‘Krampus’ Reviews: Is The Holiday Movie Really Funny Or Super Scary?
There are plenty of feel-good movies to go around this holiday season, but ‘Krampus’ is here to stir up trouble. Does the comedy-horror movie bring mostly scares or big laughs this festive season? Here’s what the critics are saying!
Krampus hit theaters on Dec. 4, with Adam Scott and Toni Collette putting a twist on the holiday season with their comedy-horror film. The movie follows the ancient demon spirit that strives to be the complete opposite of Santa. Is the movie naughty, nice or a little bit of both? The critics are weighing in!
“Krampus” isn’t especially scary, but it generates goodwill nonetheless for treating its home-invasion-for-the-holidays setup with an appreciably straight face…. “Krampus” stays well within the relatively bloodless confines of PG-13 horror, but it’s precisely the opposite of family-friendly. The faux-reassuring final scenes may have you misting up as readily as “A Christmas Carol” or even “Home Alone,” but let’s just say you’d better watch out.
If you love Gremlins but don’t feel like rewatching Gremlins, consider Krampus a worthwhile diet caffeine-free alternative…And full credit to director Michael Dougherty (Trick ‘r Treat) because this is great-looking movie, filled with freaky creature designs and a just-right mixture of practical effects and CGI.
Despite its PG-13 rating, the pic is surprisingly intense, with the filmmaker strongly emphasizing the horror elements. But while the violent sequences are very effectively staged, the results are a strange hybrid that doesn’t quite work. Lacking the antic, witty humor of something like the similarly conceived Gremlins (1984) or the full-out gore of a traditional horror flick, Krampus never really finds it niche.
“Krampus” is about the Alpine demon who punishes Christmas a-holes, this is a promising start — but alas, it’s all downhill from there, making a murky and humorless hash out of a pretty great piece of folklore…A howling blizzard descends, and director Michael Dougherty sets most of the haphazard action in either swirling snow or relentlessly blinking holiday light, so good luck figuring out what’s going on.
HollywoodLifers, are you going to see Krampus? Let us know! Catch up on your holiday movies by buying them on Amazon now!