1. Krampus (Universal, 2,902 Theaters, 98 Minutes, Rated PG-13 for sequences of horror violence/terror, language and some drug material, Rotten Tomatoes Tomatometer at press time: 65% Fresh [52 Reviews]): It doesn’t happen often, but every so often, I forget to do a New Releases post. This is one of those weeks.
Krampus is a piece of central European folklore that has become quite popular in the US as of late. The character, a demon who attacks all those who lose the Christmas spirit, has been used in TV shows, memes and books. As a matter of fact, this is fifth film planned to feature the character, the third this year, although it is the most prominent of all the five.
In this film, young Max’s love of Christmas has gone out the window due to his dysfunctional family’s squabbles. This bring the attention of the Krampus upon him. When his family members start being hunted and killed by the mythical beast, it’s up to Max to rally his surviving family members together to survive Christmas.
Holiday horror dealing with holidays that are not Halloween typically land the film in the cult movie category. Considering the competition the film is up against, it will be lucky to even be that.
