8 Best Christmas Horror Movies to Watch if You Like Your Holidays Spooky
From cult slashers set in the snow to psychological thrillers in which Santa Claus is revealed to be anything but a kind old man.
If your perfect holiday includes more than just fairy lights and presents – if it also includes the thrilling anticipation of something spooky – welcome to the Alternative Christmas Club.
We've compiled a list of the eight best movies that combine holiday themes with genuine horror.
1. 'Dead End', 2003
IMDb Score: 6.4/10
On Christmas Eve, the Harrington family – Frank, Laura, Richie, and Marion – and their friend Brad take a road trip.
They decide to take a shortcut and find themselves trapped. No matter how long they drive, they can't escape the same spot, and mysterious entities constantly appear around them.
The movie is filled with absurd and eerie scenes reminiscent of David Lynch: an empty stroller appears on the road, a cursed black Cadillac repeatedly passes by, and a woman in white wanders through the woods.
2. 'Terrifier 3', 2024
IMDb Score: 6.3/10
Sienna, a girl who survived an attack by Art the Clown, has finished her rehabilitation and comes home for Christmas to visit her relatives.
However, the villain has risen again and has begun hunting for his favorite victim. The warm, cozy holiday is marred by dozens of victims, severed limbs, and splattered blood.
In the third installment of the franchise about the bloodthirsty killer clown, director Damien Leone does everything he can to thrill viewers. This time, the villain seeks his victims on Christmas Eve and wears a Santa suit.
3. 'Krampus', 2015
IMDb Score: 6.2/10
The Engel family gathers for Christmas, but not everything goes according to plan. The relatives bicker endlessly and seem to have forgotten the holiday spirit. Suddenly, Krampus emerges to hunt down naughty children and adults.
He attacks the Engel home, forcing them to band together to fight off the evil monster and his minions.
4. 'Gremlins', 1984
IMDb Score: 7.3/10
It's Christmas Eve. Inventor Randall gives his son, Billy, a uniquely cute creature – a mogwai. However, the boy breaks all the pet care rules, resulting in the birth of deformed, evil gremlins. The gremlins begin to destroy the city and everything in their path.
Gremlins is a kind of rebellion against the commercialization of a beloved holiday. None of the characters on screen perceive the winter holiday as an event – for them, it has become a boring tradition.
5. 'Misery', 1990
IMDb Score: 7.8/10
Writer Paul Sheldon becomes stranded in a snowstorm and wakes up in someone's home. The owner of the home, Annie, has taken him in and is nursing him back to health.
As it turns out, she is also a loyal fan of his. The more time Sheldon spends at her house, however, the more he feels that their meeting wasn't a coincidence.
Although this horror movie, based on Stephen King's novel, isn't set on Christmas Eve, it easily complements the winter atmosphere. Almost all of the action takes place in a country house, and mountains of snow can be seen outside the windows while a blizzard rages on.
6. 'Christmas Bloody Christmas', 2022
IMDb Score: 5.1/10
Tori, the rock record store manager, hates Christmas. And another Christmas celebration will only reinforce her feelings about the holiday. Suddenly, a killer Santa appears on the streets, punishing anyone he deems "bad." He's hunting Tori, too.
Director Joe Begos is a fan of rock music and horror films, so in his own Christmas horror flick, he emphasizes retro style, bloody violence, and guitar riffs in the soundtrack.
There's no point in looking for meaning in the movie – for an hour and a half, the demonic Santa wanders around murdering townspeople with an axe.
7. 'Anna and the Apocalypse', 2017
IMDb Score: 6.1/10
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It is Christmas Eve in a provincial town. Anna, a teenager, argues with her father because he wants her to go to college instead of wasting her life traveling.
Just as a zombie outbreak breaks out, the family is separated by the holiday rush. Anna must now reach her father at all costs and avoid falling into the clutches of the hungry undead.
This independent British movie cleverly reimagines the familiar zombie apocalypse trope – first, the action takes place on Christmas Eve, second, the characters sing during the bloody action scenes.
8. 'The Nightmare Before Christmas', 1993
IMDb Score: 7.9/10
Welcome to the Halloween town – this is where monsters, skeletons, ghosts, and other otherworldly entities live. The local celebrity, Jack Skellington, is tired of this world's monotony and gothic atmosphere. He decides to kidnap Santa, take his place, and enjoy Christmas.
It is Henry Selick who directed The Nightmare Before Christmas, but the movie is often considered part of Tim Burton's filmography.
This is because the director of Beetlejuice wrote the screenplay and incorporated his signature themes and techniques into the plot, including a gothic aesthetic with graves and corpses and reflections on the transience of existence.
