Krampus Unleashed

Lore & Background

The film opens in 1898 with German outlaw Erik Klaus disappearing after burying treasure in the Arizona desert. Cowboys later discover a summoning stone that releases Krampus when exposed to open flames. According to myth, Saint Nicholas left pieces of the stone in the shoes and stockings of his enemies, so that Krampus would kill them when the clothing was placed by a fire to dry. Krampus massacres the cowboys, but the sole survivor, Cooper, flees as the stone is lost in a stream. Decades later, Will and Amber travel with their children Tommy and Fiona to Arizona to spend Christmas with Amber's parents, Dale and Alice Henderson. Also present are Amber's brother David, his wife Vivian, and their son Troy. Tommy finds the summoning stone while gold panning, and Troy accidentally burns it with a cigarette, summoning Krampus. The creature kills a pair of Bigfoot hunters and the boyfriend of a woman named Bonnie, who seeks help from the Hendersons. Will, Dale, Alice, and Amber are slaughtered by Krampus. David, Vivian, Fiona, Troy, Tommy, and Bonnie attempt to flee in a car, but it crashes, killing Vivian. David attacks Krampus and is killed. The survivors meet Cooper, who has spent his life studying Krampus. Cooper reveals that Krampus is summoned by fire but can be banished by earth. They lure Krampus into an abandoned mine shaft with the summoning stone, and Cooper sacrifices himself to collapse the cavern with TNT. In the morning, Bonnie, Tommy, and Fiona are found by Bonnie's ex-boyfriend, a state trooper named Dan. Troy, separated from the others, is mauled by a baby Krampus that hatched from the summoning stone.

Reader's Guide

Krampus Unleashed is a low-budget horror film that received largely negative reviews. Critics noted its short runtime of 75 minutes but felt it dragged due to minimal plot development. The film's creature design and gore effects were occasionally praised, but its dialogue, acting, and pacing were heavily criticized. Scott Foy of Dread Central gave it 1½ out of 5, writing that it felt longer than its runtime. Ted Hentschke of the same outlet awarded 2/5, calling it uninteresting and bland. Chris Coffel of Film School Rejects noted it was an improvement over Conway's earlier Krampus: The Reckoning, but still not good. Nolen Boe of Horror News found only the gore effects positive, and Scott Clark of Starburst gave it 3/10, criticizing the clunky dialogue and dullness. The film was released on DVD by Uncork'd Entertainment and later made available on Hulu in December 2018. It stands as one of two Krampus films directed by Robert Conway, with differing mythologies between them.

Did You Know?

• The film was written and directed by Robert Conway, who also directed another Krampus film titled Krampus: The Reckoning.
• Krampus is portrayed by Travis Amery.
• The summoning stone hatches a baby Krampus at the end of the film.
• The film was released on Hulu in December 2018.