- Christmas-themed Terrifier 3 was a 2024 hit
- It isn’t the only time horror and Christmas have met on screen
- Here’s some more Christmas horror movies to watch this December
Terrifier 3 was unleashed onto audiences back in October, reminding us of the power that Christmas horror movies hold.
Directed by Damien Leone, this low-fi clown horror went on to surprise everybody by outperforming Todd Phillips’ highly anticipated sequel Joker: Folie à Deux. Both were released in October although each had a very different budget.
While the former was made for around $2 million, the latter had a budget of around $200 million. Yet it was Art the Clown that beat out the Clown Prince of Crime during its second week at the box office. It was a move that’s probably still giving Warner Bros and DC studio executives nightmares.
Read more: Everything we know about The Batman Part 2
It’s a move that may very well go down as one of the most shocking movie moments of 2024 – and if catching up with Terrifier 3 this December has you hungry for more festive frighteners, then we’ve got just the thing for you.
Read on for details of some of the best Christmas horror movies to stream this December – and where to find them.
Christmas horror movies like Terrifier 3
Black Christmas (1978)
Black Christmas is one of the original classic Christmas horror movies. Released in 1978 and directed by Canadian filmmaker Bob Clark, it tells a sorority slasher tale as a masked killer stalks a group of students over the festive period. Since its release, the movie has developed a cult status and has been remade twice – once in 2006 and again in 2019. Stream Black Christmas on Peacock and Apple TV this December.
Krampus (2015)
How much do you know about the Krampus? According to Alpine folklore, this mythical creature is the antithesis of Santa Claus, complete with hooved feet, demonic features and monstrous horns. If you’ve been bad, you can expect him to visit you on 25 December – and that’s exactly the story that this dark Christmas comedy tells. Boasting a starry cast including Adam Scott and Toni Collette, the movie has emerged as one of the more enjoyable seasonal scaries of recent years. Catch it on Hulu.
There’s Something in the Barn (2023)
Released in 2023, Norwegian horror-comedy There’s Something in the Barn is one of the more recent releases on this list. It’s also one to mine an area of Christmas lore that feels ripe for horror – elves. Much like nostalgic favourite Gremlins, the mythic creatures in this horror come with their own set of rules. However, much like Gremlins, these guidelines are swiftly ignored – and chaos ensues. Find There’s Something in the Barn streaming on Netflix or Apple TV.
Rare Exports: A Christmas Tale (2010)
Another European festive horror is Rare Exports: A Christmas Tale. This feature was first released in 2010 and takes a devilish look at Santa Claus lore. Here, director Jalmari Helander reimagines the jolly bearded bloke as a kind of feral and wild creature with a bloodlust directed at children. When one escapes, a nightmare breaks loose in rural Finland. If this sounds like your cup of tea, you’ll find it hiding on Peacock.
Christmas Bloody Christmas (2022)
In 2022, Christmas finally met the killer robot genre, giving birth to Joe Begos’ Santa Claus horror story Christmas Bloody Christmas. This film follows a robotic Saint Nick that proves faulty and is recalled by its manufacturers – except not everyone hears this warning, leaving one deadly robo-Santa free to go on a killing spree. The film can be found on horror streamer Shudder and also on Apple TV.
