If you’re one that likes to celebrate the winter holiday season with bloody spills and chills, then look no further than our Ultimate List of Christmas Horror Films. Our list is comprised of every Christmas Horror Film released since 1970. This list is a subset of our entire list of every Christmas Movie which includes 274+ films in genres such as Comedy, Drama, Romance and Horror. You can also view our past article on the Top Christmas and Holiday Movies You’ve Never Seen which highlights some of the best (but lesser-known) Christmas-themed films from the last 50 years.
For this Horror list, there are approximately 38+ films that qualify as Christmas Horror and we’ll be listing them below in ranked order to check out. As per our general rule on KBZ, we also don’t list films that have less than a 4/10 rating as any film under 4 is usually very low quality and a waste of time.
Though most of these films on our list are not classics of the Horror Film genre (and some films are just above the 4/10 rating), there should be some films that appeal to your desire for Yuletide Horror. There are also a mix of different Horror subgenres on our list including Slasher Films, Survival Horror Films, Films About Vampires, and Films About Monsters. The Fantasy genre is also represented on our list with a few Dark Fantasy and Mythology subgenre films (that explore the origin and antics of Krampus).
For our rankings, films listed #30 – #11 have the movie linked where you can view more information. For the remaining films, we’ll provide some additional commentary on the Top 10 from this list that we feel are the cream of the crop and perfect for a dark and chilly Christmas night. We’ll also update this list with the latest and greatest Christmas Horror as we know some more Holiday Horror is coming soon at the end of 2022.
As always, if you feel we missed any films or have any questions on the films from the list, let us know in the comments. We’ll be happy to answer any questions you have. We have also embedded a compilation video of the Ultimate List of Christmas Horror Films and more details on these films can be found in the list and rankings below. Note: We are a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for us to earn fees by linking to Amazon.com and affiliated sites.
Here are the films that didn’t make our list (and you won’t miss much by skipping): To All a Goodnight (1980), Christmas Evil (1980), Elves (1989), Santa’s Slay (2005), Black Christmas (2006), Mercy Christmas (2017), Black Christmas (2019) and 13 Slays Til X-Mas (2020).
Update 11/28/22 – We’ll have a separate article for some of the end of 2022 Christmas Horror Films, but here is a list we’ll continue to update as films are released: The Leech (2022), Demonic Christmas Tree (2022), Christmas Bloody Christmas (2022) and Violent Night (2022).
Update 12/20/23 – We have a new article, The Best Recent Christmas Horror Films, that includes a list of Christmas horror released in 2023 and the best of all Christmas horror from 2020 – 2023.
The Ultimate List of Christmas Horror Films Ranked 30-1:
#30 Don’t Open Till Christmas (1984) Where to Stream / Buy: https://amzn.to/3uzaQlv
#29 The Dorm That Dripped Blood (1982) Where to Stream / Buy: https://amzn.to/3ET5yG6
#28 Red Christmas (2016) Where to Stream / Buy: https://amzn.to/3UmU6YU
#27 Silent Night (2012) Where to Stream / Buy: https://amzn.to/3VopGa6
#26 A Christmas Tale (2008) Where to Stream / Buy: https://amzn.to/3B0nX2s
#25 While She Was Out (2008) Where to Stream / Buy: https://amzn.to/3XOGmJp
#24 P2 (2007) Where to Stream / Buy: https://amzn.to/3AWZZ8k
#23 Silent Night, Bloody Night (1972) Where to Stream / Buy: https://amzn.to/3VGhnpH
#22 The Children (2008) Where to Stream / Buy: https://amzn.to/3VG2wMe
#21 ATM (2012) Where to Stream / Buy: https://amzn.to/3gSAheg
#20 Holidays (2016) Where to Stream / Buy: https://amzn.to/3ORjGnH
#19 Red Snow (2021) Where to Stream / Buy: https://amzn.to/3EURCLA
#18 Inside (2007) Where to Stream / Buy: https://amzn.to/3B0Jt78
#17 Who Slew Auntie Roo (1972) Where to Stream / Buy: https://amzn.to/3VEVDdY
#16 Game Over (1989) Where to Stream / Buy: https://amzn.to/3Uoytaw
#15 Jack Frost (1997) Where to Stream / Buy: https://amzn.to/3H2x2M7
#14 Wind Chill (2007) Where to Stream / Buy: https://amzn.to/3H1p9GE
#13 The Advent Calendar (2020) Where to Stream / Buy: https://amzn.to/3OU87fq
#12 The Lodge (2019) Where to Stream / Buy: https://amzn.to/3OZ1s3W
#11 Rare Exports: A Christmas Tale (2010) Where to Stream / Buy: https://amzn.to/3B07lIk
#10
Dead End

Plot: Christmas Eve. On his way to his in-laws with his family, Frank Harrington decides to try a shortcut, for the first time in 20 years. It turns out to be the biggest mistake of his life.
KBZ’s Take: Though this film is more of a Mystery film that feels like a Twilight Zone episode, when the Horror elements appear, they’re that much more impactful. What makes it one of the better Christmas Horror films is it’s setting and atmosphere. We’ve all been on the family Christmas drive before, so the slow developing mistrust and fear between the family members resonates more than it normally would.
Where to Stream / Buy: https://amzn.to/3FkSOJT

Plot: Little Billy witnesses his parents being brutally murdered by Santa. Years later, when he has to fill in for an absent in-store Santa Claus, his childhood trauma materializes once again.
KBZ’s Take: One of the early 80’s Slasher Films that rode the wave of the subgenre’s popularity at the time. This film, however, decide to go all in on a homicidal Santa. While it’s much better than it’s remake – Silent Night (2012) – it’s still an average Slasher Film. But as a Christmas Horror film, it’s one of the better films of the lot that has some inventive Santa kills.
Where to Stream / Buy: https://amzn.to/3OQ0maC
#8
Saint

