Just because Halloween 2023 came and went doesn’t mean that the phantom glow of spooky season has to leave your screens. With classics like “The Nightmare Before Christmas” and “Gremlins” fitting the October 31 holiday’s theme and spirit, it’s clear the best seasonally spooky movies aren’t just limited to those set on actual Halloween.
To reference one of the best birthday-themed movies ever: “Happy Death Day” might substitute as a greeting for countless horror celebrations, thanks to the undying catalog of slashers, creepy thrillers, and scary movies tied to just about every annual event. Cupid as a serial killer? Sure, he’s already plunged enough stakes into our hearts anyways to break them. A murderous Santa Claus replacement named Krampus? The holiday myths keep getting crazier. Who can forget Eli Roth’s “Thanksgiving”? John Carver certainly gave us plenty to dig our fork and knife into.
From two “Black Christmas” movies to the Christmas action movie “Violent Night” starring David Harbour as a Santa out for blood, the spine-tingling scares continue far past October 31. Plus, there’s scary summer blockbusters, including slasher “Uncle Sam” and “The Purge: Election Year”? (Check out our must-see Fourth of July horror movies roundup here.)
Cook up a terrifying turkey for a “Thankskilling” feast, bake “Gingerdead Man” cookies, and eat your heart out (literally) this Valentine’s Day, because IndieWire has you covered for all the thrills, chills, and murderous revenge plots all year. It’s about to be ho ho ho-rror this holiday season: Keep scrolling to see an — unranked — collection of some of the best holiday horror movies to binge year-round.
With editorial contribution by Alison Foreman.
The 90-minute episode of Hulu’s “Into the Dark” is a self-contained horror film in its own right. The premise is simple enough: A woman invites historical re-enactors playing pilgrims to spend Thanksgiving with her family. But the pilgrims take it one deadly step too far…
Kerr Smith, Reign Edwards, Peter Giles, Courtney Henggeler, Taj Speights, and Antonio Raul Corbo star in the movie, co-written by Noah Feinberg (“Baby I’m Yours”) and directed by Marcus Dunstan (“Feast”). —SB
Eli Roth serves up the funniest film of his career with “Thanksgiving”: a feature-length expansion on a fake trailer he directed for “Grindhouse” in 2007 that’s as smart as it is splatterific. Nell Verlaque and Patrick Dempsey star as a final girl and the head of local law enforcement to the pitiable people of Plymouth, Massachusetts, who find themselves hunted by a murderous pilgrim with a sick sense of seasonal humor. The smart slasher offers an anti-capitalist satire that kicks off with a dark Black Friday massacre and builds to the most revolting culinary moment in cinema since Roth’s earlier “Green Inferno.” Whether you’re grouchy from too much gravy or sitting out the festivities altogether, the rampage of John Carver is a holiday miracle for horror fans of all kinds — and the perfect chaser to whatever bullshit your life serves up this season. —AF
While 1993’s “Addams Family Values” does span most of the calendar year, an iconic sequence featuring Wednesday (Cristina Ricci) and brother Pugsley (Jimmy Workman) in the school Thanksgiving pageant marks a turning point for Wednesday’s take on Pocahontas. —SB
TK —AF
Lloyd Kaufman’s campy “Poultrygeist” centers on what happens when zombified chickens attempt to kill the fast-food workers that cook them in a restaurant built on an ancient burial ground. Made for just $22,623, the Troma Films-produced feature debuted in 2006.
Haley Bennett stars as one of the only students who opts to stay on her college campus during Thanksgiving break. Unbeknownst to her, though, the holiday weekend marks a ritual killing for all religious people, who are deemed “Kristy”s. Ashley Greene, Lucas Till, and James Ransone also star in the 2014 slasher.
The 2007 slasher tells the urban legend of Turkie, a murderous turkey who was created to combat colonialism at the first Thanksgiving. The cult favorite film spurred a musical adaptation and a sequel ironically titled “Thankskilling 3.” Director Jordan Downey credited Netflix and Gravitas Ventures as being early supporters of the film in an interview with No Film School.
