5 Horror Holiday Movies Guaranteed to Terrify You During the Festive Season

Christmas holiday movies are usually cheery and full of love and happy families, but every once in a while, a good holiday movie includes murder and mayhem. Hallmark Channel runs Christmas movies from about July to the end of December, and the prince coming to a small town can only be watched so many times in holiday movies. This season, switch it up with a horror holiday movie marathon. Keep reading for your top horror holiday movies watchlist.

“Krampus” (2015)

He is checking his list, and he is checking it twice, and hopefully you are not on his naughty list. “Krampus,” released in 2015, is the nightmare of Bulgarian kids come to life with a comedic twist. Director Michael Dougherty does a good job of representing the folklore creature, characterized by large hooves and horns, a beast-like appearance, and considerable height. 

When young Max’s extended family comes for the holiday after being constantly mistreated and teased, he loses his holiday spirit. After ripping up a letter for Santa, he summons Krumpas and his helpers. The creatures spend the night terrorizing the family and anyone caught outside.

Fair warning: if you don’t like movies with a high suspense factor, do not watch, because Krampus’s helpers attack in the shadows and even disguise themselves as children’s toys.

“Jack Frost”(1997)

Not to be confused with the friendly Christmas icon Frosty the Snowman. From the camera blocking to the graphics, and even the execution of the murders, the movie is bad, but “Jack Frost” is so bad it’s good, gaining a cult following. 

The holiday movie “Jack Frost” is about serial killer Jack Frost, played by Scott MacDonald. Macdonald is involved in a freak accident with toxic genetic materiel after escaping a prison bus that collided with the truck carrying the materiel. The accident turned him into a killer snowman seeking revenge.

“Black Christmas” (1974)

A classic horror holiday movie is “Black Christmas”, released in 1974. “Black Christmas “did get a remake in 2006 and again in 2019. But any true horror fan knows the original set the bar and is a must-watch first. ’70s horror movies hit differently, from the creepy movie covers, age-restricted trailers, and eerie voiceovers; the original “Black Christmas” is a must-see.

“Black Christmas” is like the “Scream” of holiday movies. The remakes of “Black Christmas” follow the same storyline, just with a modern twist. Over Christmas break, a group of sorority girls received harassing phone calls that escalated to stalking and murder. The twist is that the stalker is living in the house as he stalks them, and there are scenes from inside the killer’s perspective.

“A Mean One” (2022)

When debating holiday movies and who is the best Grinch, don’t forget David Howard Thornton. Thornton plays the mean one, better known as the Grinch, in a horror parody holiday movie, “A Mean One.” “A Mean One” is what would have happened if “How the Grinch Stole Christmas” had been written by Stephen King instead of Dr. Seuss.

In the original Christmas favorite, the Grinch steals the presents and returns them after he realizes the meaning of Christmas. But in “A Mean One,” the Grinch murders the parents of Cindy and terrorizes the citizens of Newville. Twenty years later, Cindy returns to town seeking revenge for her family and to help restore the joy of Christmas to Newville. Of course, the Grinch did not go down without a fight, but you have to watch to see who won the battle for Christmas.

“Silent Night, Deadly Night” (1984)

Another classic horror holiday movie with a cult following and remade every couple of years is “Silent Night, Deadly Night.” The original film was released in 1984, but re-released in 2012 (“Silent Night”), and again this December, a new adaptation of the movie is being released in theaters.

“Silent Night, Deadly Night” falls under campy horror because it is a regular guy running around killing people in a Santa suit. As a young child in the 1984 release, Billy witnesses his parents get murdered by someone in a Santa suit, and years later, he goes on the same quest, killing naughty citizens. Santa uses everything from a gun to an ex; he even uses deer antlers to complete his good deeds.

A Blood-Red Christmas Tradition

If the holiday movies list above is not enough blood and screams to get you through the holidays, more holiday movies to add to your must-watch list are “Better Watch Out” (2016), “A Christmas Horror Story”(2015), “The Advent Calendar”(2021), and “Dead End” (2003).

This Christmas, create a new tradition: unplugging the Christmas lights, gathering the family, and start watching horror holiday movies, reminding kids what happens when you end up on Santa’s naughty list.