Barbarian (2022)

Directed By: Zach Cregger

Starring: Georgina Campbell, Bill Skarsgård, and Justin Long

Genre: Horror / Thriller

Rated: R

In town for a job interview, Tess pulls up to the Airbnb she rented only to discover it has been double booked with a man named Keith. As it is late at night and storming outside he invites her in to investigate the problem further. With no luck reaching the rental agency and no hotels available in the area, Tess reluctantly accepts Keith’s offer to stay the night. Within the next twenty four hours, Tess will discover the true horrors lurking behind the walls of this seemingly innocuous house and it will take everything she has to survive.

Upon first seeing the trailer for this film, it appears to be a straight forward horror take on the typical “Oops, two people are double booked in the same cottage” romantic comedy trope. While this is definitely where the film starts, there is so much more going on and the viewer is never quite sure where the film is going to go next. There is a lot of subverting expectations – you know Tess is walking into a dangerous situation, you just don’t know what. Is Keith really a serial killer? Have they both been lured there for a purpose? Are they alone in the house? Every time you think you have the answer, the story diverts in a new direction.

One major area where these expectations are subverted is with the casting of the movie’s two main male characters, Keith and AJ. Bill Skarsgård, who has the tendency to play darker characters, plays Keith – the character you expect to have nefarious intentions. Justin Long typically acts in goofy comedies or as well-intentioned characters that land in bad situations when it comes to horror. Here he portrays AJ, an entitled douche bag actor under investigation for the sexual assault of his costar. Did he do it? Will his role in the terrible events that unfold prove him to be a good person or is there truly a dark side to him?

The small cast does well in carrying the storyline along. Tess, Keith and AJ are the central characters in a bizarre labyrinth of a plot. Tess is an interesting lead with ambition who tries to make the best decisions given her odd circumstances. She has a caring nature that sometimes acts before her intellect though, and that can lead her into some scary situations. Despite the occasional poor decision, her character is still one worth rooting for and she is pivotal in holding the story together. Georgina Campbell’s performance makes Tess a likable and compelling character – you genuinely want her to have a good life, get the job she’s excited about and find a healthy relationship with someone.

The chemistry between Campbell and Skarsgård make it seem like the latter might be a possibility, assuming Keith’s not secretly a murderer and/or they both make it out of the house alive. Despite the awkwardness of the situation, the two stay up late into the night talking and over tea and wine. 

That Chemistry Though

There is even a cute scene where they are making the bed together and he shows her his trick for putting on a duvet cover. 

(My husband (teasingly): “You find that cute?” 

Me: “Yeah, so?” 

Husband: “Pfft, I was won over by him making tea.” 

Me: “And that’s how you end up drugged and chained up in some serial killer’s basement.”)

Skarsgård’s Keith is both charismatic and suspect. He seems like a nice enough guy on the surface, offering tea and wine, being completely understanding at Tess’s apprehension of taking a beverage offered by a strange man, making her comfortable enough to relax and talk with him, and giving her the bedroom because it has a locking door. Still, he seems like he has a darker undercurrent to him – it’s something the viewer can’t quite put their finger on, but it’s there just enough to keep the audience from trusting him completely.

Justin Long seems to be having a blast with the extreme douche that is AJ. At times the character is over-the-top and comical with how ignorant his selfishness renders him. He’s whiney and unable to take accountability for anything, blaming everyone else when things go wrong while using others to meet his own needs. As mentioned above, the horrific events he experiences provide a possible path to being a better person should he choose to learn from them, but will he? Are these simply characteristics of a spoiled man-child or something worse?

The two male leads are only one tool of subverting expectations. Another is the contrast between Tess’s initial reaction to the neighborhood homeless man (fear, suspicion of mental illness) trying to help her versus her trust in the local police who turn out to be worse than useless. The house itself is so much more than a cute little one bedroom in a rough neighborhood, though that in and of itself is unexpected given the surroundings. Also the flashback scenes that provide the history of the property’s previous owner who showed the world one persona while harboring another.

