At the intersection of horror and holiday films, there is a genre entirely its own. Here are some movies that perfectly harmonize the jolly and the horrific.
- Black Christmas (1974)
A 70s slasher from the director of A Christmas Story seems like an odd concept but Bob Clark makes it work. A group of sorority sisters on Christmas break begin to receive frightening and obscene phone calls to their sorority house in a film that quickly turns sinister.
- Gremlins (1984)
Director Joe Dante offers the perfect combination of horror, adorableness, and Christmas cheer in Gremlins. Billy Peltzer’s new Christmas present appears to be a strange but lovable pet, but when Billy fails to follow three key rules his cute pet turns into a crowd of horrific creatures.
- The Nightmare Before Christmas (1993)
The Nightmare Before Christmas is perfect for watching anytime from Halloween until Christmas. “Pumpkin King” Jack Skellington discovers the world of Christmas and decides to kidnap Santa Claus in this claymation classic.
- Krampus (2015)
A family gathers around Christmastime and soon realizes they have more to contend with than ordinary family drama. The yuletide demon known as Krampus had been summoned and the family must fight for their lives.
- Better Watch Out (2016)
What seems like a darker Home Alone at first goes in unexpected directions in Better Watch Out. Babysitter Ashley must protect twelve-year-old Luke from a home invader during the holiday season.