Ho ho ho, Merry or Happy, whichever holiday you happen to celebrate. If you don’t and just like to have a good meal, that’s alright too. This is the time of year when many people are putting on that Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer holiday special or even The Grinch (animated or live-action). Of course there’s nothing wrong with enjoying those things, but as horror fans, we like to throw on very specific films. Escaping into a holiday horror film set during December is a blast.
If you’re unfamiliar with the horror genre, aren’t aware of all the subgenres, and/or are just wanting a refresher on holiday horror as a subgenre, then you’ve come to the right place.
Slow your roll — what exactly is holiday horror?
Holiday horror is a subgenre where celebrations of holidays are turned upside down with horrific scenes, terror and fear, and occasionally a killer dressed up in holiday themed outfits. Therefore, holiday horror can take place during Valentine’s Day, Halloween, Thanksgiving, New Years, etc. It doesn’t always have to be set during December, either, but Christmas/Xmas is absolutely one of the most popular holidays for holiday horror. Flipping what’s marketed as a joyous time and turning it into pure chaos and bloodshed provides a delightful dose of twisted subversion.
Of course, Halloween is also incredibly popular for holiday horror, but it’s not unexpected to see creepy things during a holiday that celebrates those vibes. For holidays set during December, horror trappings turn expectations upside down and finds delight in ruining the holiday season for the characters.
When was holiday horror as a general subgenre born?
Surprisingly to some, you could say that it began in the 1600s. Though, in terms of films you could potentially say the 1900s. And for more accessible Christmas horror, then the 1970s is when it started to really kick off in the horror genre. Whoever Slew Auntie Roo? (1971) is one of the first.
How many December-based holiday horror films exist? Are there any horror TV specials?
Answering that would take ages, but there are quite a number of Christmas (or Xmas) holiday horror films out there. Some popular and some that aren’t great, but they do the trick as far as getting holiday scares in. In terms of horror TV specials, there are a number of them, for sure. It depends on what type of shows you’re interested in like Buffy the Vampire Slayer has “Amends”, Supernatural has “A Very Supernatural Christmas” etc. Both episodes are excellent, and many fans of either or both regard them highly.
Tell me, what are some top tier holiday horror films to watch for this time of year?
Don’t mind if I do, reader. Here are some that you should or could watch if you dare to venture.
- Black Christmas (1974)
- Gremlins (1984)
- Silent Night, Deadly Night (1984)
- P2 (2007)
- Inside (2007)
- Krampus (2015)
- Better Watch Out (2016)
- The Lodge (2019)
- The Sacrifice Game (2023)
- It’s a Wonderful Knife (2023)
- Silent Night, Deadly Night (2025)
There are absolutely way more than that, and if you’re in the mood to just simply watch a horror film set during the winter in general, has a snowy vibe despite it not being the holidays, or something along those lines, then feel free. Hard rules don’t exist here, but those are some films to absolutely check out this holiday season.
For folks who are open to the Terrifier films, you could watch Terrifier 3. It’s best to just ignore the Damien Leone of it all because that guy is certainly not representative of the horror community (this is your reminder that horror is political).
Which Christmas (or Xmas) horror film is considered a must-watch?
This is a very subjective question because it depends on what you enjoy the most etc. Many horror fans would say Gremlins because it’s a great comedy horror film set during the holidays. However, Black Christmas (1974) is also a classic and still influences horror films to this day.
The final girl trope was technically born from this film, and it came out before Halloween (1978) was released. And it’s also arguably a perfect horror film that depicts women in a realistic light, shows the types of issues that women face when trying to report legitimate concerns, and proves that killers don’t always need a backstory to be scary. It’s an excellent holiday horror watch, and it’s also Canadian!
Where can I watch some of the horror films or TV specials that you mentioned?
Aside from physical media, most of these films are spread across streaming services. They aren’t too inaccessible in that respect, which is a good thing for those who are still subscribed to certain services. The information below is only for those in the US, but for those of us in Canada it’s best to check out JustWatch because our streaming services differ or have different selection:
- Black Christmas (Prime Video, Philo, AMC+, Peacock, Pluto TV, Fandor, Screambox, and more)
- Gremlins (Hulu, AMC, and more)
- Silent Night, Deadly Night (AMC+, Shudder, Philo, Plex, Pluto TV, and more)
- P2 (Prime Video, Peacock, The Roku Channel, Plex,Fawesome, and more)
- Inside (Available to rent)
- Krampus (AMC+, Shudder, Philo, and more)
- Better Watch Out (Prime Video, Screambox, Peacock, The Roku Channel, Fawesome, Plex, Xumo Play, and more)
- The Lodge (Available to rent)
- The Sacrifice Game (Shudder, AMC+, Plex, and more)
- It’s a Wonderful Knife (Hulu, Shudder, AMC+, Plex, and more)
- Silent Night, Deadly Night (Currently in theaters)
Have a safe holiday season, horror freaks or budding horror freaks. It’s been a long year — may this guide provide a bit of creepy comfort.
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