Eugénie Derouand stars as Eve, a paraplegic who is gifted a strange antique Advent calendar with sinister presents inside. The 2021 horror movie is written and directed by Patrick Ridremont, and hinges on the calendar (and time itself) taunting Eve with the hope of walking again. Will Eve resort to murder to return to her career as a dancer?
The original 1974 “Black Christmas” is a true gem of a film, prime for Halloween, Christmas, or really any season. Sorority sisters, played in part by Olivia Hussey, Lynne Griffin, and Margot Kidder, receive threatening phone calls before being picked off one by one by a deranged serial killer. Themes of sexual liberation, women’s equality, and abortion rights are also captured in the slasher that helped usher in the popularity of the final girl trope. The Canadian film is most famous for influencing John Carpenter’s “Halloween,” and also stars giallo icon John Saxon.
While “Black Christmas” inspired two remakes (the first in 2006), the 2019 version is superior. Although let’s be real, nothing beats the O.G. Sophia Takal co-wrote and directed the reimagined sorority slasher over winter break, but this time the Greek life sisters realize the killings are part of an undergound campus conspiracy. Imogen Poots, Aleyse Shannon, Lily Donoghue, and Brittany O’Grady star as the core students, while Cary Elwes plays a questionable professor.
In case anyone needed a reminder to not work on Christmas Eve, 2007 psychological horror film “P2” will scare you into staying home. Career-oriented Angela (Rachel Nichols) is the last person left at the office when her car seemingly breaks (brakes?) down. Thankfully a parking attendant (Wes Bentley) is there to keep her company as she waits for assistance…that is, until a game of Christmas cat-and-mouse ensues. Angela’s evening becomes a night of horrors where even Santa Claus can’t save her. Franck Khalfoun made his directorial debut with the kidnapping thriller.
We all want a Gizmo for Christmas! Joe Dante’s “Gremlins” begins with teen Billy (Zach Galligan) being gifted an odd yet adorable creature hailing from Chinatown. As Billy befriends the gremlin, he has to stick to the rules of the mogwai unless chaos will ensue, and Christmas could be ruined. Phoebe Cates, Corey Feldman, and Judge Reinhold star in the 1984 comedy, with Howie Mandel voicing Gizmo.
Sean Nichols Lynch’s “Red Snow” proves fact is stranger than fiction when a vampire romance novelist (Dennice Cisneros) finds herself face to face with real-life vampires over Christmas vacation in Lake Tahoe. Nico Bellamy, Laura Kennon, and Vernon Wells star in the 2021 thriller.
Despite composer Danny Elfman deeming Henry Selick’s “The Nightmare Before Christmas” a Halloween movie, the 1993 film tells a different story: Jack Skellington (voiced by Chris Sarandon and Elfman) longs to enter Christmas Town and bid his tired ol’ Halloween Town goodbye. Catherine O’Hara voices Jack’s love interest Sally who helps make his Santa suit, despite having reservations about Jack’s plans. Tim Burton produced the beloved stop-motion film which made history as the first animated feature nominated for Best Visual Effects at the Academy Awards (though it ultimately lost to “Jurassic Park”).
Before Toni Colette became posessed in “Hereditary,” she starred in satirical Christmas horror film “Krampus” opposite Adam Scott as parents who try to protect their kids from a half-goat, half-demon mythical creature who takes revenge on naughty children. The 2015 film was directed by Michael Dougherty.
You know how it goes: You better watch out, you better not cry because Santa (or a serial killer) is coming to town! The 2016 psychological horror thriller “Better Watch Out” stars Olivia DeJonge as teen babysitter Ashley looking after her young neighbor Luke (Levi Miller). Yet someone has other plans in store…with a “Home Alone” twist.
Goodbye, holiday baking plans. “The Gingerdead Man” answers the question we’ve all been asking for decades: what happens when a serial killer’s ashes are baked into gingerbread? Our festive desserts are officially dashed thanks to the living cookie-man, played by Gary Busey, whose only interest is the delicious taste of his victims’ blood. The 2005 comedy slasher spurred three sequels.
