Christmas is known as the time to be thankful for what and who we have and how we should never take anything for granted. The horror/ comedy Krampus teaches people this lesson in a chilling yet enlightening way.

Directed by Michael Dougherty, the movie Krampus tells the story of a family that has lost their Christmas spirit and is now being hunted by the German folklore legend Krampus.

Krampus, the polar opposite of Santa Claus himself, is a terrifying demon that punishes people who have disrespected or taken for granted the meaning of Christmas. Dougherty manages to show us a movie that makes us occasionally jolt back in our seat but at the same time offers enough levity that the audience is not too tensed up.

The story also manages to touch upon the theme that Christmas has become a holiday that has become less about spending time with family, giving, and most of all, the thought of being with the people you love and care about most. These days Christmas has become more about selfishly wanting people to buy them presents, and just in general has become more about getting than actually giving.

While not as gory as one would expect from a horror movie these days, what Krampus does excellently  is draw on the fact that these are not random strangers or friends but people that already have close bonds with each other . As a result when a character is presumably killed off, we see and feel the emotional struggle that these people are going through.

In the end, Krampus is a movie that makes for a nice film to see before the upcoming Christmas break or for parents hoping to frighten their child into behaving over the holidays.