4k Movie, Streaming, Blu-Ray Disc, and Home Theater Product Reviews & News | High Def Digest
Film & TV All News Blu-Ray Reviews Release Dates News Pre-orders 4K Ultra HD Reviews Release Dates News Pre-orders Gear Reviews News Home Theater 101 Best Gear Film & TV
Ultra HD : Highly Recommended
Ranking:
Sale Price: $26.99 Last Price: $39.98 Buy now! 3rd Party 16.26 In Stock
Release Date: December 7th, 2021 Movie Release Year: 2015

Krampus: The Naughty Cut - 4K Ultra HD Blu-ray

Overview -

Thanks to Scream Factory, Michael Dougherty’s 2015 horror/comedy/Christmas flick Krampus: The Naughty Cut terrorizes 4k Ultra HD Blu-ray. This creepy hilarious film was a surprise hit in theaters and has quickly become a seasonal classic and now can be enjoyed in a slightly longer form. Now in Ultra HD with Dolby Vision and a new Atmos audio mix - it looks and sounds better than ever topped off with some excellent new and archival bonus features. Highly Recommended.

For the first time ever, the original cut of Krampus for those who are naughty, not nice!

When his dysfunctional family clashes over the holidays, young Max is disillusioned and turns his back on Christmas. Little does he know, this lack of festive spirit has unleashed the wrath of Krampus: a demonic force of ancient evil intent on punishing non-believers. All hell breaks loose as beloved holiday icons take on a monstrous life of their own, laying siege to the fractured family's home and forcing them to fight for each other if they hope to survive.

Featuring an ensemble cast that includes Adam Scott (Parks And Recreation), Toni Collette (Hereditary), Allison Tolman (Fargo) and David Koechner (Anchorman: The Legend Of Ron Burgundy), this is a wonderfully dark and subversive "must-see film" (wegotthiscovered.com)!

KRAMPUS: THE NAUGHTY CUT restores key dialogue and scenes that had to be trimmed from the original theatrical release in order to appease the MPAA. Supervised by filmmaker Michael Dougherty, this is the definitive version of the holiday cult classic for the entire family to enjoy.

Krampus: The Naughty Cut Bonus Features
Disc 1 (UHD):

  • NEW The Naughty Cut with additional scenes and adult language that were previously cut for the PG-13 theatrical version
  • NEW Dolby Atmos track
  • Audio Commentary with director/co-writer Michael Dougherty and co-writers Todd Casey and Zach Shields
Disc 2 (Blu-Ray):
  • NEW The Naughty Cut with additional scenes and adult language cut to get a PG-13 rating
  • NEW Dolby Atmos track
  • NEW A Dash of Mischief – an interview with director/co-writer Michael Dougherty
  • NEW Storm of the Centuries – an interview with producer Todd Casey
  • NEW The Great Protector – an interview with actor David Koechner
  • NEW Something Bad Happened on Christmas – an interview with actress Allison Tolman
  • NEW Max’s Journey – an interview with actor Emjay Anthony
  • NEW Lord of the Things – an interview with WETA’s Richard Taylor
  • NEW Mapping Mythology – an interview with storyboard artist Simeon Wilkins
  • NEW I, Krampus – an interview with performer Luke Hawker
  • NEW A Winter Chorus – an interview with composer Douglas Pipes
  • Audio Commentary with director/co-writer Michael Dougherty and co-writers Todd Casey and Zach Shields
  • Krampus Comes Alive! – a five-part featurette on the making of the film
  • Behind-the-Scenes at Weta Workshop: Krampus
  • Deleted/Extended Scenes, not seen in the theatrical cut
  • Gag Reel
  • Alternate Ending
  • Theatrical Trailers
  • Photo Galleries – creature art, storyboards and more

OVERALL:
Highly Recommended
Rating Breakdown
STORY
VIDEO
AUDIO
SPECIAL FEATURES
Tech Specs & Release Details
Technical Specs:
4K Ultra HD Blu-ray + Blu-ray
Video Resolution/Codec:
HDR10
Length:
98
Aspect Ratio(s):
2.40:1
Audio Formats:
English: Dolby Atmos, English: DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1
Subtitles/Captions:
English SDH
Release Date:
December 7th, 2021

Storyline: Our Reviewer's Take

Ranking:

Young Max (Emjay Anthony) seems to be the only one feeling the Christmas spirit. In a letter to Santa, he desperately hopes Christmas will be like it used to be when his perfectionist mother (Toni Collette) and work-addicted father (Adam Scott), his boyfriend-addicted sister Beth (Stefania LaVie Owen) could celebrate the holiday with their grandmother Omi (Krista Stadler). And if everyone could get along with Uncle Howard (David Koecher) and Aunt Linda (Allison Tolman), and their kids all the better. But when Max’s list falls into the hands of his cruel cousins, he gives up on the spirit of Christmas triggering the arrival of the Anti-Santa - the demon Krampus and his diabolical minions. 

