14 Dark Christmas Horror Movies Ranked (The Anti-Christmas List)

If you are reading this, you are probably sick to death of forced festive cheer, sickly sweet Hallmark movies, and pretending to like your extended family. Don’t worry, we have the antidote with this list of 14 Dark Christmas Horror Movies Ranked.

It’s time for the Anti-Christmas list!

Forget the miracles on 34th Street; we are here for the nightmares on Elm Street. This list is a collection of the bleakest, darkest, and most disturbing Christmas horror movies ever committed to film. Some are brilliant, some are trash, but all of them are the perfect remedy for an overdose of holly-jolly nonsense.

There’s no Christmas cheer here; no cakes, no mulled wine, and certainly no good tidings. All of these films have one thing in common: they are utterly grim and completely bleak. From spiteful killings at the Christmas dinner table to a Christmas eve nightmare for a heavily pregnant woman – there’s no escaping the darkness of the Christmas horror movies.

So, pour yourself a stiff drink, lock the door to keep the relatives out, and settle in. Here are 14 Dark Christmas Horror Movies Ranked.

14. Hosts (2020)

Hosts is a British horror movie by YouTubers Richard Oakes and Adam Leader. The pair documented the movie making process for their channel which adds an element of intrigue to this entry. After all, how many times do you get a hands-on experience with the production of a horror film?

The story follows a family spending one last Christmas together after their mother was diagnosed with cancer. Inviting the neighbours to join them, the family get more than they bargained for when they find themselves in a bloody fight for survival.

This one is disturbing for one particularly mean spirited scene. Considered the setting: a joyous family gathering sharing in good tidings and cheer; the level of violence in this moment feels distinctly grinchy. It’s designed deliberately to leave you feeling like somebody dropped a lump of coal on your Christmas pudding. Still, the movie isn’t great so it is hard to recommend for this scene alone. Check out our review of Hosts.

Verdict: A largely forgettable movie made memorable only by one shockingly mean-spirited dinner scene.

13. The Melancholy Fantastic (2011)

Also known as Doll in the Dark, The Melancholy Fantastic is a movie that bears more than a passing resemblance to the brilliant May. It’s bloody grim, too! Following the story of a young girl trying to cope with the loss of her mother by making a life sized doll for company. This movie sees our main character pushed to murder when the doll begins talking to her.

This is one of those films that feels just a little bit confused. Marketed as fantasy horror; it’s more like a character study and exploration into the human condition that just so happens to take place during the holidays.

One thing it definitely is, however, is dark. Melanie’s predicament is tragic and the portrayal of her loneliness, and grief inspired mental decline, is quite affecting. Not fantastic but certainly disturbing and an altogether sadder option for your Christmas horror viewing.

Verdict: A strange, sombre, and deeply sad look at loneliness that lingers in the mind.

12. Silent Night (2021)

Silent Night is a bit deceptive. It features a very bleak setting, without question. But the first half of the movie is packed with that typical dry British comedy that we all expect from horror movies from this side of the pond.

A group of friends gather together with their families to spend Christmas together. They share drinks, presents, and laughs; all while knowing that the stroke of midnight brings the end of their lives.

Apocalyptic horror movies are nothing new. Hell, apocalyptic horror movies set at Christmas are nothing new; Anna and the Apocalypse says hello. But the way director Camille Griffin approaches the subject lends an extra scoopful of darkness to the story.

Fronted by an all star cast including Keira Knightley and Matthew Goode. Silent Night ventures into discussions about group think and trust in governments that feels very apt considering the time period. Where it feels a bit more unique is by framing a young child as the voice of reason.  It’s an uneven but fairly interesting horror drama. Check out our review of Silent Night right here.

Verdict: A pitch-black comedy that slowly morphs into one of the bleakest films of the year.

11. Christmas Evil (1980)

Often dismissed as just another 80s slasher, Christmas Evil (originally titled You Better Watch Out) is actually a slow, grimy, and rather depressing psychological character study. It follows Harry Stadling, a toy factory worker who was traumatised as a child by seeing “Santa” (his dad) catching a grope of his mum.

Harry loves Christmas too much, and the cynicism of the world around him slowly cracks his psyche until he snaps, donning the red suit to punish the “naughty”. It’s a favourite of John Waters and feels more like Taxi Driver than Friday the 13th. It is a sad, moody, and deeply dark look at a man unravelling during the holidays. Check out our Christmas Evil review right here.

Verdict: A dirty, depressing, and surprisingly poignant psychological thriller disguised as a slasher.

10. The Apology (2022)

The Apology follows the story of recovering alcoholic Darlene (Anna Gunn). Darlene’s daughter disappeared twenty years ago and she has never forgiven herself due to her being drunk at the time. Continuing the search, Darlene is surprised on Christmas eve by the arrival of an estranged old-flame bearing more than simply gifts.

