'Krampus (2015)' is centred around the myth of its eponymous creature, a dark reflection of Santa Claus who punishes naughty children - and, in this case, entire families. The narrative involves an extended family gathering that goes a little bit wrong when an argument breaks out between cousins with opposing views on whether or not Father Christmas is real. When all Christmas spirit is sapped from the family, Krampus is called to drag them all to hell. Most of the movie involves various members of the family being picked off by the big bad's various minions, learning to work together as they try to find a way out of their bleak situation. There are scenes in which it feels as though it wants to be a full-on comedy-horror, which are probably its most successful moments. The movie never goes far enough down this path, though. As such, it doesn't so much as feel cohesive as it does tonally inconsistent. Still, the affair maintains a decent atmosphere throughout and is coated with a looming sense of dread. It's rather visceral, at times, despite being relatively bloodless. It's also straight-up silly at others, even though its stakes are always sincere. It all comes together in an ending that sort of seems rushed. It's not bad, but it feels a little half-baked and doesn't quite have the impact it perhaps should. Overall, this is a relatively enjoyable alternate Christmas flick. It isn't all that scary and it isn't all that funny, but it works well enough to be worth a watch during the holiday season. 6/10
Review of Krampus
