The Best Christmas Horror Movies

Dec 24, 2025

4 min read

Updated: Oct 4

As our thirst for horror becomes ever more insatiable; there is a surprisingly long list of horror Christmas movies to watch, with several being made every year now.

Tap the links to take you to the film pages where you can read our review, watch the movie trailers, and find out where you can watch them.

Merry Horror-mas!

Black Christmas movie poster. In this retro hand drawn poster from the 1970's, a man with a plastic bag over his head sits in a chair.

Black Christmas (1974)

During their Christmas break, a group of sorority girls spending the holiday at their sorority house are stalked by a stranger, will any of them survive this reign of terror?

This film is an underrated remake of the film of the name from 1974. On Christmas Eve, an escaped maniac returns to his childhood home, which is now a sorority house, and begins to murder the sorority sisters one by one.

Gremlins movie poster. A small brown and white furry creature looks scared, it is surround by lizard like hands with claws.

Gremlins (1984)

A Christmas gift gone terribly wrong! After receiving an exotic small animal as a Christmas gift, a young man inadvertently breaks three important rules concerning his new pet, which unleashes a horde of malevolently mischievous creatures on a small town.

Krampus movie poster. The Krampus stands on the snowy roof of a house in front of a full moon.

Krampus (2015)

When his dysfunctional family clashes over the holidays, young Max 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.

The Advent calendar movie poster. The movie title is written in French. We look down upon a woman in wheelchair rolling through the snow, she leaves behind red wheel tracks, a wood box in her lap.

The Advent Calendar (2021)

Eva, an ex-dancer, is now a paraplegic living in a wheelchair. When her friend Sophie gifts her an old wooden antique advent calendar before Christmas, she realizes each window contains a surprise that triggers repercussions in real life.

Christmas Bloody Christmas movie poster. Christmas lights sparkle behind the face of an evil looking Santa, his eyes glow green, and he holds a bloody axe.

Christmas Bloody Christmas (2022)

It's Christmas Eve and Tori just wants to get drunk and party, but when a robotic Santa Claus at a nearby toy store goes haywire and begins a rampant killing spree through her small town, she's forced into a battle for survival.

Anna And The Apocalypse movie poster. A teen girl holds a decorative oversized candy cane above her head, the end sharpened. She is wearing a school uniform splattered in blood.

Anna And The Apocalypse (2017)

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.

The Day Of The Beast movie poster. The name of the movie is written in Spanish, in large red letters, the letter I is in white, a miniature devil that casts a Christian cross shaped shadow.

The Day Of The Beast (1995)

Bent on committing as many sins as possible to avert the birth of the beast, a Catholic priest teams up with a Black Metal aficionado and an Italian connoisseur of the occult. Now, he must become an unrelenting sinner. Is there still hope?

Red Snow movie poster. A cabin sits in the snow on the edge of a forest, red footsteps leading up to it. In the overcast sky above there are the eyes of a woman, red irises, blood trickles from the left eye.

Red Snow (2021)

Olivia, a struggling vampire romance novelist, is spending Christmas in snowy Lake Tahoe, she seems to step into the pages of one her novels, coming face to face with real-life vampire.

Silent Night, Deadly Night movie poster. On a snowy roof, Santa's arm hangs out of an icy brick chimney holding an axe.

Silent Night, Deadly Night (1984)

Billy Chapman, who was traumatized by his parents' Christmas Eve murder, then brutalized by sadistic orphanage nuns, grows up to dress as jolly St. Nick for a yuletide rampage to punish the naughty.

Rare Exports: A Christmas Tale movie poster. In a snowy setting, a young boy wearing a helmet looks in awe at the face of Santa, some old men stand behind him holding a gun.

Rare Exports: A Christmas Tale (2010)

There's an ancient frozen secret in the Finnish mountains, as children vanish and eerie elves emerge, a boy and his father must stop a deadly force before Christmas. This Christmas, everyone will believe in Santa Claus.

Better Watch Out movie poster. A young girl and boy cower by a Christmas tree, the girl holds a large kitchen knife.

Better Watch Out (2016)

On a quiet suburban street tucked within a 'safe neighborhood', a babysitter must defend a twelve-year-old boy from strangers breaking into the house, only to discover that this is far from a normal home invasion.

A Christmas Horror Story movie poster. In a snowy outdoor setting, Santa Clause holds a harpoon, facing the horned Krampus that wields a hook on a long chain.

A Christmas Horror Story (2015)

Christmas is supposed to be a time of joy, peace and goodwill. But for some folks in the small town of Bailey Downs, it turns into something much less festive.