The Apology explores the subjects of grief and guilt in a way that feels both raw and impactful. It also touches on the sensitive topics that come along with the disappearance of a young girl including victim blaming and the betrayal of trust. It’s a truly dark Christmas horror movie with a very troubling story.

It also features some great performances, and while it isn’t the best movie on this list, it is still very much worth checking out. Check out our review of The Apology right here.

Verdict: A dialogue-heavy, tense chamber piece that hits hard on emotional trauma.

9. The Retaliators (2022)

The next two movies are dark and disturbing for their visual content more than their actual themes. The Retaliators doesn’t exactly feature a cheerful, upbeat story though; it follow a priest who ventures into the murky criminal underworld to avenge his murdered daughter.

The Retaliators is sort of a Christmas horror exploitation movie so you know what that means… Tons of gore, violent kills, and some genuinely disturbing visuals. Naturally, it isn’t anything you haven’t seen before if you are a horror fan, but if you are looking for disturbing and dark Christmas horror goodness, you will definitely find it here.

Verdict: Dumb, violent, and bloody fun for those who want rock music mixed with their gore.

8. Salvage (2009)

Coming by way of the UK, Salvage is an incredibly bleak and actually rather stressful horror movie. It follows a young girl who is dropped off by her father to spend Christmas with her estranged mother in a quiet cul-de-sac. The tense reunion is cut short, however, when the street is plunged into a military lockdown due to a mysterious container washing ashore nearby.

What starts as a tense thriller quickly descends into a violent nightmare. Salvage captures that uniquely British sense of hopelessness perfectly; you know the type, grey, gloomy, full of despair. It is gritty, pretty realistic, and features an ending that is so incredibly bleak it will stay with you long after the credits roll.

If you want a Christmas movie that will leave you staring at the wall in silence, this is a great option. Check out our review of Salvage right here.

Verdict: A gritty, hopeless British thriller with a finale that packs a devastating emotional punch.

7. The Children (2008)

If you want a Christmas horror movie that is weirdly bleak despite it’s gorgeous snowy setting, look no further than Tom Shankland’s The Children. Two families gather at a secluded, snow-covered country home for the holidays, only for the children to contract a mysterious illness that turns them against their parents.

This isn’t a “fun” killer kid movie. It is a tense, claustrophobic, and taboo-breaking film that forces parents to make the impossible choice of killing their own children to survive. It is bleak, atmospheric, and completely devoid of festive cheer. It also has some horrible bone-breaking violence, too. A true anti-Christmas gem coming by way of the UK. Check out our review of The Children right here.

Verdict: A harrowing watch that turns the holidays into a claustrophobic fight for survival.

6. Terrifier 3 (2024)

Terrifier 3 is the continuation of the increasingly popular exploits of Art The Clown (David Howard Thornton). It follows Art as he teams up with the “little pale girl”, now residing inside the body of the first movie’s protagonist Victoria, to hunt down Sienna. Ruthlessly murdering everyone in their path along the way.

Terrifier 3 is another dark Christmas horror movie that is disturbing for its visual content more than anything else. For the most part, it is a straight up slasher but director, Damien Leone, was clearly on a mission to turn people’s stomachs with some of the scenes depicted here.

Not many movies on this list are willing to blow up a Santa’s village mall attraction full of children. Even fewer are willing to depict the aftermath in graphic detail. Terrifier 3 is stupidly violent and, in all honesty, quite disturbing. It doesn’t really live up to the hype but it is still watchable for those who enjoy a lot of gore. Check out our review of Terrifier 3 right here.

Verdict: Nasty, mean-spirited, and visually repulsive; exactly what fans of the franchise want.

5. Rare Exports (2010)

Rare Exports: A Christmas Tale, coming by way of Finland, follows young boy Pietari (Onni Tommila) and his attempts to convince his friends and family that Santa isn’t actually jolly. He is, in fact, a ruthless killer who is hell bent on murdering children. The only problem is that nobody believes him. That is until something is dug up from the cold, frozen ground and chaos is unleashed.

Rare Exports is a comedy horror with some rather triumphant moments of fun but that doesn’t mean it doesn’t count as a dark Christmas horror movie. We are inserting it here as a bit of a palate cleanser as it’s actually the depiction of Santa himself that makes this movie qualify for our list.

This is the pinnacle of anti-Christmas sentiment and wants to take a huge crap on all of your idealistic visions of the big man himself. Santa looks completely demented, his elves are terrifying, and Rare Exports has virtually nothing in the way of Christmas cheer. This is a movie that is perfect for anyone who is sick of the Christmas season. Check out our review of Rare Exports right here. 

Verdict: A darkly comic and original creature feature that turns Santa into a movie monster.

