The Bloody Disgusting-powered SCREAMBOX is home to a variety of unique horror content, from originals and exclusives to cult classics and documentaries. With such a rapidly-growing library, there are many hidden gems waiting to be discovered.
Alongside exclusives like Secret Santa and Night of the Missing and such classics as Black Christmas and Silent Night, Deadly Night 2, here are five Christmas horror recommendations you can stream on SCREAMBOX right now.
Christmas Evil
Not to be confused with the innumerable Santa slashers, Christmas Evil (also known as You Better Watch Out) is tonally more in line with Taxi Driver than Silent Night, Deadly Night. Writer-director Lewis Jackson clearly had no interest in making a body count flick; instead, he explores the psyche of a mentally unstable man who happens to dress up as Santa and kill people. The low-budget grit adds to the dark atmosphere.
The 1980 film chronicles one man’s descent into madness by making the killer — an unmistakably human character — the protagonist. Everyone seems to get a little crazy around the holidays, but not like Harry Stadling (Brandon Maggart, Dressed to Kill). Childhood trauma has led him to believe that he’s a modern Santa, casually wearing a costume, working in a toy factory, and spying on neighborhood kids to find out who’s naughty or nice.
The company Christmas party proves to be his breaking point, as he decides to steal the toys and deliver them to the children at a local hospital. His Robin Hood-esque intentions are good — admirable, even — but they’re followed by a trail of bloodshed on Christmas Eve. His psychosis seeps into the film’s surreal ending. You can see why John Waters cites this one as his favorite Christmas movie.
The Day of the Beast
Stop me if you’ve heard this one before: a priest, a metalhead, and a psychic team up to save the world. That’s not the setup of a joke; it’s the plot of The Day of the Beast. Spanish horror favorite Álex de la Iglesia (30 Coins, The Oxford Murders) helms the 1995 madcap horror-comedy from a script he co-wrote with frequent collaborator Jorge Guerricaechevarría and featuring cinematography by Flavio Martínez Labiano (Jungle Cruise, The Shallows).
In his efforts to prevent the impending apocalypse on Christmas Eve, a rogue priest (Álex Angulo, Pan’s Labyrinth) enlists the aid of an affable, Satanic record store clerk (Santiago Segura, Blade II) and a crooked TV occultist (Armando De Razza) to sell his soul to the Devil. Putting the Antichrist in Christmas, the diabolically funny film plays like Shaun of the Dead meets The Omen.
Rare Exports
From the land of the original Santa Claus, Finland shares a unique take on the Christmas mythos with Rare Exports. From Sisu and Big Game director Jalmari Helander, the 2010 film blends a Goonies-esque coming-of-age adventure, horrific killer Santas, fantastical action, and a tongue-in-cheek sense of humor.
Set in the northernmost region of Finland, local boy Pietari (Onni Tommila, Big Game) comes to believe that the researchers drilling samples nearby have uncovered the ancient burial ground of the real Santa Claus. His hostile father (Jorma Tommila, Sisu) dismisses the claims until the evidence becomes overwhelming. At only 83 minutes, it moves as fast as Santa’s sleigh.
13 Slays Till X-Mas
A scrappy anthology shot during the pandemic, 13 Slays Till X-Mas features bite-sized segments directed by indie horror staples Shawn Burkett (Don’t Fuck in the Woods), Drew Marvick (Pool Party Massacre), John Hale III (10/31 Part 2), Jed Brian (10/31 Part 3), P.J. Starks (Volumes of Blood), Sean Blevins (Volumes of Blood: Horror Stories), Carlos Omar De Leon (Creepypasta), and more.
As a small Kentucky town is rocked by a slew of unsolved murders and disappearances, a group of bar patrons harboring secrets swap horror stories in an attempt to scare one another on Christmas Eve. From Santa and elves to clowns and reindeer, festive frights are aplenty, and so too are horror Easter eggs. Budgets are low but creativity is high, and while the segments are hit or miss, it’s never long before the next one comes down the chimney.
Deep Red
Deep Red (also known as Profondo Rosso and The Hatchet Murders) may not be a Christmas movie in the traditional sense, as the bulk of the movie isn’t set during the holiday, but Christmas plays an integral role in the killer’s motivation. Master of horror Dario Argento (Suspiria, Phenomena) directs the 1975 Italian giallo from a script he co-wrote with Bernardino Zapponi (Fellini Satyricon).
When musician Marcus Daly (David Hemmings, Blow-Up) witnesses a murder at the hands of a black-gloved figure, he teams with local reporter Gianna Brezzi (Argento muse Daria Nicolodi) to stop the killer in pursuit. The Scooby-Doo-esque mystery is a bit contrived, but Deep Red still ranks among top-shelf Argento with masterful set pieces, one of Goblin’s (Suspiria, Dawn of the Dead) best scores, a bathtub kill that was replicated in Halloween 2, and a doll so creepy it would make Jigsaw squirm.
And don’t forget: SCREAMBOX Exclusive Santastein comes alive on December 19. The festive twist on Mary Shelley’s “Frankenstein” delivers Christmas cheer and slasher fear!
Visit the SCREAMBOX Hidden Gems archives for more recommendations.
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