Hiya!
During my earlier days writing for this blog, I would state how I am, at heart, a big scaredy cat. I used to consciously avoid horror stuff. Things like Resident Evil 7 scared the bejeesus out of me just a few years. Well, that was then and I’ve changed a lot since them. I’m older and, well, not necessarily wiser but I have noticed I’m better equipped to handle scary stuff nowadays. I’m able to watch movies like Ready or Not and hardly squirm during the supposedly frightening parts.
However, as this is the Christmas season, it doesn’t seem like the ideal time to really test my mettle when it comes to stomaching horror movies… or is it? I have noticed, although this is the time to spread good cheer, there are some horror movies who make it so it’s actually the time to spread good fear! So, let’s go check out just five horror movies which uses the Christmas season as a backdrop!
That title’s a bit on the nose, isn’t it?
Okay, for one thing, the title is a little misleading as A Christmas Horror Story contains four horror themed tales set during the Holiday season. The four stories do have a thread kind of linking them together but, in all honesty, it’s not that necessary as they could’ve been standalone Yuletide horror fables and things would’ve been fine.
I will say the first story of A Christmas Horror Story does seem a little, well, devoid of the Christmas spirit but the rest of the yuletide fables do have much stronger connections to the holiday. Obvious, the best story is the last one as it involves Santa Claus in a life-and-death struggle with Krampus.
All is calm. All is blight.
Silent Night, Deadly Night is a product of the 80’s. So, it should come to no one’s surprised the movie is a campy slasher schlock movie… and that’s a good thing! Even during the bygone days when I would be deadly afraid of horror movies, I don’t think I would be terrified of the film. I guess the idea of a boy who becomes a killer dressed as Santa Claus because he witnessed his parents get unalived by someone dressed as Jolly Old Saint Nick is tragic… but a little funny at the same time.
Like with any “good” campy horror flick, Silent Night, Deadly Night is filled with bad but charming acting performances, unbelievable practical effect, hilarious kills and some gratuitous nudity. This makes it a wonder how the entire movie is available on YouTube and it hasn’t been taken down as of this writing! It’s a Christmas miracle!
Yep, I had to be a little more specific on this one as the two other remakes aren’t as well received.
Like Silent Night, Deadly Night, it does look like Black Christmas is also a product of its time. This time, though, that time is the 70’s, meaning that, while there was some camp involved, the scares came more from the creepiness factor than the gore. That also means Black Christmas is a little bit more “serious” with its story. I guess this is why YouTube is okay with showing this movie in its entirety.
From what I know, the movie was based on “the calls are coming from inside the house” urban myth, which must have been truly terrifying back then, especially without mobile phones and all! Imagine, getting a call through a landline! The horror! The horror!
Wait, I thought I rented the Jack Frost movie with Michael Keaton? Whoops!
Honestly, I wasn’t really sure to add this to this list because, after watching it on YouTube, Jack Frost comes off more as a tongue-in-cheek comedy rather than a straightforward horror film. It certainly takes a lot of inspiration from campy flicks from the past and doesn’t prioritize scaring the viewers. Rather, Jack Frost feels more like an amalgamation of the more humorous side of classic horror movie characters like the wisecracking versions Freddy Krueger and Chucky from the Nightmare on Elm Street and Child’s Play franchises.
This does mean the scares in Jack Frost aren’t really all that frightening. However, thanks to the general campy tone, the film has become a cult classic. So, I do think horror buffs who would like some lighter fare to watch during the Holiday season could make this a yearly tradition, I guess?
Wait… this movie has pro wrestler and Fozzy frontman, Chris Jericho?
Unlike the previous films on this list, I haven’t watched Terrifier 3 for several reasons. One, it’s not on any streaming platforms here in the Philippines. Second, I haven’t seen the previous films in the franchise so I might get lost in the plot. Third, I actually heard the gore level here is, well, truly terrifying! I may be more open to frights nowadays but, from what I’ve heard, Terrifier 3 is on a whole different level!
Even though I haven’t watched this movie (and I probably won’t be any time in the near future), I do have to mention Terrifier 3 as it is said to be one of the better Christmas themed horror movies out there right now. Considering it was just released this year and some are already considering it to be a classic, I don’t think this list would be complete without it.
BONUS: Anna and the Apocalypse
Why, I didn’t know I wanted a musical zombie apocalypse film set during Christmas until now!
Okay, like Jack Frost, Anna and the Apocalyse is definitely not a horror film. It’s more of a comedy zombie apocalypse set during the Holiday season… but with catchy musical numbers! As I’m not really sure many people know about Anna and the Apocalypse, I had to add it to this list as a bonus entry.
Byee!
What other Christmas horror movies do you know of? Let me know in the comments section below!
3rd World Geeks 
The making and enjoyment of horror productions related to Christmas is further proof that being worldly means being unholy. Christmas is all about Jesus, not worldliness.
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