These Are the 7 Scariest Christmas Movies Ever Made

Christmas can be scary for a lot of reasons. Just thinking about trying to park at the mall is enough to send shivers down your spine. And horror filmmakers have known this for years -– that there's delicious possibility in the subversion of all of the warm and fuzzy holiday tropes. There's just as much darkness around Christmas as there is twinkling lights (just look at statistics about depression) and that darkness is perfect for the cathartic prism of horror. It's with this feeling of holly jolly horror that we look at the seven scariest Christmastime chillers.

'Gremlins' (1984)

Infamously, Chris Columbus' original script for "Gremlins" was much scarier -- Billy's mom was murdered by the gremlins (and her severed head thrown down the stairs), gremlins ate Billy's dog, and an extended sequence set in a McDonald's had gremlins dining on overweight fast food patrons. But the final "Gremlins," while largely regarded for its huge heart and Amblin-y charms, still packs a wallop. There are moments that are genuinely unnerving and its middle section, when the transformed gremlins emerge from their cocoons and wreak havoc, is brilliantly staged horror craft.

'Krampus' (2015)

In 2007, writer-director Michael Dougherty made "Trick 'R Treat," a spooky-funny love letter to Halloween. For his follow-up, he'd turn his attention to another beloved holiday, Christmas. "Krampus," based in part on the folkloric tradition, offers up a host of yuletide terrors, including bloodthirsty gingerbread men, beastly snowmen, and ghoulish reindeer. While the ending becomes a bit muddled and metaphysical, the rest of the movie is a terrific look at the power of Christmas cheer -- Think "It's a Wonderful Life," but with way more bloodshed.

'Better Watch Out' (2017)

If "Home Alone" was a horror movie and Kevin McAllister was a pint-sized psychopath, then you've got a good idea of what "Better Watch Out" is like. The most recent addition to the list is a surprising and sturdily made movie in which a kid (Levi Miller) makes a move on his babysitter (Olivia DeJonge) with disastrous result. The film is at turns scarier and more surprising than you'd ever imagine. (Certainly more-so than the trailer would suggest.) If you've seen some of the others on the list, unwrap this brand new package.

'Christmas Evil' (1980)

This is one of John Waters' favorite films, if that tells you what kind of movie it is. (He does an excellent commentary track on the DVD.) Dark and perverse, without some of the kitschier, campier elements that define the holiday horror subgenre, it's more "Taxi Driver" than "Terror Train." In "Christmas Evil" a man, scarred by a memory of his father (dressed as Santa) groping his mother, grows up to work in a toy factory and, eventually, murder lots people. Slimy and cheaply made, it's both thrilling and oddly affecting. 

'Silent Night, Deadly Night' (1984)

This Charles E. Seller Jr. film, about a man whose traumatic memories of Christmas eventually leads him to snap and start murdering people while wearing a dingy Santa suite, would ultimately lead to a full-blown franchise (there are four canonical sequels and one terrible remake). This first "Silent Night, Deadly Night" has pretty much everything you'd want from this type of film; there are certainly better Christmas horror movies, but this one hits all the right gore-soaked notes. (Shout Factory has a new edition of the film out, with a bevy of special features alongside an unrated director's cut.)

'Black Christmas' (1974)

Still the high watermark for Christmastime horror, "Black Christmas" is still as scary and weird as it was when it was first released. Bob Clark, who would later make the more mainstream yuletide favorite "A Christmas Story," smartly directs this Canadian cheapie, about a sorority house filled with attractive young women (among them: Olivia Hussey and Margot Kidder) who are stalked by a killer living in the ceiling. Admirably atmospheric, the movie makes great use of POV and still feels very much ahead of its time. Also, the remake is pretty good. 

'Rare Exports' (2010)

This gonzo Finnish horror comedy has a freewheeling spirit all of its own, both frightening and surreal. It concerns a kid who stumbles upon an arctic excavation site. Seems like they've turned up the ancient tomb of the real Santa Claus, who is considerably nastier than we've come to believe. "Rare Exports" mixes thrills with playful weirdness, the best example of which is the "elves" that assist the resurrected Santa (hint: they're naked and very shriveled). This is a cult classic in the making.