With the holidays just around the corner, movie fans are truly looking forward to some warming and family-bonding films to watch during the joyous time of togetherness. But, not every movie centered around the holidays is about cheery wishes and sharing love.

Horror movies can make anything scary, and some of the most terrifying flicks are those that take place during a time when happiness should be happening boundlessly. But for anyone looking for seasonal fun with a bit more of a malevolent holiday spirit, these films undoubtedly fit the bill.

Updated on December 7th, 2022 by Aya Tsintziras:

Everyone has favorite Christmas movies that they like to put on when decorating their home or choosing the perfect nostalgia-heavy film for a marathon. While many choose classics like Home Alone, others prefer scary movies that are about characters whose holidays become anything but merry. From slashers to different takes on the home invasion subgenre, there are many horror movies that are about Christmas that fans of this genre will want to check out this holiday season. From evil Santas to a scary night of babysitting, there are many different stories represented here.

Red Christmas (2017)

Stream on Peacock

Red Christmas sees Cletus visiting the home where the mother he never knew is living and raising her family. He doesn't want to bring them holiday cheer. Instead, his intentions are the opposite.

Although the holidays are traditionally seen as a time for reuniting and celebrating familial love, obviously not everyone enjoys them, so flicks like Red Christmas tap into and amplify the grimmer and less pleasant aspects of the supposedly most wonderful time of the year.

Christmas Cruelty! (2013)

Rent on Google Play

Christmas Cruelty! is a pretty frightening title, and the killer at the center of this story proves that this is no regular holiday film. It's a slasher from Norway that features a killer who puts on Santa Claus's costume and brings terror and pain to families who are celebrating the season.

The movie is one of the scariest that has a Christmas setting, and it has absolutely nothing in common with more festive fare about jolly family dinners and decorating the tree. At least the winter wonderland landscape of Norway feels fitting though.

The Lodge (2020)

Stream on Hulu

The Lodge creates a stressful environment for its main characters in the form of a cabin out in the woods. A family is spending the holidays in what should be a peaceful and joyful place, but the kids aren't sure about their dad's new partner.

The Lodge is one of the scariest holiday movies, and Aiden and Mia Hall see different layers of their father Richard's fiancée Grace Marshall. It's certainly not the Christmas that they thought that they were going to have.

Red Snow (2021)

Rent on AppleTV

Red Snow is a unique story that is set during the holidays and also features vampires. This isn't a combination that happens very often. The movie features a common trope from Hallmark Christmas movies: a writer who is spending Christmas at a country house who then experiences a big change in their life.

In this case, Olivia Romo realizes that there are vampires nearby when Luke visits her. This is definitely a unique take on a holiday film and is as creepy as it is intriguing.

Better Watch Out (2017)

Stream on Peacock and Shudder

The movie Better Watch Out is a dark yet humorous look into an obsessive 12-year-old boy's perceptions and outbursts. Young Luke (played by Levi Miller) is not only crush-driven, but also violent. After attempting to seduce his babysitter Ashley (Olivia DeJonge) with the help of his trusted friend Garrett (Ed Oxenbould), things start to get strangely frightening when plans don't go Luke's way.

The acting is intriguing and the twist in the plot really amps up the movie. For audiences who are squeamish about young kids who commit violent acts or kidnap adults for their own twisted games, this might not be the movie to throw on while the family is over for the holidays.

Christmas Evil (1980)

Stream on AMC+ and Shudder

The '80s were a great time for spooky holiday movies with so many new ideas and inspirations. Christmas Evil follows the life of a young boy who discovers that Santa isn't real. This trauma haunts him to the point that he wants to be Santa Claus. Things take a turn for the worse when he is socially outcast for his attempt at playing Old Saint Nick.

His obvious instability and sensitive emotional trauma turn him into a murderous man in a Santa suit. The idea of Santa Claus going on a murdering spreebest killer Santa Claus deaths. This movie takes the cake for creepiest Christmas serial killer.

Dead End (2003)

Stream on Tubi

Actress Lin Shaye is known for her work in movies with dark and sinister plots, most iconically in the Insidious franchise. Dead End is no different as she plays the role of a family member en route to a fun holiday gathering along with the rest of her family.

After taking a shortcut and almost crashing into another car, they find a hitchhiker with a baby and pick her up. That turns out to be the worst choice they could have made, as the road ahead becomes menacing and deaths start accumulating.

Holidays (2016)

Rent on AppleTV

This movie is a compilation by various filmmakers who put together horror stories with 8 different holiday themes. The Christmas short from Holidays follows Pete Gunderson, a man who wants nothing more than to get his son the Christmas gift he asked for, a pair of virtual glasses that recreate one's thoughts.

Unfortunately, another man beats him to the last in stock and Pete steals the glasses while the man suffers a sudden heart attack. That's not the scary part of the story. As things, progress and these glasses eventually prove that a happy family and a casual marriage are not exactly what it seems.

Wind Chill (2007)

Stream on Tubi

Actress Emily Blunt stars in Wind Chill, a supernatural horror movie about a young woman who takes a lift with a classmate (played by Ashton Holmes) to their hometown during Christmas break. The entire movie centers around the unknown and the unpredictable.

They are uneasy with each other, which is only half the problem. They soon discover that after being run off the road by a motorist, someone or something might be lurking in the woods watching and waiting for the right opportunity to strike.