If you are like me, you are looking for some ho-ho-horror films to get you through the saccharine muck that is clogging up all the streaming platforms right now. I like to have something festive on in the background to decorate, wrap presents, bake, or just enjoy a chilly night wrapped up in blankets on the couch, and it is so much easier to choose something on Shudder, Hulu, Amazon Prime, etc. rather than going through my Blu-rays or DVDs (yes, I am really that lazy!).
With that in mind, I've been keeping an eye on all the Christmas-themed horror films on or coming to streaming platforms and I wanted to share the best of what is available. I've rounded up some of the best (errrrr, or at least somewhat entertaining) holiday horror films that are available to stream, organized by platform.
SHUDDER
This year, it seems Shudder has the best selection with their Unhappy Holidays section, featuring a slew of newer horror films as well as old classics. They also have a new Joe Bob special coming out right before Christmas. Check out the horror goodies they have:
- A Very Joe Bob Christmas (2018) - This special will be available December 21st, and will feature Joe Bob Briggs' insight and commentary over various horror films.
- A Christmas Horror Story (2015) - This anthology is one of my favorite new holiday horror films! If you haven't seen it already, I highly recommend you give it a watch!
- All the Creatures Were Stirring (2018) - This will be on Shudder on December 13th, and I've been looking forward to this holiday anthology for some time now.
- Better Watch Out (2017) - Another new favorite, this holiday horror film has a wicked mean streak that I love and goes to a pretty dark place, but still manages to be an insanely fun ride!
- Black Christmas (1974) - My all-time favorite Christmas movie due to its atmosphere and intensely creepy phone scenes.
- Christmas Evil (1980) - This gritty NYC tale is about a man obsessed with Santa who finally snaps.
- Silent Night, Deadly Night (1984) - Yes, another killer Santa movie, slightly more tongue-in-cheek than the one mentioned above, but full of great kills.
AMAZON PRIME
Amazon Prime has a lot of Christmas horror movies, but most of them are really awful (though go ahead and take your chances with them). In my opinion, there are only a few worth watching (and even some of these are iffy):
- All Through the House (2016) - This holiday slasher about a masked killer Santa features lots of festive atmosphere and grisly gore to keep most horror fans merry.
- Jack Frost (1997) - This loony killer snowman flick holds a special place in my black heart, and is filled with corny one-liners, gory kills, and that infamous, uncomfortable shower scene.
- Jack Frost 2 (2000) - This is no where near as good as the first one (and the first one is not a good movie by any means!), but at least you can make it a double-feature of Christmas corniness.
- Rare Exports: A Christmas Tale (2010) - This Finnish horror film is brilliant and puts a new twist on the Santa tale. I highly recommend it!
- Silent Night, Bloody Night (1972) - This uneven tale is about a series of murders that occur on Christmas Eve in a former insane asylum.
HULU
Hulu is a little lacking in the spooky spirit, but what it does have are solid Christmas horror films, including a killer new entry for their Into the Dark series.
- Into the Dark: Pooka! (2018) - This film is part of Hulu's original Into the Dark series that features a new horror movie every month. I just watched it this weekend and loved it! It features a struggling actor that takes a job dressing up and entertaining kids as Pooka, the hottest new toy for Christmas. However, he soon comes to believe the Pooka suit is taking him over and making him do bad things.
- The Nightmare Before Christmas (1993) - This is the only place you can stream this holiday-crossover classic!
- Rare Exports: A Christmas Tale (2010) - Here is another platform you can watch this Finnish horror film on.
NETFLIX
Unfortunately, Netflix doesn't have any decent holiday horror films available for streaming, but there are two that feature short Christmas scenes:
- Before I Wake (2016) - This underappreciated film features just a short Christmas scene, but it is such a good film that it shouldn't be overlooked.
- Holidays (2016) - This holiday anthology features a Christmas segment starring Seth Green, and while it isn't the strongest of the bunch, it is still a pretty fun effort.
If your favorites aren't listed here or you don't have these streaming services, I've compiled a lot of these holiday horror films (and more) available on DVD and Blu-ray on Amazon!
Stay spooky!
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