On the first day of Creepmas, my true love gave to me…12 Killer Santa horror movies to herald in Bloody Disgusting’s 12 Days of Creepmas. This year, we’re reinterpreting the “Twelve Days of Christmas” to bring twelve days of holiday horror. ‘Tis the season to be naughty, after all.
It feels only right to kick things off with a look at one of holiday horror’s most prominent icons: the Killer Santa Claus. The niche subgenre of Killer Santa holiday horror movies is as robust as ever, offering ample murderous maniacs to spread holiday fear this season. Here are 12 of the most prominent and bloodthirsty of the bunch.
If your favorites are missing, don’t worry; there’s still plenty of holiday horror fun on the way.
Violent Night
Violent Night introduces Santa Claus (David Harbour) as a cynic drowning his frustrations in booze at a bar on Christmas Eve. Then he crosses paths with Trudy (Leah Brady), a sweet girl caught up in an intense hostage situation. This Christmas, Santa gets violent when it comes to his naughty list. Director Tommy Wirkola (Dead Snow) infuses his gore-soaked sense of humor into an amalgamation of familiar holiday fare, ushering a new crowd-pleasing Christmas-set actioner that’s more than willing to get violent. It’s also arguably the most feel-good killer Santa on this list.
Silent Night
This very loose retelling of Silent Night, Deadly Night doesn’t offer much in the way of storytelling. What it does offer, though, is a handful of fun performances led by scene-chewing Malcolm McDowell as the small-town sheriff and a bunch of gory deaths at the hands of one vicious Santa. This killer Santa seeks out the worst and delivers fatal punishment for their naughty behavior. Skin-crawling sexually deviant priests, spoiled rotten children, and softcore porn filmmakers draw Santa’s ire. This killer Santa is for those who want to see the snow splattered with the red stuff.
Santa’s Slay
Once upon a time, in the year 1005 AD, the demon Santa Claus (Bill Goldberg) lost a bet with an Angel. As punishment, Santa was sentenced to become a giver of holiday gifts and cheer for 1,000 years. The moment his sentence ends, however, the demon’s brutal ways resume with a vengeance. As if Goldberg’s casting as the angry Santa wasn’t an indicator, Santa’s Slay is a gory romp uninterested in anything but spreading holiday cheer with riotous carnage and camp. You’ll know if this one is for you from the spirited opening slaughter featuring Fran Drescher.
Santa Jaws
What if Santa Claus wasn’t a jolly old elf or a maniac in disguise but rather a shark? If you’ve spiked your eggnog a little too hard and need something irreverent and silly, this is for you. It features a killer shark sporting a Santa hat on the loose, killing its way through a naughty list. That’s the only thing you need to know to determine whether this absurd horror-comedy is for you or not. It’s also for those who have grown tired of Killer Santas of the humanoid variety.
Christmas Bloody Christmas
Bliss and VFW director Joe Begos give his ultra-violent take on the killer Santa with this bloody Christmas tale. It’s Christmas Eve, and fiery record store owner Tori Tooms (Riley Dandy) wants to get drunk and party until the robotic Santa Claus at a nearby toy store goes haywire and makes her night more than a little complicated. Santa Claus begins a rampant killing spree through the neon-drenched snowscape against a backdrop of drugs, sex, metal, and violence, forcing Tori into a blood-splattered battle for survival.
Christmas Evil
Ever since Harry Stadling (Brandon Maggart) saw mommy kissing Santa Claus as a child, he grew up with an unhealthy Christmas obsession. As an adult, he keeps his home decked out in holiday décor and seeks to spread cheer at the toy factory where he works. Harry even spies on the neighborhood kids to keep track of who is naughty or nice. But Harry’s fragile mind and a series of unfortunate events lead him to snap over Christmas Eve, spurning a murder spree in his quest to become an authentic Santa Claus. Christmas Evil isn’t your average killer Santa flick; it’s a quirky character study of a broken mind. There’s often as much humor as there is tragedy in store for poor Harry.
Sint
Leave it to Dick Maas, the mind behind Amsterdamned, to transform the Christmas ghost into a slasher. On the full moon of December 5, St. Nicholas’s murderous evil spirit comes to town to unleash terror and mayhem along with his zombie-like Black Peters. It’s precisely the type of goofy fun you’d expect from Maas, this time with an irreverent holiday twist. It’s as funny as it is bloody, with solid effects work. Just don’t take it too seriously.
A Christmas Tale
Before horror director Paco Plaza made a name for himself on an international scale with the first three entries in the beloved [REC] franchise and Netflix’s Veronica, he married an Amblin-Esque kids story with yuletide terror in the made-for-TV movie A Christmas Tale. The plot revolves around five twelve-year-old friends in 1985. The gang’s usual play routine is interrupted when they come across a pit in the woods with an unconscious woman dressed as Santa Claus at the bottom. The kids learn that she’s a wanted criminal and choose to torture her for their gain. Plaza’s Christmas tale gets very, very dark, with naughty children facing punishment for their misdeeds in unexpected ways.
Deadly Games
Also known as 36.15 Code Père Noël and Dial Code Santa Claus, this French horror film was doomed to obscurity as it was only available on hard-to-find bootleg VHS until recently. It follows young computer-loving Thomas, a boy stuck at home alone with his grandpa on Christmas Eve. It’s a quiet evening until a twisted, bloodthirsty Santa Claus crashes through the chimney. Released a year before Home Alone, the plot has an eerie similarity as Thomas booby traps his house to ward off the intruder. The critical difference is that Deadly Games leans hard into horror, bringing the bloodshed that Home Alone wouldn’t dare. One creepy Santa, some surprising peril for its young lead, and a heavy lean into the holiday setting make for an unexpected holiday favorite.
Silent Night, Deadly Night Part 2
While the original film is heralded as a holiday horror classic, this sequel falls firmly into cult territory thanks to using an enormous amount of footage to recap the previous film’s story and the over-the-top performance by new killer Santa, Ricky (Eric Freeman). Set four years after the first film, Ricky picks up his brother’s slaying mantle to punish those he deems naughty on Christmas Eve. Whereas Billy liked to yell “punish,” Ricky’s more known for his hysterical line delivery of “Garbage Day!” That should give you a little idea of the hysterical madness in store. In other words, this is a pizza and beer kind of holiday horror film, best viewed separately from its predecessor.
Speaking of which…
Silent Night, Deadly Night
This quintessential killer Santa flick follows Billy (Robert Brian Wilson) from the traumatic incident that instilled his fixation on Christmas to his Christmas murder spree while dressed as Santa. The depiction of an ax-wielding killer dressed as Santa Claus made the movie highly controversial upon release, which likely went a long way in drawing fans. Not only did this launch a franchise, but it shaped the formula for the subgenre. It helps that it was the first Christmas horror film that really caught the attention of critics and journalists, all appalled by the concept of a not-so-jolly Saint Nick.
Tales from the Crypt
This classic horror anthology features five segments based on EC Comics stories. The wraparound features five strangers confronted by a Crypt Keeper who regales them with tales of their demises. The first segment, “…And All Through the House,” comes from the 35th issue of The Vault of Horror and sees Joanne Clayton (Joan Collins) battling it out with an escaped maniac dressed in a Santa suit. She’s unable to call the police for aid as she’s just murdered her husband. The story is so good that it was adapted a second time for the Tales from the Crypt TV series’ inaugural season. While the original adaptation of the movie is the only story set around the holidays, the entire anthology is well worth watching.
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