Horror Movie Review: Krampus Origins (2018)

It’s the most wonderful time of the year so you know what means? Krampus horror! We’ve seen our fair share of horrors that invoke the name of the anti-Santa. From the fun 2015 horror-comedy, Krampus to the absolute stinkers that was 2013’s Krampus: The Christmas Devil, 2015’s Krampus: The Reckoning and 2016’s Krampus Unleashed.

So where does Kampus Origins sit?

It’s not good. It’s not the worst Krampus related horror we’ve seen but it’s also so far from the best. The biggest crime? It’s so boring.

Directed by Joseph Mbah, written by Robert Conway, and starring Maria Olsen, Anna Harr, and Amelia Haberman. The film is set at the end of World War 1 (the film gets the date the war ended wrong) as we see a group of American soldiers assaulting a German bunker.

They take care of the German soldiers, including killing an officer who appeared to be doing some sort of spell. One American soldier decides to take the spooky book the officer was using for himself. However, the group don’t make it out alive as they are then killed by a group of attacking German soldiers.

What was the point of all this? Well, the soldier who took the book had a wife. A teacher at a local orphanage. Three weeks after his death, she is given the news about his death and given his belongings which includes the book.

However, one of the more troublesome students steals the book and reawakens the evil inside. Evil with horns and that goes by the name of Krampus. Although, he at first disguises himself as a new orphan to cause a bit bother that way.

If you’re thinking that this sounds pretty dumb, you’d be right. However, those hoping for some fun antics are in for a disappointing time. The film is so boring. Bickering children, a drunk priest slurring all over the place, action that takes place mostly off screen and one of the blandest locations possible. To call it drab is being polite although by keeping it mostly within the walls of the orphanage, they did avoid many of the issues they might have run into regarding the period it is set in.

The acting ranges from terrible to ok, the effects are poor but the worst is the sound quality. Muffled voices, badly recorded in a echoey locations. If you’re not straining to hear what they’re saying you’ll be marvelling at how rubbish the dialogue often is.

If you’re watching, holding out to see the horned demon in all his glory, you will get your wish come the end of the film. Is it worth the slog? God no.

This is one present you should return.