Turkeys & Yule Logs: 10 Terrible Christmas Horror Movies You Should Avoid (Ranked)
Welcome to Knockout Horror. We have covered some fantastic Christmas themed horror movies on this site but that doesn’t paint a very accurate picture of festive horror movie quality as a whole. Generally speaking, it’s absolutely hideous as you are about to find out with this list of 10 Terrible Christmas Horror Movies You Should Avoid (Ranked).
Highlights
10 terrible Xmas horror logs
Christmas is a time for laughter and joy. You gather with your family, share some presents, and eat a lot of food. One thing most people don’t realise however, is that it is also a time for horror filmmakers to throw out a whole bunch of low effort, low budget movie trash.
Seriously, there is far more bad than good when it comes to Christmas Horror and we are going to prove it. In this list, we rank ten Christmas horror movies that are utterly awful. Every movie on this list is, at the very least, fairly mainstream so should be easy to find for streaming. If you are looking for the really obscure stuff, check this list twice instead.
We’ve dug through Santa’s sack and whipped out some of the nuttiest Yule Logs this side of the North Pole. Every movie here belongs on the naughty list for life! 🎅💀
If you are looking for a bad Christmas horror movie binge this December, look no further. Without further ado, let’s take a look.
| Rank | Movie Title | Year | The Flaw (Why it’s here) |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Black Christmas | 2019 | A preachy, scare-free remake that ruins the original. |
| 2 | The Nights Before Christmas | 2019 | Formulaic slasher with terrible acting. |
| 3 | Silent Bite | 2024 | Dull, derivative crime-caper mashup. |
| 4 | Jack Frost | 1997 | Overlong, unfunny, and surprisingly boring. |
| 5 | ATM | 2012 | Logic leaps and zero tension make it a chore. |
10. Christmas, Bloody Christmas (2022)
We are going from best to worst in this list so the most watchable movie here is definitely Christmas, Bloody Christmas. Coming by way of Shudder, this movie follows foul mouthed record store owner Tori as she is stalked by a killer robot Santa on Christmas eve. Look, I am not going to lie, part of the reason this movie is on this list is Tori herself. Oh, and the absolutely terrible dialogue that drags the movie down throughout.
This is the best movie on the list but seriously disappointing given the budget. Poor acting, hideous improvised dialogue, terrible camerawork, a crap looking antagonist, and perhaps the worst horror protagonist ever, waste what might have otherwise been a watchable Christmas horror. If you can get past the flaws, you may enjoy it. Take a look at our review of Christmas, Bloody Christmas.
Verdict: A huge missed opportunity ruined by insufferable characters and improvised dialogue.
9. All The Creatures Were Stirring (2018)
If you were to go onto Rotten Tomato’s list of Christmas Horror, you would likely see this one near the top thanks to a ridiculous Fresh score from a small collection of critics. Obviously, that score is highly garnished by reviewers with a vested interest in the movie because I absolutely refuse to believe it is accurate. In reality, this Christmas anthology has two decent stories and a bunch of terrible ones.
Not the worst movie on this list, thanks to the first two segments, but still barely worth wasting your precious time over the already stressful Christmas period. A few of the stories here are a real chore to get through and barely even deserve praise for their production values. Watch the first half and then skip the rest. Check out our review of All The Creatures Were Stirring right here.
Verdict: A mixed bag of an anthology where the lumps of coal far outweigh the candy.
Where to Watch: Tubi, Amazon Prime Video
8. The Mean One (2022)
The Mean One is a comedy-horror, slasher parody of The Grinch as Cindy heads back to her home town to confront the Christmas hating, green, monster that murdered her mum. I’m not going to lie, I was excited for this one. I mean, who doesn’t want to see that little green bugger relentlessly butchering the residents of whoville? Boy was my anticipation misplaced. This movie is horrendous!
This should be a lot more fun than it is but it does kind of qualify as a “So-bad-it’s-good” option thanks to its hilarious premise. With that being said, it is slow paced, poorly made, dull, and just not that entertaining. Oh what could have been with a little more ambition and a lot more gore. A definite missed opportunity. Check out our review of The Mean One right here.
Verdict: A hilarious concept let down by a budget that couldn’t afford a decent camera, let alone special effects.
Where to Watch: Peacock, Amazon Prime Video
7. Hosts (2020)
A family invite their young neighbours over for Christmas dinner only to find themselves falling victim to a violent attack in this weird, science-fiction, possession horror hybrid from UK YouTubers Richard Oakes and Adam Leader. Given that screenshot below, you could be forgiven for thinking that Hosts would be full of violence, gooey bodily fluids, and Christmas horror fun. That’s unfortunately not the case.
This movie, simply, isn’t that good. It’s also rather mean spirited, full of terrible dialogue, utterly dull, and very uneven. The cinematography is very nice, Samantha Loxley is brilliant, and there is a good idea buried somewhere in there but Hosts simply doesn’t do much right. Check out our review of Hosts right here.
Verdict: A mean-spirited sci-fi hybrid that looks great but feels like a slow, confusing slog.
Where to Watch: Tubi, Amazon Prime Video
6. Secret Santa (2018)
It’s Christmas and the entire family is getting together for dinner and a game of Secret Santa. The only problem is that somebody is seeking revenge and has spiked the festive punch in this, fairly, horrible comedy horror movie from Jason Goes to Hell director Adam Marcus.
Some people really like this one but I am fairly sure that is down to the very politically incorrect, racist, sexist, homophobic and, generally, offensive humour. Outside of that, it is poorly filmed, terribly scripted, unfunny and laborious. What do you expect from a director who managed to make an even worse Friday the 13th movie than Jason X? On the plus side, it’s gory as hell which earned it a place in our list of Goriest Christmas Horror movies. Check out our review of Secret Santa right here.
