Holiday horror movies delight anyone looking fora darker alternative to all the cheery, fun Christmas moviesthat come out during this time. Sitting back and watching a good, frightening, or even violent Christmas movie is exciting during this merry and bright time. Indeed, there’s no harm in watching something different this holiday season. Just make sure to avoid some of the lame ones.
Good holiday horror movies are a rarity in the horror genre. Make no mistake, there are some classics, likeBlack Christmas,Gremlins, and evenKrampus, which was a bit of a surprise hit, but it seems there are a lot more bad Christmas horror movies than good ones.They’re largely seen as mediocre cash grabs that tried and never really came across as compelling and are not the least bit terrifying.Here are the ten worst Christmas horror movies ranked.
10’Silent Night, Deadly Night Part II' (1987)
Directed by Lee Harvey
Let’s start off this list with one of the most laughably bad but celebrated Christmas horror movies ever made. Yes, it’sSilent Night, Deadly Night Part II, the 1987 horror comedy that gave the internet one of it’s most popular memes, “Garbage Day!” Directed byLee Harvey, its a sequel to the 1984 original Silent Night, Deadly Night. It follows the younger brother of that story’s killer, Ricky Chapman (Eric Freeman), as he continues his murderous older brother’s violent rampage.
Silent Deadly Night Part IIis one of the bestso-bad-it’s-good horror movies of the 1980s.It’s full of absurd dialog, unintentionally hilarious kills, and a goofy but enjoyable performance from Eric Freeman, who steals the spotlight with his over-the-top performance.It’s not the least bit terrifying, and nothing goes right with its plot, but that makes it so rewatchable. It’s a terrible holiday horror movie, but one that’ll surely make viewers laugh.
Silent Night, Deadly Night Part 2
9’It’s A Wonderful Knife' (2023)
Directed by Tyler Maclntyre
As its title suggests, 2023’sIt’s a Wonderful Knifeis a horror comedy with a unique slasher spin onFrank Capra’s black-and-white classicIt’s A Wonderful Lifefrom 1946. The story follows Winnie (Jane Widdop), a troubled young girl who, one year after killing a deranged industrialist, Henry Waters (Justin Long), in self-defense, struggles to move past the traumatic event and wishes she’d never been born. When her wish is mysteriously granted, she finds herself in an alternate, darker reality where Waters lives, and his evil influence has taken over her town.
With a ridiculous premise like this, it’s no wonder the film is completely absurd. While not insultingly bad,It’s A Wonderful Knifeis a baffling mess lacking a coherent storyline. The plot makes little sense, and most of the acting is hilariously over the top and cringe-worthy.The best part of the film is Justin Long, who steals the show as Henry Waters, making every moment of his screen time laugh-out-loud hilarious because of how ridiculous he acts and sounds.He’s had a bit of a career resurgence lately, andhis presence here does carry much of the film, making it somewhat more enjoyable.
It’s a Wonderful Knife
Winnie’s life is less than wonderful one year after saving her town from a psychotic killer on Christmas Eve. When she wishes she was never born, she finds herself magically transported to a nightmarish parallel universe. With the murderous maniac now back, she must team up with a misfit to identify the culprit and get back to her own reality.
8’The Mean One' (2022)
Directed by Steven LaMorte
TurningDr. Seuss’s beloved kid’s story,How The Grinch Stole Christmas, into a slasher parody became a huge gamble that didn’t pay off. Released in 2022 and directed bySteven LaMorte,The Mean Oneis a low-budget attempt at giving Seuss’s story a darker spin. It starsTerrifier’s ownDavid Howard Thornton, who brings his Art the Clown style as a murderous version of the Grinch as he terrorizes the sleepy mountain town of Newville.
While not entirely bad, The Mean One has little going for it in terms of a decent holiday slasher flick.The film’s weak points, from the rushed CGI blood to mediocre dialog, drastically drag the entertainment down. Granted, the film gets good every time David Howard Thornton appears, and some of the kills are spectacularly bloody.However, overall,The Mean Onewas a let-down with a few thrilling points.
The Mean One
In a sleepy mountain town, Cindy’s parents are murdered and her Christmas is stolen by a bloodthirsty green figure in a red Santa suit.
Directed by Charles Band
With a completely fake-sounding and ludicrous title likeThe Ginger Dead Man, audiences know they’re in for one wild, silly ride. Released in 2005 and directed byCharles Band,The Ginger Dead Manis a hilarious slasher parody starring the delightfully entertainingGary Buseyas an unhinged murderer who goes on a holiday-themed rampage after his soul is transferred into a gingerbread cookie.
Wildly absurd and tons of fun,The Ginger Dead Manis a bad movie but an enjoyable one. It’s so over-the-top and ridiculous that it’s hard not to laugh along with what’s happening. Busey is at his best playing bizarre, outlandish characters, and he shines with his hilarious one-liners. Yeah, its story is complete nonsense and nothing about it is scary, but The Ginger Dead Man is one of those so-bad-it’s-good movies that are at least fun to watch. It’s a trashy film, but at least it never tries to take itself too seriously.
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6’Elves' (1989)
Directed by Jeffrey Mandel
For anyone looking for something completely bonkers, giveElvesa try. Released in 1989 and directed byJeffrey Mandel,Elvesis a highly absurd and wildly hilarious Christmas horror flick that uniquely depicts Santas' little helpers. It’s about a young woman, Kirsten (Julie Astin), who becomes part of a twisted experiment by a Neo-Nazi cult to mate with a genetically modified elf and create a hybrid race.
