Christmas Horror Movies – from Iconic to Absurd
Christmas might be sold to us as a season of joy, family bonding, and politely pretending you like the gift someone panic-bought at the servo on the way over – but horror fans know better. Beneath the tinsel and eggnog lies a far more exciting tradition: holiday mayhem. Whether it’s monsters crawling out of the snow, dysfunctional families summoning demons, or undead cops treating Christmas like a demolition derby, festive fright flicks have become their own twisted subgenre. And honestly? They’re the perfect antidote to the relentless cheer of December.
In this list, we’re diving into ten Christmas horror movies that swing from iconic to absurd, from stop-motion classics to no-budget fever dreams. You’ll find everything from Jack Skellington hijacking Christmas, to Art the Clown turning it into a bloodbath, to Dan Haggerty fighting a Nazi elf puppet like he’s on his last nerve.
So grab your hot chocolate, hide the sharp objects, and let’s unwrap the carnage. After all – nothing says “holiday spirit” like a little screaming under the mistletoe.
1. The Nightmare Before Christmas (1993)
Directed by Henry Selick, The Nightmare Before Christmas stars Chris Sarandon, Danny Elfman, Catherine O’Hara, Ken Page, William Hickey, Glenn Shadix and Paul Reubens. This Christmas movie for sad millennial goth kids was released in the year 1993.
The Nightmare Before Christmas follows Jack Skellington, the Pumpkin King of Halloween Town, who grows bored of orchestrating the same spooky holiday year after year. After stumbling into the cheerful world of Christmas Town, he becomes obsessed with recreating the magic of Christmas – despite understanding absolutely none of it. Jack kidnaps Santa Claus, delegates toy-making duties to Halloween monsters (who naturally produce gifts that scream, bite, and slither), and attempts to deliver presents himself, resulting in widespread panic and a spectacular crash landing. Meanwhile, Sally – a stitched-together, soft-spoken heroine – tries to warn him that this plan has “catastrophe” written all over it.
The film’s charm comes from its imaginative characters, stop-motion artistry, and musical set pieces, like Jack’s joyful discovery of Christmas or Oogie Boogie’s jazzy villain spectacle. The contrast between Halloween Town’s creepy creativity and Jack’s misguided enthusiasm for Christmas makes the story both quirky and heartfelt. Throughout the chaos, the movie explores identity, purpose, and slowing down long enough to appreciate what you already have.
The Nightmare Before Christmas contains plenty of spooky imagery, the scariest element is Jack’s blissful overconfidence – a skeleton deciding he can reinvent an entire holiday after one enthusiastic walk through a snow-covered village. By the end, Jack realizes he’s better suited to being the Pumpkin King, Santa reclaims his job, and Jack finally notices Sally’s quiet devotion, giving the film its warm, if slightly macabre, closing note.
2. Terrifier 3 (2024)
Directed by David Leone, Terrifier 3 stars David Howard Thornton, Lauren LaVera, Elliott Fullam, Samantha Scaffidi and Chris Jericho. This gorey slasher set during Christmas-time was released in the year 2024.
Terrifier 3 brings back Art the Clown for a Christmas Eve massacre that makes every other holiday horror look like a cheery Hallmark special. Resurrected and more chaotic than ever, Art tears through a suburban town with his usual brand of over-the-top brutality. Meanwhile, Sienna Shaw steps fully into her role as the franchise’s mythic final girl, once again dragged into Art’s supernatural nonsense alongside her brother Jonathan. Reality blurs, people come back from the dead, and Christmas decorations basically become props in the world’s nastiest murder diorama.
The movie’s standout moments include its infamous opening sequence – a shock-and-awe holiday slaughter that immediately announces “Santa has left the building.” Art’s rampage through a shopping mall feels like a demonic Black Friday, and Sienna’s reappearance in her Valkyrie armor cements her place as the franchise’s shining, glowing-sword-wielding anchor. Each set piece leans harder into spectacle, proving that director Damien Leone is absolutely committed to topping himself every time.