4. The Lodge (2019)

A woman called Grace (Riley Keough), raised in a religious cult and suffering terrible PTSD and mental illness as a result, is tasked with spending Christmas with her new boyfriend’s children. The only problem is that they recently lost their mother and they aren’t exactly fond of Grace. A fact that becomes all the more problematic when they are all snowed in together in a remote lodge while their father is away on business.

The Lodge is one of those movies that almost feels literally weighty thanks to its depressing story and themes. The dull cinematography and claustrophobic location are suffocating while the story ventures deep into themes of grief and mental illness.

It’s just really sad and leaves you feeling a very specific kind of gloomy. It also takes the story to some very unexpected places that might surprise you. That ending, too. Jesus. Check out our review of The Lodge right here.

Verdict: A masterclass in dread and despair that is arguably the most depressing film on this list.

3. Better Watch Out (2016)

On the surface, Better Watch Out looks like a fun, Home Alone style romp where a babysitter and her ward defend a house against intruders. However, a twist early in the first act sends this movie spiraling into some incredibly dark territory.

I won’t spoil it, but this movie deals with toxic masculinity and psychopathy in a way that is genuinely mean-spirited. It is cynical, cruel, and features an antagonist that will make your skin crawl. Just go and read some of the user reviews for this film if you don’t believe me. It leaves people boiling with rage.

If you want a movie that takes the warm, fuzzy tropes of 80s Christmas movies and strangles them to death, this is it. Check out our review of Better Watch Out right here.

Verdict: A subversively cruel home invasion thriller featuring a truly hateful villain.

2. The Advent Calendar (2021)

The Advent Calendar is a disturbing and dark Christmas horror movie coming by way of France. It follows paraplegic woman Eve (Eugénie Derouand) as she is given an elaborate Advent Calendar in the run up to Christmas. The advent calendar promises to make her wildest dreams come true. The only catch is that once she has opened the first door, she must open each and every door on the calendar, or else.

Eve’s life has fallen apart and she struggles in her day to day life. The allure of the advent calendar, and the promises it makes to her, prompts her to sink deeper and deeper into a dark spiral. Each day just gets worse and the ending only adds to the bleakness.

This is a complete anti-Christmas horror film as its sombre and melancholy tone feels anything but jolly. It’s brilliant stuff, though. Well acted, impactful and actually quite scary in parts. Check out our review of The Advent Calendar right here.

Verdict: An intelligent and moody French horror that makes every calendar door feel dangerous.

1. Inside (2007)

Apparently, the French are extremely good at making dark Christmas horror movies as we have another entry at number two, Inside from 2007. This is one of the New French Extremity genres greatest titles and also one of its bloodiest. Considering the nature of the genre, that’s saying a lot.

Inside follows the heavily pregnant Sarah (Alysson Paradis) as she tries to put her life back together after a violent crash killed her husband four months prior. It’s Christmas eve and Sarah is all alone. That is until a crazed woman (Béatrice Dalle) breaks into her house, hell bent on cutting the still living fetus from her womb.

Again, this one tips a little more on the visual front when it comes to disturbing content but the themes contained within are incredibly dark, as well. I mean, just look at that synopsis? It’s shocking and utterly grim.

Inside explores the subject of grief and taps into the terrifying reality of fetal abduction. Turning into an absolute blood bath the further it goes on. This movie doesn’t cut any corners in its depiction of violence and is, without question, not for the faint of heart. Check out our review of Inside right here. Just stay away from the terrible US remake.

Verdict: A feral, blood-soaked nightmare that stands as one of the most intense horror movies ever made.

Bah Humbug

So there you have it, 14 reasons to lock your doors and ignore the carol singers this Christmas. If you need us, we’ll be hiding under the duvet until January. Check out our other Christmas lists if you’re a glutton for punishment. Bah humbug.

🌑 Quick Picks: The Best of the Bleak

Most Soul-Destroying: Inside (2007)
If you truly want to feel terrible this Christmas, this is the one. It is relentless, cruel, and features an ending so bleak it makes Saw look like Elf. The undisputed king of festive misery.

Best Palate Cleanser: Rare Exports (2010)
If the rest of this list is too depressing, watch this. It is still dark, featuring a feral, naked Santa Claus, but it has an adventurous spirit and a triumphant energy that makes it a blast to watch.

Most Stomach-Churning: Terrifier 3 (2024)
For the gore-hounds who think “Silent Night” implies the silence of the grave. The mall scene alone earns its spot here. It is nasty, mean-spirited, and visually repulsive.

Best Narrative Shift: Better Watch Out (2016)
Starts like a fun, playful 80s throwback and then pulls the rug out from under you. It features one of the most hateful villains in recent memory and a twist that turns the genre on its head.

Most Devastating Ending: Salvage (2009)
Captures a uniquely British sense of hopelessness. The final few minutes of this movie are a punch to the gut that will leave you sitting in silence while the credits roll.

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