Krampus: The Reckoning

Krampus: The Reckoning (also released as The Hunted) is a 2015 American direct-to-video horror film. Robert Conway directed and co-wrote the screenplay with Owen Conway. The cast includes Monica Engesser as a child psychologist trying to understand the connection between a mysterious young girl and the mythical figure Krampus, with Amelia Haberman playing the girl and William Connor portraying the creature.

In the story, a grandmother tells her granddaughter Zoe Weaver about Krampus one Christmas. After her parents die, Zoe enters foster care and is later adopted by an abusive couple, whom she kills using homemade effigy dolls that summon Krampus. While hospitalized, Zoe meets child psychologist Rachel Stewart and uses the dolls to make Krampus murder a pedophilic orderly and the alcoholic father of another patient named Ashley. Rachel investigates Zoe's past and learns that a previous foster father died suspiciously, and that Zoe, though appearing preadolescent, may be over 30 years old. Rachel, who has amnesia about her own childhood, starts having nightmares about Krampus, who eventually appears in her home with Zoe. Rachel flees with her adoptive son Lamaar but crashes their car, landing both in the hospital. A flashback reveals Rachel is actually Zoe's older sister; as a juvenile delinquent, Rachel set a fire trying to summon Krampus, accidentally killing their parents and Zoe. In her dreams, Rachel begs Krampus to save the dying Lamaar. Rachel spontaneously combusts in her hospital bed while Lamaar revives on the operating table, Krampus having traded Rachel's life for his. Zoe vanishes, along with all evidence of her existence after her death year of 1992. Rachel's friend Miles visits her grave and unknowingly walks past Zoe's tombstone as he leaves the cemetery.

Critical reception was mixed. Luiz H.C. of Bloody Disgusting found the film not altogether horrible, noting quality that compensates for bad acting and effects, a low-budget charm, and an impactful ending, though he suggested Michael Dougherty's Krampus as a better choice for Christmas horror. Matt Boiselle of Dread Central gave it 1.5 out of 5, calling it a "lump of coal" with detestable visuals and lackluster acting, but admitted the final 20 minutes weren't bad, despite moronic backstories and wasteful pacing. Fellow Dread Central reviewer Ted Hentschke awarded 2 out of 5, describing the