The holiday season is close, and while some are saddened to depart with spooky season so soon, movie lovers don’t entirely have to leave the creeps in the past. With these chilling Christmas horror movies, everyone can enjoy the holidays while still enjoying the scary movies of loved in the fall.

There are many Christmas themed horror movies to stay in that spooky mindset all the way through the Christmas season. They’re a good way to spend the holidays for those who aren’t ready to say goodbye to Halloween yet.

First, a movie that gave many children nightmares of a twisted horned creature version of Santa Claus, Krampus (2015). The movie features the titular European folklore creature, Krampus, who is summoned by the youngest of a feuding family when he loses his Christmas spirit. The festive demon descends upon the family and they must all fight as one to survive the wrath of the monster and his evil toys. The film is a fun watch for the whole family, and is surprisingly scary, many moments being straight nightmare-fuel. The genuine and convincing acting adds to the enjoyment of this film tenfold, perfect for a cold December night with the family.

Black Christmas (1974) is a classic Christmas slasher film taking place in a sorority house on Christmas.The movie follows a sorority as they receive increasingly disturbing phone calls from a stranger. As the night goes on and more sisters disappear, the girls realize the caller is a lot closer than they think. The Christmas setting is more than just a backdrop for the film as it plays into many of the movie’s scenes and motivations. The characters are played in a way that makes the audience root for them and shows the ladies being strong and relatable as people. This is arguably one of the most well-known Christmas horror films out there, a must watch for fans of the sub-genre.

Finally, the movie most associated with the “holiday horror” sub-genre, Silent Night Deadly Night (1984). This film caused an outrage with parents as it depicted a killer Santa Claus. The movie follows the main character Billy and his troubled upbringing with the trauma of his parents being killed by someone dressed as Santa. When he grows up, he snaps and goes on a Kris Kringle Killing spree dressed as Santa and wreaks havoc on his hometown. This film is more for the horror fans rather than the casual viewer with copious amounts of blood and disturbing sequences. This movie is beyond cheesy but is a whole lot of fun to watch and a must for a horror fan holiday. 

Though the spooky season has sadly passed by, it doesn’t mean that the movie fans can’t enjoy a little something scary while being festive. The Christmas horror sub-genre is a rapidly growing genre of horror that can be a fun watch for anyone and it is highly recommended to try at least one before the season is over. The movies above are just the tip of the iceberg, there are countless more, perfect for a spooky December evening. Let’s just hope that you didn’t make the naughty list this year…