The best holiday horror movies to watch for the perfect blood-soaked Christmas

Without a doubt, Christmas is that special time of the year where friends frolic throughout various shopping centers while families gather around the couch and indulge in a holiday movie marathon packed with warmth and joy. Well, that’s unless you’re a horror fan, of course.

While Christmas classics such as Elf and The Santa Clause are typically enjoyed around this time of year, passionate gorehounds in the horror community often set their sights on the magical realm that is the holiday horror sub-genre. When you think about the Yuletide season, it might feel impossible to some to even dream about watching a horror movie, but just as Art the Clown briefly showcased for us in the small sample of Damien Leone’s upcoming Terrifier 3, sometimes Christmas is simply more fun when blood-soaked horror movie chaos is involved. 

So, let’s dive in and showcase the best holiday horror movies to watch this Christmas.

Krampus (2015)

We couldn’t possibly find a better way to kick off this list than with Michael Dougherty’s iconic Christmas horror entry. Centering around a dysfunctional family stuck at home during a horrendous blizzard, it doesn’t take too much time before Krampus, a demonic monster, makes his presence felt within the home and causes blood-soaked madness. It’s undoubtedly campy and silly at times, but I’d be lying if I pretended like Krampus isn’t completely entertaining — because it is.

The Mean One (2022)

We mentioned Art the Clown earlier, which is simply ironic, seeing as David Howard Thornton — who portrays Art in the Terrifier series — plays the infamous Grinch in this twisted Christmas tale. Keeping up with the classic narrative, the 2022 holiday horror project centers around the Grinch embarking on a murderous warpath in the town of Newville. Yes, it’s as ridiculously silly as it sounds, but that’s certainly part of the charm of holiday horror films. 

Silent Night (2021)

As a disastrous apocalypse looms, a group of family and friends gather together to celebrate one final night before a poisonous substance slays them all. While this is far from your typical slasher-esque bubble of horror, there’s simply no denying the amount of existential dread that is presented in the project — in a situation that could somehow happen in real life, depending on a variety of things. Think about it and watch.

Jack Frost (1997)

Sorry to disappoint, but this isn’t the tearjerking Michael Keaton version, folks. Instead, this ‘90s slasher spectacle revolves around a murderous prisoner who, after coming in contact with a bout of acid, transforms into a blood-thirsty snowman and wreaks absolute havoc. Just from the sounds of this premise, you can probably already guess this is a campy, over-the-top slasher, but it’s definitely worth a watch for the perfect blood-stained Christmas.

Black Christmas (1974)

If one thing is for certain, it’s that ‘70s slashers are iconic pieces of cinema that were certainly ahead of its time. As memorable and blood-stained as one holiday horror flick can get, you’d be hard pressed to find a singular soul in the horror community who hasn’t at least heard of Black Christmas. As a group of women are terrorized and stalked by an unknown perpetrator, a cauldron of chaos and madness sings aloud in the iconic feature. Several remakes have been made since, but the original remains the best.