‘Red One’ Villains Krampus and Grýla Are Steeped in Scary Folklore

This year’s roster of holiday movies is about to roll out, and Red One may draw you to the theater with its light-hearted storyline and a cast that includes J.K. Simmons, Chris Evans, Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson, Lucy Liu, Kiernan Shipka and Kristofer Hivju.

Arriving in theaters on Nov. 15, the action-comedy-sometimes thriller centers on the kidnapping of Santa from his North Pole home. Simmons’ Santa is a buff gym rat whose bench-pressing stats may humble you, and his nickname is Nick. Abducting him is no easy feat, and whoever’s behind the kidnapping must have planned it with precision.

Johnson’s Callum Drift and Evans’ Jack O’Malley pair up in the name of saving Santa Claus, a thorny collaboration attempting to combat a nefarious plan from Grýla (Shipka) and Krampus (Hivju). Mercenary Jack makes a grave misstep that leads to Santa’s kidnapping, and Nick’s E.L.F. team (Enforcement, Logistics and Fortification) has to go dark to rescue him. 

CNET attended a press event for the film where cast members and the executive producing team talked about the movie’s unique depiction of its villains, along with characters like Saint Nick. While the film puts its own spin on these mythological figures, Grýla and Krampus have fun old folklore that isn’t exactly wholesome or lightweight. Here’s a look at the dark stories behind them.

Who is Grýla?

Forget Halloween. Who doesn’t love snowy witches in the wintertime? Kiernan Shipka plays Grýla, an ancient Icelandic Yule witch who can transform from her many-tailed giant troll-like appearance into a glam winter sorceress. Like the mythological Grýla, she has a troupe of one dozen kids called the Yule Lads who harass people and help her carry out her Christmastime tasks. They’re not filled with much merriment.

According to regional legends, Grýla lives in a cave and punishes children who’ve been misbehaving all year. She likes to capture, cook and eat them, often hunting for them — sword and bag in hand — with her mate. She’s also been married a few times and known to devour a husband or two. The fabled version of the witch isn’t as fashionable as Shipka’s in Red One, but they share a similar goal: Teach the naughty ones how to act right and maybe they’ll avoid punishment. 

Grýla has snow goons at her disposal in the movie, and they’re ready to fight, kill and do whatever she orders them to do. This is unique to Red One’s storytelling but reflects the idea that any iteration of Grýla is something of a gang leader. That’s true in folklore, too. 

Coincidentally, Shipka played Sabrina the teenage witch in Netflix’s Chilling Adventures of Sabrina, a series that included an episode with an appearance from Grýla. That version was a grieving mother who tried to help orphans and lost children, but she was still a wilderness witch. Red One offers up its own version of Grýla, but one thing is universal: She and Krampus scare the heck out of kids.

What’s up with Krampus?

If you haven’t heard of Krampus by now, then you’ve been missing out. Portrayed in film and TV, the goat-headed beast also has a taste for mischievous kiddos. In Red One, he’s not the head villain in charge, but he is Nick’s foster sibling and the originator of the famous Naughty List. 

Hivju was intentional about making Krampus about more than just his costume. “It was like the character is more or less the suit, right?” Hivju said during the press event. “So, I tried to play against the suit, actually play him as feminine, as narcissistic, and self-indulgent as possible. And suddenly that mixture became disturbing. But the funny thing about Krampus is that he has the same objective as Nick. They want the same, it’s just the method: Punishing or rewarding, and sometimes you need a bit of slapping.”

The Krampus of lore has origins in Europe (Austria and Germany, specifically) dating back as far as the 17th century. He’s had many names, with stories and images of him snatching up kids to put in the basket he carries on his back. He traditionally works alongside Santa and is in charge of doling out punishments to naughty children, while St. Nick hands out gifts to the well-behaved. If you’re bad, things go badly. Children are magically kidnapped, ripped apart and tossed in stew, a ditch or body of water. Other times, they’re violently beaten with a switch. In either case, kids’ faces usually get smeared with coal ashes or something smellier. It’s Krampus’ duty and custom to skip the gifts and go straight the punishment. 

Red One will see Hivju’s creature struggle with his sense of loyalty. He’s something of a double agent, but he loves his holiday: Krampusnacht. Still celebrated to this day in Europe with parades, parties and alcohol, Krampus has become a part of pop culture. You can even attend a Krampusnacht festival in December if you dare. How’s that for jolliness?

Red One arrives in theaters on Nov. 15, with streaming release to follow on Prime Video. 

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