Sister Krampus (2021)

A festering evil, born of injustice and wrongs done in life, can leave an insidious mark on the world. Such is the case when a human being is treated unjustly and dies an untimely death. This malevolent spirit will linger in the air, a warning to all who dare defy its presence. Dark and menacing, it hides behind shadows as punishment for those who have wronged it or others that may have met with similar fate. Such an entity is created in Mark Polonia’s new movie, Sister Krampus.

It's Christmas Eve, 1943, in a snowless field in Austria, and three American soldiers who have deserted their unit are arguing about how much trouble they might be in. Not only are they facing possible court-martialing for desertion, but they are also at risk of punishment for assaulting a nun at a nearby convent. The nun, Sister Benedict, has been blamed for what happened and cast out of her convent. So the nun makes a deal with Krampus to get her revenge after feeling abandoned by God.

A couple of deaths later, we find ourselves in present-day Austria, where two American sisters, Mary and Jodi, ended up in the same snowless field at Christmas. They don't see the sinister-looking Sister Krampus watching them, but she's there.

The new film from Mark and Anthony Polonia, "Sister Krampus," is everything you could hope for from the filmmakers - and then some. With a script by Mark and Ron Bonk, the film is a wild ride from start to finish, packed with the Polonias' trademark humor and energy.

The film starts with what looks like an attempt to pass off a field in Pennsylvania during the summer as Austria in the winter. The "uniforms" also look like they came from a clearance sale at a thrift store. What looks like outtakes from Midsommar with a voice saying "Krampus" dubbed over them is also passed off as a local festival. Sister Benedict is speaking with a Russian accent for reasons unknown. There is a restaurant whose only meal is potato soup. The silliness increases by the minute.

Sister Krampus is a Polonia production different from many others because it seems to have more life. This may be due to the addition of Anthony to the team, possibly because Ron Bonk created the original idea for the story or some blend of the two.

Although Sister Krampus is mostly an evil nun film, the Christmas demon does make an appearance and looks reasonably good. Some practical gore effects are used, including beheading and a zombie soldier.

The films of Mark Polonia are often frustrating because they are so close to being entertaining but fall short due to lack of effort. Some microbudget filmmakers lack the technical skills to make their films look good. However, this is not the case for Mark Polonia. He can make his movies look good, despite having a low budget, and if he just added a semi-coherent plot and some decent practical effects to his films, they could be far more enjoyable to watch. He seems aware of this, but he rarely seems to care enough to give it to them.

Sister Krampus is a fun microbudget film that's better than many other movies with "Krampus" in their title. Despite its flaws, Sister Krampus is a decent way to spend an hour and a half.