‘Red One’ villains Krampus and Grýla are steeped in creepy folklore

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

The action-comedy-sometimes-thriller, which hits theaters on November 15, centers on the kidnapping of Santa Claus from his home at the North Pole. Simmons’ Santa Claus is a muscular gym rat whose bench press stats might humble you, and his nickname is Nick. Kidnapping him is no easy feat, and whoever is behind the kidnapping must have planned it with precision.

Johnson’s Callum Drift and Evans’ Jack O’Malley team up in the name of saving Santa, a thorny partnership that attempts to combat an evil plan by Grýla (Shipka) and Krampus (Hivju). Mercenary Jack makes a serious misstep that leads to Santa’s kidnapping, and Nick’s ELF (Enforcement, Logistics and Fortification) team must go dark to rescue him.

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

Who is Grýla?

Forget Halloween. Who doesn’t love snowy witches in winter? Kiernan Shipka plays Grýla, an ancient Icelandic Christmas witch who can transform from her many-tailed giant troll-like appearance into a glamorous winter sorceress. Like the mythological Grýla, she has a group of a dozen children called the Yule Lads who harass people and help her carry out her Christmas duties. They are not filled with much cheerfulness.

According to regional legends, Grýla lives in a cave and punishes children who misbehave throughout the year. She loves to catch them, cook them and eat them, and often goes hunting with her partner, sword and bag in hand. She has also been married a few times and has been known to devour a few men. The legendary version of the witch isn’t as fashionable as Shipka’s in Red One, but they share a similar goal: teach the naughty people how to behave properly and maybe avoid punishment.

Grýla has snowmen at her disposal in the film, and they are ready to fight, kill and do whatever she tells them to do. This is unique to Red One’s stories, but reflects the idea that each version of Grýla is something of a gang leader. This also applies to folklore.

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

How’s Krampus?

If you haven’t heard of Krampus, you’re missing out. The goat-headed beast, portrayed in film and TV, also has a penchant for mischievous children. In Red One, he isn’t the main villain in charge, he is is Nick’s foster sibling and the creator of the famous Naughty List.

Hivju’s intention was to make Krampus about more than just his costume. “It was like the character kind of matched the suit, right?” Hivju said this during the press event. “So I tried to play against the grain, to basically play him as feminine, as narcissistic and self-indulgent as possible. And suddenly that mix became disturbing. But the funny thing about Krampus is that he has the same goal as Nick. They want the same thing, the is just the method: punish or reward, and sometimes you need a tap.”

The Krampus from tradition has its origins in Europe (particularly Austria and Germany) and dates back to the 17th century. He has had many names, with stories and images of him picking up children to put in the basket he carried on his back. Traditionally, he works alongside Santa Claus and is responsible for meting out punishments to naughty children, while St. Nick hands out gifts to the well-behaved ones. If you’re bad, things go bad. Children are magically kidnapped, dismembered and thrown into the stew, a ditch or a body of water. Other times they are violently beaten with a switch. In both cases, children’s faces are usually smeared with coal ash or something that smells bad. It is Krampus’ duty and custom to skip the gifts and carry out the punishment immediately.

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

Red One arrives in theaters on November 15, with the streaming release following on Prime Video.