Plot: A horror film that depicts St. Nicholas as a murderous bishop who kidnaps and murders children when there is a full moon on December 5.
KBZ’s Take: This Dutch Comedy Horror film has one thing going for it – a cool holiday creature in Sinterklaas (Sint Nicklass). If you grew up celebrating St. Nicholas Day on December 5th (and received your holiday candy), you’ll likely be a bit familiar with the tale of Saint Nick. However, this film takes a much different approach to Saint Nick’s origins as an evil tyrant and saint that returns every 32 years to slaughter. It’s a film that doesn’t take itself seriously and is an enjoyable Christmas Horror offering.
Where to Stream / Buy: https://amzn.to/3H0xTga
#7
Silent Night

Plot: Nell, Simon, and their boy Art are ready to welcome friends and family for what promises to be a perfect Christmas gathering. Perfect except for one thing: everyone is going to die.
KBZ’s Take: Probably the most depressing film on our list, Silent Night doesn’t offer Slasher-type Santa kills but slowly builds into an existential crisis within the family. To talk more about the plot will ruin it but we can say that though the film starts off with a more satirical comedic tone, it soon turns to horror elements that will have you questioning not only the existence of family but of life itself.
Where to Stream / Buy: https://amzn.to/3ij2sDy
#6
Krampus

Plot: When his dysfunctional family clashes over the holidays, young Max is disillusioned and turns his back on Christmas. Little does he know, this lack of festive spirit has unleashed the wrath of Krampus: a demonic force of ancient evil intent on punishing non-believers.
KBZ’s Take: This is one of the mainstream films on our list that has likely been seen by Horror fans. For those who have not seen it yet, it’s one of the better Christmas Horror films that gets more chaotic as its plot develops. It also has a humorous side once a gingerbread cookie and other children’s toys come to life. Though it’s not for younger children, older family members will likely enjoy watching it together as it’s one of the tamer Horror films on our list.
Where to Stream / Buy: https://amzn.to/3EShOXi

Plot: A zombie apocalypse threatens the sleepy town of Little Haven at Christmas forcing Anna and her friends to fight, slash and sing their way to survival, facing the undead in a desperate race to reach their loved ones. But they soon discover that no one is safe in this new world, and with civilization falling apart around them, the only people they can truly rely on are each other.
KBZ’s Take: Will start off by saying even if you hate (and we mean HATE) musicals, move this film to the top of your holiday film queue now – especially if you’re a Horror and Films About Zombies fan. This breaks new ground in the Zombie film microgenre and it also has some genuinely scary scenes. There are musical scenes in the film, but they’re done in such a way that they help advance the story (and almost always incorporate said Zombies). And the music’s not that bad either.
Where to Stream / Buy: https://amzn.to/3uziMDj

Plot: Christmas is supposed to be a time of joy, peace and goodwill. But for some folks in the small town of Bailey Downs, it turns into something much less festive.
KBZ’s Take: This is a Horror Anthology film of sorts, but the anthology stories aren’t told separately but intertwined throughout the film. That works for some of the segments but hurts others. However, this film is worth seeing for one segment alone – Santa Claus dealing with his now zombified elves and his eventual fight against Krampus. The reveal of this segment is one of the best in any Horror film and this segment would have made a great feature film.
Where to Stream / Buy: https://amzn.to/3gOmBB2

Plot: During their Christmas break, a group of sorority girls are stalked by a stranger.
KBZ’s Take: It’s hard to believe that this Christmas Horror classic was made by Bob Clark who also directed another Christmas Family Classic – A Christmas Story (1983). The film has been remade twice in 2006 and 2019 but the original film is still the best film to see. It’s a film that helped establish quite a few Slasher Film tropes that were used in later classic Slasher films like Halloween (1978), Friday the 13th (1980) and others. While the film is a bit dated, it’s a true Holiday Horror classic that no Horror fan should miss.
Where to Stream / Buy: https://amzn.to/3Fi6THK
#2
Gremlins

Plot: When Billy Peltzer is given a strange but adorable pet named Gizmo for Christmas, he inadvertently breaks the three important rules of caring for a Mogwai and unleashes a horde of mischievous gremlins on a small town.
KBZ’s Take: Gremlins is a classic Christmas film, and it’s usually near the top of any Christmas film list. The only thing preventing us from listing it as #1 on this list is that it’s not a true Horror film but rather a classic Dark Fantasy film. The film has some very dark elements and genuine scares and it’s a good time capsule film to see why the PG-13 rating was developed in 1984. Gremlins was rated PG at the time, but even parents nowadays likely don’t let their youngsters watch the film until their old enough. For those of us who grew up in the 80’s and saw this while we were younger, the answer is yes, we were scarred for life by the mother fighting the gremlin in the kitchen scene.
Where to Stream / Buy: https://amzn.to/3H1NSL3

Plot: On a quiet suburban street tucked within a safe neighborhood, a babysitter must defend a twelve-year-old boy from strangers breaking into the house, only to discover that this is far from a normal home invasion.
KBZ’s Take: This is not only the best Christmas Horror film on our list, but one of the best Home Invasion horror films. It takes many Christmas film AND Home Invasion film tropes and completely up ends them throughout the film. The film also starts as a Black Comedy before quickly switching gears into a much darker film. Again, it’s a film where the less said about the plot the better, and it’s best viewed without knowing anything about it. If your significant other or family members are in the mood for some Christmas scares this upcoming holiday, you can’t go wrong with this film.
Additional Lists: Top Christmas & Holiday Movies You’ve Never Seen #3, Top Home Invasion Films You Haven’t Seen #4
Where to Stream / Buy: https://amzn.to/3FfofVQ






























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