Terrifier 3 Movie Poster. The franchise villain Art The Clown stands in front of a fireplace next to a Christmas tree. He is dripping in blood wearing a Santa hat, holding an axe, with the cut off face of Santa hung around his neck.

Terrifier 3 (2024)

The festive season quickly unravels as Art unleashes his twisted brand of terror, proving that no holiday is safe.

Christmas Evil movie poster. Santa stands with a bloody axe in front of a fireplace, toys in bag over his shoulder.

Christmas Evil (1980)

A toy factory worker, mentally scarred as a child upon learning Santa Claus is not real, suffers a nervous breakdown after being belittled at work, and embarks on a Yuletide killing spree.

Creepshow Holiday Special movie poster. The Creepshow Skeleton narrator stand outside a festively decorated window in the snow.

Creepshow Holiday Special (2020)

An anxious man who is trying to figure out his disorder enlists into an organization called Shapeshifters Anonymous without realizing that Santa Clauses are after him.

Carnage For Christmas movie poster. A red and white decorated Christmas wreath with bow in a retro style reminiscent of 1970's movie posters.

Carnage For Christmas (2024)

Lola, a true-crime podcaster, returns home for Christmas only to face a vengeful ghost reenacting the murders of a historical killer. With her community at risk, she must confront the town's buried secrets to stop the slaughter.

Silent Night movie poster. Santa's head, with red and white traditional hat, long flowing white moustache and beard. The tip of a flame thrower in front of him shooting flames. Santa's eyes look black, frightening and mysterious.

Silent Night (2012)

As their small Midwestern town prepares for its annual Christmas Eve parade, a sheriff and his deputy discover that a maniac in a Santa suit is murdering those he judges as naughty.

It's A Wonderful Knife movie poster. A mysterious figure wearing a white mask and white glove stabs a dagger into a clear glass Christmas ball that contains a town, as if it were a snow globe. The glass is shattered where the knife penetrates it.

It's A Wonderful Knife (2023)

After saving her town from a psychotic killer, Winnie Carruthers' life is less than wonderful. When she wishes she'd never been born, she finds herself in a nightmare parallel universe where without her, things could be much, much worse.

Violent Night movie poster. A traditional and handsome Santa looks menacing, his face bloodied, a candy cane hangs from the corner of mouth, the end of which is lit as if it were a stick of dynamite.

Violent Night (2022)

When an elite team of mercenaries breaks into a family compound on Christmas Eve, a disgruntled Santa Claus must take them out to save both the hostages and his Holiday.

Silhouetted man stands in parking garage labeled "P2." A woman looks fearful. Text: "THE ONLY THING MORE TERRIFYING THAN BEING ALONE..."

P2 (2007)

A businesswoman finds herself locked in with a security guard in the parking garage of her office tower after choosing to work late on Christmas Eve.

Figures in winter clothing appear distressed in a snowy landscape under a full moon. Text: There's Something In The Barn. Mood: tense.

There's Something In The Barn (2023)

An American family fulfills their dream of going back to their roots after inheriting a remote cabin in the mountains of Norway. But there's more than a culture shock waiting for them at their new home.

Four serious individuals stand under a full moon. Below, two women walk into an arched building. Text reads: "The Sacrifice Game."

The Sacrifice Game (2023)

It's bad enough that boarding school students Samantha and Clara can't go home for the holidays, but things take a deadly turn when a murderous gang arrives on the doorstep of their boarding school- just in time for Christmas.

A man holds a bloody axe and gift outside a snowy house at night. "Slay Bells Ring" and "Secret Santa" text is visible under a full moon.

Secret Santa (2018)

When one of the dinner guest enacts revenge, the Christmas gathering brings tidings of death for this dysfunctional family, and the bloody chaos is rapidly escalating. Will there be any survivors of this unintentional murder spree?

Bloody axe wrapped in Christmas lights against dark background. Text: "This Christmas... you’d better be good." "Silent Night, Deadly Night in Cinemas 2025."

Silent Night, Deadly Night (2025)

Remake of the film of the same name from 1984. After witnessing his parents’ brutal murder on Christmas Eve, Billy transforms into a Killer Santa, delivering a yearly spree of calculated, chilling violence.

Movie poster of David Harbour in a red Santa coat with gray fur trim; text: Violent Night 2, Checking It Twice Christmas 2026.

Violent Night 2 (2026)

Follows Santa Claus as he battles a new wave of mercenaries on Christmas Eve, combining dark humour, action-packed sequences, and unexpected alliances in a festive showdown. In theatres Dec. 4th 2026.

We hope you enjoyed our picks for the Best Horror Christmas Movies.

Is there a movie you think we should add? Coment below ↓

Happy Holidays!

-Pumpkinhead