Rudolph’s nose isn’t the only thing getting splashed with red this year!
Christmas is known for its tranquility and cheer, a seasonal reprieve from the ills of the world…making it of course a prime target of some nasty, very naughty movies. The killers in our guide to thbest- and worst-reviewed Christmas horror movies range from jilted psychos (Black Christmas) to fantastic beasts (Krampus) to artfully murderous clowns (Terrifer 3) to even so-not-jolly St. Nick himself (Rare Exports). And naturally no ho-ho-horror holiday would be complete without the classics (Gremlins), alongside the new contenders banging on the window to get in (Silent Night, Better Watch Out, Anna and the Apocalypse). After gathering all the movies, we ranked them by Tomatometer, with Certified Fresh films first
Go ahead and make your list, check it twice, chances are you’re not surviving this holiday night! —Alex Vo
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#1
Adjusted Score: 105700%
Critics Consensus: The Nightmare Before Christmas is a stunningly original and visually delightful work of stop-motion animation.
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#2
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Adjusted Score: 92804%
Critics Consensus: Rare Exports is an unexpectedly delightful crossbreed of deadpan comedy and Christmas horror.
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#3
Adjusted Score: 91273%
Critics Consensus: Carried by its charismatic young cast, Better Watch Out is an adorably sinister holiday horror film.
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#4
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Adjusted Score: 93298%
Critics Consensus: Whether you choose to see it as a statement on consumer culture or simply a special effects-heavy popcorn flick, Gremlins is a minor classic.
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#5
Adjusted Score: 83505%
Critics Consensus: Anna and the Apocalypse finds fresh brains and a lot of heart in the crowded zombie genre – not to mention a fun genre mashup populated by rootable characters.
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#6
Adjusted Score: 78811%
Critics Consensus: Perhaps it isn’t quite as much fun as a movie about a murderous robot Santa ought to be, but for fans of holiday horror, Christmas Bloody Christmas is still a gift.
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#7
Adjusted Score: 82140%
Critics Consensus: Taking an axe to yuletide cheer and everything else in its path, Terrifier 3 is a bloody fantastic stocking stuffer for the holiday season.
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#8
Adjusted Score: 84188%
Critics Consensus: Led by an impressive Riley Keough performance, The Lodge should prove a suitably unsettling destination for fans of darkly atmospheric horror.
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#9
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Adjusted Score: 93595%
Critics Consensus: Foregoing the horror thrills of its predecessor in favor of childhood fantasy, Curse of the Cat People is a touching and psychologically complex family film couched in a ghost story.
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#10
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Adjusted Score: 62756%
Critics Consensus: No consensus yet.
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#11
Adjusted Score: 87371%
Critics Consensus: It may not offer much they haven’t seen before, but strong-stomached exploitation enthusiasts will savor The Retaliators.
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#12
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Adjusted Score: 83203%
Critics Consensus: If you’re in the mood for a fun enough genre film that kills its holiday theme, look no further than the surprisingly astute A Christmas Horror Story.
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#13
Adjusted Score: 55384%
Critics Consensus: No consensus yet.
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#14
Adjusted Score: 83026%
Critics Consensus: It may not be the most effective holiday horror entry, but The Advent Calendar has its share of nasty treats for genre fans.
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#15
Adjusted Score: 81230%
Critics Consensus: A yuletide nightmare full of familial angst and slithering scares, Await Further Instructions is a genre treat that pretty much any horror fan will want in their stocking.
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#16
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Adjusted Score: 77096%
Critics Consensus: No consensus yet.
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#17
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Adjusted Score: 58008%
Critics Consensus: Unsettling and spine-chilling low-budget British horror, with effective and disturbing scares.
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#18
Adjusted Score: 48513%
Critics Consensus: No consensus yet.
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#19
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Adjusted Score: 27905%
Critics Consensus: No consensus yet.
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#20
Adjusted Score: 74060%
Critics Consensus: A slow-burning horror story that takes spine-tingling advantage of its setting and cast, I Trapped the Devil marks an auspicious debut for writer-director Josh Lobo.
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#21
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Adjusted Score: 71726%
Critics Consensus: The rare slasher with enough intelligence to wind up the tension between bloody outbursts, Black Christmas offers fiendishly enjoyable holiday viewing for genre fans.
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#22
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Adjusted Score: 67055%
Critics Consensus: No consensus yet.
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#23
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Adjusted Score: 71849%
Critics Consensus: Krampus is gory good fun for fans of non-traditional holiday horror with a fondness for Joe Dante’s B- movie classics, even if it doesn’t have quite the savage bite its concept calls for.
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#24
Adjusted Score: 71413%
Critics Consensus: Spending time with these characters can be a lot to ask, but Silent Night peers into the abyss with admirable aplomb.
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#25
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Adjusted Score: 62296%
Critics Consensus: No consensus yet.
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#26
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Adjusted Score: 47189%
Critics Consensus: No consensus yet.
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#27
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Adjusted Score: 60549%
Critics Consensus: No consensus yet.
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#28
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Adjusted Score: 35857%
Critics Consensus: No consensus yet.
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#29
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Adjusted Score: 27163%
Critics Consensus: No consensus yet.
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#30
Adjusted Score: 59017%
Critics Consensus: It’s a Wonderful Knife takes an enthusiastic stab at holiday-themed horror-comedy, even if it doesn’t cut quite as deep as it should.
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#31
Adjusted Score: 52229%
Critics Consensus: No consensus yet.
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#32
Adjusted Score: 50534%
Critics Consensus: No consensus yet.
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#33
Adjusted Score: 18420%
Critics Consensus: No consensus yet.
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#34
Adjusted Score: 48074%
Critics Consensus: No consensus yet.
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#35
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Adjusted Score: 47664%
Critics Consensus: No consensus yet.
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#36
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Adjusted Score: 44114%
Critics Consensus: Wind Chill is a ghost story with a clunky and unpolished script that fails to keep viewers in suspense.
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#37
Adjusted Score: 45458%
Critics Consensus: Better than the 2006 remake yet not as sharp as the original, this Black Christmas stabs at timely feminist themes but mostly hits on familiar pulp.
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#38
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Adjusted Score: 27298%
Critics Consensus: No consensus yet.
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#39
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P2 (2007)
34%
Adjusted Score: 36165%
Critics Consensus: P2 is full of gore, but low on suspense, featuring a cat-and-mouse plot has been done many times before.
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#40
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Adjusted Score: 20678%
Critics Consensus: No consensus yet.
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#41
Adjusted Score: 21640%
Critics Consensus: A killjoy entry into the debauched children’s story horror canon, The Mean One delivers a seasonally macabre bag of lime green coal.
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#42
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Adjusted Score: 16464%
Critics Consensus: No consensus yet.
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#43
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Adjusted Score: 15975%
Critics Consensus: A gratuitous remake of the 1974 slasher, Black Christmas pumps out the gore and blood with zero creativity, humor, or visual flair.
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#44
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Adjusted Score: 12288%
Critics Consensus: No consensus yet.
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#45
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Critics Consensus: No consensus yet.
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#46
Critics Consensus: No consensus yet.
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