The last decade has been ripe with twists on the classic horror film genre. Most recently, this has taken the form of mascot horror, a subgenre that essentially turns what could be childhood delight into a source of terror. Popular mascot horror films from the past few years have included Winnie-the-Pooh: Blood and Honey, Five Nights at Freddy's, and the upcoming films Bambi: The Reckoning and Peter Pan's Neverland Nightmare. While there are still plenty of conventional horror films being made, audiences are seeming to respond well to those that twist a typically jovial topic into something sinister.
In addition to mascot horror, another growingly popular trope is the Christmas horror film. This is exemplified in several recent films, such as Mean One, which combines mascot and holiday horror. 2024 saw the release of Terrifier 3, a threequel which put Art the Clown in a Christmas setting. Between these and films like Silent Night and It's a Wonderful Knife, it becomes clear that horror fans are also interested in a festive element when it comes to their horror. One such subgenre film, which features a Severance star, has now been doing well on streaming.
Krampus Is A Streaming Success
The Movie Was Released In 2015
Krampushas now found success on its streaming platform. This holiday horror film is a 2015 film about a family whose already-lackluster Christmas takes a turn for the worse when they are visited by a folkloric Christmas demon. The Michael Dougherty-directed film features Severance's Adam Scott in the lead role of Tom, with a supporting cast that includes Toni Collette, David Koechner, Allison Tolman, and Emjay Anthony. Krampus did fairly well in theaters, grossing $61.5 million against a reported $15 million budget.
Now, Krampus has become a streaming success on Max. As per Collider, the film managed to climb to no. 8 on the streamer's top 10 charts earlier this week. In addition to being available on Max, Krampus is also available to stream on Peacock and rent on Prime Video.
Our Take On Krampus' Streaming Success
Krampus Is A Christmas Alternative
It is not unusual for festive fare to succeed during this time of year, but it is still interesting to see a film like Krampus make the charts right before Christmas. Though it is snowy and seasonal, the Krampus ending is fairly bleak, making it less jolly than some more conventional Christmas-themed films. Still, Krampus' success shows the horror fans are still looking for an alternative during this time of year. If it continues to do well on Max, this could be a good sign for the development of the potential Krampus 2 down the line.
Directed by Michael Dougherty, Krampus is a 2015 Horror and Comedy release that stars Adam Scott, David Koechner, Toni Collette, and Allison Tolman. The film sees a feuding family accidentally unleash a darkness on their home which sees Krampus stalking them on Christmas Eve.
Release Date December 4, 2015
Runtime 98minutes
Cast Luke Hawker , Toni Collette , Adam Scott , Emjay Anthony , Allison Tolman , Stefania Owen , David Koechner , Conchata Ferrell
Director Michael Dougherty
Writers Michael Dougherty , Todd Casey , Zach Shields
English (US) ·