I’m sure for most of
you, settling down to watch a horror movie for Christmas is the last thing on
your mind. With Hallmark pumping out festive flicks every hour, Freeform’s “25
Days of Christmas” in full-effect, and Elf on almost every channel, you’re
pretty much set. And while I’m a sucker for Christmas movies with happy endings
and all of life’s problems being solved with the “magic of Christmas”, I love a
good Christmas-themed horror movie. Yes – there’s a horror movie for just about
every holiday and Christmas is no exception. From slashing Santa’s to evil
creatures wreaking havoc on unsuspecting victims, Christmas horror films come
in all forms. I’ve picked out my top five favorite Christmas horror films to
share with you all. Let’s get started.
1. Black Christmas:
As if I could have a list like this and not include the original 1974 Black
Christmas? This film is a cult classic, paving the way for films like Halloween
and other slasher films that play on the idea of never truly knowing who it is
that’s killing everyone around you. It follows a group of sorority sisters that
keep getting threatening calls and then one by one they start getting picked
off. In a similar When A Stranger Calls fashion, the killer is hiding
upstairs in the attic. The deaths in the film are some of my favorite. The most
memorable is the first death scene in the film where Claire is suffocated by
the killer after he puts a bag over her head. He then props up her body in a
rocking chair by the window, which is the image seen on the movie posters. This
spawned a remake of the same name in 2006, very similar but definitely more
gory.
2. Krampus: This 2015
horror-comedy follows a suburban family trying to get along as they all gather
for the holidays. Things take a turn for the worst when a young boy
accidentally summons an ancient demon that punished those that lose their
Christmas spirit. Once Krampus shows up, all-hell breaks loose and the family
has to defend themselves from hellish Christmas toys, evil gingerbread men, and
a Jack-in-the-box with serious anger issues. Horror-comedies can sort of be
hit-or-miss for me but this film was very entertaining. It was a nice balance
of creepy and silly without being absolutely ridiculous.
3. Silent Night,
Deadly Night: This 80s slasher film is probably one of the most notable
holiday-themed horror film to date. This was released in the heart of the
slasher craze of the 80s, and slasher films are some of my personal favorites.
Inspired by films like Friday the 13th and Halloween, the creators
wanted to make a new film following another popular holiday but wanted to push
the envelope and decided Christmas was the way to go. The film follows a young
man that witnessed the death of his parents when he was a kid. After being
placed in an abusive Catholic school he suffered from traumatic experiences
years later and goes on a killing spree in a Santa suit. Despite the success
during it’s opening week, as you can image it attracted a lot of negative
backlash from those that felt a Christmas horror film was “pushing it”. Well,
horror fans didn’t give a shit and the film remains a cult classic to this day
and spawned four sequels.
4. Silent Night,
Bloody Night: Before there was “Deadly Night”, there was this 1972 release.
This film follows a man that inherits his father’s mansion, which conveniently
used to be a mental asylum. Soon after a series of murders start to occur on
Christmas Eve and a secret that the town has tried to keep hidden is soon
revealed. While it’s not one of the best, it’s still quite entertaining. If
you’re a fan of cheesy horror films, you’ll enjoy this.
5. Don’t Open Till
Christmas: In this 1984 release, a man goes around murdering anyone wearing a
Santa suit. Worst case of the holiday blues ever. This film is your typical
slasher film, full of cheesy deaths, with Santa’s being butchered and hacked
all over the place and of course – the twist reveal that shows why our killer
is the way he is. This film was brought to us by the same minds behind one of
my favorite slasher films – Pieces – which is one of the most ridiculous
slasher films ever made but it’s still so much fun to watch. I thank Eli Roth
every day for introducing me to that film.
There you have it!
Now grab yourself some Santa cookies, snuggle up by the fire, and pop one of
these films in and you’re good to go.
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