampus is ridiculous, and a lot of it isn’t all that scary, but it has it’s moments. If you’re in the mood for a festive horror film though go see Krampus. It’s not a waste of 98 minutes, and the entertainment value here is solid.
is it that I actually care so much that the trees burning down?” Krampus isn’t a horror film. It’s a vicious satire. The script pretty much proves that much too. As it’s written Krampus is actually a funny movie, and many of the lines call to mind the work of John Hughes, especially near the beginning when the family at the center of the film first meets up to “enjoy” Christmas dinner. Not that they do very much. The hosts (played by Adam Scott and Toni Collette) are exhausted, and judgemental of their in laws. The in laws are a stock type poor trailer family with guns, and a dog, and they have brought along the complaining and boozing Aunt Doris. John Hughes name came up earlier, and that’s not a mistake. The beginning of this film is reminiscent of the opening 20 minutes of Home Alone as Murphy’s law hit’s, and the little boy in the family Max (played with surprising range by Emjay Anthony) gives up on Christmas and Santa Claus. These opening 20 minutes also bring to mind Hughes archetypical writing style unfortunately. The jokes all work, but the characters aren’t particularly as interesting as they could be. Still the actors make do, and Adam Scott and David Koechner really steal the show. They’re given the most bonding time when the horror elements start to crop up, and that’s the closest the film ever gets to taking itself seriously.
As far as those horror elements go the film’s use of practical effects is commendable, but none of it is really scary just kind of creepy. The parts that should be scary are more intense, and just as fun as the other parts of the movie. Director Michael Dougherty seems to be working with working off the same tools that Sam Raimi might have in his early career in making ultimately goofy things scary, but he only partly succeeds. Krampus is ridiculous, and a lot of it isn’t all that scary, but it has it’s moments. If you’re in the mood for a festive horror film though go see Krampus. It’s not a waste of 98 minutes, and the entertainment value here is solid.