Gizmo peeks out of a toolbox in this photo from 'Gremlins,' the 1984 Christmas horror movie.

Movies

A Christmas Twist: 4 Hilarious Christmas Horror Movies to Watch in December

If the usual holiday movies aren't your style, you might want to switch things up with some Christmas horror movies. Here are four of our favorites.

by Whitney Danhauer

Published on December 5, 2022

3 min read

‘Gremlins’ tops my list for Christmas horror

Think back to June of 1984. It’s a bright summer day, and all the people want is a movie about tiny monsters wreaking havoc on a small town at Christmas. Christopher Columbus answered the call and delivered Gremlins. The film follows the story of Billy, a teenager who receives a pet Mogwai as a Christmas gift. The kid who sold Bill’s dad the Mogwai under the table was terrible at giving instructions about the care of the creature. Chaos ensues, and the gremlins almost ruin Christmas. However, it’s a great watch if you want something a little different from your Christmas movies. (Warning: It mentions Santa Claus not being real. So, keep that in mind before showing any of the young believers in your house.)

‘Violent Night’ features David Harbour as a renegade Santa

David Harbour’s new flick, Violent Night, barely qualifies as horror, but it’s making my list. The film is filled with tons of Christmas spirit but not in a way anyone has ever seen before. Harbour stars as Santa. Tired of the lack of appreciation for the holiday, he dejectedly makes his way through Christmas Eve, tossing presents without care. However, when he stops at the home of a very wealthy family in the midst of getting robbed, a little girl causes a change of heart. Think Home Alone meets Die Hard, and you get Violent Night. While the film’s violence (and there is a lot) might turn some viewers off, the movie’s overall feel radiates Christmas spirit.

Violent Night is currently playing in theaters.

‘Silent Night, Deadly Night’ – a controversial Christmas horror movie

The must-see holiday horror movie Silent Night, Deadly Night caused quite a stir when ads for the film hit television screens in 1984. According to Vulture, TriStar Pictures scheduled the Silent Night, Deadly Night previews to air on the weekend during daytime hours — when families with children were watching. The movie isn’t the first Christmas horror to hit theaters. (Black Christmas debuted in 1974.) However, the marketing led to protests from parents for depicting Santa Claus as a killer. While the movie isn’t billed as a comedy, it’s hard to keep from giggling at the ridiculousness of the main character. Silent Night, Deadly Night puts a weird, gory, and murderous Santa in a wild tale that keeps viewers laughing at the audacity of it all.

Rent Silent Night, Deadly Night on AppleTV or Amazon Prime.

The 1989 movie ‘Elves’ is like the Stefon of Christmas horror movies

Just like Saturday Night Live‘s Stefon loved to chatter on about all of the features at some ridiculous nightclub in New York City during his time on “Weekend Update,” Elves manages to pack as much as possible into this undeniably strange Christmas horror movie. You get Nazis, a renegade Santa Claus, creepy rubber elves, and a twist literally no one sees coming. I don’t want to spoil too much, but this might qualify as the most hilariously bad movie I’ve ever seen.