Krampus: The Reckoning

Last updated

Krampus: The Reckoning
KrampusTheReckoning.jpg
Official release poster
Directed by Robert Conway
Written byRobert Conway
Story byOwen Conway
Robert Conway
Produced byJoseph Mbah
Owen Conway
Robert Conway
Justin L. Anderson
StarringKevin Tye
James Ray
Monica Engesser
Amelia Haberman
CinematographyTravis Amery
Joseph Mbah
Edited byRobert Conway
Justin L. Anderson
Music byKevin Tye
Owen Conway
Production
companies
Ugly Salamander
Alexander Designs
FunHouse Features
Distributed byUncork'd Entertainment
Release date
  • 3 November 2015 (2015-11-03)(United States)
Running time
89 minutes
CountryUnited States
LanguageEnglish

Krampus: The Reckoning (also known as The Hunted) is a 2015 American horror film written and directed by Robert Conway, and co-written by Owen Conway. Released direct-to-video, [1] [2] the film stars Monica Engesser as a child psychologist who is attempting to unravel the link between a mysterious young girl (Amelia Haberman) and the mythological creature known as Krampus (William Connor). [3] [4] [5]

Contents

Plot

One Christmas, a woman tells her granddaughter, Zoe Weaver, about Krampus. Zoe is placed in foster care after the death of her parents, and is eventually adopted by an abusive couple, who she kills using homemade, Voodoo doll-like effigies that can bring forth Krampus. While at a hospital, Zoe is interviewed by a child psychologist named Rachel Stewart, and uses her dolls to summon Krampus to murder a pedophilic orderly, as well as the negligent, alcoholic father of a fellow patient named Ashley.

Rachel looks into Zoe's past, and discovers that one of Zoe's previous foster fathers died under mysterious circumstances, and that Zoe, despite looking like a preadolescent, may in fact be over 30. Rachel, who has amnesia regarding her own childhood, begins having nightmares about Krampus, which eventually appears in her home alongside Zoe. Rachel flees with her adoptive son, Lamaar, but gets into a car accident, resulting in them both being hospitalized. A flashback reveals that Rachel is actually Zoe's older sister, and that she was a juvenile delinquent who, in an attempt to summon Krampus, set a fire that killed her parents and Zoe. In her dreams, Rachel is confronted by Zoe and Krampus, who she begs to save the dying Lamaar. Rachel spontaneously combusts in her hospital bed while Lamaar revives on the operating table, Krampus having taken Rachel's life in exchange for Lamaar's.

Zoe disappears, as does all evidence of her existence past her death year of 1992. Rachel's friend Miles visits her grave, and while leaving the cemetery, unknowingly walks past Zoe's tombstone.

Cast

Reception

Luiz H.C. of Bloody Disgusting had a middling response to the film, writing, "Krampus: The Reckoning isn't an altogether-horrible movie. There is enough quality present to make up for much of the bad acting and effects, not to mention a low-budget charm that few filmmakers are capable of pulling off convincingly. The ending was also properly impactful, a rare feat for this kind of film. That being said, if you crave some spooky Christmas fun this year, Michael Dougherty's Krampus is probably a better choice, though there is room out there for more than one entertaining Krampus movie." [6] A score of 1½ out of a possible 5 was awarded to the film by Matt Boiselle of Dread Central, who wrote, "As this complete lump of coal dragged on like a tranquilized reindeer in the snow, the detestable visuals were rivaled only by the incomprehensibly lackluster acting performances. I've seen local high school drama productions with more passion and delivery than this yule log. Sadly enough, if you're willing to sit through the majority of this fecal catastrophe, the final 20 minutes or so actually aren't that bad, but with the inclusion of some moronic backstories and wasteful plot pacing, this whole film closely resembles that crappy gift you've been given from your kooky aunt – just smile... and wait for her to leave before you toss it in the trash." [7] Fellow Dread Central reviewer Ted Hentschke, who gave Krampus: The Reckoning a grade of 2/5, was more lenient towards the film, writing, "This film is a mess, but surprisingly it isn't the biggest mess. The shots are mostly passable, and I don't remember the audio cutting awkwardly more than once. It's a low bar, but this film is kinda watchable. I liked the cop character despite him starting every sentence with a manly growl. The monster is kind of stupid, but the biggest problem is that the plot is inconsequential. Not that things don't happen, but the conclusion and ultimate twist just has little to do with the rest of the movie." [8]

