Ever wonder what the Holiday season would be like if it was just an extended Halloween terror? Well, wonder no more, for creepy Christmas movies have come to the rescue. From murder mysteries, creepy creatures, to full on gore fest, eerie holiday movies truly cover it all. So, if you like a little to be kept on your toes during the Holiday season, you're going to need to check out these 17 creepy Christmas movies you can stream online.
'Tis the season to be jolly, not to be terrified out of your mind. As such, Christmas movies tend to fall into the heart-warming, family friendly category. Instead of monsters to give you nightmares, these movies have Santa Claus to give you presents. Instead of jump scares and torture, Christmas movies have group hugs and family meals. Needless to say, it can be difficult to combine the innocence of Christmas movies with the thrill of scary movies, but there are a rare few that find a way.
In fact, some of the most beloved Christmas movies are unquestionably cringeworthy AF. Take Home Alone. Sure, it's all fun and games when little Kevin McCallister saves his home from being burgled and himself from becoming a casualty of parental neglect, but this is literally a film about a little boy torturing two bad guys on Christmas. It's creepy. Unfortunately, Home Alone isn't streaming on Netflix, Amazon Video, or HBO (not yet, anyways), but these 17 creepy Christmas movies are.
1'Gremlins'
Gremlins is an '80s Christmas classic that made children everywhere second guess their decision to ask Santa for a new pet. The movie introduces terrifying little Christmas monsters to audiences young and old, scarring both adults and children alike. Warning: don't watch after midnight.
Where to stream: Netflix
2'The Children'
A family's holiday vacation goes wrong in The Children when the youngest two children start getting sick. What begins as an innocent cold quickly becomes a terrifying infection, and no one is safe.
Where to stream: HBO
3'Krampus'
Krampus takes the family reunion Christmas movie trope to a whole new level when one of the children loses his faith in Santa Claus, causing Krampus, the Christmas demon, to pay them a visit instead. (Bonus: there are also a handful of Krampus-related horror films currently streaming on Amazon Prime.)
Where to stream: HBO
4'A Christmas Horror Story'
Murderous ghosts, zombie elves, possessed children, Krampus, and William Shatner — A Christmas Horror Story truly has every ingredient needed to create the perfect scary Christmas movie.
Where to stream: Netflix
5'Silent Night, Bloody Night'
A man and his mistress spend a night at an old, abandoned house, where a man died on Christmas Eve 20 years prior in the 1972 thriller Silent Night, Bloody Night. What could possibly go wrong?
Where to stream: Amazon Prime
6'The Nightmare Before Christmas'
The Nightmare Before Christmas isn't really a horror movie, but the fact that fans are still debating whether it's a Halloween movie or a Christmas movie means it's got to be pretty damn creepy.
Where to stream: Netflix
7'Phantom Of The Opera'
The 1925 silent film The Phantom of the Opera is a great creepy Christmas movie because it's just creepy enough to scare you, but also old enough to remind you of watching old holiday movies with your parents.
Where to stream: Amazon Prime
8'Holidays'
Christmas isn't the only holiday getting the horror makeover treatment Holidays, but it is the segment that has Seth Green in it, so that should count for something.
Where to stream: Netflix
9'Bad Santa' & 'Bad Santa 2'
Bad Santa is a comedy about a foul-mouthed, depressed, alcoholic mall Santa. If that isn't the creepiest Christmas story ever told, then I don't know what is.
Where to stream: Netflix; Bad Santa is also on Hulu
10'Christmas Slay'
A killer obsessed with Santa Claus is on the loose in Christmas Slay, a movie that will introduce a killer Santa to your nightmares.
Where to stream: Amazon
11'Red Christmas'
Red Christmas combines torture porn and found footage with a dash of Holiday spirit. In case you ever wondered where the found footage, Christmas murder guide movie was, here's your answer.
Where to stream: Amazon
12'Krampus: The Reckoning'
An innocent child's imaginary friend takes a deadly turn in Krampus: The Reckoning. Krampus hasn't just come to town to befriend a young girl, he's come to punish those who have been bad.
Where to stream: Amazon
13'Krampus: Unleashed'
Treasure hunters accidentally reawaken the demon Krampus in Krampus: Unleashed.
Where to stream: Amazon, Hulu
14'Jack Frost' & 'Jack Frost 2'
A mutant killer snowman haunts a small town sheriff in Jack Frost only to return more powerful than ever in the sequel, Jack Frost 2. You'll never want to make a snowman again.
Where to stream: Amazon
15'Caesar And Otto's Deadly Xmas'
Two brothers decide to be Santa and an elf for Christmas in Caesar & Otto's Deadly Xmas, but things quickly devolve into a murder fest when they make an enemy out of another mall Santa.
Where to stream: Amazon
16'New Year's Evil'
Christmas isn't the only December holiday with a dark side. In New Year's Evil, a killer preys on young women, killing one woman every time the clock strikes 12 in each time zone.
Where to stream: Hulu
17'How The Grinch Stole Christmas'
Dr. Seuss' How the Grinch Stole Christmas might be a Christmas classic, but the 2000 live action adaptation is not. Proving once and for all that sometimes live action really isn't necessary, Jim Carrey's take on the Grinch is as terrifying as it is crazy.
Where to stream: Netflix
Who wants sappy Christmas movies to inspire happy tears and family bonding when you can watch creepy Christmas movies that will inspire nightmares for decades to come?