The film also tries its hand at social commentary and is moderately successful. There is the question of “who is the real Barbarian?” that seems to be silently raised multiple times throughout the movie. There is blatant acknowledgement of violence against women being a major problem – this is a discussion between Keith and Tess where she tells him if their roles were reversed in their current scenario, she would not have let him in; Keith’s understanding of Tess being wary of any open beverage he offers her; AJ being accused of sexual assault and subsequent consequences he faces in reference to the “Me Too” movement. There are also allusions to racism, exemplified in the flashback scenes where middle aged white dudes grumble to each other about “the neighborhood falling apart” with black people and other people of color moving in. It is also shown, to a lesser extent, in the way Tess, a black woman, is treated by the police when she attempts to get their help – though this could be based on a accumulation of factors including gender, race, classism (she was running out of a rundown and impoverished neighborhood) and possible ableism (the likely assumption that she is mentally ill).

As for the horror elements themselves, there is plenty of tension throughout as the viewer never knows what to expect. There are a few decent jump scares and the atmosphere, especially in the hidden tunnels beneath the house, is fairly claustrophobic and creepy. The deaths are few as are the supporting characters, however that does not detract from their brutality. The special effects as far as gore and prosthetics/make up are well done.

The only aspects of the film that negatively impacted it for me were the dropped plot threads, foolish decisions from otherwise smart characters, and some jumpy editing. There were things I would have liked more follow up on such as Keith’s night terrors, the reason Tess took a picture of Keith’s drivers license (I assumed for a possible background check but nothing comes of it) and her potential new employer’s confusion/concern over Tess’s current lodging arrangements (Again, not pursued).

Tess makes some decisions and does things that she seems too smart to be doing, like these actions are contrived to push the plot forward rather than a natural move for the character. For instance, she allows Keith to talk her into staying in the house while he investigates the basement after she informs him of the freaky stuff she found down there. No way in hell would I stay there after stumbling upon what looks like a potential snuff film set.

The Room in Question.

I concur, Tess.

Sorry Keith, you’re probably a great guy stuck in the same weird circumstances as me, but I can’t take the risk that the obvious prison room belongs to you. I’ve seen enough horror movies and true crime documentaries to know that a room like that leads to a bad end for me. Peace!

The last drawback to the movie was the jarring jump cut toward the middle of the film. It cuts from a dark scene with Tess in the tunnels she and Keith discover in the basement to AJ happily singing in his car on a bright sunny day. It’s a complete shift in tone and the introduction of his character which is a little confusing when the viewer has been so invested in Tess’s plotline. I get that this is once again playing with audience expectations but it takes you out of the film for a second until you adjust to AJ’s story and it converges with hers.

This is still one of my favorite horror films to come out this year. It has an unpredictable story with interesting characters, social commentary, great acting, creepy atmosphere and fun deaths. It may be slightly flawed, but is still a strong film and recommended for at least one viewing.

7.5/10

Fresh (2022)

               Directed by: Mimi Cave

Starring: Daisy Edgar-Jones, Sebastian Stan, Jojo T. Gibbs, Andrea Bang, Dayo Okeniyi and Charlotte Le Bon

Genre: Horror / Thriller / Dark Comedy / Horror Comedy

Rated: R

Noa is fed up with the dating scene. Online dating apps seem to only result in lack luster text conversations, unsolicited dick pics, or dates with losers. Just as she’s decided to step back from dating, she meets Steve in the produce section at the grocery store. Steve is charming, funny and attractive, and Noa ends up giving him her number. What follows is an adorable whirlwind romance, but things aren’t all that they seem, and Steve is harboring some dark secrets. When Noa learns the truth, she must fight to survive.

I didn’t know what to expect going into this movie last night. Initially I thought it might be interesting and put it on while folding my laundry, only to find myself enjoying the hell out of it. I was fully invested from beginning to end. It has everything I like in horror – dark humor, strong heroine, interesting villain, some disturbing themes, some gore, and social commentary done right. The fact that it was written and directed by women, a rarity in the genre, is a bonus.

