Top 5 Christmas Horror Films Of All Time
Summer is the perfect time to rewatch some of your favorite Christmas horror movies. July is the best time to do a Christmas rewatch because it is exactly 6 months away from December, and nothing gets people more in the Christmas spirit than a Christmas countdown.
There are many horror holiday films to choose from. From Gremlins (1984) to Krampus (2015), festive horror films live in many subgenres. But which are the best flicks to watch during Christmas in July?
5. ‘Gremlins’ (1984)
Gremlins is an iconic 1984 family-friendly horror film. This film has gathered a cult following, resulting in a Gremlins sequel. Gremlins is directed by Joe Dante and stars Zach Galligan, Phoebe Cates, and Polly Holliday. Howie Mandel voices the character Gizmo, the main character known as a creature called the mogwai, which means devil in Chinese. Stephen Spielberg produced this iconic cult film. Gremlins is a type of genre that Spielberg is familiar with after the release of Indiana Jones and The Temple of Doom (1984), which premiered the month before. Despite taking place at Christmas time, the film was released in June of 1984. The film is based on the legend of the mischievous creatures called gremlins during the World War II era. The story follows Billy, who unfortunately receives a pet that shifts into a giant creature that wreaks havoc on Christmas Eve. There are three rules: do not expose yourself to sunlight, do not let it come into contact with water, and do not feed it after midnight. The mogwai can reproduce asexually, which leads to the father, Richard, and rest of his family waking up to find more mogwai running amuck in their house. A highlight of the film is when the gremlins hold a bartender hostage to be able to drink. The film has some powerful practical effects and hilarious moments. Overall, Gremlins is a Christmas horror film for the family; children of all ages could watch this hilariously terrifying film. Gremlins is available to watch on SlingTV.
4. ‘Silent Night, Deadly Night’ (1984)
Silent Night, Deadly Night is a 1984 film starring Jonathan Best. In this film, 5-year-old Billy is warned by his grandfather (Will Hare) that Santa Claus punishes children who are bad as well as rewards the good children. While the child does not believe him at first, the tale starts to be true after his parents (Tara Buckman and Geoff Hansen) are killed by a man who is dressed as the jolly Christmas figure when he tries to carjack them on Christmas Eve. Billy is then sent to an orphanage, where he suppresses his trauma, which then reaches its peak later when he is an adult. When he is fully grown and forced to play Santa at his job, his post-traumatic stress from his parents’ deaths and being raised in an abusive orphanage causes him to become a serial killer who wears a Santa suit after experiencing a psychological breakdown. The film was released in November of 1984 and received controversy over promotional materials that included the killing of Santa Claus. Silent Night, Deadly Night was pulled from theaters a week after it was released due to the promotional material controversy and is now known as one of the 1980s most controversial films. The film’s cult following resulted in several sequels produced and released, along with a loose remake of the film. Silent Night, Deadly Night does not disappoint with its overly elaborated kills, which include one character being hung by holiday lights and another being impaled by a taxidermied reindeer. The film is available to watch on the Roku Channel.
Article Continues Below
3. ‘Better Watch Out’ (2016)
Better Watch Out, originally known as Safe Neighborhood, is an Austrian holiday horror flick that was released in 2016. It resembles an r-rated horror version of the classic Christmas film Home Alone (1990). Better Watch Out is a Christmas psychological horror film that stars Olivia DeJonge, Levi Miller, and Ed Oxenbould. The film blends its dark comedy with bloody, screaming terror moments, which keep audiences watching till the end. The plot is about a 17-year-old babysitter, Ashley (Olivia DeJonge), who is watching 12-year-old Luke Lerner (Levi Miller). Luke is seen to have romantic feelings for his babysitter as he unsuccessfully attempts to seduce her, all while something unsettling is happening outside that sets Ashley on edge of what terrifying figure could be lurking outside the window. The figure is Garrett (Ed Oxenbould), who is Luke’s best friend and was sneaking around to visit. Audiences will be left clinging to their seats as the trio finds a broken window and a brick that says, “U leave and you die.” A horrifying intruder will have viewers glued to their seats in fear of leaving the couch, like how the characters cannot leave the house in the film. Better Watch Out is full of amazing actors who play out the horror of the film with the utmost fear that the characters are terrified in the situations. Despite not being one of the most gorey Christmas horror films, Better Watch Out is a film in which the less that a person knows, the better. The plot twist during the climax has jaws on the floor, as viewers will be stunned at the series of events that take place. Better Watch Out is available on Tubi, PlutoTV, The Roku Channel, Plex, and Peacock.
2. ‘Jack Frost’ (1997)
Jack Frost is a 1997 dark comedy-slasher film. Despite having the same name as the 1998 family-friendly Christmas movie about a man who, after having a tragic car accident, comes back to life as a snowman to spend time with his son, the 1997 film is anything but a heartwarming family-friendly film. Despite being a direct-to-video film, Jack Frost developed a cult following and received a sequel film in 2000 titled Jack Frost 2: Revenge of the Mutant Killer. This film stars Scott MacDonald and Stephen Mendle but marks the film debut of actress Shannon Elizabeth. Jack Frost tells the story of serial killer Jack Frost, who evaded police for years while leaving a trail of about thirty-eight bodies before being arrested and put on death row. As he is being transported to his execution, he kills the guard and crashes the vehicle into a truck that is being used for genetic research. After he crashes, he is exposed to the chemicals that are in the van, which causes him to be fused with the snow. Sam, the detective who had arrested Jack, starts to wonder if the threats that Jack had made were sincere. Jack Frost is not a movie that can be taken seriously with the main characters’ lines, which adds to the comedy aspect of the film and the ridiculousness. This film is a mix of the Christmas season, a true crime thriller, and The X-Files. Jack Frost can be watched on Tubi, PlutoTV, and Peacock.
1. ‘Krampus’ (2015)
Krampus is a 2015 Christmas horror film with a slight comedic element. The film is based on the folk legend of the character Krampus. The film stars Adam Scott, Toni Collette, and David Koechner. The plot is about a family whose young son, Max, loses his holiday spirit due to their constant fighting. After his cousins read his letter to Santa out loud, he yells that he hates his family and Christmas. Losing the Christmas spirit will release the demonic-horned beast named Krampus. Krampus is less known than the popular, spirited Christmas figure Santa Claus. The family is stalked by the beast and his elves during a storm. Krampus’ character is set to torture the family after their son loses his spirit. The film is set to capture the spirit of Gremlins (1984) and it succeeds as a film that children might sneak to watch but then have nightmares about the monster that might torture them if they do not believe in Christmas afterward. The psychological horror sets in after Max’s sister Beth goes to visit her boyfriend but never comes back. Panic sets in for the audience as the family becomes concerned, and Krampus snatches a member of Max’s family to torture him. Krampus is directed by Michael Daugherty, who is known as the director of the 2009 indie horror film Trick or Treat. While Krampus does not seem as horrifying a film as it would have been if it were a home invasion film of sorts, Krampus is available to stream on Max.
Krampus (2015) Official Trailer
Source: Dead Talk Live
Contact Information:
Email: news@deadtalknews.com
Phone: +1 (646) 397-2874
Dead Talk Live is simultaneously streamed to: YouTube, Instagram, TikTok, Facebook, Twitch, Twitter, Vimeo, and LinkedIn
Shop official Dead Talk Live Merchandise at our Online Store
Author
Hanna Zabski is a current undergraduate student at Marist College majoring in Media Studies and Production with a concentration in Film and Television. She is incredibly passionate about the entertainment industry and storytelling, and hopes to one day pursue a career in this field.