Gef’s Festive Film Advent Calendar: 6 Dec

6 December

Krampus

*Available on Amazon Prime.

I’m going to be honest with you. This one is a day late. The official Krampus parade apparently happens on 5 December every year. But I didn’t know that until I saw a Facebook video about it just before I was leaving work yesterday and I had to get to the pharmacy for my cream before it shut. GET OFF MY BACK ALRIGHT. If you don’t, I’ll write to Krampus about you.

Krampus is Saint Nicolas’s evil counterpart; a half-goat, half-demon monster that punishes misbehaving children at Christmas time. The legend originates from Germany but has been Americanised in this film adaptation. It does include the incredibly harsh punishment of a young boy, who hasn’t actually been that naughty but who has lost his Christmas spirit- a result of his family having lost sight of what’s really important at this time of year. But there’s no redemption story here with Father Christmas or 3 well-intentioned ghosts popping up to guide them back to the light. Krampus, just like capitalism, comes to destroy all.

It’s marketed as a Horror/Comedy but the annual Krampus parades in Europe look a lot more PTSD-inducing than the movie, which starts well then falls into goofiness by the end. So it’s perfect for those of you who like a little bit of festive spookiness but not so much that it’s going to make you wet the bed again.

*Bonus material*

If you watch Krampus and want more Germanic demon viewing this Christmas, the legend also makes for an excellent episode of Inside Number 9. The dark comedy series is written by and stars Steve Pemberton and Reece Shearsmith (of League of Gentlemen fame) and can be found on BBC iPlayer.