The performances from the leads, Daisy Edgar-Jones (Noa) and Sebastian Stan (Steve), really sell this film. These two have amazing chemistry despite the sixteen year age difference between the actors. You don’t even question why these two would be together, they just seem to click. There’s an obvious attraction, but they also share the same sense of humor, appear to have similar backgrounds, and he seems to bring out her more adventurous side. This chemistry continues throughout, despite the dark turn in their relationship, and I think that is what truly carries the film. Without it, I don’t believe the final quarter of the film would have held up, as the ending depended on it.

Just look at these two!

These performances extend beyond when they are together, of course. Both stand just as well on their own. Edgar-Jones brings Noa to life, despite the fact that we know little about the character – not her interests, not her job, etc. We mostly see her in how she relates to those around her, whether it’s a lousy date, her encounters with Steve, or her interactions with other women, like her best friend, Mollie, or Penny, a fellow victim of Steve. Her moments alone are rarely depicted, but when they are she easily displays what the character is thinking without having to say anything at all. Stan is ridiculously charming as Steve, even after his true nature is revealed – to the point where I feel uncomfortable with the fact that I still like him. (Damn it, I don’t want to be attracted to this sick individual! Stop doing things that would be hot or romantic in a consensual setting.)

Another great performance is given by Jojo T. Gibbs as Mollie. I love the friendship between her and Noa because it is depicted as a normal, real life friendship. These two love and support one another. They laugh and joke together, discuss the dating scene, act as a safety when the other goes on a date with a practical stranger, and protect each other. Mollie is a devoted and loyal friend who has Noa’s back no matter what, and by the end of the film, Noa proves she is the same for Mollie. These two are a team. Separately they’re strong individuals, but together they’re unstoppable. 

My Favorite Spoiler Free Mollie and Noa Interactions:

Noa: "I don't know how you do it, Mollie."
Mollie: "Do what?"
Noa: "Dating people. And I always end up alone. Which, by the way, I am very okay with."
Mollie: "No. No. What? You do not need a man, okay? Or anybody, for that matter. It's just the way we've been raised since fucking Disney movies."
Noa: "Yeah. Fuck Ariel."
Mollie: "Fuck her. Stupid bitch left the whole sea for a man. Come on, now. Like, fuck Beauty."
Noa: "Yeah, fuck the Beast. I am the beast."
Mollie: "You are the Beast!" 

 

Mollie: (talking about Steve and acting every bit like my sister-in-law) "What's his Instagram? I want to stalk a little bit."
Noa: "Oh, he doesn't have one."
Mollie: "Say what? What do you mean? Oh no. See, that's shady. I'm sorry. Red Flag." 
Noa: "Okay. Whatever. Stop raining on my sex parade."  

 

Noa: "I'm going away with Steve for the weekend."
Mollie: "What? Where?"
Noa: "It's a surprise."
Mollie: "Hold on, Noa. Uh-uh. A surprise? I don't like that."
Noa: "I'm just going to go for it. You said, 'fuck it,' remember?"
Mollie: "Girl, you're all dickmatized, and I haven't even seen this dude."

When Noa goes missing, Mollie refuses to give up looking for her, as any true friend would, and will not be appeased by the “she’s just off with her new boyfriend,” story. Good, so many films have “friends” ignore someone’s disappearance because of some BS story and nothing good ever comes from that.

Mollie knows something is not right. 

I’ve seen a few complaints about the character of Penny, a fellow captive of Steve that Noa befriends as they converse through the vents / walls between their cells. The criticism of her stems from the fact that she comes off kind of bubbly and good humored despite the trauma she’s endured. I disagree that this is a drawback to her character. I feel her sense of humor is a coping mechanism, so she doesn’t lose her mind due to the circumstances. Another unseen character named Melissa has this misfortune, and Penny has been there long enough to hear Melissa descend into madness. Her humor and spirit also help Noa maintain a clear head and strategize. I feel Penny plays an important role and don’t think Andrea Bang’s performance was too bubbly – there are definitely times when it’s obvious the character is struggling but manages to bring herself out of it with some humor in order to uplift and advise Noa. I liked Penny a lot, and didn’t feel she was a throwaway character as I’ve seen other reviewers claim. Without her, I’m not sure Noa would have the strength she does.

