14 Goriest Christmas Horror Movies Ranked
Welcome to Knockout Horror. The tree is up, the presents are wrapped, and we are nearing the bloody climax of our Festive Frights season. Today, we are trading in the mulled wine for buckets of blood with our ranking of the 14 Goriest Christmas Horror Movies.
Highlights
Let’s get gory… And festive!
Let’s be honest, sometimes you just get sick of the saccharine sweetness of the season. Sometimes, you don’t want “comfort and joy”; you want viscera and violence. If you are looking for something a little sharper, edgier, and infinitely messier than your standard holiday fare, you have come to the right place.
This list originally started as only 10 films but, as of December 2025, I’ve added a few more gory gifts to your stocking. We’ve expanded our list to include even more splatter, bringing you 14 bloody Christmas movies that go way beyond the usual genre chills. From French Extremity home invasions to cannibalistic family dinners, these films paint the town red in the worst way possible.
Consider this your warning: not all of these movies are “good,” but every single one of them is utterly brutal. Without further ado, let’s take a look.
| Rank | Movie Title | Year | Gore Factor (Why it’s here) |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Inside | 2007 | New French Extremity home invasion; utter bloodbath. |
| 2 | Mercy Christmas | 2017 | Cannibal family dinner; brutal dismemberment. |
| 3 | Terrifier 3 | 2024 | Art the Clown + Santa suit = Taboo-breaking gore. |
| 4 | Silent Night, Deadly Night | 1984 | Classic 80s slasher; axe decapitations & antler impalements. |
| 5 | The Retaliators | 2022 | Wood chipper deaths and eye-gouging revenge. |
14. Secret Santa (2017)
I am not endorsing this movie because I think it sucks pretty hard but Adam Marcus’s, of Jason Goes to Hell fame, Secret Santa definitely is gory. It follows the story of a strained family meeting for Christmas to share presents. Little realising that someone is out for revenge and has spiked the punch.
The worst movie on this list by a long way. Secret Santa has absolute buckets of gore, frequently going out of its way to be ridiculously over the top and violently bloody. Highlights include a woman actually throwing her guts up and a man’s eyes popping out. Some people actually love it because it is so unashamedly brazen and offensive. We awarded Secret Santa 1.5/5 in our review.
Verdict: A terrible movie that relies entirely on being offensive so has a surprising amount of gore.
Where to Watch: Tubi, Amazon Prime Video
13. Hosts (2020)
Hosts is a British horror movie made by a couple of YouTubers who documented the process on their channel. It follows a family who are, in the light of the family matriarch’s cancer battle, spending one last Christmas together. After inviting the neighbours over to join them, the family find themselves in a fight for survival.
Hosts isn’t very good. It is well filmed but, technically, very flawed and the story just isn’t all that interesting. It is, however, pretty damn gory with the most noteworthy scene being, legitimately, rather shocking. It’s also pretty mean spirited but that’s what we are here for in this list. I can guarantee that it will stick with you even if you don’t enjoy it. We awarded Hosts 1.5/5 in our review.
Verdict: A flawed indie horror that is technically rough but earns its spot with one truly shocking moment of violence.
Where to Watch: Tubi, Amazon Prime Video
12. Christmas Evil (1980)
Often cited by the icon John Waters as the greatest Christmas movie ever made, Lewis Jackson‘s Christmas Evil (also known as You Better Watch Out) is more of a psychological character study than a straight slasher. It follows Harry Stadling, a toy factory worker who’s absolutely obsessed with Santa Claus, as he slowly unravels after seeing the hypocrisy and cynicism of the holiday season around him.
The thing that might surprise you about Christmas Evil is that it is far more of a slow burn than you might expect. With that being said, when the violence hits, it hits hard. The ending features a mob of torch-wielding locals and a van flying off a bridge, but it is the specific moment of violence involving a toy soldier and a human eye that earns it a spot on this list.
It is a genuinely nasty and rather visceral moment in an otherwise moody film that lingers long after the credits roll. I am keeping this low down on the list as it’s one of the least violent movies here. Take a look at our review of Christmas Evil right here.
