Krampus

I'll just say this right now: to enjoy this movie you need to go in with the right mindset. If you're expecting straight-up horror that will make it hard to fall asleep at night, this is not the film for you. However, if you're expecting dark comedy than you will most likely enjoy this film. It's obvious it was influenced by "Gremlins" and "Poltergeist" in some parts. Without giving too much away, I will say that if you were a child of the '80's you will definitely be reminiscing about those movies. That's not to say it's a straight ripoff of them, though. It's definitely got some originality to it. If you're a "Nightmare Before Christmas" fan, you'll probably enjoy "Krampus." There's even a flashback sequence entirely animated in stop-motion and it's beautifully done. Even during the parts that are supposed to be scary, it's so over-the-top and goofy that it's hard to take those parts seriously. That's not a complaint. I enjoyed that. I was smiling and laughing nearly the whole time. Even the score takes classic Christmas music and gives it a dark, warped feeling. You will never be able to hear "Carol of the Bells" the same way again. So, if you're tired of the cliche "we love each other" saccharine sweet Christmas films and you're looking for something different,  this is the film for you. I have a feeling that in about 10-20 years this will be considered a classic like "A Christmas Story," "Elf," Nightmare Before Christmas" and of course "Gremlins."

Grade: A-   9/10  4/5 stars