Top 5 Christmas Horror Movies

There’s no telling how long it will be before we get a truly marquee new horror movie, if we don’t count It’s sequels. 2018’s Halloween Returns will certainly have a chance to make an impact on the genre, as it will mark an addition to one of the most frightening and iconic franchises of all time. And The Nun, another 2018 project, will definitely get a little bit of attention given that it’s a spinoff of The Conjuring.

Universal will also take a few swings at making a horror impact, with some remakes of classic monster flicks on the way. The Bride Of Frankenstein could arrive in 2018, though the one we’re most curious about is The Invisible Man, starring Johnny Depp. Despite being based on a 19th century story by H.G. Wells, this will be a fresh film for a lot of people. An online game featuring slot reel animations that look as though they’ve been plucked from a Tim Burton movie is probably the closest thing most modern movie fans might have for a reference. It’s a fun little slot reel and an homage to earlier versions of the tale, but probably tells us nothing about what the Depp project will look like. It has a chance to be pretty spooky.

In the meantime though, we do appear to be in a little bit of a lull, It notwithstanding. Another Halloween season has come and gone without a release that feels fresh and original, and like something we’ll look back on or see imitations of in the future. But never fear! The next holiday is just around the corner, and Christmas may actually be a better fit for the horror genre than you realize. That’s not to say we’ll be getting a great new horror flick during the holiday season – but it’s a perfect time of year to look back on some ridiculous, scary, and overall awesome Christmas horror films. Here’s our Top 5:

It’s about an undead murderer in snowman form. That’s really about all you need to know, other than that Scott MacDonald does a pretty awesome job in the role.

As soon as you see this clunky, ridiculous, lazy title, you kind of want to watch it, right? The truth is that this is a pretty disturbing movie without the levity of, say, the Jack Frost concept. Basically, a boy’s parents are killed and he’s sent to a horrible orphanage, ultimately cracking and going on a holiday killing spree (while wearing a Santa suit). If you like a little senseless violence to your holiday horror, it’s definitely one to keep on your list.

This is definitely the most mainstream movie I’m including. Gremlins has itself a following, to the point that it still seems to come up fairly regularly during holiday season. Last year, there was even a general interest piece published on things you might not know about Gremlins. So what makes it so good? Basically it’s the perfect blend of scariness and outright absurdity. A horde of angry little monsters being unleashed on a town during the holidays just makes for a lot of fun.

It’s absolutely amazing that no one came up with this movie before 2005. The premise here is basically that Santa has been doing community service all these years after losing a bet to a more cheerful spirit. Once the terms expire, however, he reverts to his natural state as a murderous demon. I just can’t get enough of how openly ridiculous this movie is, and it comes to mind every time the mood for holiday horror strikes.

I suspect having this listed as the top Christmas horror movie might not satisfy hardcore horror fans, and I get it. It’s definitely as much of a comedy as it is a scare flick. But you have to love the idea of a Grinch who’s actually evil, and that’s basically what you get with Krampus. Throw in Adam Scott, one of the better comedic actors working these days, caught between genres and facilitating this goofy spookfest, and I’m all in.