From "Scrooged" To "Krampus", Here Are 15 Christmas Horror Films I Really Think You Should Watch

"Merry Redrum!"

Some people would rather enjoy jolly mayhem than Hallmark merriness, and there's nothing wrong with that!

CBS / Via giphy.com

From creepy Christmas tales, to scary stories using the holiday as a backdrop, here are 15 Christmas films that fans of horror are sure to enjoy:

1. Starting with the only holiday stop-motion movie that matters! The Nightmare Before Christmas is a perfect all-in-one holiday film.

Buena Vista Pictures Distribution

I'm calling it all-in-one because this lovely musical can appropriately be watched from spooky season until the new year — and what's better than that? Not only do you get absolute bangers (let's call them carols), lovable characters, and a holiday moral lesson, but it'd be pretty hard for lovers of the creepier things in life to not find joy in the Halloween aesthetic. This Tim Burton classic definitely deserves a spot on your binge-list!

Available to stream on: Disney+ and AppleTV+

Disney / Disney+ / Via youtube.com

2. Next up, you cannot convince me that Scrooged ~wasn't~ intended to be nightmare fuel.

Paramount Pictures

This dark comedy put the emphasis on "dark", in my opinion. While this more modern take on the Dickens classic amped up the comedy and cynicism of the "Scrooge" character, the creepiness of the Christmas ghosts was set to the max! Featuring some grotesque visuals like a walking corpse, a man who was frozen to death, and somebody being cremated alive, this Christmas classic should also be considered a scary favourite!

Available to stream on: Sky Go, Now TV Cinema, Prime Video (US), and Paramount+ (US) 

Paramount Pictures / Via youtube.com

3. We would be remiss to not include the OG (depending on who you ask) slasher flick, Black Christmas.

Ambassador Film / Warner Bros. Pictures

Also known as, Silent Night, Evil Night in the US, we can thank this Canadian film for the iconic line, "The call is coming from inside the house." Aside from a few references to the holiday, this film is definitely more of a thriller than a Christmas movie, and because of that it's perfect for the "grinches" (kidding!) that would rather be jumpy than jolly! Also, it helped to define the slasher genre before Halloween... so that's pretty cool.

Available to stream on: Plex, Prime Video, and Peacock (US)

Ambassador Film / Warner Bros. Pictures / Via youtube.com

4. Speaking of being a "grinch", we've included The Grinch, naturally.

Universal Pictures

Not even mentioning the horrific medical implications of one's heart tripling in size in one day, this campy classic is essentially the gateway film into the creepy Christmas movie genre. From the contorted faces of the not-so-cuddly Grinch, to the depressingly realistic exclusionary nature of the Who's — there are scary elements to be enjoyed by all ages in this iconic Christmas film!

Available to stream on: Netflix, Prime Video, and HBOMax (US)

Universal Pictures / Via youtube.com

5. Pooka! may technically be an episode of a horror anthology series, however, it's Christmas-themed and 83 minutes long. So it's on the list!

Hulu

This Creepypasta turned psychological holiday horror has got it all — twists, turns, and a supposedly cute popular Christmas toy with an accompanying murderous mascot! All set to the theme of being "naughty" or "nice", this is really a short film, but worth watching if you're into children's toys turning evil and the like! Plus, it's got a sequel!

Available to stream on: Hulu (US)

Hulu / Via youtube.com

6. I need you to hear me out on this one, but Home Alone is a fantastic scary Christmas movie.

20th Century Fox

Using a little creativity, it's not a big leap to find the horror elements in a story about a young boy who is bullied and ignored by his family to the point of abandonment at Christmastime. A boy who must protect his home from murderous intruders via the use of heinously violent, Rube Goldberg machine-like traps. See? Positively horrific! The only thing that would make this film scarier is if the traps actually maimed the bad guys.

Available to stream on: Disney+, AppleTV+, and Prime Video

20th Century Fox / Via youtube.com

7. Actually, here is Better Watch Out, which is essentially a version of Home Alone where the bad guys actually do get maimed.

Well Go USA / Rialto Distribution

This campy thriller follows a babysitter and the boys she's watching over the course of a night spent fighting off home invaders. It pays homage to the Home Alone franchise while also being more... Physiological accurate, shall we say? With this film, you get the catharsis of seeing home intruders be realistically injured from traps, a twist, and some Christmas music! Who doesn't love that?