Keira Knightley and Matthew Goode star in the 2021 horror film “Silent Night,” about a last supper-style Christmas dinner held before the environmental apocalypse. Lily-Rose Depp and Annabelle Wallis also star. With suicide pills present and the countdown to a deadly and bloody sickness in the background, Camile Griffin’s “Silent Night” is a spooky-sad reminder about honoring what could always be your last (holi)days.
The Christmas-set sequel to 1942’s “Cat People” stars Ann Carter as Amy, the six-year-old daughter to Alice (Jane Randolph) and Oliver (Kent Smith) following the death of Oliver’s first wife Irena (Simone Simon). When Amy hopes for a new friend in Tarrytown, New York, she connects with Barbara (Elizabeth Russell) who may or may not be a ghost.
“Twin Peaks” star Ray Wise and “Insidious” actress Lin Shaye star as two parents just trying to keep their family together on a holiday road trip from hell…literally. The family tries to take a short cut driving back home on Christmas Eve but soon are plagued with supernatural experiences after crashing in a remote location. The 2003 film was co-written and directed by Jean-Baptiste Andrea and Fabrice Canepa and has been compared to an extended “Twilight Zone” episode.
There were two films titled “Jack Frost,” released back to back in 1997 and 1998, respectively. While the 1998 film was certainly family friendly and starred Michael Keaton as a dead dad trying to connect with his son by way of coming back as a snowman (what, we didn’t come up with it…), the 1997 film that predated it is, well, decidely un-family friendly. Jack Frost (Scott MacDonald) is a serial killer brought back to life to blungeon people to death with his carrot nose. How’s that for an icy twist?
The 1984 slasher interrogates how trauma impacts a child. Does violence beget violence? “Silent Night, Deadly Night” centers on a little boy who watches his parents get killed by a man dressed as Santa Claus. Decades later, he dons a Santa suit to exact revenge. Robert Brian Wilson and Lilyan Chauvin star in the slasher, which made headlines for its controversial marketing materials. Yet the film was a cult hit and spurred four sequels, plus an announced reboot in 2021.
The Valentine’s Day 2020 installment of Hulu’s “Into the Dark” series marked the release of writer-director Maggie Levin’s “My Valentine.” The horror movie centers on a pop star named Valentine (Britt Baron) who is caught up in an abusive relationship with her manager Royal (Benedict Samuel), who seems to have moved on with a carbon copy replacement singer (Anna Lore) who looks and sounds just like Valentine.
Campy 2020 slasher “Cupid” centers on bullied teen Faye (Georgina Jane), who summons the demonic god Cupid to break up all the couples — and the necks — he can find on campus. Scott Jeffrey wrote and directed the killer revenge movie.
Katherine Heigl, Denise Richards, Jessica Cauffiel, Jessica Capshaw, and Marley Shelton receive creepy Valentine’s Day cards years after turning down the advances of one high school classmate. Could he be out for revenge? Jamie Blanks directs the film adapted from Tom Savage’s novel of the same name.
The 1981 film “My Bloody Valentine” takes sexism in the workplace to an extreme. After a female miner is murdered by her male coworker, it’s a “Flashdance” level ban on all town parties in the suburb of Valentine Falls after a serial killer survivor of a mining accident vows to murder again if school dances are held. The classic horror film inspired a 2009 remake, plus the name of an Irish rock band.
You’ll need more than the luck of the Irish to escape the horrifyng leprechaun in this 1993 cult classic that ignited a truly undying franchise. The dark comedy slasher is written and directed by Mark Jones, and stars Warwick Davis as the titular mythical creature who goes on a killing spree to collect his stolen pot of gold. Jennifer Aniston and Shay Duffin starred in the original film.
Tree (Jessica Rothe) is experiencing the worst birthday of her life. First, she’s hungover in a stranger’s bed, then she is chased by a college campus killer, and is brutally slaughtered. And then she gets to wake up and do it all over again. Half “Groundhog Day” and half “Final Destination,” 2017 dark comedy meta slasher was a runaway hit – and proved that there is always someone having a worse holiday than yours.
