5 Best Christmas Horror Movies

Everyone celebrates the holidays in a different way, and the 5 best Christmas horror movies are for those who take a non-traditional approach. Maybe they don’t like the forced sentimentality of most holiday movies, maybe they prefer horror stories all year round. Either way, these five films are perfect for viewing when the weather outside is frightful.

1. “Silent Night, Deadly Night.” This controversial 1984 film about a serial killer in a Santa suit became a Christmas horror classic. Even the box cover art in the video store was enough to give children nightmares. The film inspired four direct sequels and a host of holiday-themed imitators.

2. “Gremlins.” This 1984 horror comedy provides an extreme example of why you should never give pets as presents. Zach Galligan’s hometown is terrorized by the magical title beasties, animated with all the artistry producer Steven Spielberg and director Joe Dante could muster. The action only stops for Phoebe Cates’ maudlin monologue about why she hates Christmas, a scene spoofed in the 1990 sequel.

3. “Scrooged.” Face it, Dickens’ “Christmas Carol” is the original Christmas horror story. It’s inspired numerous movies, some of them true classics. For their 1988 version, Bill Murray and director Richard Donner made an effects-heavy horror comedy about a heartless TV executive.

4. “The Nightmare Before Christmas.” Tim Burton’s fun holiday fable is cartoon horror of a kind not seen since 1967’s “Mad Monster Party.” The soulful skeletal king of Halloweenland decides to co-opt Christmas, but he’s not too clear on the concept. The 1993 stop-motion masterpiece became a classic of the Goth generation, most of whom were just pale babies when it was first released.

5. “Jack Frost.” Director Michael Cooney‘s 1996 killer-snowman flick is so-bad-it’s-good cinema worthy of the 1950's, complete with stilted dialogue, wooden acting and cheesy special effects. Creepy instrumental versions of Christmas carols play in the background whenever the sinister snowman is stalking his next victim, a nice touch. The title tops it off: often confused with a similarly titled family film, “Jack Frost” was followed by a tropical sequel subtitled “ Revenge of the Mutant Killer Snowman.”