The film was wholly condemned by Chris Coffel of Film School Rejects, who succinctly stated, "I'm pretty sure this is an allegory for child abuse with really bad digital effects and a creeper police detective. This film does score some bonus points for having a scene take place in Seamus McCaffrey's, an Irish pub in downtown Phoenix that I used to frequent. If you've never been to McCaffrey's, though, there is no bonus for you." [9] John Noonan of Horror News had a similarly negative response to the film, writing, "At times, the film does look pretty slick for what is obviously a horror film on the low end of the budget spectrum. But when the Krampus reveals itself – not in that way, you dirty boy – it's hard not to break out into fits of giggles. Jerkily moving across the screen like an 8 bit end boss, Jurassic Shark is profoundly more effective than this. Coupled with some shoddy acting from all avenues and there's very little to keep Krampus: The Reckoning off the naughty list. As festive horror movies go, you'd do well to return to sender." [10] UK Horror Scene's Elliott Maguire awarded the film a score of 5/10 and heavily criticized its computer-generated effects, but conceded, "The pace is fine, but it could have been even tighter, and in fairness, this is actually an interesting story. While it's easy to poke holes in, the plot takes some interesting turns towards the end that I actually didn't see coming, showing the filmmakers had more ambition than to just get confused with bigger budget films on the DVD shelves." [11]

See also

Related Research Articles

<i>Hatchet</i> (film) 2006 American film

Hatchet is a 2006 American slasher film written and directed by Adam Green. The film has an ensemble cast, including Joel David Moore, Tamara Feldman, Deon Richmond, Mercedes McNab, Parry Shen, Joleigh Fioreavanti, Joel Murray, Richard Riehle, Patrika Darbo, Joshua Leonard, Tony Todd, Robert Englund, and Kane Hodder. The plot follows a group of tourists on a New Orleans haunted swamp tour, who accidentally get stranded in the wilderness, only to be hunted by a vengeful, supernatural deformed man who kills anyone that enters the swamp.

<i>Trick r Treat</i> 2007 American film by Michael Dougherty

Trick 'r Treat is a 2007 American anthology horror film written and directed by Michael Dougherty and produced by Bryan Singer. The film stars Dylan Baker, Rochelle Aytes, Anna Paquin, and Brian Cox. It relates four Halloween horror stories with a common element in them: Sam, a trick-or-treating demon wearing orange footie pajamas with a burlap sack over his head. The character appears in each story whenever one of the other characters breaks a Halloween tradition.

<i>The Last Exorcism</i> 2010 American film

The Last Exorcism is a 2010 American found footage supernatural horror film directed by Daniel Stamm. It stars Patrick Fabian, Ashley Bell, Iris Bahr, Caleb Landry Jones, and Louis Herthum.

<i>Exeter</i> (film) 2015 American film

Exeter is a 2015 American supernatural horror film directed by Marcus Nispel. The screenplay by Kirsten McCallion is from a story by Nispel. It stars Stephen Lang, Kelly Blatz, Brittany Curran, Brett Dier and Gage Golightly. Jason Blum serves as an executive producer through his Blumhouse Productions banner. The film premiered at the Glasgow Horror Film Festival on February 27, 2015. The film was released on July 2, 2015, on DirecTV Cinema.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Dread Central</span> American website

Dread Central is an American website founded in 2006 that is dedicated to horror news, interviews, and reviews. It covers horror films, comics, novels, and toys. Dread Central has won the Rondo Hatton Classic Horror Award for Best Website four times and was selected as AMC's Site of the Week in 2008.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Krampus in popular culture</span>

Krampus, the "Christmas Devil" of Austrian and Bavarian folklore, has entered the popular culture of North America; Christian Jacobs notes that "thanks to the Internet and YouTube, [Krampus] is now very much on America's Christmas radar." Tanya Basu interprets this as part of a "growing movement of anti-Christmas celebrations": a "bah, humbug" rejection of – or novel alternative to – mainstream festivities. Brian Joines of Image Comics suspects that the reason Krampus has not been historically popularized in America is a social artifact resulting from "the nature of how we view Christmas in this country, both as a big day for kids and as the birth of a big religious figurehead". In some North American depictions, Krampus is an antihero who seeks to prevent children from becoming spoiled by rampant consumerism flowing from the economics of Christmas.

<i>Sick: Survive the Night</i> 2012 Canadian film

Sick: Survive the Night is a 2012 Canadian horror film directed by Ryan M. Andrews, written by Andrews and Chris Cull, and starring Christina Annie Aceto, Richard Sutton, Robert Nolan, and Debbie Rochon. Survivors of a zombie apocalypse attempt to find a cure and stay alive overnight during a siege.

<i>Charlies Farm</i> 2014 Australian slasher film by Chris Sun

Charlie's Farm is a 2014 Australian slasher film written and directed by Chris Sun. It tells the story of the violent history of Charlie's Farm, brutally brought to life when four horror seeking youths stumble across a legend that refuses to die. The film stars Tara Reid, Nathan Jones, Allira Jaques, Bill Moseley, Kane Hodder, Dean Kirkright, and Sam Coward.

