Don’t act surprised. Christmas horror movies aren’t a new thing, and you know exactly why – you get it. Otherwise, you wouldn’t be reading this article. There’s something about the combination of jolliness and terrified screaming that brings mirth, joy, and triple-checking your locks before bed during the Christmas season.
Or maybe for you there’s something about the campy combination of jingle bells and machetes that leaves you laughing, not with the movie but at it. Or perhaps you know that the Christmas horror genre provides some of the best drinking game material. Two shots every time Santa mentions the naughty list after killing someone.
Whatever your reasons, here you are, looking for some good, terrifying holiday films. We’ve got six for you to consider.
Every list of Christmas horror films needs at least one murderous Santa Claus – only complete with blood-stained fur linings on his Santa outfit. Silent Night, Deadly Night, released in theatres in 1984 and originally titled Slay Ride, brings us just such a Santa.
Silent Night, Deadly Night brings us such a great murderous Santa that parents banded together to get the film removed from theatres after only one week. They were afraid that seeing a murderous Santa Claus would make their children lose trust in the usually jolly holiday figure. But being concerned about trust is ironic coming from a group trying to perpetuate the conspiracy of Santa’s existence to children. Anyway, despite being removed from theatres, it gained a cult following and led to a series that includes 5 more movies.
Silent Night, Deadly Night does what we all want in a holiday horror film: takes the things we love and makes them kill us. If it’s good enough for parents of little children to hate, it’s good enough for me.
With a title like that, you know you’ve found the cheesy mix of Christmas and violence you were looking for. This 2023 holiday horror film is a play off the title and plot of Frank Capra’s 1946 classic, It’s a Wonderful Life. In the classic, George Bailey is contemplating suicide, but a guardian angel comes to save him by showing him how much meaning his life has had. In It’s a Wonderful Knife, it’s a similar setup. Winnie Caruthers is questioning the value of her existence and is also visited by a holiday spirit, except this spirit isn’t there to give her life, but to give her... knife? Trust me, it works.
Full of murder, vengeful spirits, knives, and jolly good Christmas fun, It’s a Wonderful Knife is sure to give you the holiday frights you’re looking for this season.
What’s great about this concept is that the Grinch was already a horror story. A monster living with bundles of hate in his heart up in the mountains above a sweet little town – he comes down to steal presents from little children because he hates the sound of happiness.
In The Mean One, the story of the Grinch is taken to its more logical conclusion: the heartless green guy murders the families of those who have shunned him. But in glorious Christmas spirit, the one to fight off the holiday killer is Cindy You-Know-Who, a reference to the cute, young protagonist in pig tails from other Grinch versions.
If you want to see the bloody fight that should have happened years ago, 2022’s The Mean One brings you just that.
Think Home Alone, except instead of Chicago, it’s France. And instead of a little boy pretending to be a grown-up, it’s a little boy pretending to be Rambo. And instead of two burglars, it’s a vagrant pretending to be Santa Claus. Yes, that sounds awesome to me, too.
Released in 1989, Deadly Games: Dial Code Santa Claus is about Thomas de Frémont, a kid who tries to contact Santa on his Minitel, but instead contacts a local vagrant. The vagrant is happy to pretend to be Santa, get the kids address, and then do, you know, horror things and stuff. Basically what you imagine a lunatic doing in a horror film. But Thomas isn’t going down easily. He readies himself and his home to defend against this Santa wannabe. Now are you seeing the Home Alone comparison?
If you’re thinking to yourself, “Home Alone doesn’t count as horror, no matter how much of a brat Macaulay Culkin was,” don’t let that lead you astray. Deadly Games: Dial Code Santa Claus may have some resemblance to the classic kids Christmas movie, but the tone is much different. It’s darker, grittier, and less kid friendly. It definitely earns its spot in the holiday horror genre.
The 1974 Black Christmas brings us one of the first ever slasher films, following a group of sorority sisters in Canada being stalked and hunted down by a mad man around Christmas. Black Christmas didn’t receive the acclaim it deserved when it was released, but many have since noted its significant influence on the slasher genre.
Black Christmas was produced and directed by Bob Clark, the progenitor of one of the most iconic Christmas classics: A Christmas Story. There have been two remakes of Black Christmas since, one in 2006 and one in 2019, but neither live up to the original. If you're looking for a true Christmas slasher experience, the 1974 version is the way to go.
Hahaha, the gingerdead man!? I’m drinking already! Grab your shot glasses and get ready to get smashed in the Christmas spirit as you turn this horrible Christmas disaster into a Christmas-tradition-worthy drinking game. One shot every time you laugh at something that wasn’t supposed to be funny. Your liver won’t stand a chance.
In 2005’s The Gingerdead Man, watch the murderous Millard Findlemeyer, played by Gary Busey, turn into a still murderous gingerbread man and bring Christmas horror to everyone he meets. Is it a Christmas classic? Uh... no. Does it pair well with eggnog and hot buttered rum? You bet!
These aren’t your standard holiday fare, but for some of us, tis the season for bloody Santas and murderous cookies. There are many others that could have made the cut, but any film on this list should provide the Christmas horror you have been looking for. Merry Frickin’ Christmas and Happy Horrordays!
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