Krampus

Dir: Michael Dougherty

2015

****

In 2015, Krampus finally got a big budget feature and made it to the big screen. He's pretty well represented here too, although there is something a little 'Joe Dante' about him and his Elves in Michael Dougherty's dark family horror. I say family horror because it doesn't include most of the sort of things that generally flag up films as being unsuitable for kids (gore, nudity, swearing etc) but that isn't to say it doesn't have genuine moments of absolute terror. I wouldn't let my kids watch it anyway. As well as getting Krampus right, the film has that all important Christmas feel to it that most Krampus/festive films forget. When three of four straight-to-video low budget horrors pop up with the same name, hoping to cash in on your success, you know you are doing something right and for my money Krampus could/should become the next Gremlins in terms of being a Christmas alternative. I think what I liked and respected most from Dougherty's festive horror is that the kids aren't safe, indeed, the kids do get their comeuppance and rightly so. This isn't a Disney film, it's actually pretty dark but it does manage to fly under the radar of acceptability. It has a Poltergeist feel about it in that it will scare the life out of you, more so than most X-rated horrors, but has somehow been deemed suitable for all generations. The rule seems to be that it's okay to bump off kids (or whatever Krampus does with them) just as long as the scene also includes a talking gingerbread man. It's a rule I can live with. I think the film gets away with a lot due to its clever casting too. Adam Scott and David Koechner have stared in some risky comedies, some with darker tones but overall they're family friendly. Toni Collette has likewise been in some edgy productions, as well as a few great thrillers and clever horrors and Conchata Ferrell plays a familiar character that she has become known for. Put them all together and you have an interesting but rather traditional formula. It almost feels like an 80's film because as well as feeling like a Joe Dante film, it has elements of Goonies about it and it could be seen as a feature length Twilight Zone episode. How you finish a family horror like this is probably the most important thing to get right and the conclusion is awesome and refreshingly unexpected. I genuinely think this could be the next annual re-watch Christmas alternative and it's been a hell of a long time since the last one, so it comes as a very pleasant surprise.