How is there still confusion over the ending?

SPOILERS, obviously.


I'm failing to understand how, after months and months of discussion, there is any confusion over the theatrical ending? Understood, SOME things are left for the viewer to interpret, but how else could this ending possibly have been spelled out?

Max wakes up, it's Christmas morning, and he rushes downstairs to greet his loving family. Having learned his lesson, we think all is well. Then there is not-so-subtle shift in tone once he receives a gift with familiar wrapping. At this moment, ethereal elements start to kick in: the fire sparks unnaturally, the room goes quiet and stale, and every character in that room conveys a look of horror once they realize what Max is holding in his hand.

Like Max, they all probably woke up thinking it was some sort of awful dream, but the ill-received ornament proves otherwise as they slowly realize they are indeed not living a happy Christmas morning.

Once we zoom out, it is revealed that the entire scene is taking place in a snow globe, which Krampus grips in his hand. As we zoom out further, Krampus places the globe on a shelf with many other globes, eventually revealing that he has added this family to his ever-growing collection. This is not a happy ending. They belong to Krampus.

The only thing that's really left up to viewer interpretation is: are they doomed to be stuck in a Christmas loop forever? Are they dead and in purgatory? Other than that, I don't know what other visual cues one needs.

To seal the deal even further: there is an alternate ending that is CLEARLY the happy ending. There's no ironic twist, there's no "reveal." Max has learned his lesson, he has his family back, they are all happy and moving on as if the awful events never happened in the first place.