Mr. and Mrs. Halloween

The stockings are hung by the chimney with care, but a spooky feeling’s still in the air. The holiday season is filled with merriment and joyful nostalgia, but a little Halloween creepiness can bring out the best in every holiday.

Many think John Carpenter’s legendary 1978 film Halloween was the first of its kind, turning the traditional American holiday into a cinematic nightmare. But before Halloween, there was 1974’s Black Christmas. A film that took the tropes of the good tidings and joy and revealed the true horror that can take place on such a beloved and sacred day.

After all, while we celebrate peace and the comfort of family, fires still blaze in the hearth, casting shadows onto the walls. The darkness and cold creep in early, and the nights seem longer and more unforgiving than ever.

Despite the twinkle of the lights and the carols of joy underscoring the festivities, many filmmakers understand the ironic, eerie feeling that infects our subconscious each December. Halloween embraces the darkness and evil that lurks in the shadows. Christmas, with its cheery facade and saccharine-sweet disposition, is a perfect backdrop to display the most horrific situations the human mind can imagine.

So turn down the lights, cuddle up close to your loved ones, and enjoy these Christmas themed horror films to make your holiday season as magical, and terrifying, as possible.

P2

This horror thriller may be one you missed when making your annual yuletide horror watchlist. Released in 2007, P2 stars Rachel Nichols (2005’s The Amityville Horror) and Wes Bentley (American Horror Story) and tells the tale of a businesswoman having the worst Christmas imaginable. Without giving too much away, this movie will give you a serious phobia of parking garages and make you a little more considerate of those who don’t have a family to go home to during the holidays.

Krampus

Thanks, Mike Dougherty, for taking our beloved holidays and turning them into horror films that bring the scares while still paying loving tribute to the tropes of the season we all know and love. We’re huge fans of Dougherty’s Trick ‘r Treat (honestly, how can any Halloween lover not be?), and his take on the Christmas season is just as perfect. With an all-star cast (Toni Collette, Adam Scott, David Koechner- just to name a few) and a well-crafted blend of holiday frights, nostalgic whimsy, and a dash of humor, Krampus is a holiday horror film we’ll be watching every year from now on.

Black Christmas

Woah- this movie does not get the street cred it deserves. Maybe amongst us horror fans Black Christmas is appreciated for the precedence it is, but when we watched this for the first time, I couldn’t help but notice so many excellent choices that seemed to inspire moments from iconic classics like Halloween, Scream, and When a Stranger Calls. Hands down, this is the Mac Daddy of all Christmas horror films. How did this movie fall by the wayside to so many? The director, Bob Clark, went on to make arguably the most nostalgic Christmas movie of all time (A Christmas Story), but before that he made the holiday absolutely terrifying.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dfiLviAMlwU

Black X-Mas

No, it doesn’t compare and is nothing like the original. Some horror fans don’t even consider it a remake. But it’s fun. A 2003’s House of Wax-style Christmas horror film that is filled with holiday cheer and plenty of bloodshed. A bonus feature is the cast featuring horror alum Mary Elizabeth Winstead, Michelle Trachtenberg, and Andrea Martin from 1974’s Black Christmas. 

All Through The House

The film may not have had a huge budget and is definitely whacky at parts, but you can tell the film’s director, Todd Nunes, is a horror filmmaker on the rise. It’s definitely worth your time with it’s homages to campy slasher films of the 1980s, tons of gore, and arguably one of the scariest Santas ever to grace the screen.

We hope you get a chance to enjoy some of these holiday horrors this season. There are, of course, many more merry (yet scary) movies out there to enjoy this time of year. Which ones do you enjoy each year? Share your favorites with us below!

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