My Favorite Spoiler Free Noa and Penny Interactions:

Noa: "I want to hurt him, Penny."
Penny: "It's all I think about."
Noa: "I can't believe I slept with him."
Penny: "Wait, you fucked him? I never did. I don't think any of the others did either. I am not slut-shaming you, by the way. I'd say it's a compliment."
Noa: "I'm so fucking stupid."
Penny: "No, you're not. It's not your fault, Noa. It's always theirs." 

 

Penny: "I'm done, Noa."
Noa: "No, you're not."
Penny: "I don't even know who I am anymore. I hope he fucking chokes. And then he gets a fucking tapeworm and it just eats him from the inside, slowly. And that all his weirdo friends shit and puke out of their eyes until they all fucking die." 
Noa: "You're such a sweetheart, Penny. Just stay strong, okay?"

 

Penny: "You know, the other night, I was thinking of how nice it's been to talk to you. But then I was like, what if you're not real and I'm just going crazy? Like Melissa. But I feel like if I had an imaginary friend I wouldn't name her Noa. It would be like Sean Connery."
Noa: "I wish I could see you."
Penny: "Me too."

I do, however, agree with the criticisms that some characters are underutilized. Paul, the bartender, seems nice enough and has a good sense of humor, but I feel could have been used better as Mollie’s backup in her search for Noa. While he has a funny moment toward the end where he realizes he’s in a horror movie situation, remembers how well black characters tend to fare in such films and gets the hell out of dodge, it renders the scenes leading him to this one pointless. With this leading nowhere, all the scenes with him outside of the bar could have been cut and nothing would have been lost.

The character of Ann also didn’t seem to serve much purpose other than to represent Steve’s other life as well as women who hurt other women to benefit themselves. There are interesting aspects about her that I wanted to explore but ultimately were never developed upon or explained. Her entire character could have been removed from the film and nothing would have really been lost.

The story progression and style is interesting. The film begins like a romantic comedy with the title card and opening credits not showing up until thirty-three minutes into the film, right as the plot begins to take a dark turn. There are hints that something isn’t quite right with Steve, but it’s easy to see how a woman on a date with him may not pick up on them. He uses charm and humor to cover what would possibly be red flags on someone else. Still, there’s enough that the viewer isn’t really surprised when the tone shifts from light rom-com to dark comedic horror. The film eases you into the darkness, slowly getting more uncomfortable and disturbing, but not so slowly that the viewer loses interest. The pacing is fairly spot-on and kept my attention for the entire hour and fifty-four minute run-time.

The violence and gore are fairly minimal, but no less uncomfortable when depicted. Much of the horror is psychological – the isolation, the knowledge of exactly what is going to happen to you, literally being awake paralyzed by an epidural while a part of your body is cut off (not shown, the viewer just has a close up of the victim’s terrified face as it’s happening, and that is somehow almost worse), knowing you’re being fed something heinous and having to eat it anyway. The eating scenes made me particularly uncomfortable. In the hands of someone else, I fear this would have been little more than an exploitative gore fest a-la the torture porn of the early to mid 2000s. Here it is tastefully done with lasting impact, no excessive gore or nudity needed. 

The final act leading up to the ending is fairly predictable but still manages to sneak in a few surprises. Noa’s strategy for attempting escape is pretty obvious to everyone except Steve but I was cheering her on none-the-less. She has more strength than I would in her shoes and forces herself to do what she has to in an effort to survive.

This is a feminist horror film done right. Where many others have failed (looking at you, Black Christmas [2019]) this one thrives. Firstly, the female characters seem like real people, not caricatures and stereotypes. The female friendships are strong and founded upon building each other up. There is no belittling, judgment or slut-shaming from the regular characters (with the exception of Ariel from the above quote) and very minimal derogatory language from the villain(s). This is a film about women leaning on each other to fight against oppression and survive. It’s filmed from the female gaze with no sexualizing of the characters, even during the sex scenes or when there is brief nudity. It explores many fears women have of the dating scene and the ridiculous crap we have to put up with before we find someone we think is worthwhile. (I’m so glad I’m married and out of the dating game.)