I discovered Krampus entirely by happenstance. I’d heard of it from internet chatter and saw the poster at the theater but that was it. Never saw a trailer. Never read a review. I actually went to the theater to see another movie but when it turned out that the auditorium had some gremlins in the audio system, the theater gave me a free ticket to anything else and since I didn’t want to brave a freezing Chicago winter walk home I figured I’d give Michael Dougherty’s latest a shot. What was turning out to be a disastrous outing turned into one of my favorite movie-going experiences. I had the auditorium all to my self so I got a prime seat without any annoying chitchat. The film was a thrill-ride dark family comedy with some genuinely terrifying practical effects creatures thanks to the geniuses at WETA. Even as a PG-13 feature it didn’t hold back or feel cheated by its rating. It’s like Evil Dead II and National Lampoon’s Christmas Vacation had a demented lovechild. 

2021 Blu-ray

2016 Blu-ray

If I have a criticism it’s that the dark humor could have had a little more bite - especially with the overly satirical nature of the big exhausting family gettogether. While there’s still a lot of humor in the horror, it could have used some more edge. Trying to keep things somewhat family-friendly, most of the humor feels pulled back. But that’s a small nitpick really. Now with the slightly longer Naughty Cut, we get a little more choice uses of language, a little more time for character-building, and a little extra splattering of gore. These are basically all of the slight scene extensions found in the bonus features just reinserted into the film proper. This Naughty Cut doesn’t fundamentally change the experience any. Aside from the number of F-Bombs, I’d be willing to bet this new cut would still pull a PG-13. It’s still the same movie, only roughly four minutes longer. 

2021 Blu-ray

2016 Blu-ray

For another take - read our 2016 Blu-ray Review



Vital Disc Stats: The 4K Ultra HD Blu-ray
This new seasonal favorite comes to 4K Ultra HD Blu-ray as Krampus: The Naughty Cut from Scream Factory in a two-disc 4K UHD + Blu-ray Collector’s Edition. In addition to the 4K disc, the standard 1080p disc is packed with this new longer cut sourced from the recent remaster. Both discs are housed in a standard black keepcase with identical slipcover and reversible insert artwork. The discs load to animated main menus with traditional navigation options. 

NOTE: As of publishing time, we weren’t able to source images from the 4K disc, so the images are pulled from the new 1080p disc with comparison images from the previous Blu-ray.

Video Review

Ranking:

2021 Blu-ray

2016 Blu-ray

Shot digitally and finished on a 2K Digital Intermediate, Krampus picks up a welcome upgrade with this upscaled 2160p Dolby Vision transfer. Given the limitations of the source elements, there are only subtle improvements with details. Doing some frequent disc flipping, there were several brightly lit sequences that offered some slight enhancements, but most of the time there's little to no difference in details. The lack of notable detail difference is partly because most of the film is so very dark and steeped in shadows - but thankfully nothing quite so dark as AVP: Requiem where you can’t see anything. Some sequences are just a little brighter, others a bit darker and more ominous. You still get a full appreciation of all the creepy elves, snowmen, and demonic gingerbread men stalking this film. 

2021 Blu-ray

2016 Blu-ray

The biggest difference you’re going to see with the 4K disc and the new Blu-ray is color timing and brightness. Whites are crisper and more natural with black levels solidifying deep inky blacks without being quite so hazy and avoiding the worst crush issues of the 2016 release. There’s less of a green tone to the image favoring more of an icy blue color now. The blue shift is more noticeable whenever the family leaves the house and braves the storm. Primaries also get a little extra punch with some stronger reds, blues, and yellows than the previous transfer - but those are really most notable in the opening moments of the film.

