Season’s bleedings to all when it comes to holiday themed horror, especially in the slasher realm. There’s something extra magical about a slasher set over Christmas, corrupting holiday iconography as the killer paints the snow red with blood. If you’re looking to get into the holiday spirit this month, here’s a handy streaming guide to […]
Season’s bleedings to all when it comes to holiday themed horror, especially in the slasher realm. There’s something extra magical about a slasher set over Christmas, corrupting holiday iconography as the killer paints the snow red with blood. If you’re looking to get into the holiday spirit this month, here’s a handy streaming guide to Christmas slashers that run the gamut in style and tone, featuring killer Santas, lonely security guards, and mutated snowmen beyond the definitive staple Black Christmas.
More importantly, all bring memorable kills and festive theming.
Snuggle into your cozy holiday sweater and get cozy with these holiday horror slashers now streaming.
Christmas Evil – Fandango at Home, Fawesome, Kanopy, Prime Video, Roku Channel, Screambox, Tubi
Ever since Harry Stradling (Brandon Maggart) saw mommy kissing Santa Claus as a child, he grew up with an unhealthy Christmas obsession. As an adult, he keeps his home decked out in holiday décor and seeks to spread cheer at the toy factory where he works. Harry even spies on the neighborhood kids to keep track of who is naughty or nice. But Harry’s fragile mind and a series of unfortunate events lead him to snap over Christmas Eve, spurning a murder spree in his quest to become an authentic Santa Claus. Christmas Evil isn’t your average killer Santa flick; it’s a quirky character study of a broken mind. There’s often as much humor as there is tragedy in store for poor Harry.
Deep Red – AMC+, Fandango at Home, Mubi, Pluto TV, Shudder
Opening with a scene set at Christmas, in a family room decorated with holiday trimmings and a tree, the shadows of two people entangled in a struggle fill the empty spaces on the wall until one is stabbed to death. It’s that traumatic event that drives the central mystery in Dario Argento’s bloody giallo film. Violent demises, one memorable creepy puppet, and a delightful killer twist offsets that the holiday-lite theming. The film also marked the first time the director worked with progressive rock band Goblin, who would subsequently compose music for several other Argento films. A visual showcase of style and gore, the death scenes in this film are fantastic.
It’s a Wonderful Knife – AMC+, Disney+, Hulu, Shudder
This It’s a Wonderful Knife meets Scream 2 Christmas slasher comes from writer Michael Kennedy (Freaky) and director Tyler MacIntyre (Tragedy Girls). The pair plunge their central characters into a bizarro snow globe of horrors, wearing their cinematic influences on their sleeves throughout. It’s a Hallmark holiday movie for outcasts and horror fans alike, delivering no shortage of holiday cheer perfect for this time of year. MacIntyre’s latest may not quite seamlessly nail its high concept genre mashup, but with some outstanding performances and a sweet gooey emotional center, it effectively tugs at your heartstrings and captures the spirit of Christmas. So you get the best of both worlds: holiday cheer and violent slasher kills.
Jack Frost – Hoopla, Pluto TV, Prime Video, Roku Channel, Tubi
A car accident transforms serial killer Jack Frost into a mutant snowman, free to enact revenge on the man responsible for his death sentence. This December-set holiday slasher is for the crowd that prefers their horror-comedies to get over-the-top on the goofy mayhem and carnage. Cheesy one-liners are only matched by holiday themed deaths. How do you stop a killer snowman? The solution is just as tongue-in-cheek as the movie. This is for the horror fans that like a big glass of schlock with their holiday cookies.
P2 – Fandango at Home, Peacock, Pluto TV, Prime Video, Roku Channel, Tubi
This horror-thriller will make you think twice about devoting too much of your life to work. Rachel Nichols’s Angela is a corporate workaholic, the last to leave the office on Christmas Eve. That makes it the perfect time for a psychopath to hold her hostage in the parking garage. While the body count may not rise to expected slasher levels, the constant chase sequences more than deliver. This one’s intense, effective, and pretty savage, though that shouldn’t come as any surprise considering it was co-written by Alexandre Aja and directed by Frank Khalfoun (2012’s Maniac).
Once upon a time, in the year 1005 AD, the demon Santa Claus (Bill Goldberg) lost a bet with an Angel. As punishment, Santa was sentenced to become a giver of holiday gifts and cheer for 1,000 years. The moment his sentence ends, however, the demon’s brutal ways resume with a vengeance. As if Goldberg’s casting as the angry Santa wasn’t an indicator, Santa’s Slay is a gory romp uninterested in anything but spreading holiday cheer with riotous carnage and camp. You’ll know if this one is for you from the spirited opening slaughter, featuring Fran Drescher.
Terrifier 3 – Peacock, Pluto TV, Prime Video, Screambox, Tubi
This pick is for those who like their holiday horror completely drenched in the red stuff, or with a heaping helping of grimy viciousness. In Damien Leone’s sequel, Sienna and her brother attempt to embrace the Christmas season and put their trauma behind them. That’s precisely when Art the Clown pops back up to spread holiday fear. If that’s not enough gory holiday horror fun, Screambox also offers documentary ART ATTACK! The Dissection of Terrifier 3 and yule log, A Very Special Terrifier Christmas, to round out the festive viewing.
