Christmas horror. It’s a term that confuses many and excites others. For horror fans, queuing up a bloody holiday movie is as traditional as decorating a tree or making seasonal treats with dear ol’ mom. And, if we’re being realistic, hasn’t horror always been a part of the iconic winter holiday?
Cultural renditions of villainous characters like Krampus and Belsnickel date back to around the same time that Santa Claus became more widely understood as a Christmas hero. Even when reflecting on , the seminal Christmas narrative, an evil man is visited by ghosts, one of whom — looking at you Ghost of Christmas Future — has been terrifying children for more than a century. It’s with this in mind, that we present to you a brief list of 8 bloody holiday horror movies that you can stream before Santa ‚ or Krampus — shows up on Christmas morning…
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It’s A Wonderful Knife (2023)
It’s a Wonderful Knife is a brand new holiday slasher movie exclusively streaming on Shudder, that is certain to turn your white Christmas into a bloody red one. The film features a fantastic cast, including Justin Long (Barbarian), Jane Widdop (Yellowjackets), Katharine Isabelle (Ginger Snaps), Jess McLeod (One of Us is Lying), Cassandra Naud (Influencer), former Community star Joel McHale. Recently, PopCulture.com had a chance to speak with the film’s director, Tyler MacIntyre (V/H/S/99), and you can click here to check it out!
Christmas Bloody Christmas (2022)
In this sure-to-be modern horror classic, a robotic toy store Santa goes haywire and carries out a Christmas Eve slaughter that redecorates a small town with a lot more red. Christmas Bloody Christmas is now streaming on Shudder!
Better Watch Out (2017)
Arguably a budding cult classic that has been growing in popularity over the past few years, Better Watch Out follows a young boy and his babysitter as they face an unseen tormentor during a holiday at home. A little like if Home Alone had been made by Wes Craven, you can stream this clever Christmas caper for free on Pluto TV.
Adult Swim Yule Log (2022)
The Adult Swim Yule Log — also known as The Fireplace — debuted last Christmas, and is also certain to be a rewatch for years to come. However, we cannot stress enough: It is just so much better to go into this movie knowing as little as possible. Trust us… It’s now streaming on HBO Max.
Black Christmas (1974)
So far we’ve offered some more recent options for holiday horror viewing, but we also know that sometimes there’s just no substitute for the classics, and Black Christmas is quite possibly the most iconic holiday horror movie of all time. Originally released in 1974, this vintage slasher finds a group of sorority girls stalked by maniacal menace over Christmas break. It’s currently streaming on Pluto TV. And, as a bonus recommendation, the tragically underrated 2006 remake is also free to watch from the streamer.
Jack Frost (1997)
Another classic among horror fans, Jack Frost is essentially Frosty the Snowman meets Child’s Play. A notorious serial killer is involved in an accident that turns him into a snowman… bloody chaos ensues. We’ll confess that part of what makes this one such a fun holiday watch is how incredibly creative the kills are. Check it out now on Peacock.
Anna and the Apocalypse (2018)
Full of merriment and glee, but not lacking a bit of gore, Anna and the Apocalypse is a rare musical holiday horror movie. In this festive fever dream, a group of teenagers is forced to face off against flesh-eating zombies over Christmas, which is certain to put a damper on their holiday plans. Stream it anytime on Shudder.
A Nasty Piece of Work (2019)
Hulu’s Into The Dark series has produced some absolutely fantastic horror films set around various holidays throughout the year. One that definitely deserves more credit is A Nasty Piece of Work, which was released just ahead of Christmas 2019. It stars Dustin Milligan (Schitt’s Creek) and Kyle Howard (Royal Pains) as a pair of colleagues forced into a violent Christmas party showdown by their boss, who dangles the prospect of a promotion over their heads. Stream it on Hulu.
Silent Night, Deadly Night 5: The Toy Maker
The Silent Night, Deadly Night franchise is similar to Halloween in that all the movies essentially exist in the same universe, but are not necessarily all directly connected. After the first film in 1984, the movies grow more and more bizarre, bringing us to Silent Night, Deadly Night 5: The Toy Maker. This effectively stand-alone flick is about a mother and her young son dealing with the fallout of tragic loss, while the town toy store owner and his son harbor a secret that connects them all together. Pull this up and stream it on Tubi.
Honorable Mention: New Year’s Evil (1980)
Ok, so this last one is not a “Christmas” horror movie, but it is a holiday horror movie. And, seeing as how New Year’s Eve is just a couple of weeks away, we highly recommend adding New Year’s Evil to your watchlist. This entertaining ’80s slasher is available to stream on Pluto TV.
