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Here's a look at the new movies I saw this week.

A Very Murray Christmas
Starring: Bill Murray, George Clooney, Paul Shaffer, Michael Cera, Rashida Jones, Amy Poehler, Miley Cyrus, Chris Rock, and Jason Schwartzman
Synopsis: When you hear that Sophia Coppola is directing a Christmas movie special with Bill Murray, you can't help but get excited. But I was disappointed by "A Very Murray Christmas," the result of that collaboration that was released on Netflix on Friday. It's only 56 minutes, so a little shorter than a typical feature, but it feels much longer. There's some attempts at humor, and there's plenty of interesting songs, but the story feels forced and a little dry. It's a shame, because there's a ton of talented people in the film and it feels like the kind of thing that should be a home run. Still, it is interesting to see Netflix starting to roll out its original films now (an Adam Sandler one debuts tomorrow). I like Christmas movies and specials, and I enjoy Bill Murray, but this was a bit of a miss for me.
Rating: TV-MA
Verdict: Two stars out of four

Krampus
Starring: Adam Scott, Toni Collette, Allison Tolman, David Koechner, and Emjay Anthony
Synopsis: Christmas can be stressful. It shouldn’t be, but it is. There’s shopping, planning, preparing and the sometimes stressful time spent with families. Plenty of movies have sought to capture the wonder, and stress, of Christmas. None of them has ever done it like “Krampus,” which isn’t your prototypical Christmas movie. It’s kind of a horror movie, yes, but it also has a pretty strong message out the meaning of the season. It’s probably something you wouldn’t expect. Based on the legend about the demon that stalks those who fail to embrace the Christmas spirit, “Krampus” takes a hard look at Christmas, family and our rapidly evolving Christmas culture. It turns out to be a fascinating, unexpected journey. When you go into a movie like “Krampus” you don’t know what to expect. Will it be a traditional horror film? Will it be comedic in spots? Will it be something more? Those were the questions I had going in, and the answer is that it’s all three, which is a rare treat. I was hooked into what director Michael Dougherty was doing from the opening sequence. Dougherty co-wrote the film with Zach Shields and Todd Casey, and has a feel for what he wants to say through the film. The opening sequence is a beautiful piece of visual storytelling with a classic Christmas tune set over images of what Christmas has become — a battle to find presents and survive shopping. It sets the tone for the story and how the film wants to go. Everything about the way this film is put together serves to push toward the kind of film that is being made. There are strong performances and plenty of interesting moments — both emotionally and visually. This film accomplishes a lot. There are comedic moments that take advantage of the strength of the cast. But this is also a movie that works as a horror film, which is a big part of its aims. There are some incredibly creepy visuals, particularly in the third act, that help with the execution of this story. But what surprised me most was how this film sought to make a statement about what the holidays should mean. I was moved a number of times by the emotional heart of the film. That is probably something you don’t expect from this kind of film, but it’s what helps make it a wonderful addition to this holiday season. I also liked the work from the cast. Tolman, Koechner, Collette and Scott are all veteran actors who do a good job with their parts. But the star of this film is Anthony, who in a lot of ways captures the heart of this story. It’s a film that provides the expected, then goes above and beyond. It’s not your typical Christmas film, but it offers a message that even George Bailey could appreciate. And it offers an ending that you won’t see coming, that’s a nice twist.
Rating: PG-13 for sequences of horror violence/terror, language and some drug material.
Verdict: Three stars out of four.

Upcoming Releases:
Friday, December 11 — "In the Heart of the Sea"
Friday, December 18 — "Star Wars Episode VII: The Force Awakens," "Sisters"
Wednesday, December 23 — "The Big Short," "Alvin and the Chipmunks: The Road Chip"
Friday, December 25 — "Joy," "Daddy's Home," "Concussion," "Point Break," "The Hateful Eight," "The Revenant"