Holiday Horror: Krampus and Familial Hell

Michael Dougherty’s Krampus is the ultimate example of Christmas related horror. Most movies associated with Christmas Horror have Christmas simply as a backdrop to horrific events. Krampus specifically explores issues with Christmas, focusing on society’s increasing materialism and the wave of emotions associated with family visits. This movie delivers a warning about forgetting the Christmas messages of giving and togetherness. Creepy, cautionary, Christmas tales are far from new, think A Christmas Carol. Early in the film, the grandmother watches Dickens’ ghost story on TV while making cookies, highlighting the similarity to Krampus and its warning about failing to honor the Christmas spirit. 

I will defend this movie with my Sword of Stubborness until I die, surrounded by haters trying to dismantle my praise. I think this movie is wonderfully acted, especially performances from Toni Collette and Allison Tollman. It has amazing practical effects monsters ranging from a giant Christmas Tree Angel/demon bird to a Jack-in-the-Box demogorgon that stores humans in the tube that connects him to the box. In addition, we get some lovely CGI Ninja-bread Men (one of which is voiced by Seth Green, I find this endlessly fascinating). These killer cookies giggle with glee, wielding a nail gun and dragging children up the chimney. It’s hilariously disturbing and has no qualms with putting each family member in peril, even the itty-bitty ones. 

Even though there are various themes of classism, consumerism, and coming of age, I believe that central focus is family and the “hell” we put each other through. Sarah Engel’s (Toni Collette) sister Linda’s (Allison Tollman) family is staying for the Christmas season. The clash of these families is relatable to many-- Sarah is focused on cleanliness and works arduously on creating classy food and decor despite her efforts being underappreciated by all around her. Linda’s family has double the children and double the volume, wrestling, mess, and chaos. It’s probably the most common factor in familial discord: one side thinks the other is elitist and stuck up while the other side thinks they are tacky and obnoxious. There’s also hints of Sarah’s family having more liberal leaning values in comparison to Linda’s conservative family, a battle that becomes more relevant to American families each year. 

Sarah’s son Max is sensitive and although he has passed prime Santa-believing years, he still becomes aggressive when his faith in St. Nick is questioned or mocked. His sensitivity does not pair well with the gruff, no nonsense attitude of his cousins who ridicule his letter to Santa. This incident leads to a physical altercation and Max fleeing to his room. 

His father, Tom (the adorably lanky Adam Scott) clumsily attempts to impart wisdom about coexisting with family. The exchange goes as follows:

“Max: Every year gets worse. Why do we have to put up with their crap just because we share DNA?

Tom: Because that’s what a family is, Max. People who you try to be friends with even though you don’t have a whole lot in common. 

Max: But why?!

Tom: Because. Well...okay well you got me there...Or maybe it makes us work a little harder to find what we do have in common, you know? With everything aside, think of other people for a change. Friends, family...even the assholes you normally can’t stand.”

This exchange sets up the central themes for the rest of the movie. This notion of holidays being a time in which you are forced to spend time with people who may or may not make you insane. I love my family, dearly, as I imagine most people do. I find myself very lucky that I have a strong family unit full of comradery and laughter. But it’s hard to deny that family members have a way of getting under each other’s skin in a way no one else is capable. This notion is especially true when you consider extended family (aunts, uncles, cousins, etc.) and various in-laws. You’re now stuck with constant additions by marriage and new offspring and even though love remains at the core, you find your patience being tried (To any of my family members reading this--First: Thanks for reading my blog! Comment with your thoughts. Second: This post is not a reflection of how I feel about any member of my family, but more of an analysis of what this film says about family).

Krampus now brings us to an uncomfortable truth: Being with family can be hell. This film uses this concept and makes it literal. Let’s take a break for an insanely brief explanation of Krampus folklore: German mythical figure who captures naughty children on Christmas and drags them into hell, essentially an Anti-Santa Claus. See? Very brief. In this film, the legend appears to be adjusted. Instead, Krampus visits communities in which a child has given up on the Christmas spirit and wished the people around them were gone. Krampus fulfills that wish with his Christmas-inspired helpers/demons who capture the child’s family and the people in the surrounding area and send them to hell, leaving an ornament behind as a reminder to the child who is now presumably an orphan. 

I could go over each aspect of the film, but I’ve already described the joy of the monsters earlier in this post and I’m not really one for a plot synopsis. In summary, Max disavows Christmas, ripping his letter to Santa and therefore summoning Krampus & Crew. As the situation becomes more dire and family members continue to be captured, Tom’s reference to families discovering common ground comes to fruition: they have a strong sense of love and protection for their children. The adults bond over this fact and work together to protect each other’s children. One particularly moving moment is when Sarah grabs onto her nephew’s feet as he’s being dragged up the chimney. She does not hesitate to put herself in danger to save a member of the family that she spent the first half of the film complaining about. The movie allows the characters to demonstrate compassion for each other and the crisis seems to have wiped away petty differences. 

The lesson could end there and it would have been a cheesy movie. But after Max is the only family member left and he confronts Krampus on the literal entrance to hell, he offers himself to be taken in his family’s place. Krampus et al mock him before Krampus pushes him into the fiery pit. Cut to Max in bed on Christmas morning. Was it all a dream? There’s a blurry quality to the lighting and as Bright Eye’s melancholy cover of “Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas” plays, you start to question the idealistic reality of this moment. Max opens a present from an unknown giver and it’s Krampus’s trademark ornament. Each family member has a jolt of realization on their face as the memory of last night’s events returns to them and the finality of their fate sinks in. They are in hell. This destiny is confirmed as we zoom out of the house to discover the family is in a snow globe among many others in Krampus’s bleak warehouse. The movie ends with the monsters popping out at us, reminding us that the terror is far from over for this family. 

Essentially, Krampus asserts the notion that “family ain’t so bad” only to yank it out from under you and claim that being stuck with your family is equivalent to eternal damnation. I can’t say I relate to the full extent of this message, but I have to give the movie credit for such a dark idea: hell is spending Christmas with your family for eternity. It seems like an extreme concept, but ponder it during the most chaotic moment of your next holiday gathering and see if it’s that far off. The notion of hell consisting of incompatible people is not a new one (Jean Paul-Sartre’s No Exit, ABC’s The Good Place). This idea really makes one consider the extent to which people can cause each other pain, especially family. In this film, each character harms a family member in some way and as the torment escalates, you start to question if Max asks a fair question, “Why do we have to put up with their crap just because we share DNA?” Everyone has a story of some uncle making a racist comment, some cousin that steers the conversation into a pointless political argument and you eventually start to think: why am I doing this to myself? 

On that festive note, I very much recommend this film for all its jolly, gory fun. My nephew is a budding horror fan and this is on our list for this Christmas season. Stay tuned for more Christmas Horror.