Verdict: A psychological character study that burns slowly before exploding into a nasty, visceral finale.
Where to Watch: Shudder, AMC+, Tubi
11. Christmas, Bloody Christmas (2023)
Full disclosure, I really dislike this movie but it is pretty damn gory so deserves a spot on this list. Christmas, Bloody Christmas follows foul mouthed record store owner Tori (Riley Dandy) as she attempts to escape from a maniacal robot Santa Claus who is determined to hunt her down and ruin her Christmas eve.
Obnoxious characters, poor acting, chaotic camera work and terrible, overly loud, improvised dialogue make this movie an absolute chore. Still, there is a lot of the red stuff for fans of gory horror including fingers being chopped off, heads split in half, and necks being snapped. People looking for the goriest Christmas horror movies probably need to check it out. We awarded Christmas, Bloody Christmas 1.5/5 in our review.
Verdict: Loud, obnoxious, and improvised to death, but the robot Santa carnage delivers the goods for gorehounds.
10. A Christmas Horror Story (2015)
Anthology horror movies are often a mixed bag, but A Christmas Horror Story manages to keep the quality fairly high across its four loosely interwoven tales. Featuring William Shatner as a drunk radio DJ (stealing the spotlight, obviously), the stories range from a changeling in the woods to a student documentary inside a haunted school gone wrong.
The real reason it makes this list, however, is the segment featuring Santa Claus himself battling a horde of zombie elves. It is an absolute bloodbath and it is so damn good. I really wish this was made into a full movie. Seeing Santa hacking apart waves of the undead with a Christmas staff is glorious, gory fun. There is also a particularly nasty twist ending to the Krampus segment that adds a layer of grim brutality to the festive fun. It’s a blast. Check out our review of A Christmas Horror Story right here.
Verdict: The Santa vs. Zombie Elves segment is a bloody masterpiece that makes this anthology essential viewing.
Where to Watch: AMC+, Shudder, Tubi
9. The Advent Calendar (2021)
This Shudder Original from writer/director Patrick Ridremont brings a distinctly French nastiness to the holidays. Honestly, it’s one of the absolute best Christmas horror movies when you want something that is far from saccharine, too. The Advent Calendar follows Eva (Eugénie Derouand), a paraplegic woman who receives an antique wooden advent calendar. Each door she opens grants a wish or demands a sacrifice, leading to a rapidly escalating body count.
It has a very Final Destination vibe to the kills, which are creative, mean-spirited, and often quite gory. From brutal car accidents to supernatural maulings, the movie doesn’t shy away from the red stuff and it is in no rush to try and make you smile. It’s a bleak, atmospheric, and kinda depressing watch that rewards patience with some genuinely shocking moments of violence. Check out our review of The Advent Calendar right here.
Verdict: A bleak, atmospheric French horror that serves up inventive, Final Destination-style kills with a side of depression.
8. Red Christmas (2016)
If you want pure splatter-horror with a festive tinge, Australian horror Red Christmas is hard to beat. Starring the legendary Dee Wallace (E.T., Cujo), it centers on a family gathering that is interrupted by a cloaked, bandaged stranger. It soon becomes apparent that the stranger is hiding a seriously sinister secret and is motivated by revenge.
This movie is absolutely unhinged in the best way possible. The kills are incredibly creative and brutal, featuring everything from an umbrella through the eye to a death-by-blender scene that will make you wince behind your Christmas cushion. It breaks a lot of taboos and revels in its own messiness. It’s not a perfect movie by any stretch, but for gorehounds, it is an essential festive watch.
Verdict: An unhinged Australian splatter-fest that breaks taboos and features a death-by-blender scene you won’t forget.
Where to Watch: Tubi, Peacock
7. Silent Night (2012)
Not to be confused with the 2021 British apocalyptic Christmas horror of the same name. Steven Miller‘s Silent Night is a slasher remake of the 80’s Christmas classic Silent Night, Deadly Night (more from that one later) and is actually pretty decent. It sees a pair of police detectives hunting down a Santa outfit-clad serial killer who is taking out members of the community in the run up to Christmas.