<i>Hellions</i> (film) 2015 Canadian film

Hellions is a 2015 Canadian horror film directed by Bruce McDonald, written by Pascal Trottier and starring Chloe Rose. The film was an official selection of the 2015 Sundance Film Festival lineup and also screened at the 2015 Toronto International Film Festival.

<i>A Christmas Horror Story</i> 2015 Canadian film

A Christmas Horror Story is a 2015 Canadian anthology horror film directed by Grant Harvey, Steven Hoban, and Brett Sullivan. It premiered on July 20, 2015, at the Fantasia International Film Festival and had a limited theatrical release on October 2, 2015, along with a VOD release. The film is a series of interwoven stories tied together by a framework story featuring William Shatner as a radio DJ.

<i>WTF!</i> (film) 2017 American film

WTF! is a 2017 American horror film directed by Peter Herro. It was written by Herro, Christopher Lawrence Centanni and Adam Buchalter. It stars Callie Ott, Nicholas James Reilly, Andrea Hunt, and Johnny James Fiore, with a special appearance by Perez Hilton. The film follows a group of college friends onto their vacation at a secluded cabin. One by one, a killer works their way through the group, a killer who has links to an earlier massacre one of them previously survived.

<i>Against the Night</i> (film) 2017 American horror film

Against the Night is a 2017 American horror film written and directed by Brian Cavallaro. A limited theatrical release starring Hannah Kleeman, Tim Torre, and Frank Whaley, it is premised around a group of friends who start being killed one by one while shooting a ghost hunting video in Holmesburg Prison.

<i>Krampus Unleashed</i> 2016 horror film written

Krampus Unleashed is a 2016 horror film written and directed by Robert Conway. Premiering on video on demand before being released direct-to-video, the film stars Bryson Holl, Caroline Lassetter, Tim Sauer, and Emily Lynne Aiken as members of a dysfunctional family who run afoul of the mythological creature Krampus while spending Christmas with relatives in the Southwestern United States.

Robert Conway is an American independent filmmaker. He is best known for his work on the horror thriller films The Encounter, Krampus Unleashed, Krampus: The Reckoning, Krampus Origins, and The Covenant.

<i>Old 37</i> 2015 American film

Old 37 is a 2015 American horror film written by Joe Landes and Paul Travers, directed by Christian Winters and starring Kane Hodder, Bill Moseley and Brandi Cyrus.

Inheritance is a 2017 American horror-thriller film directed by Tyler Savage, starring Chase Joliet, Sara Montez, Dale Dickey and Drew Powell.

References

  1. ↑ Dawson, Mackenzie (November 29, 2015). "This demonic devil-goat is the anti-Elf taking over Christmas". nypost.com. New York Post . Retrieved December 29, 2018.
  2. ↑ Silver, Curtis (December 4, 2015). "Krampus Is Wrapping Its Chain Of Terror Around American Consumers' Necks". Forbes . Retrieved December 29, 2018.
  3. ↑ Hamman, Cody (October 2, 2015). "The Bad Get Punished in the Trailer for Krampus: The Reckoning". JoBlo.com . Arrow in the Head. Retrieved December 28, 2018.
  4. ↑ Miska, Brad (October 6, 2015). "Krampus: The Reckoning Gift-wrapped For November Release". bloody-disgusting.com. Bloody Disgusting . Retrieved December 28, 2018.
  5. ↑ Barton, Steve (October 6, 2015). "Another Krampus Ready to Ruin the Holidays". dreadcentral.com. Dread Central . Retrieved December 28, 2018.
  6. ↑ H.C., Luiz (November 2, 2015). "[Review]Krampus: The Reckoning is Getting a Lump of Coal For Christmas!". bloody-disgusting.com. Bloody Disgusting . Retrieved December 28, 2018.
  7. ↑ Boiselle, Matt (November 14, 2015). "Krampus: The Reckoning (2015)". dreadcentral.com. Dread Central . Retrieved December 29, 2018.
  8. ↑ Hentschke, Ted (December 3, 2018). "Naughty to Nice: The Twelve Films of Krampus". dreadcentral.com. Dread Central . Retrieved December 29, 2018.
  9. ↑ Coffel, Chris (December 8, 2017). "Every Christmas Horror Movie, Ranked". filmschoolrejects.com. Film School Rejects . Retrieved December 29, 2018.
  10. ↑ Noonan, John (January 17, 2016). "Film Review: Krampus: The Reckoning (2015)". horrornews.net. Horror News. Retrieved December 29, 2018.
  11. ↑ Maguire, Elliott (November 3, 2015). "Krampus: The Reckoning (2015) Review". ukhorrorscene.com. UK Horror Scene. Archived from the original on December 18, 2018. Retrieved December 29, 2018.
This page is based on this Wikipedia article
Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply.
Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.