The 5 Best Christmas Horror Movies Ever
Christmas is supposed to be about joy, so it’s surprising that there are so many Christmas horror movies. Perhaps we need some darker movies to capture the downsides of the holidays. Furthermore, who would have guessed there are two good movies about killers dressed up as Santa Claus?
5. ‘Christmas Evil’
Harry is a down-on-his-luck toy factory worker. His childhood trauma has left him with an unnervingly intense obsession with Old Saint Nick. As his life gets worse, he starts to believe he’s Santa Claus himself. That doesn’t stop him from getting violent.
This little-seen gem was released at the height of the slasher film boom in 1980. While a movie like Friday the 13th goes for the jugular, Christmas Evil is a slow burn. It’s more about character and atmosphere than bloody violence. Stuff it in your stocking — if you dare!
4. ‘Gremlins’
Gremlins starts as a cute family film a la E.T. the Extra-Terrestrial — another Steven Spielberg project. It’s about a teen who comes into possession of an adorable creature called Gizmo. He just has to follow three rules: don’t get Gizmo wet, don’t let him go out in the sunlight, and don’t let him eat after midnight. Of course, this is a move, so things go awry and Gizmo ends up spawning hungry green monsters called gremlins.
Like Jaws before it, Gremlins married the plotline of a 1950s monster flick with hip humor and the best effects Hollywood could produce. While the film’s shift from being a family flick to being a horror film works, the movie is arguably at its best during its early, sentimental scenes.
3. ‘Krampus’
In German folklore, Krampus is a demon who aids Saint Nicholas by punishing naughty children. The film Krampus was the first major motion picture about the character. It was quite the debut. Like Gremlins, Krampus is an appetizing mix of the tropes we expect from Christmas movies, mayhem, and dark humor.
In the film, Krampus is terrifying, but he has an even more interesting cadre of demonic helpers. The group includes a razor-toothed teddy and a snake-like jack-in-the-box. If you have any love for monster movies, Krampus will go down as smooth as a glass of eggnog.
2. ‘Black Christmas’
The success of John Carpenter’s 1978 film Halloween started a wave of slasher movies, many of which were set around holidays. Black Christmas came out in 1974 and had many of the same tropes, including a final girl, a hidden killer, and a focus on promiscuous youths. Arguably, Black Christmas is the better-written film — even if it lacks a killer Carpenter score.
What makes Black Christmas so haunting is the way it handles its villain. I don’t want to spoil it. Once you watch the film, you’ll never look at glass unicorns the same way.
1. ‘Silent Night, Deadly Night’
After watching a criminal in a Santa suit murder his parents, Billy grows up traumatized in an orphanage. He starts integrating into society by getting a job in a toy store. When Billy’s boss forces him to play Santa, his mind begins to fracture.
Unlike most horror films of its era, Silent Night, Deadly Night fleshes out its killer to the degree that’s both fascinating and unnerving. The sex and violence take on a much nastier tone than genre fans expect. With its social commentary and twisted gags, Silent Night, Deadly Night might be the most underrated slasher film ever — and it’s the best of the Christmas horror movies.
