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

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

Arriving in theaters on November 15, the action-comedy-at-times thriller is about the kidnapping of Santa Claus from his home at the North Pole. Simmons’ Santa Claus is a jolly gym rat whose bench-pressing stats can humble you, and his nickname is Nick. Abducting 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 Claus, a difficult partnership trying 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 into the dark to rescue him.

CNET attended a press event for the film, where the cast and executive producing team talked about the film’s unique portrayal 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 light. Here’s a look at the dark stories behind them.

Who is Grýla?

Forget Halloween. Who doesn’t love snow witches in winter? Kiernan Shipka plays Grýla, an ancient Icelandic Christmas witch who can transform from her many-tailed giant troll-like appearance to a glam 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 tasks. They are not filled with much merriment.

According to regional legends, Grýla lives in a cave and punishes children who have misbehaved throughout the year. She likes to catch, cook and eat them, often hunting them – sword and bag in hand – with her mate. She has also been married a few times and known to devour a man or two. The fabled version of the witch isn’t as fashionable as the Shipkas in Red One, but they share a similar goal: teach the naughty how to act right, and maybe they’ll avoid punishment.

Grýla has snowmen at her disposal in the film and they are 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. It is also true in folklore.

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

What’s up with Krampus?

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

Hivju was conscious of 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 mix became unsettling. But the funny thing about Krampus is that he has the same goals as Nick. They want the same thing, the is just the method: To punish or reward, and sometimes you need a little slapping.’

The Krampus of lore has origins in Europe (specifically Austria and Germany) dating all the way back to the 17th century. He has had many names, with stories and pictures of him grabbing children to put in the basket he carries on his back. He traditionally works with Santa Claus and is responsible for handing out punishments to naughty children, while Saint Nick hands out gifts to the well-behaved. If you’re bad, things go bad. Children are magically kidnapped, torn apart and thrown into the pot, a ditch or body of water. Other times they are hit violently with a switch. In both cases, children’s faces are usually smeared with coal ash or something more smelly. It is Krampus’ duty and custom to skip the gifts and go straight to 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 part of pop culture. You can even attend a Krampusnacht festival in December if you dare. How’s that for hilarity?

Red One hits theaters on November 15, with streaming release to follow on Prime Video.