This is a fun feminist horror comedy that comments on the ugly side of dating and the importance to strong female friendships. It will charm you with the romance then make you uncomfortable with the horror, despite not being very graphic or gory. It is flawed. I felt some scenes and characters could have been cut and the plot was fairly predictable, but it was still an entertaining ride. This is definitely worth the watch, and I have a feeling I will be returning to it multiple times.

7.5/10

#Horror (2015)

Directed by: Tara Subkoff

Starring: Chloe Savigny, Timothy Hutton, Sadie Seelert, Haley Murphy, Bridget McGarry, Blue Lindeburg, Mina Sundwall, and Emma Adler

Genre: Horror, Slasher, Thriller

Rated: Not Rated

Six preteen girls having a slumber party are in for a night of horror as an unknown killer begins to pick them off one by one.

This film tried desperately to make a social commentary regarding our dependence on our phones and social media, as well as to make a point about the negative effects of cyberbullying. The girls the film centers around are hooked on this interactive mode of social media that is something of a cross between Candy Crush and Instagram. They snap pictures of each other and post them online with tags that range from cute to cuttingly mean. For instance, one girl, Kat, takes a picture of three of the others and tags it "#fatuglybitches," and one of Georgie, the overweight member of the group, tagging her as a fat pig, or something similar. However, these are the only instances of actual cyberbullying, the rest of the time, the girls are just bullies with no creativity when they cannot be glued to their phones. Apparently this addiction to social media and one's cell phone is an epidemic that affects the adults in the lives of these girls also, as more than one girl states that she feels invisible to her parents as they would rather be on their phones than spend time with her.

I wanted to like this film but there is so much wrong with it that I found that impossible. I've been looking for a horror movie that tackles the problem of cyberbullying head on and actually does a decent job of making the viewer think twice before posting something cruel online, but have had no success. I also couldn't bring myself to really sympathize with any of the central characters. I understand we are supposed to identify with and root for Sam, but she put me off in the beginning of the film with the rude way she spoke to her obviously loving, involved mother. Maybe after her ordeal she'll learn to appreciate the kind of mother she has, but nothing can be certain as she didn't really show much growth throughout the film. She did, however, half-heartedly try to stand up for the other girls when they were being bullied, and she did risk her own life to try and help girls who really didn't deserve it, so her character gets a few points of redemption on that front. The only other character that wasn't a complete waste was Francesca, who, while still a jerk, knew when enough was enough. Lastly, Ava wasn't too bad either, but she disappears pretty early on once the slasher aspects of the film kick in, so we don't really get to know her.

The three remaining girls I have absolutely no sympathy for. I tried to feel bad for Georgie when the other girls picked on her for her weight. As a supporter of the Healthy at Any Size movement and a believer that beauty comes in all shapes and sizes, I refuse to judge someone by their weight, and find people who do judge for that reason disgusting and shallow. What these girls said to Georgie, constantly barraging her with snide remarks about her weight, telling her to stop eating when she eats for comfort, ridiculing any ideas she has about getting exercise, and telling her to kill herself, was uncalled for and hurtful. I did want to slap the hell out of the girls when they were saying those things to her. However, Georgie is not a sympathetic person, because instead of standing up and walking away from these girls who say such hurtful things to her, she turns around and joins them when they switch their attention to another girl in the group. Georgie also hurls homophobic slurs at Francesca, which automatically turns me against her. I don't care if you're overweight, I do care if you're an ignorant asshole individual.

The last two brats we have on the roster are Sofia and Kat, both spoiled, self-absorbed, entitled rich bitches girls who think they can do and say whatever they want. Sofia is the Queen Bee of the group and all the other girls fawn over her, regardless of the fact that she's a cruel little troll who will turn on any of her so-called friends in a second. Kat is even crueler than Sofia, as she is willing to take it far past a little underhanded bullying and tell someone straight to their face to kill themselves. This comment is too cruel, even for Sofia, and she actually finds herself kicked out of the house.

