KRAMPUS [2015]

All the most delightful Christmas films combine cynicism with sentimental values, like Gremlins, Bad Santa, Edward Scissorhands and now director Michael Dougherty's hilariously twisted ho-ho-horror film Krampus.
Young Max & his family have been naughty and it's up to Krampus, a German folk-lore demon who polarizes Jolly ol' Saint Nick, to teach them a bloody, bloody lesson.
Dougherty feeds us the usual grumpy family stereotypes, then flips them on their head while adding a disturbing unpredictability to the gutted victim's list.  There's some phenomenally executed practical FX that makes it an absolute joy for anyone that loves their jack-in-the-box toys with a little extra bite.  It's not particularly scary but it packs enough imagination, off-the-wall sick humor and anti-holiday cheer to make it an annual must while roasting Uncle Chester's nuts over an open fire.

3½ creatures stirring out of 5

THE GIFT [2015]

Actor Joel Edgerton makes his directorial debut with the standard fare yet highly effective thriller, The Gift.
A socially awkward oddball from a husband's past places himself into the married couple's lives and get's weirder and weirder as his obsession with the couple begins to grow.
It's a premise most will be familiar with much earlier thrillers like Fatal Attraction or The Hand The Rocks the Cradle, Edgerton crafts the film in such a way that it still feels fresh while never covering any new ground.  The pacing, character reveals and thrills are all perfectly timed so much that it never outstays it's welcome.  It manages to steer away from the usual shocks most films these days would go for and instead disturbs the audiences with it's unsettling character subtleties that'll have your head spinning by the final act.

3½ fish out of 5