25 of the best Christmas horror movies to haunt your holiday
Tis the season for holiday horror! Whether you're baking cookies or fantasizing about setting the tree on fire, holiday horror films are perfect for any Christmas mood. They're that ideal blend of thematic cheer and commercial cynicism that screams, "I'm having a good time, but only because it could be worse!" that you probably feel most holiday seasons — but especially during this one. From mutant gingerbread men and rosy-cheeked killers to stories of betrayal and twisted tragedies, the creepy Christmas catalog is vast. We've combed through and picked out 25 of the best to get your horrifying holiday going. Enjoy, goblins! 25. The Nightmare Before Christmas (1993) Credit: Moviestore / Shutterstock OK, I know The Nightmare Before Christmas doesn't belong on here — but it also doesn't not belong on here. Tim Burton's animated Halloween-meets-Christmas classic is only a horror film if you choose to deeply meditate on some of Oogie Boogie's grosser behaviors (and honestly, who is doing that?) Still, it's got enough of that wintery spookiness to make it a worthy title for anyone looking to scratch that Christmas-time horror itch. Plus, ya just gotta love Zero. Who's a good ghost dog?! How to watch: The Nightmare Before Christmas is now streaming on Disney+. 24. Inside (2007) This is basically the Die Hard of this list, more set during Christmas than it is a horror movie about Christmas. Inside is a gore-soaked jewel in the crown of the French Extremity craze of the 2000s, a time when "torture porn" horror was all the rage. But director Julien Maury and Alexandre Bustillo's freaky film works because of its très important holiday vibes, which emphasize our main character's state of loneliness. On Christmas Eve, pregnant widow Sarah (Alysson Paradis) is in a deep depression mourning her husband, who was killed in a car accident just a couple of months previously. That's when a stranger — known simply as The Woman (Béatrice Dalle) — comes knocking on her door. And like the
25 of the best Christmas horror movies to haunt your holiday