Available to stream on: AppleTV+, Prime Video, and Peacock (US)

Well Go USA / Rialto Distribution / Via youtube.com

8. And if you're into a horror with fun music, then Anna and the Apocalypse is your flick!

Vertigo Releasing

Based on the book of the same name, who knew combining Christmas with a zombie plague could be so fun?! Make no mistake, this is a zombie horror indeed... however, it's also a MUSICAL! A British-Christmas-zombie-killing-musical. That ticks off all my boxes, how about yours?

Available to stream on: Prime Video, Shudder, AppleTV+ and The Roku Channel (US)

Vertigo Releasing / Via youtube.com

9. However, if you're looking for a more sombre "plague around Christmas" type of film, Silent Night is my suggestion.

Altitude / AMC+ / RLJE Films

Let me just say, this film is the definition of MELANCHOLIC. The scares in this dark dramedy are subtle and more psychological, making for a very interesting story that will surely eff with your brain a bit this holiday season. Give it a watch if you prefer scary films where the fear creeps up on you hours after viewing! (And also if you love seeing Kiera Knightley!!)

Available to stream on: Prime Video, AppleTV+, and Fubo (US)

Altitude / AMC+ / RLJE Films / Via youtube.com

10. Have you been naughty or nice this year? Well, the demon in Krampus will let ya know!

Universal Pictures

Building off of a legendary character in European folklore, this horror plays with the classic trope of defeating a hellish monster... But add in Christmas! It's a fun watch with decent jump-scares that comes with an important lesson — don't ever lose your Christmas spirit, or risk being dragged down to hell! 

Available to stream on: Netflix, Sky Go, Prime Video, and Peacock (US)

Universal Pictures / Via youtube.com

11. I would recommend Red Snow if you love seeing vampires, Christmas, and cartoonish blood splatters intersect!

4Digital Media

Close your eyes and imagine for a second that Bella and Edward from Twilight are actually in Misery but also in The Shining and it's also Christmastime. Then you ~kinda~ have this bloody film (pun intended). This horror satire blends multiple genres together with the holiday season, and creates a rather hilarious yet frightening film. If you're the type of person that can laugh at excessive gore, please watch this!

Available to stream on: AppleTV+, Prime Video, and Vudu (US)

4Digital Media / Via youtube.com

12. The Shining has been mentioned, and it got me thinking that yes, this film absolutely is a Christmas movie!

Warner Bros. Pictures

This classic horror and all of its symbolism have been interpreted in a million different ways over the years, and for the purposes of this list, I'm interpreting it as a Christmas film! In the movie, there's an abundance of red and green, there's snow, there's family, and on the days when the film takes place in 1977, it IS the week of Christmas. Plus, I watch this film every December, and that's not changing. Merry Redrum!

Available to stream on: AppleTV+, Prime Video, and HBOMax (US)

Warner Bros. Pictures / Via youtube.com

13. But if you'd rather watch a cabin-fever horror that we *know* takes place at Christmas, then watch The Lodge.

Neon / Sony Pictures Releasing International

This is ~truly~ a psychological thriller with an intelligent take on the "cabin in the woods" trope. The supernatural tone of the film puts the "Christ" in Christmas, but watch with caution, as there are some slightly triggering depictions of mental illness in this flick. If you're more into the campiness of holiday horrors, it's okay to sit this one out!

Available to stream on: Sky Go, Now TV Cinema, and Hulu (US)

Neon / Sony Pictures Releasing International / Via youtube.com

14. Again hear me out – if you watch The Nutcracker in 3D, you'll understand why it's terrifying.

G2 Pictures

There's no world in which I believe this film ~wasn't~ made to be a creepy Christmas classic. From the unsettling animation of the titular nutcracker coming to life, to the CGI angry rat-people and the questionable references to WWII Germany (???) This take on the beloved Christmas ballet is... Frightening. And it will stay with you!

Available to stream on: Prime Video and AppleTV+

G2 Pictures / Via youtube.com

15. And lastly, Gremlins is THE Christmas horror movie to watch annually!

Warner Bros. Pictures / Amblin Entertainment

Need I explain? In the same way that Die Hard is considered an action-packed Christmas film, Gremlins is undoubtedly an unsettling Christmas horror! (And not just because I first saw it when I was 4.) It ticks off all the boxes of every other Christmas horror on this list — it's creepy, sometimes cute, and overall takes place at Christmastime! Just don't watch it while eating after midnight, or something like that...

Available to stream on: Sky Go and HBOMax (US)

Warner Bros. Pictures / Amblin Entertainment / Via youtube.com

Which of these holiday horrors will you watch this year? Let us know in the comments!