While Terrifier 3 is drenched in gore, the scariest moments have nothing to do with shock value. Instead, the real terror comes from Art silently emerging from the shadows, lit only by Christmas lights – the kind of quiet, creeping dread that reminds you he enjoys the anticipation as much as the kill. It’s a holiday horror film that doubles down on chaos, carnage, and clown-based trauma, making it the most aggressively un-jolly Christmas movie imaginable.
3. The Lodge (2019)
Directed by Veronika Franz and Severin Fiala, The Lodge stars Riley Keough, Jaeden Martell, Lia McHugh, Richard Armitage and Alicia Silverstone. This psychological horror movie which leans into Christmas was released in the year 2019.
The Lodge is a bleak, psychological slow-burn that follows Grace, a survivor of a suicide cult who attempts to bond with her boyfriend’s resentful children during a winter getaway. When the father abruptly leaves them alone at a remote cabin in the middle of a blizzard, the situation spirals into isolation, paranoia, and emotional collapse. Strange events begin occurring: supplies disappear, power shuts off, phones vanish, and Grace’s grip on reality deteriorates as the kids subtly manipulate her into believing they’ve all died and are stuck in purgatory.
The film’s most striking moments come from its unrelenting sense of dread – from the shocking opening scene involving Alicia Silverstone to Grace’s increasingly desperate night wanderings and the kids’ cold, calculated psychological sabotage. The tension builds not through jump scares, but through the suffocating atmosphere and the slow realization that nothing in the cabin is as accidental as it seems.
The scariest moment arrives when Grace fully breaks, calmly embracing the boys’ fabricated narrative of damnation and revealing just how far her trauma has pushed her. The Lodge‘s final scenes underscore the film’s grim outlook on guilt, manipulation, and the consequences of emotional neglect, turning this winter cabin into one of the most chilling family horror settings in recent memory.
4. Red Snow (2021)
Directed by Sean Nichols Lynch, Red Snow stars Dennice Cisneros, Nico Bellamy, Laura Kennon, Vernon Wells, Alan Silva and Olivia Pintz. This vampire-laced Christmas cheer was released in the year 2021.
Red Snow follows Olivia, a struggling vampire-romance author who can’t catch a break and definitely can’t catch a book deal. Her quiet holiday at a snowy cabin takes a sharp turn when an actual vampire named Luke crash-lands outside her home, injured and very inconveniently real. Instead of screaming, fleeing, or doing anything normal, Olivia decides this is a golden opportunity for “research.” She nurses him back to health while grilling him for authentic vampire lore, hoping his existence will finally make her writing not terrible. Meanwhile, a grumpy, half-burned-out vampire hunter arrives to finish Luke off, setting the stage for a messy battle of wits, blood, and questionable life choices.
As the story unfolds, it becomes hilariously clear that Luke is not the charming supernatural muse Olivia imagines, and Olivia is far less innocent than she seems. The film leans hard into awkward comedy and character chaos -whether it’s Luke realizing he seriously misjudged this overly eager writer, or the vampire hunter stomping around like someone ruined his Christmas bonus. The dynamic flips repeatedly as Olivia’s ambitions turn darker, ultimately revealing she may be more dangerous than the monsters she obsesses over.
The scariest part of the film isn’t the vampires at all, but Olivia’s transformation from sweet, insecure novelist to a woman with a disturbingly calm willingness to secure her “dream ending” at any cost. It’s a holiday horror-comedy that gleefully blurs the line between creator and creature, making Red Snow a delightfully twisted spin on both vampire lore and Christmas cheer.
5. Krampus (2015)
Directed by Michael Dougherty, Krampus stars Adam Scott, Toni Collette, Emjay Anthony, David Koechner, Allison Tolman, Conchata Ferrell and Krista Stadler. It was released in the year 2015.
Krampus follows Max, a kid whose dysfunctional family pushes him past the breaking point during Christmas, leading him to accidentally summon the holiday demon Krampus instead of Santa. Once his shredded letter hits the snow, a supernatural blizzard descends, isolating the neighborhood and unleashing a parade of festive nightmares. Max’s entire family soon finds themselves hunted by Krampus’ army of twisted toys, killer gingerbread men, monstrous elves, and one deeply traumatic jack-in-the-box creature, all punishing them for losing the true spirit of Christmas.
