The 10 Best Christmas Horror Movies to Stream

Everyone has their holiday traditions. Sipping egg nog, making cookies, and for those of us who still ache for spooky season, watching horror films. Any time of year is a good time to delve into the genre, but the holidays offer an unexpected slant for those inclined to indulge in the pasttime.

1. Black Christmas (2019) – Netflix

The update to the classic ‘70s slasher did not impress critics, but this holiday season, it merits a second glance. Fans of the original took issue with not including the original killer, but the biggest criticism of the film is also its biggest strength. 2019’s Black Christmas incorporates a feminist slant so unsubtle that it fits right at home in the campy film.

Horror is at its best when it includes social commentary, and sexual assault on college campuses is a large problem. Following Riley (Imogen Poots) after an assault perpetrated by a large fraternity, the university is on edge. Naturally, the fraternity in question practices black magic and believes all women should be subservient to men. This puts Riley and her sorority in danger when the men come a-calling. Once you look past the obvious changes to the source material, Black Christmas is an entertaining romp that would make any Christmas celebration memorable.

2. It’s A Wonderful Knife – Shudder

A twist on the classic film starring Jimmy Stewart, It’s A Wonderful Knife gives a new meaning to Christmas. By all accounts, Winnie Carruthers (Jane Widdop) should be the town hero. When a slasher strikes on Christmas, Winnie unmasks the killer as Mayor Waters (Justin Long) and saves everyone who would have died otherwise.

But getting no appreciation, she wishes that she never existed, catapulting her into another world where she was never born, and no one was there to save the town from the killer. In the parallel universe, the mayor is still kicking, and the murders never stopped. With higher stakes than It’s a Wonderful Life, the film leans into classic tropes of horror and the comedic styles of genre icon, Justin Long.

3. Krampus – Peacock

The antithesis of Saint Nicholas has been common fare for B horror films for some time. But in 2015, the devilish spirit got the Hollywood treatment. Starring Toni Collette and Adam Scott, Krampus teaches the lesson of cherishing the holidays. During a particularly tense Christmas gathering, young Max (Emjay Anthony) rebels against Santa and all his works. Unbeknownst to him, this summons Krampus to wreak havoc on the family.

Stuck in the house during a ceaseless winter storm, the family at odds with each other has to band together and defend the home from Krampus and his demonic helpers. Like any good Christmas movie, the family learns a valuable lesson, even if that lesson is full of murder and mayhem.

4. Black Christmas (1974) – Shudder

For franchise purists, it is not a bad idea to revisit the film that started it all. Amityville Horror and Halloween may be remembered as the best horror films of the decade, but Black Christmas is criminally underrated. On Christmas, a group of sorority girls are terrorized by creepy phone calls and ultimately murdered. The attacker, Billy, is legitimately terrifying, even to modern standards. And while the remake is an outright condemnation of sexism, Black Christmas also has a critique of misogyny in the film.

The film puts forward a gripping red herring, making it seem like the killer is Jess’ (Olivia Hussey) boyfriend. It also ends on a far more disturbing note, as the killer is allowed to roam free with authorities being none the wiser after Peter’s death. Black Christmas remains a source of fascination due to the apparent lack of motive from the killer and the ambiguous ending.

5. Gremlins – Max

One of the more wholesome movies on this list, Gremlins remains a holiday classic for fans of horror and cute, cuddly monsters. More akin to the horror-comedy present in the Kevin Bacon vehicle, Tremors, Gremlins sets up a concept that never gets old. When Billy (Zach Galligan) receives a Mogwai as a Christmas gift, he is told very specifically the three rules to never violate. Never give them water. Never feed them after midnight. And never expose them to direct sunlight. Billy succeeds in breaking all three.

As Billy and his flame Kate (Phoebe Cates) save the town from the green monsters that run rampant after breaking these rules, the primary Mogwai steals the show. It is legitimately heartbreaking when Billy has to give up little Gizmo. But hey, there’s always the sequel. (Right?)

6. Anna and the Apocalypse – Shudder

Christmas, zombies, and singing? What a time to be alive, as one musical number in Anna and the Apocalypse proclaims. What a time to be alive, indeed. Perhaps the concept is so niche that the film didn’t receive the appreciation that it deserves, but there is no time like the present to rectify that.

The titular character (Ella Hunt) wakes up one Christmas morning to discover the town has been overrun by zombies. Teaming up with high school friend, John (Malcolm Cumming), they fight, sing, and dance their way through the horde to reach some semblance of safety. Everyone needs a touch of fun during the holidays, and if it is in the same vein as Shaun of the Dead, then all the better.

7. The Conjuring 2 – Max

It may be easy to miss out on all the hints of holiday cheer with the Enfield Poltergeist running around, but The Conjuring 2 does take place during the holidays. And what a festive holiday abroad for the Warrens it is. In the second installment of the prolific series of Conjuring movies, Ed (Patrick Wilson) and Lorraine (Vera Farmiga) reprise their roles as the paranormal investigators when young Janet (Madison Wolfe) shows signs of possession. When they aren’t looking for signs that the family is the subject of a hoax, the Warrens do heartwarming things like tell Janet about their love story, sing Elvis, and dance in front of a lit tree. All’s well that ends well for this married couple.

8. The Lodge – Max

For those interested in a much more dour tale, there is always The Lodge. The 2019 film stars Riley Keough and Richard Armitage in a cautionary tale about marrying into a family with nightmare children. While on holiday in a remote cabin, Grace (Reough) gets snowed in with her future stepchildren, who are more than apprehensive about her marrying their father. With Richard (Armitage) separated from them, it is up to Grace to make peace with his children, which gets infinitely harder the more her psychological wounds about being raised in a cult start to resurface. Be warned, this film is not for the faint of heart.

9. Rosemary’s Baby – Paramount Plus

Based on the Ira Levin book of the same name, Rosemary’s Baby has stood the test of time for many contributing reasons. It isn’t every day that your husband sells your womb to a cult of Satan worshippers. But by the time Rosemary (Mia Farrow) realizes what she has birthed, it is too late.

Taking place on the West Side in New York, the film is full of picturesque visuals of the holiday time. These soothing images contrast perfectly with the shocking final moments of the film where Rosemary has to come to terms with being the mother to the antichrist. The holidays are hard for everybody.

10. The Blackcoat’s Daughter – Max

Just before Kiernan Shipka took on the moniker of Sabrina Spellman, she was involved in another project devoted to the occult. Oz Perkins sets The Blackcoat’s Daughter at a girls’ boarding school that is closing up shop for Christmas break.

Only two girls are left behind: Rose (Lucy Boynton) and Kat (Shipka). The longer the girls stay there, the clearer it becomes that Satan wants to have fun during the holidays too. The film is a highly underrated dramatic and horrific feature, and without giving too much away, you won’t want to turn it off before the final twist.