Krampus

Halloween and Christmas are two opposites that still somehow manage to go together like peas and carrots. Today's film follows that idea: Krampus, a Christmas/Halloween mashup from the director of Trick 'r Treat (which I love). A dysfunctional family stops believing in Christmas and are punished by an ancient wintertime spirit, Krampus. Krampus is actually a real Austrian/Eastern European legend about a half goat/half demon being that basically operates as the opposite side of the Santa coin. Santa rewards good children, Krampus punishes the bad ones. Hey, everybody needs their evil equivalent, even Santa. 

The movie is a lot of campy fun that throws in a a little bit of everything: Gremlin and Small Soldiers type monsters big and small (in the form of toys and gingerbread men) that are actually pretty horrifying as well as demonic elves and the big baddie Krampus himself. It's a lot of fun, and despite some slow parts, really delivers. I wasn't expecting to see a bunch of demonic toys and gingerbread men but was pretty hilarious and fun when I did. They look great and all exist as practical effects, something that doesn't happen nearly enough anymore.

Weirdly, I think for as goofy and fun as the movie can be it has a soft underbelly. Much like Christmas Vacation, the message is to keep the spirit of the season no matter how shitty it gets or your family is; they both matter. D'awwww. If you don't a Santa demon will get you. So, ya know, there's that. But really, more than this the movie is catharsis at watching your most obnoxious family members get eaten and sent to hell by mutated gingerbread men and teddybears. Excellent.  

However, I never got the Krampus/Santa final showdown that I wanted. Missed opportunity, man. 

9/10