I've said it in prior reviews and I will say it again, I cannot find a horror movie scary if I do not care about the characters. As aforementioned, the young girls are entitled little trolls, but the parents aren't any more likable. Sofia's father is cheating on her mother, Alex, in the opening scene, while Alex tries to get in the pants of the workmen at her home. Alex also drives drunk and leaves six obviously unbalanced preteen girls home alone. (Yes, I stayed home alone at twelve, but I wasn't a psychotic little turd either.) Dr. White, Kat's father, seems too busy for her until it may be too late, then he goes off the deep end and barges into Sofia's house to terrorize the remaining seventh grade girls.

There were things I absolutely didn't understand, such as Sam's supposed psychic abilities/sensitivities - an aspect of her character that adds absolutely nothing to the story. What was the point of her having these "sensitivities"? They don't help her in any way, and actually detract from the plot. I also don't understand the desperate need the underling girls had to be friends with girls like Sofia and Kat. I guess these two must be the most popular in their grade, but what's the point in being popular when you don't have any real friends you can count on? I guess when you're twelve that spotlight looks awfully inviting, no matter how much you have to suffer to be in it. Lastly, this is a film centered around preteen girls, was it really necessary for the opening scene to involve a woman writhing in orgasm in the front seat of a car? Also, what purpose does it serve to have her walking around in the middle of winter wearing nothing but a skimpy negligee under a trench coat?

I think the one thing I hated the most aside from the girls themselves was the Candy Crush/Instagram social media program the girls were addicted to - as it came up as part of the actual film, transitioning scenes, introducing the idiotic characters, and depicting their photos that they post online. The fast-pacing and bright colors hurt my eyes, and I found it distracting from the actual storyline rather than helping it along. I also hated the emojis popping up randomly, as I also found them distracting. Other viewers seem to disagree, but, as someone who doesn't really use many emojis in my daily life, I'd rather not have them overtaking my horror films. It's not cute, it's not creative, it's juvenile and irritating.

There is very little to no suspense, the kills are rapid, and the gore effects merely decent. The death on the tennis court had potential, but was cut way too short despite the tension that was building up. The attempted drowning in the pool was the only scene that had a tangible amount of tension. The rest fell flat. Lastly, the killer was extremely predictable and but hardly believable.

The only aspect of the movie that I did like was the setting - the house is huge, modern, and boxy which I hate, however the vast amount of windows does add to the tension. I liked the way the art seems to pulse or move in a creepy fashion, and I loved that there was a constant dusting of snow falling from the sky. Also, the filmmaker didn't get it wrong when she depicted slumber party activities of young girls - dressing up, goofing off with the camera, swimming in the pool if your friend is lucky/rich enough to have one, dancing silly, watching movies and playing games like sharing secrets are all part of the slumber party package - though my friends and I were chowing down on junk food while these scrawny runts are "on a diet, Mom! God, how can you be so stupid?!"

Overall, another lame attempt at capturing the negative effects of bullying/cyber bullying, which is a shame, as this is a great, powerful concept to explore. The characters are obnoxious, spoiled little twits in dire need of a swat upset the head, and the game/social media almost being a character ruins a lot of the potential for me.  The gore effects were decent, kills rapid, and killer predictable. Avoid this one. 

3.5/10

Krampus (2015)

Directed by: Michael Doherty

Starring: Adam Scott, Toni Collette, David Koechner, Allison Tolman, Conchata Ferrill, Emjay Anthony and Krista Stadler

Rated: PG-13

Genre: Horror / Horror-Comedy

A disillusioned young boy, fed up with his dysfunctional family, loses his faith in the spirit of Christmas. He gives up hope that he will ever have another enjoyable Christmas with his family and turns his back on the season. In doing so, he unwittingly unleashes the demonic evil spirit Krampus upon himself and his family. Krampus arrives to take from and punish those who don't believe.

I didn't know what to expect going into this film. I knew that I liked the cast, enjoyed the trailer and thought the subject matter would be interesting. I was hesitant due to the PG-13 rating, as that often tends to water down what could be a great film. Fortunately, that was not the case with Krampus.

