By Becca Johnson - December 19, 2024
From Home Alone to The Grinch, Christmas with the Kranks to Miracle on 34th Street, there are plenty of excellent films filling up our watchlists this time of year, ones we can’t help but visit annually. Audiences long for sappy romances, snow-filled streets, hilarious hijinks and glistening fairy lights, with a craving for joy, laughter and family favourites that’s stronger than ever. However, some of us just aren’t ready to leave horror films in Halloween season, and the forced fun is just a little too much to bear. What could be better than snuggling up on the couch with a mince pie, hot chocolate, blanket and a Christmas themed horror film? December 2024 has even offered us a Friday the 13th just last week - it’s like the stars have aligned. These festive horror films should totally be on your watchlist, if you’re looking to travel to the darker side of the North Pole this year.
The Nightmare Before Christmas (1993)
Getting the obvious out of the way first, The Nightmare Before Christmas may not be a straight up scare-fest, but it’s certainly horror adjacent, and can be enjoyed by all the family. Tired of scaring humans every October 31st with the same old bag of tricks, Jack Skellington kidnaps Santa Claus and plans to deliver shrunken heads and other ghoulish gifts to children on Christmas morning. But as Christmas approaches, Jack’s rag-doll girlfriend, Sally, tries to foil his misguided plans.
With equal amounts of both spooky and festive visuals, mind-blowing stop-motion animation, catchy well-written songs and a poignant overall message, if you’re surprisingly yet to see this classic fan favourite, now is as good a time as any. Despite the old-age debate of whether it’s best watched at Halloween or Christmas, we think it’s the perfect December treat.
Black Christmas (1974)
Despite multiple renditions of this story being available, the original remains the best of them all, and is still considered one of the greatest Christmas horror movies of all time. As the residents of Pi Kappa Sigma sorority house prepare for the festive season, a stranger begins to harass them with a series of obscene phone calls.
Though on paper it may seem like your generic slasher fare, Black Christmas actually helped paved the way for the modern slasher, introducing many ideas we still know and love today. With one of the most well-loved and appreciated final girls of all time, a knockout side performance from the stunning Margot Kidder (Superman), genuinely frightening imagery that hasn’t aged a day and a fun, unique sorority setting that injects a festive vibe, Black Christmas is simply a must-watch for horror fans.
Better Watch Out (2016)
Batting on the lighter side of horror, Better Watch Out embraces its goofiness and combines it well with a tense atmosphere to create a shocking, entertaining and downright fun 90 minutes. Starring Olivia DeJonge (Elvis) and Levi Miller (Kraven the Hunter), Better Watch Out is set on a quiet suburban street tucked within a safe neighbourhood. This soon changes when a babysitter winds up having to defend a twelve-year-old boy from strangers breaking into the house, only to discover that this is far from a normal home invasion.
Sure, it may not be the most surprising twists of all time, but it is certainly one of the wackiest. Helmed by a fantastic young cast and offering up the same levels of fun you’d find in a regular Xmas flick, Better Watch Out is an underseen gem.
Krampus (2015)
This may also be an obvious choice, but when discussing festive fear, it’s impossible not to mention Krampus. When his dysfunctional family clashes over the holidays, young Max (Emjay Anthony) is disillusioned and turns his back on Christmas. Little does he know, this lack of festive spirit has unleashed the wrath of Krampus: a demonic force of ancient evil intent on punishing non-believers.
Though Krampus also opts for the fun approach, with killer Gingerbread men and laugh-out-loud dialogue, it has spooky sequences aplenty and invokes just the right amount of scare into Christmas. Part creature feature, with a dashing of folk horror and a sprinkle of fantastical magic, Krampus may be corny but it’s hard to deny the fun it provides. If the premise wasn’t enough to convince you to push play, the presence of Toni Collette (Hereditary) and Adam Scott (Step Brothers) should help.
Terrifier 3 (2024)
The newest entry on this list, Terrifier 3 is a great pick if you’re also looking to catch up on some releases from this year that you may have missed. We’re definitely shifting the tone from Krampus, as Terrifier 3 is NOT for the faint of heart. Providing vomit-inducing gore, the most despicable of kills and scenes that genuinely push boundaries in the world of horror, the Terrifier franchise is only meant for those who can stomach the most violent of watches.
Five years after surviving Art the Clown’s Halloween massacre, Sienna (Lauren LaVera) and Jonathan (Elliott Fullam) are still struggling to rebuild their shattered lives. As the holiday season approaches, they try to embrace the Christmas spirit and leave the horrors of the past behind. Just when they think they’re safe, Art returns, determined to turn their holiday cheer into a new nightmare. Everything you’ve heard about Terrifier 3 is true - approach with caution.
Silent Night (2021)
Shifting the tone from spine-chilling body horror to unnerving, dialogue-driven thriller, Silent Night is perhaps the most unique entry on this list, as it combines apocalyptic elements with an awkward family Christmas to create something utterly memorable. With a stellar cast including Keira Knightley (Pirates of the Caribbean), Matthew Goode (The Imitation Game), Annabelle Wallis (Peaky Blinders) and Lily-Rose Depp (Nosferatu), the film follows parents Nell and Simon and their boy Art, who are ready to welcome friends and family for what promises to be a perfect Christmas gathering.
Perfect except for one thing: everyone is going to die. Not quite getting the full picture until the movie draws to a close, Silent Night delivers a really interesting spin on our favourite holiday, adding in a tangible sense of dread that engulfs you from the first frame to the last.
Anna and the Apocalypse (2017)
So, we’ve had killer clowns, creature features, home invasion and the King of Halloweentown - so what are we missing? A zombie apocalypse musical, of course! A real genre blend, Anna and the Apocalypse is a real crowd-pleaser that ensures to be one of the most distinctive films you’ll watch all year, let alone holiday season.
A zombie apocalypse threatens the sleepy town of Little Haven - at Christmas - forcing Anna and her friends to fight, slash and sing their way to survival, facing the undead in a desperate race to reach their loved ones. But they soon discover that no-one is safe in this new world, and with civilization falling apart around them, the only people they can truly rely on are each other. Ella Hunt is exceptional in the titular role, the songs are a lot of fun and the Christmas vibes fit into this infected world quite tidily.
Gremlins (1984)
Again, it may seem like an obvious choice, but Gremlins is a cult classic for a reason. A perfect example of creature feature, Christmas film, 80’s charm and most importantly, practical effects, Gremlins is a must-watch for most of us every single year. When Billy Peltzer (Zach Gilligan) is given a strange but adorable pet named Gizmo for Christmas, her inadvertently breaks the three most important rules of caring for a Mogwai, unleashing a horde of mischievous gremlins on a small town.
Gremlins boasts a memorable score, creepy yet funny horror hijinks with its little beasts, a slew of good performances and one of the most fun, balls to the wall third acts of all time. It ensures a splattering of Christmas with its snowy setting, decorative small town and many nods to classic It’s a Wonderful Life, but it’s main aim is to provide fun, and it certainly achieves this.
With not much time left until the big day, we hope we’ve given you an ample amount of days to freak out your families and bring back some of that deeply missed Halloween spirit.
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