An injection of terror keeps Christmas interesting. Make the hot cocoa, turn off the lights, and snuggle up around the glow of the TV you’ve ripped from another Black Friday shopper’s mitts for a festive movie night, but leave out the reindeer and elves. Why not welcome the darker side of Santa’s sack of toys into your life?
Terror and Christmas mix in unexpected ways, but on too many occasions with very good results. Why don’t you stay home during the holidays? Could something bad happen to you? We do not believe…
we have chosen best christmas horror movies that we recommend you see during these dates, if you have what it takes to do so.
Silent night, dead night
Silent night, dead night is a despicably mischievous slasher who tinkers with Christmas decor and repulsive massacres, one of the “last” of his kind by post-2012 horror standards. He’s got everything you could want, from Malcolm McDowell screaming about avocado in the burgers to flamethrowers. Miller hits the nail on the head in this remake that stands well on its own, fueled by a disinterest in playing likeable even by the usual expectations of horror fans. A good gift.
Jack Frost
Jack Frost he’s a killer snowman. You’ll recognize a pre-American Pie Shannon Elizabeth as you watch Jack take down the townspeople in many fatal ways. Maybe they’re hugged to death in the shower or strangled by colored Christmas lights before choking on the decorations. While it’s not exactly family-friendly content, it wins points for the viewer because the humor isn’t hidden or ignored: the situation gets more laughs than anything else.
The last night
A novelty in the Christmas horror canon is The last night, by Camille Griffin, an evening among friends who share their Christmas spirit before the end of humanity. Guests debate whether Mother Earth is finally revolting or the Russians have put their doomsday master plan in motion, but the fate of our civilization is inevitable: toxic gas will engulf all nations. The UK runs into Christmas, giving characters played by Keira Knightley, Matthew Goode, Kirby Howell-Baptiste and others one last holiday celebration. Contestants drink and debate the ethics of their government-issued suicide pills to stave off the “inevitable” death throes, while the countdown clock creates just enough social distortion for a bit of tension to build between the comrades. It’s a twisted vision of dinner parties from hell, punctuated by themes that are resolved with nervous laughter, as Griffin’s mastery of sarcasm and suspense is as tight as a good noose.
A Christmas Horror Story
A Christmas Horror Story it stands out above all other holiday horror anthologies for its commitment to unrelenting darkness. William Shatner narrates and hosts as “Dangerous Dan,” an alcoholic radio DJ whose smooth voice takes us through four chilling chapters. Santa Claus (George Buza) battles zombie elves before facing off against the professional wrestling version of Krampus (Rob Archer) in one of his stories, culminating in a psychotic break that sells the macabre vulnerability that enables catharsis. Christmas terror.
Beware of strangers
If you have avoided the spoilers of Beware of strangers Until now, I suggest you stop reading right now and come back when you’ve seen Chris Peckover’s babysitter thriller. Bloodshed, twisted intentions, and a cruel debunking of the Home Alone mythos that proves cheating is far more destructive in reality. We do not want to reveal much beyond the adoration of the performances in question, because it is worth watching without knowing too much.
Ana and the apocalypse
Has there ever been a more perfect Scottish zombie musical set at Christmas than Anna and the Apocalypse? John McPhail’s seasonal addiction shrugs off the “High School Musical” decor and fights his way through the undead as Ana (Ella Hunt) sings her way through a zombie-infested winter wonderland. The soundtrack is incredibly catchy, from “Hollywood Ending” to “Soldier At War,” while the horror elements spare no ferocity or beheadings. It captures the hopelessness as Christmas cheer teases around every corner, but not without tapping into the subsequent feelings of joy that surge beyond the cynicism. It is, in short, a feel-good movie that doesn’t lie about the ugliness of the world, billed as one of the most ambitious horror films, Christmas or no, since its release.
Krampus
You can’t talk about Christmas terror without the Krampus by Michael Dougherty. The madman behind trick-or-treating is equally adept at capturing top Christmas concerns, from consumerism to obnoxious family members. A cast including Adam Scott, Toni Collette and David Koechner fend off hordes of elves and gingerbread ninjas as childhood memories turn sour during the Krampus invasion. The essence of Christmas wholesomeness becomes a lesson for those who have taken so much for granted, all before one final snowball tease that should have given us at least three more sequels by now.
Nightmare Before Christmas
What is this? Stop motion? Jack Skellington? Maybe Nightmare Before Christmas It’s kid-friendly, but that doesn’t diminish the horror influences that waft from the movie throughout. There is a sweetness in the coming together of Jack’s fears, because everyone deserves to experience the magic of Santa Claus at least once. He has a gothic art design that has become famous throughout pop culture for a reason, along with Danny Elfman’s vocal performance as one of the many singers throughout the cast of spooky creations. This movie is for the whole family and should be shared no matter what time of year.
Black Christmas (1974)
Bob Clark, one of the grandfathers of the modern slasher, helped cultivate a genre movement. Black Christmas perfects a harass and takedown template that will be replicated until humanity’s extinction, and yet has hardly been surpassed. Olivia Hussey, Margot Kidder and Marian Waldman occupy a house filled with terror. The deaths are more about forgotten innocence than sheer violence, because “Billy”‘s peeking through peepholes or wicked phone calls are always the most terrifying sounds and sights. It’s Christmas, the daughters won’t be coming home to their parents, and no one can determine why: that’s all Black Christmas needs to become genre royalty. A classic case of triumphant execution, because every good horror movie starts with a tight narrative, and that’s a lesson more filmmakers should remember.
Gremlins
Gremlins is the pinnacle of Christmas terror. Gizmo is everyone’s favorite mascot, Zach Galligan and Phoebe Cates engage naturally with their prop co-stars, just as Joe Dante brings the mischievous rubber figures to life through special effects. Gizmo steals your heart with every smile and Cates breaks your soul with the most heartbreaking Christmas monologue ever, because Gremlins isn’t just about gross. It’s endlessly enjoyable, but never underestimated, as Chris Columbus’s most deft horror storytelling trumps its most humorous aspects.
Any favorites on the list? Other Christmas movies that give you real terror? Let us know in the comments. And if you need more recommendations, here is a selection of the best horror movies of the 90s, while here we select the 31 best modern horror movies. Lots to choose from.
