While July might drum up images of hot dogs, cookouts, beach trips, and heat waves, the month also marks a halfway point that fans of a certain holiday will surely be celebrating. On the 25th, many networks like the Hallmark Channel pop off with festivities reveling in the time-honored tradition of Christmas in July. This year, Netflix is getting in on the action, but in the scariest way possible. While Hallmark will be bringing audiences tales of love and merriment, Netflix is set to add one of the best holiday horror hits to its lengthy lineup of content. Beginning on July 16, audiences can tune in to see what happens to those who end up on the naughty list when the Adam Scott (Severance) and Toni Collette (Hereditary)-led Krampus terrorizes subscribers.
Unlike its Netflix debut, Krampus first entered cinemas during the holy jolly season back in December 2015. Over the last decade, the movie has gathered somewhat of a cult following despite its lackluster kick-off at the box office ten years ago. The plot centers around a family going through your run-of-the-mill holiday dysfunction. Things take a turn for the worse when the family’s son, Max (Emjay Anthony), completely falls out of the spirit, which leads to the awakening of a folklore beast of old — Krampus. Here, to punish those who can’t get their holiday spirit in check, Krampus descends on the home, forcing the entire family to pull together lest they succumb to the shadow of Krampus.
Toni Collette and Adam Scott Lead the Holiday Horror
Prior to his critically acclaimed work on the Apple TV+ series, Severance, most fans probably associated Scott’s name with the comedic work he did — specifically in the beloved sitcom mockumentary Parks and Recreation. But Krampus gives the actor the chance to fully embrace his spooky-scary side, a side that we’ve loved to see in future projects like Little Evil and The Monkey.
And then there’s my horror queen and yours, Toni Collette. Of course, the Australian native shines in dramas, comedies, and every other genre she touches, but there’s just something about her performance in Ari Aster’s Hereditary that stands out as one of the best of her career. Comparatively, Krampus is much lighter fare than the 2018 flick that also starred Alex Wolff and Gabriel Byrne, but it gives her another chance to play a complicated mother figure dealing with the fallout of her family.
Krampus begins streaming on Netflix on July 16.

Krampus
- Release Date
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December 4, 2015
- Runtime
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98minutes
- Director
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Michael Dougherty