Director: Joseph Mbah

Cast: Maria Olsen, Anna Harr, Amelia Haberman

Production Company: FunHouse Features

Runtime: 86 minutes

Krampus has been a part of European folklore for centuries. This goat-like demon punishes children who misbehave at Christmas. You probably already knew that. Krampus has gained a lot of interest over the past few years, mainly due to a number of movies based on the legend.

Director Joseph Mbah expands on the engaging myth with his newest film, Krampus Origins (2018)…

In the movie, an ancient book falls into the hands of an American soldier during the First World War. After his death, the book is delivered to his wife, who is teaching at an orphanage. The book is used to summon Krampus, unleashing evil on the world…

Katie Peabody provides us with a dramatic and emotional performance as Josephine. She’s quite natural in this, especially considering it’s her first feature film role. Maria Olsen from The Covenant (2017) is both strict and caring in the role of Sister Rafus.

Anna Harr from Bethany (2017), Amelia Haberman from Krampus: The Reckoning (2015), and Linda Cushma from Krampus Unleashed (2016) are also admirable in supporting roles. Those who appeared in previous related films are playing new characters in this one.

The characters are slowly introduced and developed over the first half of the film. We get a pretty good picture of who’s naughty and who’s nice during that time.

Mbah does a wonderful job of establishing the period setting through the use of appropriate wardrobe, classic cars, and vintage music from the era. Krampus looks pretty spectacular in this movie. He’s not just a big creepy demon, he’s more like an ancient warrior decked out in battle armour.

This movie isn’t really an origin story for Krampus, but more of an explanation for how the demon arrives in America. Also, of all the films based on this character, this one is the least centred around Christmas. Though, it does take place during this holiday season.

The film serves as a prequel of sorts for Krampus: The Reckoning and Krampus Unleashed. All of these films were written by Robert Conway. He’s also known for directing Exit to Hell (2013), and The Encounter (2015).

Krampus Origins is a pleasant addition to an ever-growing legend. It’s also quite different from previous films of this kind, happily providing some variety…

– John Migliore

For more information on the film, check out the links below…

Official Trailer

IMDb Page