Something for those who find most Christmas films a little too sweet.
I love a festive flick that has a naughty side to it. The latest movie to join the likes of Bad Santa, Gremlins and The Nightmare Before Christmas is Krampus.
The film (from writer/director Michael Dougherty – X2 & Trick ‘r Treat) is loosely based on an urban legend – where, in contrast to Santa, a horned and demonic creature punishes those who have misbehaved at Christmas time.
Krampus’ latest victims are young Max (Emjay Anthony) and his dysfunctional family – mum (Toni Collette), dad (Adam Scott), sister (Stefania La Vie Owen) – and their distant relatives. After tensions rise within the household and harsh words are spoken, all hell breaks loose, forcing the family to fight together if they hope to survive.
Krampus has a few psychotic helpers with him. Some of these are genuinely creepy whilst others will make you laugh out loud for all the wrong reasons. During a couple of scenes, we’re supposed to think that some dolls are viciously attacking the family – but due to a mix of bad designs and sloppy editing it looks like they’re doing nothing more than rolling around the room.
What works best is the likeability of the characters. If we didn’t care for their outcome, this could have been a disaster. Thankfully we’re rooting towards a happy ending for most of the family.
Overall, this is far from your typically sweet Christmas film. For that reason alone, it’s worth a watch.
See Krampus and other festive treats at Showcase Cinema, Peterborough. Visit www.showcasecinemas.co.uk for the latest up-to-date show times. You can also join the chat on Twitter @showcasecinemas or on Facebook by searching for ‘Showcase Cinemas’.
Mikey Clarke
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Genres: Horror & Comedy
Cast: Adam Scott, Toni Collette, David Koechner, Allison Tolman, Conchata Ferrell, Emjay Anthony, StefaniaLaVie Owen & Krista Stadler
Running Time: 1hr 38mins
Written/Directed by: Michael Dougherty
See if you liked: Gremlins & Trick ‘r’ Treat
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