Hi everyone! I hope you’re all well. Today, since it’s the season for it, I thought I’d share with you a selection of my favourite Christmas-themed horror films.
I love horror films, and I love Christmas—and together, they make the perfect form of entertainment for the holiday season. There’s always been something about Christmas and the entire winter season that lends itself to the telling of scary stories. Perhaps it’s the darker nights, or maybe it’s a little bit of an antidote to the constant (often forced) cheer of the holiday season. Whatever the reason is, I’m sharing a selection of my favourite Christmas-themed horror films to send shivers down your spine!
So, without further preamble, here are:
10 of My Favourite Christmas-Themed Horror Films
Gremlins
Any list of Christmas-themed horror films would be incomplete without 1984’s Gremlins. A young man named Billy receives a mysterious creature called a Mogwai for Christmas, along with three strict rules for its care: never put it in bright light, never let it get wet, and never, ever feed it after midnight. When said rules aren’t followed, the cute Mogwai named Gizmo spawns devilish, destructive gremlins that wreak mayhem on the small town.
Await Further Instructions
This one was an interesting take on a family Christmas. A dysfunctional British family wake up on Christmas morning to find their entire house mysteriously sealed off by a black, impenetrable substance. Their only contact with the outside world is through cryptic messages appearing on their television, instructing them to perform increasingly disturbing tasks.
Silent Night, Deadly Night
Billy is utterly traumatized after bearing witness to his parents’ murder by a guy in a Santa Claus suit. Having been raised in an orphanage, Billy grows up with serious mental scars and a fear of Santa. As an adult working at a toy store, he snaps during the Christmas season, donning a Santa suit and embarking on a violent killing spree, targeting those he sees as”naughty.”
Krampus (2015)
A family’s lack of holiday spirit inadvertently summons Krampus, a dark, ancient figure from European folklore. When youngster Max loses faith in Christmas, Krampus and his monstrous helpers descend on their home during a blizzard, punishing them for their lack of belief.
Black Christmas (1974)
A bunch of sorority sisters begin to get disturbing calls during the Christmas season. As the calls grow more threatening, the women realize they’re being stalked by a mysterious killer who has secretly taken up residence in their attic. There have been two remakes of Black Christmas in the last two decades, but neither comes close to the original.
Silent Night, Bloody Night
Jeffrey inherits a long-abandoned mansion that previously served as an asylum. As he tries to sell the property, a series of brutal murders begins to unfold, all tied to dark secrets buried in the mansion’s past. As the town’s chilling history is revealed—including betrayal, madness, and cover-ups—the true identity of the killer is discovered, culminating in a grim and haunting finale.
It’s A Wonderful Knife
This one reimagines one of my all-time favourite films, It’s a Wonderful Life, as a campy, Christmas comedy slasher. The story centres on Winnie, a young woman who once saved her hometown—Angel Falls—from a masked killer called “The Angel.” A year later, still haunted by guilt and grief over her friend’s death, she wishes she’d never been born under the aurora borealis. Instantly, Winnie wakes in a parallel reality where she never existed—and the killer’s spree continued unabated, with dozens more dead.
P2
A young businesswoman gets trapped in her office building’s parking garage on Christmas Eve. Her car won’t start, and the building is nearly empty—except for Thomas, the seemingly mild-mannered security guard. When he reveals a disturbing obsession with her, Angela finds herself imprisoned in the garage, forced to fight for her life as Thomas’sbehaviour turns violent and unhinged.
Better Watch Out
On Christmas Eve, Ashley arrives at the suburban home of the Lerners to babysit 12-year-old Luke, who harbours a crush on her. Strange noises and ominous warnings lead Ashley to believe there’s an outside threat—but in an unexpected twist, it’s revealed that Luke and his friend Garrett staged the whole thing, planning to scare Ashley as part of a sick ploy to win her affection.
Anna and the Apocalypse
The film centres on Anna and her school friends in the small town of Little Haven during the festive holiday season. Just as they’re preparing for the school holiday show, a sudden zombie outbreak sweeps through town. Anna, her best friend John, filmmaker Chris, and activism-minded Steph band together—fighting, singing, and slashing their way through zombified bowling alleys, snowmen, and school halls—to reach loved ones and survive the undead chaos. It sounds like such a busy plot, but it’s good.
What are some of your favourite Christma-themed horror films? Let me know!
Thank you, as ever, for reading today’s post.
Until next time,
George
© 2025 GLT
Categories: life
GEORGE L THOMAS 
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