With Dolby Vision (and HDR10), the 4K disc becomes the easy winner. Dark outdoor scenes take on a more natural cool blue tone allowing for some sharper details to come through when Beth is out to find her boyfriend or when Tom and Howard try to find her. Firelight is also warmer with a much more natural red/orange presence to the flickering flame light. For the calmer quiet scenes with the family huddled around the fireplace, the extra shadow definition with deeper orange/red firelight gives the scenes a creepier vibe without losing important details or slipping into crush territory. The animated flashback sequence also takes on a more pronounced aged sepia tone this time out. Image depth also gains a welcome boost, even during the darkest sequences there’s plenty of three-dimensional presence to the image. While not the biggest set of improvements, overall it’s a stronger more satisfying visual experience. 

2021 Blu-ray

2016 Blu-ray

Audio Review

Ranking:

2021 Blu-ray

2016 Blu-ray

Now the big winner for this release is the new Atmos mix that is present on both the 4K disc and the new 1080p disc. The 2016 release enjoyed a near-demo-worthy DTS-HD MA 5.1 track and this new Atmos mix takes everything that worked so well and gives it some subtle tweaks to make the most of the new format. The biggest benefit I heard - and felt - was the overhead effects. Anytime Krampus is stomping on the roof or when that terrifying Jack-In-The-Box monster is shimmying around in the vents, the object placement is terrific. The creepy critters and their thumping around also punch some great LFE giving the subs some room to rattle the floor a bit. 

2021 Blu-ray

2016 Blu-ray

Throughout, the dialog is clean and clear. The Douglas Pipes score accents the creepiest - and funniest - sequences without sounding like it’s being pushed in to add noise to an already active mix. Surround channels are almost always engaged, if the family isn’t being attacked that creepy dissonant sound of a raging blizzard certainly raises the hairs on the back of your neck. When Beth is about to get attacked is a damn creepy sequence. It sounded great in DTS-HD MA 5.1, but now it’s even better in Atmos with Krampus jumping from roof to roof!  

For those not rocking Atmos - the same DTS-HD MA 5.1 mix from the previous release is still available on both the 4K and 1080p Blu-ray discs. 

Special Features

Ranking:

2021 Blu-ray


2016 Blu-ray

Not leaving anything in the bag, Scream Factory loads up this release with an impressive selection of new and all previous archival bonus features. The same audio commentary is brought back and it’s a fun listen if you’ve never given it a go. It’s the lone bonus feature that appears on the 4K and 1080p discs. Everything else is on the 1080p Blu-ray. You get about an hour of new informative interviews. Each has some great insight into the production but David Koechner is easily the most entertaining. 

4K UHD Disc

  • Audio Commentary featuring Michael Dougherty, Todd Casey, and Zach Shields

1080P Disc

  • Audio Commentary featuring Michael Dougherty, Todd Casey, and Zach Shields
  • NEW INTERVIEWS
    • A Dash of Mischief - Interview with Michael Dougherty (HD 18:31)
    • Storm of the Centuries - Interview with Todd Casey (HD 8:29)
    • The Great Protector - Interview with David Koechner (HD 8:35)
    • Something Bad Happened on Christmas - Interview with Allison Tolman (HD 11:30)
    • Max’s Journey - Interview with Emjay Anthony (HD 5:27)
    • Lord of the Things - Interview with WETA’s Richard Taylor (HD 10:12)
    • Mapping Mythology - Interview with Simeon Wilkins (HD 7:54)
    • I, Krampus - Interview with Luke Hawker (HD 11:16)
    • A Winter Corus - Interview with Douglas Pipes (HD 8:05)
  • Krampus Comes Alive! (HD 29:30)
  • Behind the Scenes at WETA Workshop (HD 9:54)
  • Deleted/Extended Scenes (HD 17:36)
  • Gag Reel (HD 5:15)
  • Alternate Ending (HD 1:24)
  • Galleries

Just in time to spread some very much-needed cheer, Scream Factory delivers holiday horror/comedy fans Krampus: The Naughty Cut on 4K Ultra HD Blu-ray. Running a little longer than the original PG-13 release, it offers up some extra character bits, some choice language usage, and some extra gore. Not a different or better film, just more of what was already great. Capped off with an excellent Dolby Vision transfer, a terrific Atmos mix, and an informative mix of new and archival bonus features, this is the gift that is sure to keep Santa’s dark little helper from visiting your home this year. Highly Recommended.