Originally, I was set to see Christmas Eve, a film about six groups of very different people who end up stuck in elevators all over New York City during a Christmas Eve blackout.

Bad news, that film had a limited release, and I was unable to see it. Good news, I found another Christmas film that I hope others enjoy as much as I did. I am speaking, of course, of Krampus.

Krampus (from Trick R’ Treat director Michael Dougherty) tells the story of a family who reflects many other families around us, maybe even our own.

On this particular Christmas, the youngest child Max gets into verbal arguments with his family about the meaning of Christmas after a relative makes fun of him for still believing in Santa. Afterward, he tears his letter to Santa apart and loses his Christmas spirit. What ensues is exactly what everyone expects in a horror film: members of the family get bumped off, fighting between our heroes and the evil spirits, and bonding between family through tough times.

This wild ride of a holiday horror fest is not a run of the mill story though. Technically categorized as a “dark comedy”, there will be times you may feel bad for laughing, but make no mistake, you are indeed supposed to laugh. I won’t reveal anything here; all I will tell you is to expect the unexpected from the red bag left at the door.

I will leave you with one last thought: when I went to see this, right after the film ended and the end credits started to roll, a man took the opportunity to shout, “Don’t lose the Christmas spirit ya’ll!” I applaud this man. Why? Well, simply for the fact that he pointed out the main object of the film: don’t forget that Christmas is all about love.