Holiday guide · December 2026
The best Christmas horror movies to watch this December
Christmas has been a season for scary stories since the Victorians told ghost stories by the fire. These are the ten we come back to every December, from the film that invented the slasher to last year's remake.
By the Horror Planet editors · Updated November 9, 2026
Black Christmas (1974)
Bob Clark's Canadian sorority-house film put the camera behind the killer's eyes and the calls inside the house, four years before Halloween. Made for $686,000 (Wikipedia).
Tales from the Crypt, "...And All Through the House" (1972)
The first killer Santa, adapted from a 1954 EC comic, with Joan Collins as the wife who opens the door (HorrorDNA). About fifteen minutes.
Gremlins (1984)
Joe Dante's summer release set entirely at Christmas. It helped bring about the PG-13 rating, which took effect on July 1, 1984 (UPI). Gremlins 3 is dated for October 6, 2028 (Wikipedia).
Silent Night, Deadly Night (1984)
The killer-Santa film that TriStar pulled from theaters after protests over its TV ads, about a week into its run. It outgrossed A Nightmare on Elm Street on their shared opening weekend (Wikipedia).
Christmas Evil (1980)
A toy-factory worker so devoted to Santa that he becomes one. Sadder and stranger than the slashers that followed, and John Waters' favorite Christmas movie (IMDb).
Krampus (2015)
Michael Dougherty's Alpine anti-Santa, the best modern studio Christmas horror film. It cost $15 million and made $61.5 million worldwide (Wikipedia).
Violent Night (2022)
David Harbour as a real Santa Claus taking on a crew of mercenaries. It made $76.6 million worldwide (Wikipedia), and a sequel is in development (IMDb).
Terrifier 3 (2024)
Art the Clown at Christmas. An unrated independent slasher that opened at number one in the U.S. (Wikipedia). For strong stomachs only.
A Ghost Story for Christmas (1971)
The BBC's run of M.R. James adaptations, broadcast from 1971 to 1978 and still the high-water mark of the Christmas ghost story (R. Emmet Sweeney). Best watched on Christmas Eve with the lights off.
Silent Night, Deadly Night (2025)
Mike P. Nelson's remake, released December 12, 2025 (Wikipedia). A good double bill with the 1984 original.
A December viewing plan
- Early December: Black Christmas, then Krampus. The original and the best modern take.
- Family night: Gremlins, as long as the family is over 13.
- The midnight slot: Christmas Evil, then the 1984 Silent Night, Deadly Night.
- Christmas Eve: A Ghost Story for Christmas, the way M.R. James meant his stories to be heard.
Members can take the Silent Night watch challenge and read the full history of Christmas horror in Vault Dossier No. 3.