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Why Krampus Works So Well
One of the smartest things about Krampus is that Dougherty doesn't make Christmas itself the villain.
He makes the loss of the Christmas spirit the problem.
The movie understands that Christmas has always had a darker side. There are stories about punishment, supernatural visitors, naughty children and mysterious figures who know whether you've been good or bad.
As Dougherty himself has pointed out, the basic concept of Santa watching children while they're asleep is already pretty creepy when you stop and think about it.
Krampus simply asks:
What if Santa had a really, really nasty cousin?
And then it answers the question with monsters.
Lots of monsters.
