Movies for Christmas in July
‘Tis is season … well, no, it isn’t. The holidays may be far away, but with summer approaching, we wanted to celebrate — Christmas in July-style! Yes, we know it isn’t July. Do we care? No! Check out this list of festive films that are great watches, regardless of the season.
Krampus
When thinking of Christmas movies, everyone’s minds likely go to the same place: A Christmas Story, How the Grinch Stole Christmas, Elf … so on and so forth. These classic films are so well-known that most people have already seen them. Instead of retreading old ground, I wanted to bring to light a Christmas movie that’s a classic in my household: Krampus (2015).
Christmas is approaching, and the dysfunctional Engel family is anything but merry. Max, the young son, is disappointed in the diminishing Christmas spirit and the death of family tradition. He writes a hopeful letter to Santa Claus, but before he can put it in the mailbox, his cruel cousins get their hands on it and use it to humiliate him. This being the last straw, Max rips the letter into pieces and announces his hatred for the holiday. With this, the Christmas spirit has left the Engel family entirely, making room for something much more sinister. A horrible blizzard approaches, and with it, the “shadow of Saint Nicholas.”
Now, it feels imperative to mention this is a horror comedy — it’s pretty lighthearted in its approach, eliciting more snickers than screams. That’s not to say it’s overwhelmingly cheesy, however, as the acting and special effects are both without complaint (if we don’t talk about those hilariously corny CGI gingerbread men). The film stars notable and talented actors like Adam Scott, Toni Collette, and David Koechner, so it isn’t just some B movie garbage. Considering subject matter, however, the movie can only do so much. Between some genuinely frightening creatures, slow-building suspense, and a downright silly script, this film is just an all-around-entertaining Christmas flick. No need to wait for the winter season; why not check it out now?
Available for free on Max, Hulu, Amazon Prime TV, YouTube TV, and Sling TV.