Exploding eyes, exposed brains, numerous people impaled on scythes; Silent Night is nothing if not gory. This one turns it up a notch from even its horror inspiration. It also has Malcolm McDowell hamming it up which makes it all the more enjoyable. It’s not a perfect movie but definitely very watchable and there’s buckets of gore for you to enjoy. We awarded Silent Night 2.8/5 in our review.
Verdict: A surprisingly watchable remake that ramps up the nastiness with exploding eyes and plenty of mean-spirited kills.
Where to Watch: Tubi, Amazon Prime Video (Rent)
6. The Children (2008)
Tom Shankland‘s The Children is a rather unique little Christmas horror that sees a family spending time together over Christmas. Only to find themselves in a fight for survival after their kids go rogue and attempt to murder each and every one of them.
People are stabbed in the eyes, bones break out of the skin (a seriously nasty scene), intestines hang out of badly wounded stomachs, and people are ruthlessly stabbed. The Children is surprisingly gory for a Christmas horror movie featuring a very young cast. Some of the moments of violence are pretty effective and quite viscerally disturbing, as well. Not a bad movie, at all, check out our review of The Children right here.
Verdict: Visceral and disturbing, this creates genuine tension before unleashing some surprisingly nasty violence involving children.
Where to Watch: Tubi, Pluto TV, Plex
5. The Retaliators (2022)
A pastor searching for answers to the murder of his daughter uncovers a seedy, twisted, underworld in this Christmas cat and mouse, horror, thriller. You could argue that The Retaliators is a bit style over substance. Especially given the inclusion of a bunch of rock stars including Papa Roach’s Jacoby Shaddix and the now rather cringe Five Finger Death Punch. With that being said, The Retaliators is happy in being what it is. An old fashioned, bloody, thrill fest.
A person is shredded up in a wood chipper, eyeballs are torn out of their sockets, and amputations are ample in this revenge flick. It’s an uneven affair and won’t appeal to everyone. The festive themes take a back seat, as well, but it is still worth a watch if gore is what you are looking for. I really need to get around to reviewing this one very soon so keep your eyes peeled for that.
Verdict: A style-over-substance revenge thriller that compensates for cringe cameos with brutal, unflinching gore.
Where to Watch: Peacock, Amazon Prime Video (Rent)
4. Silent Night, Deadly Night (1984)
Silent Night, Deadly Night is a Christmas slasher classic. Causing a whole bunch of controversy back on its release, it is now a symbol of the times. Feeling a bit aged and a bit cheesy but still tons of fun. Little Billy witnesses his parents being murdered by a Santa outfit wearing killer. Disturbed, he grew up hating the holiday and now, as an adult, a setback at work sends him on a murderous festive killing spree of his own.
Throats are slashed, heads are chopped off, and people are thrown through windows in this slasher that really doesn’t hold back. Sure, some of the effects look a bit silly nowadays but the violence is still a lot of fun for fans of gore. Silent Night, Deadly Night really indulges in a lot of that creativity in chaos that slashers of the era were so well known for. Check out our Silent Night, Deadly Night review right here.
Verdict: A controversial classic that remains a sleazy, blood-soaked delight for fans of 80s slasher excess.
Where to Watch: Tubi, The Roku Channel
3. Terrifier 3 (2024)
They don’t come much more mean spirited and gory than Damien Leone‘s Terrifier 3. This is a movie that is deliberately made to shock audiences and upset the masses. Art the Clown (David Howard Thornton) is back and he is more blood thirsty than ever. Donning a Santa outfit, Art hits the town to terrorise everyone in his path on the hunt for the previous movie’s protagonist Sienna (Lauren LaVera).
