Christmas Horror
Halloween has (sadly) been and gone, so that means shops are putting up the Christmas decorations already, preparing for the annual festival of unbridled consumerism. But for horror fans, December is the time to break out their favourite Christmas horror films for a blood and snow-covered seasonal film festival.
This month, there are two new killer Santa movies being released: ‘Violent Night’ stars Hopper himself, David Harbour, as a boozy St. Nick who helps a family under siege in their own home. ‘Christmas Bloody Christmas’ features a robot Santa on a killing spree and comes from Joe Begos, a low-budget exploitation fave responsible for the recent films ‘Bliss’ and ‘V.F.W.’
So to ring in the season, here is a list of Christmas horror films featuring some all-time classics and some lesser-known and newer films to ensure you have plenty of icy scares to help get you through the holidays.
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1. Black Christmas (1974)
A true masterpiece of horror, Bob Clarke’s seminal Xmas slasher should be at the top of everybody’s list. The plot – a killer picks off the residents of a sorority house one by one – has been done a million times since but was relatively fresh at the time. Genuinely creepy, it features excellent performances from Olivia Hussey and Margot Kidder, plus it deals with toxic masculinity and is viewed as one of the first slasher films. The 2006 remake is also a lot of fun, going for a gory mid-2000s slasher vibe, while the recent (and second) remake tried to expand on the feminist themes of the original but was marred by a PG-13 rating and misjudged supernatural elements.
2. Krampus (2015)
Michael Dougherty finally followed up his Halloween classic Trick R Treat in 2015 with his take on the Krampus myth, crafting a fun, family-oriented horror comedy. The satire is biting, the strained family relationships on point and the scares don’t mess around, despite a PG-13 rating. No family member is safe in this film, as grandparents, parents and kids alike all face judgment by the Krampus and his minions.
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3. Silent Night Deadly Night (1984)
Silent Night Deadly Night 1 and 2 go hand in hand, given that they deal with two brothers who go on a murderous rampage in their respective films and that part 2 hilariously reuses a good twenty minutes of footage from the first film. Both lead actors give great unhinged performances, particularly Eric Freeman in Part 2, who acts primarily with his eyebrows and the immortal ‘garbage day’ line reading. The TV ad for the first film traumatised many American kids at the time, leading to it being pulled from theatres following boycotts by angry parents.
4. Gremlins (1984)
What else can you say about Gremlins that hasn’t been said before? A genuine classic – a creature feature / biting satire / comedy and adventure film, Joe Dante stepped up to the big leagues with this Steven Spielberg production after his lower-budgeted horror films (Piranha and The Howling). Released the same day as Ghostbusters in 1984, both films were among the year’s biggest hits. Dante returned to the franchise in 1990 with the supremely silly and entertaining sequel, Gremlins 2: The New Batch.
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5. Rare Exports: A Christmas Tale (2010)
A dark fantasy horror film from Finland featuring a giant frozen Santa Claus being unearthed and his minions – elves that appear as old bearded men running rampant. Darkly funny and frightening, it has a fairy tale quality and a mean-spirited vibe not too dissimilar from Gremlins. Plus, Santa hangs dong (well, technically, his elves do, but they do look a lot like their boss).
6. Inside (2007)
This New French Extremity banger is arguably a Christmas film, but it is set during the season, so in it goes! Inside is about an expectant mother, grieving the loss of her husband, who receives an unexpected visitor in the form of a supremely unhinged Beatrice Dalle on Christmas Eve, who wants the baby for herself. Filled with gruesome violence and unbearable tension, this is not one for the whole family and even less so for anyone expecting a baby. Approach with caution!
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7. Christmas Evil (1980)
A wonderfully gritty and disturbing portrait of a Christmas-obsessed man’s downward spiral, this is the Taxi Driver of Christmas films. Featuring a brilliant performance by Brandon Maggart (Fiona Apple’s father), who is both monstrous and sympathetic as Harry, a put-upon toy factory worker with some serious issues, the film is also JohnWaters’ favourite Christmas film. Available to watch for free on Tubi.
8. Anna & the Apocalypse (2017)
Just when you thought they would never make a musical Christmas zombie movie, along comes Anna and the Apocalypse. This Scottish film is a winning mix of high school drama, catchy songs and flesh-eating ghouls.
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9. Better Watch Out (2016)
There has been a noticeable resurgence of Christmas horror films in the last few years, probably due to the success of Krampus. This seasonal horror film appears to be a ‘teens-in-peril’ film but has some delicious twists up its sleeve, taking the home invasion tropes and turning them on their head. One to watch with a group of teens for maximum squealing.
10. The Advent Calendar (2021)
Another recent French horror, The Advent Calendar, sees Eva, a paraplegic former dancer, receive an antique wooden calendar (think Del Toro’s Cabinet of Curiosities) which has supernatural repercussions on her life, including dispatching people who have hurt her and maybe allowing her to walk again.
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What is your favourite Christmas horror movie?
Have you seen any of these films? What are your favourites?
Let us know on social media.
