With Christmas season creeping in, it means the best time of year, Halloween, has officially come to a close. But, fear not — or do, if you’re into that kind of thing — here are 5 killer films that blend the two holidays together! As if the holidays weren’t scary enough with relatives confined in one house, there’s a subgenre of horror that explores the Christmas holiday in a frightening way. We call it ho-ho-horror! And here are 5 horror films are sure to get you through the Holiday Season!
1. Gremlins (1984)
After being gifted as an early Christmas present, and improperly cared for, the mogwai transform into gremlins. Once in gremlin form, they cause chaos around the town on Christmas Eve. You get the feel of nostalgic Christmas with snow, bright colored lights, and family bonding — all partnered with total chaos. In short, Gremlins will make you feel like a kid again. Not your traditional horror movie, Gremlins leans heavily into blending comedy and horror. The film features stunning puppetry of both the adorable mogwai and freaky little gremlins. While there are certainly jump scares in Gremlins, it is still fun for the whole family. The movies definitely falls into the category of ho-ho-horror. Gremlins is streaming on Netflix and HBO Max!
2. Black Christmas (1974)
The Christmas horror film is so great it’s been remade so twice! Black Christmas is a slasher film at its core. The menacing killer stalks the local sorority with threatening calls, and delivers some brutal kills. And the film has reached cult-like status, being credited as one of the first slasher films made! Both remakes of Black Christmas have been panned by both critics and fans alike- so I suggest you stick to the original this Holiday season. Black Christmas coins some favorite slasher tropes- phone calls, who-done-it killers, and stalking teenage girls! Then it wraps it all up in a nice Christmas bow setting the story at a cozy Christmas party. Black Christmas is currently streaming for free on the Roku Channel!
3. Krampus (2015)
The Christmas Cryptid finally got his big screen debut! Krampus is a fun holiday romp focused on the folklore mystical beast that is Krampus. As a Christmas horror film, Krampus blends horror, fantasy, and comedy all into one feature as Krampus haunts a family’s Christmas celebration. Krampus ties together traditional American Christmas ideals with the horrific German based monster.
Krampus is worth watching for many reasons, in particular for its all-star cast. Featuring Adam Scott (Parks and Rec, Severance), Toni Collette (Hereditary, Little Miss Sunshine) and David Koechner (Anchorman, The Office) Krampus places some of comedy’s best actors into a horror movie. While it might make a B-Grade horror movie overall, it is certainly an all-star Christmas horror flick!
Krampus is streaming on Peacock!
4. Better Watch Out (2016)
As you’ve probably gathered from this list so far- the home invasion trope is incredibly popular in holiday horror flicks. But Better Watch Out explores the dynamics of this trope like no other. Better Watch Out leans heavily on psychological horror and suspense, rather into the slasher side of the trope. And being shot in one location, the house, places pressure on the cast to be able to carry the film — which they do. With the plot being a teen baby sitter watching a young teenage boy, Better Watch Out took a large risk, and I believe it paid off big-time. The two teens carry the movie and create dynamic characters who are both chilling and entertaining to watch in this nightmare scenario. Better Watch Out is streaming on Peacock and Shudder.
5. Anna and the Apocalypse (2017)
Nothing puts me in the Holiday spirit like a good ol’ musical! Anna and the Apocalypse is a cocktail of horror, musical, and comedy with a splash of zombies. It’s cooky, it’s fun, and it features 13 original tracks on the soundtrack. With a predominately college-aged cast, this is the perfect film to watch as a family with teenagers. It still has some brutal zombie kills in it, but also has contemporary humor — all wrapped up in that Christmas feel. Anna and the Apocalypse is great for both new and seasoned horror fans, blending together several film genres to create one really fun zombie Christmas flick! Anna and the Apocalypse is streaming for free on the Roku Channel!
Get into the Holiday Spirit this year at Holiday Cosplay Tampa Bay!
Holiday Cosplay Tampa Bay, which is at the Tampa Convention Center on December 10-11, spotlights anime, comics, science fiction, fantasy, and gaming as well as world-class cosplay. The new con is going big with 20 nationally known guests that include voice actors, comic creators, and pro cosplayers. There also will be more than 50 hours of programming, ranging from cosplay contests and a TikTok Film Festival to back-to-back panels on topics only nerds can appreciate. (not to mention the best holiday shopping in the universe, and an enormous Christmas tree with a nerdy Santa for unique holiday photos). And tickets are affordable at $30 for a single day and $45 for a weekend pass.
