Let’s be honest, sometimes the happiest season of the year can be rather downright scary. Stores overrun with people, last minute gift-shopping, having to deal with problematic relatives, trying to avoid cringe-worthy office parties, I could go on and on. These movies explore the horrors of the Christmas season, packing a scary punch!

BLACK CHRISTMAS

Forget about the remakes, they all suck. The original with Olivia Hussey (best known for her role as Juliet) is the one to watch. As winter break begins, a group of sorority sisters, including Jess (Olivia Hussey) and the often inebriated Barb (Margot Kidder), begin to receive anonymous, lascivious phone calls. Initially, Barb eggs the caller on, but stops when he responds threateningly. Soon, Barb’s friend Claire (Lynne Griffin) goes missing from the sorority house, and a local adolescent girl is murdered, leading the girls to suspect a serial killer is on the loose. But no one realizes just how near the culprit is.

SILENT NIGHT, DEADLY NIGHT

An orphan raised by nuns (Lilyan Chauvin, Gilmer McCormick) grows up to be a killer toy-store Santa Claus. At the time, this movie was a box office hit, earning 2.5 million out of a $250,000 budget.

THE LODGE

Not gonna lie, this is probably one of my favorite Christmas themed movies out there. During a family retreat to a remote winter cabin over the holidays, the father is forced to abruptly depart for work, leaving his two children in the care of his new girlfriend, Grace. Isolated and alone, a blizzard traps them inside the lodge as terrifying events summon specters from Grace’s dark past.

THE ADVENT CALENDAR

This was so creepy and twisty, I watched it for the first time last year and was left wanting more. When Eva receives an antique wooden advent calendar, it seems at first that it only guarantees a countdown to Christmas filled with sweets. However, with the calendar comes a set of rules and the promise of wish fulfillment for those who follow them.

WIND CHILL

If you want suspense with a dash of creepy then you might want to check this one out.

Just before their university campus goes quiet for the winter break, a young woman (Emily Blunt) asks a classmate (Ashton Holmes) for a lift home. The two students set off on their trip and begin to get to know each other. But, when a reckless motorist drives them off the road, they find themselves stranded in the snow on a remote highway. As the night grows colder, the two are confronted by a horde of menacing apparitions — and struggle to escape with their lives.

INSIDE

I don’t know what it is about the French when it comes to horror, but they really go above and beyond. This may fall in the category of “torture porn” but it’s still worth the watch. A scissor-wielding psychopath (Béatrice Dalle) terrorizes a pregnant widow (Alysson Paradis) on Christmas Eve.

SILENT NIGHT

Watch this for the ensemble cast alone, as it’s got some of the best Brit actors. A couple invites their closest friends to join their family for Christmas dinner at their idyllic home in the English countryside. As the group comes together, it feels like old times — but behind all of the laughter and merriment, something isn’t quite right. The world outside is facing impending doom, and no amount of gifts, games or wine can make mankind’s imminent destruction go away. Surviving the holidays just got a lot more complicated.

KRAMPUS

More of a horror comedy than full-on horror. While the holiday season represents the most magical time of year, ancient European folklore warns of Krampus, a horned beast who punishes naughty children at Christmastime. When dysfunctional family squabbling causes young Max (Emjay Anthony) to lose his festive spirit, it unleashes the wrath of the fearsome demon. As Krampus lays siege to the Engel home, mom (Toni Collette), pop (Adam Scott), sister (Stefania LaVie Owen) and brother must band together to save one another from a monstrous fate.

P2

Who doesn’t like to see Wes Bentley being creepy? Just me? Angela (Rachel Nichols) is working late on Christmas Eve. When she finally decides to leave, she goes down to the parking garage to get her car, but it won’t start. Thomas (Wes Bentley), the garage’s security guard, offers to help. He also invites Angela to dinner, but she refuses. Thomas, crazed, knocks her out. She wakes up in Thomas’ office, chained to a chair and in different clothes. Now Angela must fight for her life in order the escape from the garage.

BETTER WATCH OUT

Another dark comedy with a psychological horror twist. Ashley travels to the suburban home of the Lerners to babysit their 12-year-old son Luke during the holidays. She must soon defend herself and the young boy when unwelcome intruders announce their arrival.

Which ones are you going to be checking out?

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