If that premise sounds made up, unfortunately, it’s not.Elvesis an hour and 29-minute laugh fest full of nonsensical storytelling, lousy acting, and comically mediocre creature effects.Everything about this shlocky mess is amateur, from the directing, quality, make-up, and especially the dialog. It’ll make viewers scratch their heads and bust at the seams with laughter. It may not be as well recognized as some other notable stinkers, but this one is truly one of the worst, but also in an entertaining way.
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5’Hosts' (2020)
Directed by Adam Leader and Richard Oakes
2020’s Hosts may be the most bizarre film for anyone looking for a little more outlandish holiday horror. Directed byAdam LeaderandRichard Oakesin their feature film debut,Hostsis a low-budgetBritish horror moviewith an unexplained Sci-fi twist. It’s about a family on Christmas Eve, inviting their young neighbors to join them in the celebration. But the night turns deadly as the supposedly harmless neighbors reveal sinister entities have taken over their bodies.
While it had an enticing trailer and could have been an interesting concept that could have turned into a unique, nail-biting horror thriller, Hosts falls flat in its execution. For starters,the plot makes little to no sense, never giving clear answers, and the whole thing just comes across as confusing and uncompelling. Most of the acting is frustrating, and the dialog can ultimately take viewers out of the experience.It’s an absolute mess that could have worked had it not had it not made so many mistakes in its production.
4’Krampus: the Christmas Devil' (2013)
Directed by Jason Hull
The eerie folk legend ofKrampushas been brought to the big screen several times throughout the years. There’s nothing more terrifying around the holidays than a story of a horned demonic figure coming to punish those who haven’t been good year-round. While directorMichael Dougherty’s 2015 horror comedy version of the legend isarguably the most recognizable and best representation, many films depict the festive demon, and they’re not all good, least of all the abysmalKrampus: The Christmas Devil.
It’s a pretty generic story, lacking competent storytelling, directing, and acting. Its direct-to-video quality shows in an incredibly obvious way, as the entire film feels amteurish from beginning to end.From the lazy writing to the lack of anything resembling a coherent plot, thisKrampusfilm is a hard skip that makes anyone wish they were watching the 2015 version instead.
Krampus: The Christmas Devil
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3’Black Christmas' (2006)
Directed by Glen Morgan
Bob Clark’s 1974 originalBlack Christmasis the ultimate holiday horror movie. It was powerfully acted, brilliantly suspenseful, and undoubtedly iconic. But its magic could never be fully repeated, especially regarding its two incredibly disappointing sequels. The first remake came in 2006 when directorGlen Morgangave a much more violent, but ultimately unnecessary, update to the already classic story.
Though noticeably gorier and featuring a remarkable cast of leading ladies, includingKatie Cassidy,Mary Elizabeth Winstead, andAndreaMartin,The 2006Black Christmaswas a soulless remake that missed the point of what made the original so gripping.The plot has elements that delve unexpectedly into extremely unpleasant territory, especially when delving into the killer’s (Robert Mann) backstory, which might be off-putting to some audience members. And while the cast is somewhat enjoyable, unfortunately, there isn’t character development as most of them are just there to die in exceptionally brutal fashions. While not as bad as one other remake on this list, the 2006Black Christmasis undeniably inferior compared to its predecessor. It might be a watch for the gory kills, but it’s a hard pass for anyone looking for a decent story.
Black Christmas
2’Jack Frost' (1997)
Directed by Michael Cooney
Continuing on to another so-bad-it’s-good horror movie,this time from the ’90s,Jack Frostis a 1997 horror comedy directed byMichael Cooney. This slasher parody sees a death row inmate (played byScott MacDonald) who gets his body turned into snow after being doused with toxic chemicals in a car accident on the way to his execution. As he resurrects into an unstoppable snowman, he goes on a bloody rampage in search of the sheriff who caught him.
Jack Froststands out for being particularly terrible.Everything, from the awkward performances to the bizarre storytelling to the hilariously cheap-looking snowman costume, shows how mediocre but comedic this notorious flop is. LikeThe Ginger Dead Man, it thankfully never tries to take itself seriously. It’s awful and comes across as a laughable mess, but it’s because of how terrible it is that’s made it so remarkable over the years.
Jack Frost
After an accident that left murderer Jack Frost dead in genetic material the vengeful killer returns as a murderous snowman to exact his revenge on the man who sent him to be executed
1’Black Christmas' (2019)
Directed by Sophia Takal
When the ‘06Black Christmasmissed the point of the original 1974, another attempt was made in 2019, which somehow managed to bean even bigger insult than its predecessor. Directed bySophia Takal, this modern reboot is a complete mess that lacks suspense, terror, and thrills and is incredibly frustrating to watch.
With weak storytelling, on-the-nose dialog, and dull pacing, the 2019Black Christmasis one of the worst horror remakes of all time.Though it tries to expand upon feminist themes from the original, it completely misses its intended message and instead comes across as forced and condescending.It sacrifices tensions and suspense for boring dramatic moments and a flat action-filled climax and fails to even remotely connect to the ‘74 film. It’s a pointless remake that fails to honor the film that came before it. It undoubtedly reigns as the worst Christmas movie ever made.
A group of female students is stalked by a stranger during their Christmas break. That is until the young sorority pledges discover that the killer is part of an underground college conspiracy.
