Krampus: The Christmas Devil

USA 2013
produced by
Jason Hull, A.J. Leslie (executive), Darin Foltz (executive), Steve Dorth (associate), Matt Chassin (associate), Seth Metoyer (associate) for Snowdog Studio
directed by Jason Hull
starring Bill Oberst jr, Richard Goteri, A.J. Leslie, Michael Mili, Jay Dobyns, Erica Soto, Jeremy Sidun, Brad Weaver, Paul Ferm, Samantha Hoepfl, Angelina Leigh, Annette Lawless, Brian Patterson, John Marazza, Andrew Ferrick, Mark Hensel, Mike Merrell, Jared Sidun, Benny Weaver, Emily Kessler, Darin Foltz, Matthew Siman
written by Jason Hull with A.J. Leslie, Darin Foltz, music by Aaron Forsyth, Krampus costume by Dustin Austen, Krista Austen

Krampus, Santa Claus

review by
Mike Haberfelner

30 years ago, when he was still a little boy, Jeremy (A.J. Leslie) got abducted by someone ... or something, and he's sure it was the Krampus (Brad Weaver), a demon from Alpine folklore, who accompanies Santa Claus (Paul Ferm) on his tour through the country, and while Santa gives to the good kids, the Krampus sacks the naughty ones. Jeremy has escaped from the Krampus (if it was him), but he was the only naughty kid in town who did. Of course, nobody would believe his Krampus-story ...

Now: Jeremy has since become a cop, and only a few days before Christmas, someone has come to the city on a killing spree, killing naughty children. Now Krampus or not, Jeremy does notice the similarities between his own abduction and the current killings. So he and two colleagues (Jay Dobyns, Jeremy Sidun) set out to capture the killer ... who they soon find out is indeed the Krampus, as he's impervious to bullets, has superhuman strength, and seems to be able to appear and disappear at will. The Krampus captures Jeremy and his partners, but while the others die horrible deaths, Jeremy manages to escape - only become something of a scapegoat at headquarters, someone who has abandoned his partners and is now free to be bullied. And thus he becomes the cause of a barroom brawl, him against a bunch of men who were his friends until yesterday. And if it wasn't for the chief of police (Richard Goteri), he would have been killed as well.

Though getting involved in a barroom brawl is the last thing he can use right now, as his wife (Erica Soto) and daughter (Samantha Hoepfl) are in mortal danger, as they've been taken hostage by a man (Bill Oberst jr) whom Jeremy has put behind bars 10 years ago, but who has been released on a technicality - and now he wants his revenge. So will Jeremy make it home in time? And what about the Krampus? After Jeremy has escaped him twice, he has put his daughter's name at the top of his list ...

Krampus: The Christmas Devil is and enjoyably eccentric genre movie that smoothly shifts from slasher movie to cop drama to hostage thriller and back again without ever missing a beat or boring its audience. Sure, several questions are left unexplained, like how come the Krampus and Santa are terrorizing a city, but then again, it works at least for the duration of the movie and creates suspense rather than to derive from it by means of long-winded explanations. And add to this a well paced directorial effort, a competent ensemble cast, mostly practical effects and a creepy Krampus outfit, and you've got yourself a nice piece of horror cinema.

review © by Mike Haberfelner

 

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