The movie shines through its blend of horror and dark comedy, especially in scenes like the gingerbread firefight, the grotesque toy-monster attacks, and the constant sarcasm from Aunt Dorothy, who treats the apocalypse like an inconvenient errand. The film leans into its creature-feature chaos with Weta Workshop’s delightfully disturbing designs, making each attack memorable in a “why did I watch this at night?” kind of way.
Despite all the carnage, the scariest moment is Krampus’ rooftop reveal – a hulking, horned silhouette stalking the snow-covered houses with supernatural precision. That, combined with the nightmarish toy attacks, cements Krampus as a holiday horror tale about what happens when Christmas spirit dies and something much, much worse comes to take its place.
6. Maniac Cop 2 (1991)
Directed by William Lustig, Maniac Cop 2 stars Robert Davi, Claudia Christian, Robert Z’Dar and Bruce Campbell. It was released in the year 1991 and continues the Maniac Cop franchise (if it is a franchise).
Maniac Cop 2 picks up right where the first film left off, with undead super-cop Matt Cordell returning to New York to continue his murder-fueled comeback tour. Still driven by rage and a sense of betrayal, Cordell tears through anyone in his path while detectives McKinney and Susan Riley scramble to figure out how to stop a man who is technically no longer alive. Things escalate when Cordell teams up with a creepy serial killer who strangles exotic dancers – because nothing says “festive holiday crime spree” like supernatural cops and sleazy murderers forming a buddy system.
The movie is packed with gloriously over-the-top set pieces, including the iconic police station massacre where Cordell strolls in and treats the entire precinct like a demolition challenge. There’s also the unforgettable burning-car chase, where a woman handcuffed to a flaming vehicle becomes the centerpiece of one of the film’s most intense and absurdly entertaining sequences. Even Bruce Campbell isn’t safe, making an appearance only to be swiftly removed from the plot in true shock-value fashion.
While Maniac Cop 2 leans heavily into action-horror spectacle, its scariest moment comes when Cordell rises from the flames, charred but still unstoppable – a visual that perfectly captures the franchise’s mix of camp and menace. This movie thrives on its blend of grit, chaos, and supernatural mayhem, making it one of the rare sequels that gleefully doubles down on everything that made the original a cult favorite.
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7. All the Creatures Were Stirring (2018)
Directed by Rebekah McKendry and David Ian McKendry, All the Creatures Were Stirring stars Constance Wu, Jocelin Donahue, Jonathan Kite, Ashley Clements, Amanda Fuller, Brea Grant and Graham Skipper. It’s a Christmas-horror anthology filled with unsightly scenes and blood-curdling screams.
All the Creatures Were Stirring is a Christmas-horror anthology wrapped inside an awkwardly offbeat framing device: two lonely people attending a painfully amateur community-theatre performance on Christmas Eve. Each act of the bizarre play transforms into a horror vignette, ranging from office-party murder games to demon summoning gone wrong to miserly hauntings and even a full-blown alien abduction – because apparently the film decided no holiday trope, genre, or creature was off-limits. The result is a grab-bag of weirdness that shifts between dark comedy, low-budget chaos, and surprisingly creepy moments.
The highlights come from the anthology’s most entertainingly odd setups, like the murderous workplace Secret Santa or the lonely man who accidentally summons a demon in his quest to avoid spending Christmas by himself. The intentionally awkward theatre sequences also add an extra layer of charm (and secondhand embarrassment), making the whole film feel like you’re trapped in the world’s strangest holiday arts showcase.
While much of the movie leans goofy rather than terrifying, the alien-abduction segment stands out as the genuinely creepy moment, delivering an unsettling shift that briefly grounds the chaos in real dread. Overall, All the Creatures Were Stirring plays like a festive fever dream for anyone who likes their Christmas horror messy, experimental, and unapologetically weird.
8. Silent Night, Deadly Night (1984)
Directed by Charles E. Sellier Jr., Silent Night, Deadly Nights stars Robert Brian Wilson, Lilyan Chauvin, Gilmer McCormick and Toni Nero. It was released in the year 1984 and is a Christmas horror movie fan favourite.