The film opens to a satirical, but sadly, not that exaggerated, Black Friday mob scene to the tune of "It's Beginning to Look a lot Like Christmas" and continues at a upbeat pace, combining horror and comedy, until the credits roll. This film has a lot to say about the modern family's view of the Christmas season and doesn't try to sugar coat it. The people in this film have lost the aspect of enjoying the company of loved ones during the Holidays to a consumer-driven, resent-filled feeling of obligation to buy numerous gifts and put on perfect celebrations for family and friends. Krampus comes to town to remind everyone of what really matters this time of year.

I really cared about Max, the boy who finally gives up on having a happy holiday. He loves the season and tries to keep the magic alive, even though he knows he's too old to believe in Santa. His only friend is his Omi, who communicates with him in German. His cousins either tease and torture him or do not speak to him at all. It is after his cousins Jordan and Stevie humiliate him at dinner that he finally loses all hope and love for the Christmas season.

My next favorite character was Omi. She has a true affection for Max and does what she can to comfort him when his parents cannot or will not do so. She is wise and willing to sacrifice herself to protect her family.

The only other standout character was Tom, Max's father, who seems a little weak and tied to his job at the beginning of the film, but really comes through as the terror of Krampus begins to unfold. He never second guesses the need to protect his family and will stop at nothing to keep them safe - even the family members he doesn't like very much.

The rest of the characters weren't very likable and really had to work for me to want them to survive. Max's mother, Sarah, is the stereotypical yuppie perfectionist Mom that keeps her house perfect and serves gourmet dinners every night. Her sister, Linda, and brother-in-law, Howard are the exact opposite - beer guzzling, junk food loving, gun toting, football worshiping rednecks with a brood of misbehaving children. Howard favors his son, Howie, Jr., and seems to wish his daughters were also born boys.  Stevie and Jordan, Howard and Linda's older daughters, are bratty little jerks and I wanted so badly to reach through the screen and knock their heads together. Howie Jr. did nothing but sit around, eat and look dumb - a useless lump that Howard has placed on a pedestal. Rounding out the herd of children is Max's sister Beth, who isn't in the movie much, but is the only other decent child over the age of two. Lastly we have Aunt Dorothy, the bitter, alcohol swigging spinster, who appears just to be at the festivities to antagonize everyone. She does have some great lines and a moment of badassery, however.

The film was very well-acted and well-cast. Everyone fit their roles well, with standout performances by Krista Stadler as Omi and Conchata Ferrill as Aunt Dorothy. The entire cast managed to play the film straight, even in the more darkly comedic scenes, making them more believable despite the ridiculous level the film reached in places.

There isn't much for blood and gore, but that is made up for by a great creepy atmosphere and an assorted array of horrific looking villains. The horror begins during a blizzard with white-out conditions. The characters can barely see a foot in front of them and have to cling to each other when outside so no one gets lost in the snow. The vehicles on the road and neighboring houses are found abandoned and iced over, the rest of the population seeming to have disappeared overnight. There is no power in the home or phone service due to the storm, so the house is lit by the fire in the hearth and candles or flashlights. Lastly, more and more menacing-looking snowmen keep popping up in the yard in front of the house. This isolated, creepy atmosphere creates a tense backdrop for the initial chase sequence, adding a foreboding feeling to an already suspenseful scene.

Krampus may be the main antagonist, but he is far from alone in his reign of terror on Max's family. What were once harmless children's toys become twisted, vicious killers that attack, and in some cases, eat, members of the family. Gingerbread cookies are probably the most darkly comedic as they come to life and lure family members to their doom. Then there's the unseen monster under the snow that will gobble up a person in seconds and the demented looking elves that act as soldiers for Krampus himself.  Krampus is disturbing to look at, but ultimately doesn't get much screen time. Still, the scenes involving him are the most suspenseful and dark, all comedy lost in favor of the darker, horrific elements.

Then ending is left open to interpretation, which has caused confusion among viewers, but is something I liked. I enjoy when a film leaves me thinking after it ends, and Krampus succeeded in doing just that.

Overall, an enjoyable Christmas Horror-Comedy that manages to both bring the laughs and the suspense. Dark humor, an intimidating, strong central monster with multiple disturbing minions, a strong cast and a tense, foreboding atmosphere make for a fun, entertaining movie watching experience.

7/10