The Devil of Christmas 2016

Opening slate and setting

The film opens with a video-tape clock slate announcing The Devil of Christmas, dropping us into a December 1977 Austrian Alpine chalet. Julian, Kathy, Celia, Klaus, Toby and the other adults settle in as a strangely unsettling Krampus painting watches from the wall. The meta setup hints that the film itself will blur the line between movie and reality.

Director's audio commentary intrudes

The episode introduces Dennis Fulcher, the director, speaking to an unseen partner as if in an audio commentary. The footage is rewound so Dennis can flag a continuity error, and his running commentary braids into the story. This meta touch turns the chalet into a stage where filmmaking choices become part of the tension.

Klaus's Krampus tale unsettles Kathy

Klaus recounts the Krampus legend in a way that unsettles Kathy, casting a shadow over the holiday narrative. The eerie story plants a sense of danger alongside the festive mood. The other adults react with varying caution and skepticism.

Toby prepares for Krampus

Before bed, Toby dutifully leaves his boots for the Krampus, while Kathy empties a bottle of tablets, signaling quiet strain in the house. The small rituals heighten tension as the adults debate what’s real and what’s superstition. The scene underscores the fragility of the family dynamics.

Morning clues of the Krampus visit

The next morning, Toby's boots are found stuffed with switches, a sign (in Klaus's telling) that the Krampus has visited a naughty child. Celia distrusts Kathy, noting she is not Toby's mother, while Julian brushes off the concern. The family grapples with the unsettling physical signs around them.

Dinner and bedtime concerns

During dinner, Toby cheerfully claims a wonderful day with Klaus, signaling normalcy. As Toby heads to bed, Kathy worries that he may have been sleepwalking, a fear Julian and Celia dismiss. The scene heightens the sense that something is off beneath the apparent holiday cheer.

Night visit of the Krampus

That night, Toby and Celia drift out of bed, and the eerie figure of the Krampus looms again in the dim light. The house feels watched as the boundary between story and reality blurs. The sequence deepens the mounting dread.

New scratches and the decision to leave

The following day brings fresh scratches on Toby’s body, prompting Celia to decide she and the child should leave. The family fractures under the strain and fear that has taken hold in the chalet. The act of leaving underscores the fragility of their ties.

Kathy marked by scratches; mystery deepens

Julian discovers scratches on Kathy’s back and finds her boots stuffed with switches. A search reveals Kathy downstairs, and Celia calls to confirm she and Toby are safely home. The clues heighten the sense that something sinister operates beneath the surface.

Kathy abducted by the Krampus

The Krampus appears again to snatch Kathy, and Julian collapses, clutching his heart while reaching for his medication. Kathy holds up his empty pill bottle, a cruel cue to his impending death. The violence erupts from both supernatural myth and human treachery.

Revelation: Krampus is Klaus, then Simon

The shocking revelation follows: the Krampus is not supernatural but Klaus in disguise, who then discards a fake moustache to reveal himself as Simon, Kathy’s lover. Fulcher frames this as a hinge in the story, shifting from folklore to human treachery. The characters confront the truth behind the terrifying events.

On-set sequence before the final act

With a final scene promised, the actors prepare. Kathy lies on a bed as Champagne is poured, and Simon, still half in costume, joins her and binds her to the bed. Simon claims to be Krampus, and the scene ends with Kathy’s scream as the Krampus-like figure cackles. The boundary between fiction and fear thickens.

Stagehands prepare for a non-scripted sequence

The production continues as two stagehands lay plastic sheeting beneath Kathy for a sequence not written in the script. Another actor dresses as the Krampus, and Kathy is roughly gagged by a stagehand as the new Krampus advances with a machete. Dennis notes that the audience is witnessing genuine fear, blurring reality and cinema.