Silent Night, Deadly Night follows Billy, a kid who has his entire worldview shattered when a man dressed as Santa murders his parents – which is basically the fastest way to guarantee lifelong Christmas issues. He’s then raised in an orphanage under the iron fist of Mother Superior, whose idea of “caring for children” is just trauma with extra steps. As an adult, Billy gets a job at a toy store and, in a stroke of cosmic cruelty, is forced to play Santa. This pushes him over the edge, unleashing a holiday killing spree where he “punishes” the naughty with an axe, a bowstring, and – famously – mounted antlers.
The movie leans hard into its slasher energy, offering bizarrely memorable moments like the toy-store rampage, the antler scene everyone remembers whether they want to or not, and the constant, oppressive presence of Mother Superior. Billy’s descent into festive chaos is played with a straight face, even as the film gleefully tosses logic in the bin alongside the wrapping paper.
Though it’s full of gory kills, the scariest moment is still the opening attack on Billy’s family – the scene that sets the entire film’s tone and practically rewires Billy’s brain in real time. The rest of the movie rides the fallout of that trauma, delivering a Christmas horror story fueled by dread, dysfunction, and the world’s least appropriate Santa.
9. It Cuts Deep (2020)
Directed by Nicholas Payne Santos, It Cuts Deep stars Charles Gould, Quinn Jackson and John Anderson. It was released in the year 2020. Not exactly a year known for its creepy christmas horror flicks.
It Cuts Deep is an indie horror-comedy that takes a romantic Christmas getaway and turns it into a masterclass in awkward tension and emotional dysfunction. If you haven’t heard of this movie – I wouldn’t be surprised. Even the most watched Youtube trailer clocks in at barely 4000 views. So yeah, there’s that.
The story follows Sam, a man-child who panics at the idea of marriage and kids, and his far-more-patient girlfriend Ashley. Their quiet cabin retreat gets derailed when they run into Nolan, Sam’s overly friendly – and deeply unsettling – childhood acquaintance who immediately gives off “I probably keep trophies from my victims” vibes. As Nolan inserts himself into their trip, Sam spirals, Ashley grows frustrated, and the film slowly shifts from relationship drama into horror chaos.
The movie’s highlights come from its painfully funny awkwardness: Sam fumbling through serious conversations like he’s defusing a bomb, and Nolan delivering “normal” conversations with the energy of a man who has definitely buried something – or someone – in the woods. The tonal whiplash from uncomfortable humor to bloodshed is part of the charm, giving the film its offbeat personality.
While there are moments of violence and classic horror buildup, the scariest part is honestly Sam’s complete inability to function as a grown adult. Nolan’s nighttime stare-downs and “friendly” intensity also supply real dread, but the true horror lies in watching communication crash and burn in real time. In the end, It Cuts Deep blends cringe, comedy, and slasher energy into a weirdly entertaining, uncomfortable holiday nightmare.
10. Elves (1989)
Directed by Jeffrey Mandel, Elves stars Dan Haggerty, Deanna Lund and Ken Carpenter. It was released during the height of horror movies in the year 1989.
Elves is a gloriously chaotic slice of Christmas-horror weirdness that follows Kirsten, a teenager who accidentally summons a murderous elf during a pagan anti-Christmas ritual. Things escalate quickly – and absurdly – when the movie reveals she’s part of a secret Nazi breeding program involving elves meant to create a master race. Enter Dan Haggerty as the world’s most exhausted mall Santa/ex-cop, who basically chain-smokes his way through the plot while trying to help Kirsten survive both the elf and the suddenly resurrected Nazi agenda.
The film’s highlights are less about terror and more about their “I cannot believe this exists” energy. From the rubber elf hand used for attack scenes, to Haggerty looking like he wandered onto set after a three-day nap behind a shopping center, the movie’s best moments become accidental comedy gold. The Nazi-lore exposition lands with all the subtlety of a Christmas brick, turning the film into a fever dream of genre mashup madness.
Despite being marketed as horror, the scariest thing in Elves isn’t the creature – which looks like a melted troll doll held together with craft glue – it’s the sheer commitment the movie has to its own nonsense. The real shiver comes from watching it try to play everything straight. For lovers of so-bad-it’s-good holiday horror, Elves is the cinematic gift that keeps on giving… whether you want it or not.