Nobody is safe in this movie as Leone goes out of his way to break a whole bunch of taboos in a way that can only be described as rather ridiculous. Kids are blown up in a Santa village, bodies are dismembered, and unspeakable things are done to some of the more intimate parts of both the male and female anatomy in this ode to gore. It’s tasteless but they don’t come much gorier. Check out our review of Terrifier 3 right here.
Verdict: Art the Clown returns to destroy every festive taboo imaginable in a film designed solely to shock and upset.
Where to Watch: Screambox, Amazon Prime Video (Rent)
2. Mercy Christmas (2017)
I can imagine myself getting a lot of flack for putting this movie so high up on the list but I love it so I am doing it anyway. Ryan Nelson‘s Mercy Christmas is, simply, a ton of fun and it is absolutely full of gore. It follows the story of office worker Michael Briskett (Steven Hubbell) as he is invited to spend Christmas dinner with gorgeous co-worker Cindy (Casey O’Keefe). Little does he realise that he may just become the actual focal point of the menu.
A strong comedy leaning does very little to mask just how gory and violent Mercy Christmas really is. The cannibalistic family remove legs, tenderise their still living meat, and chop people up in unflinching detail. The practical effects are great and the movie can be genuinely shocking in parts while also managing to stay hilarious, throughout. It’s low budget and a bit cheesy but I really believe it is genuinely underrated. Check out our review of Mercy Christmas right here.
Verdict: An underrated gem that perfectly balances genuine black comedy with unflinching cannibalistic violence.
Where to Watch: Tubi, Amazon Prime Video, Pluto TV
1. Inside (2007)
I can’t think of a single other gory Christmas horror movie deserving of the top spot on this list. The New French Extremity sub-genre of horror was defined by horrifying visuals, terrific amounts of gore, and obscene violence. Few movies did it quite as well as Xmas home invasion horror Inside from 2007. Starring Alysson Paradis and Béatrice Dalle; Inside sees a heavily pregnant woman attempting to fight off a vicious home invader hell bent on causing her harm.
IMDB’s parental advisory section on this movie’s violence reads like a bloody encyclopaedia. Knitting needles stabbed through eyes, lips bitten off, violence to pregnant women. The end of this movie sees the entire house bathed in blood. Truly shocking and not at all for the faint of heart. Inside should be the first movie that comes to mind when you think of the goriest Christmas horror movies of all time. Check out our review of Inside right here.
Verdict: The undisputed champion of festive gore; a relentless, blood-soaked endurance test that is not for the faint of heart.
Where to Watch: The Roku Channel, Amazon Prime Video (Rent)
Thanks for Reading
And there we have it – 14 of the absolute goriest Christmas horror movies ever committed to film. I don’t know about you, but I feel like I need to go and take a very long, very hot shower to wash all that blood off. Whether you are looking for a cannibalistic feast or a home invasion nightmare, hopefully, you found something here to satisfy your bloodlust and ruin your festive spirit.
There is plenty more misery where that came from. Be sure to check out our full Naughty List of Christmas Horror reviews and our other curated horror rankings. Thanks for reading, happy holidays, and try not to get on anyone’s bad side this Christmas.
🩸 Quick Picks: The Best of the Bloodiest
The All-Time Gore Champion: Inside (2007)
Nothing else comes close. A New French Extremity nightmare that is essentially a 90-minute bloodbath. It isn’t just a movie; it’s an endurance test.
Most Taboo-Breaking: Terrifier 3 (2024)
If you want shock value, Art the Clown delivers. From exploding children to chainsaw violence, this is mean-spirited nastiness turned up to eleven.
Best “Fun” Gore: Mercy Christmas (2017)
Proof that torture can be funny. A cannibalistic office Christmas party that balances brutal dismemberment with genuinely sharp black comedy.
Most Creative Kills: The Advent Calendar (2021)
Final Destination meets Christmas. It offers a bleak, atmospheric experience with imaginative, supernatural deaths that don’t shy away from the red stuff.
Best Festive Brawl: A Christmas Horror Story (2015)
Worth watching for one specific sequence: Santa Claus hacking his way through a horde of zombie elves. It is glorious, messy, and insanely entertaining.
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