It's time to start deckin’ the halls and snuggling up to some of our favourite holiday classics. Of course, I love Love Actually, A Christmas Carol, and A Christmas Story as much as the next person - the Christmas movie market can be easily saturated with Hallmark movies and Netflix originals that you want something slightly different than the usual feel-good holiday cinema experience. So, as a lover of horror, these are super fun (and sometimes dumb) recommendations that guarantee to shock and horrify while getting you in the holiday spirit.
The Gingerdead Man (2005)
If you haven’t had a chance to see the one and only Gary Busey as an undead paranormal gingerbread man, you’re missing out. A serial killer comes to life as a weird, puppet gingerbread man and wreaks havoc on the unsuspecting employees of a bakery. Suppose you don't care much about cohesive plots, understandable dialogue, or anything that resembles acting. If that’s the case, The Gingerdead Man is a great romp with friends (and some heavily rumm-ed eggnog.)
Gremlins (1984)
A holiday classic that still holds up today, Gremlins is the haunting holiday horror fantasy with the adorable (turned not so cute) mogwai who are never to be fed after midnight, never see the sun, and never get wet. Of course, no one likes rules - so the little grubby yet adorable gremlins begin to take over and harass children and adults alike, just in time for Christmas Eve.
Krampus (2015)
Krampus is a horned, terrifying mythological creature from Bavarian and Germanic folklore that accompanies Saint Nicholas. While Saint Nick rewards well-behaved children, Krampus punishes naughty children with birch rods. Yikes. The 2015 horror-comedy plays with Krampus’s magic appearing in the ways of haunted toys, gingerbread cookies coming to life and a massive snow monster. It’s silly, and goofy and still tells the story of the importance of family during the holiday season.
The Nightmare Before Christmas (1993)
Okay, while not a horror ‘per-se,’ Tim Burton’s claymation classic perfectly fills the gap between Halloween and the Christmas holidays. The animation’s uncanny movements do make for a slight edge on an otherwise heartwarming story of togetherness and community. A great intro to spooky stuff for the whole family!
Await Further Instructions (2018)
Is sci-fi more your vibe for the holidays? This British horror film follows a dysfunctional estranged family sitting down for a holiday dinner that quickly turns into a gory, wirey, messy of control. The family undergoes unearthly experiments, wondering who and why is forcing them into submission, and explores how easy it is for some people to give over control.
The Lodge (2019)
Most movies on this list are campy holiday horrors with an element of comedy. The Lodge is not that. It is a psychological horror that plays with the togetherness of family to lean into its horror. The movie begins with a woman taking her own life after learning her husband will be leaving her for an ex-cult member he was researching. The story then follows the husband, new wife and children staying at an isolated lodge where strange, hauntings have been occurring before Christmas. This movie plays masterfully with isolation, the idea of purgatory, and how far someone can be pushed.
Silent Night, Bloody Night (1972)
An often-forgotten slasher from the ’70s, Silent Night, Bloody Night follows the story of the Butler mansion. After a series of mysterious deaths, the mysterious killer, ‘Marianne’ taunts the townsfolk, slowly unveiling a dark past of cruelty and familial drama. While controversial when released, it has since received cult status among slasher fans. This movie has a lot of horror staples combined; a haunted house, an axe killer, and a mysterious asylum on the outside of town.
Black Christmas (1974)
This is a must-watch for me every Christmas. It is a) a Canadian slasher classic, and b) genuinely horrifying. The remakes in 2006 and 2019 simply do not compare to the original which is sharp, poignant and unrelentingly creepy. Following a group of young women in a sorority during Christmas break, this slasher has everything from carolers to a creepy moaning voice on the telephone. Best Christmas horror out there.
Comentários