10 Horror Movies That Wasted Brilliant Concepts
3. Krampus
Horror movies and Christmas movies are two genres that simply don’t cross over as much as they should. Sure, the classics are about family, the season of giving, and Santa Claus shaking his belly like a bowl full of jelly, but Christmas can be scary too.
Based on the Bavarian legend that is Krampus, the movie was scary enough to be different from any other Christmas movie, and festive enough to be different from any other horror movie. It sat in a sweet spot that could have made it something exceptional had its execution matched its concept.
The movie actually started off well enough. With a great cast led by Adam Scott, Toni Collette, and David Koechner, the movie was dark and gritty, and did a fantastic job of building up tension throughout. Things soon went south, however.
All of the tension and the atmosphere were drained when the movie devolved into a chaotic free-for-all of shocking CGI. The main characters were forced to fight off a horde of killer toys, as well as some of the most unrealistic looking gingerbread men you could possibly hope to see. After this, the movie became a joke simply impossible to take seriously.