Verdict: Relies entirely on offensive humour to mask the fact that it isn’t actually funny, scary, or well made.
Where to Watch: Tubi, Amazon Prime Video
5. ATM (2012)
First time I watched this movie, I enjoyed it. The second time was a very different experience; I really didn’t enjoy it. Three friends heading home from a Christmas party find themselves trapped in an ATM booth by a masked madman in this cat and mouse style horror from The Den producer David Brooks.
While ATM isn’t outrageously bad, the concept doesn’t exactly support a whole ton of surprises and tension. There are far too many leaps of logic and things that simply make no sense to allow you to genuinely buy into the plot. You will find yourself constantly shouting at the screen. Ultimately, a very silly movie that proves to be a bit of a chore to get through. Especially more than once.
Verdict: A frustrating exercise in suspended disbelief that will have you shouting at the screen in annoyance.
Where to Watch: Tubi, Amazon Prime Video (Rent)
4. Jack Frost (1997)
You knew this would be on the list, right? It’s the Christmas so-bad-it’s-good cult classic. A serial killer dies in an escape attempt and is somehow resurrected into the body of a snowman. Hell bent on revenge, he heads into the nearby town to take his anger out on the people who imprisoned him in 1997’s Jack Frost.
This movie has a cult following for being a terrible Christmas horror classic but I honestly don’t get it. It’s just an overly long, unfunny, and rather boring chore of a movie that is, somehow, worse than its Michael Keaton starring, kid’s movie namesake. With that being said, loads of people love it so you should probably give it a try. Check out our review of Jack Frost right here.
Verdict: A cult “classic” that proves nostalgia is a powerful drug because this is actually boring as hell.
Where to Watch: Tubi, Amazon Prime Video
3. Silent Bite (2024)
Brand new for 2024 and immediately earning a high spot on this list of terrible Christmas horror movies is Taylor Martin’s Silent Bite. A movie that mixes vampire horror with Tarantino-style crime caper as a group of Santa outfit wearing bank robbers spend Christmas eve hiding out at a motel inhabited by killer vampire ladies.
Dull, derivative, silly, unimaginative. These are all words that can be applied to Silent Bite and it still wouldn’t go far enough to describing how naff it is. With a script that robs mercilessly from Tarantino movies and a plot that mashes together two entirely unoriginal concepts. This is a movie that does very little right and is, really, not worth your time at all. Check out our review of Silent Bite right here.
Verdict: A lazy, derivative Tarantino rip-off that sucks the life out of the genre and offers nothing new.
Where to Watch: Amazon Prime Video
2. The Nights Before Christmas (2019)
Starring Silent Bite’s writer and star Simon Phillips, The Nights Before Christmas is a continuation of another awful Christmas horror movie, Once Upon a Time at Christmas. A psychotic man dressed as Santa Claus hooks up with Mrs Claus to cause violent havoc in this bloody slasher movie from 2019.
Unfortunately, it’s just not that good. The Nights Before Christmas is formulaic, boring, features some terrible acting performances, and a plot that aims to be a mix of Slasher and Silence of the Lambs‘ style psychological horror but misses completely in both respects. It’s really not great but with a few drinks it might be just fine. Check out our review of The Nights Before Christmas right here.
Verdict: A formulaic slasher sequel that tries to be psychological but ends up just being… illogical.
Where to Watch: Amazon Prime Video, Plex
1. Black Christmas (2019)
Sophia Takal’s 2019 remake of the brilliant, proto-slasher, classic Black Christmas was a movie I was tremendously excited for. It promised to take the the original’s progressive themes and add an even more positive “girl power” element to really kick it up a notch. Let’s be honest, it sounded like a recipe for awesomeness. How wrong I was.
Following a group of sorority sisters fighting back against a fraternity that is murdering women. Black Christmas takes a crap over what made the original great. Performative and inauthentic Tumblr feminism takes centre stage, flanked by silly supernatural goings on, terrible dialogue, no suspense, no action, and zero scares. It’s poorly scripted, poorly paced, and plays out like the equivalent of a horror wet fart.
Takal addresses incredibly serious issues like she is conducting a Reddit argument with herself. Adding an almost remedial quality to what could have been a genuinely important slasher for the modern age. This movie makes the 2006 remake look like a brilliant film. I’ve actually taken a deep dive into why this movie failed so give that a read if you are interested.
We awarded Black Christmas 1.0/5 in our review. It really is that bad! Easily the worst Christmas horror movie we have covered on this site and a crushing disappointment.
Verdict: A performative, scare-free remake that treats its audience like idiots and disrespects the legacy of the original.
Where to Watch: Netflix (in some regions), Amazon Prime Video (Rent)
Do you give up or are you thirsty for more?
So there you have it, the bottom of the barrel scraped clean. Well, when we are talking about mainstream horror, at least. If you want even more punishment, check out our brand new list of 12 obscure so-bad-they’re-good Christmas horror films.
If you manage to sit through all ten of these without questioning your life choices, you are a stronger person than I am. Be sure to check out the rest of our Awful Advent coverage before the eggnog wears off. Merry Christmas from Knockout Horror!
💩 Quick Picks: The Worst of the Festive Worst
The Ultimate Disappointment: Black Christmas (2019)
A remake so misguided it manages to insult the legacy of the original while forgetting to include any actual scares. Preachy, dull, and utterly toothless.
The “Best” of a Bad Bunch: Christmas, Bloody Christmas (2022)
If you absolutely have to watch one movie from this list, make it this one. It’s annoying and loud, but at least the killer robot Santa provides some energy.
Biggest Missed Opportunity: The Mean One (2022)
The Grinch as a slasher villain sounds like a licence to print money. Instead, we got a slow, cheap, and surprisingly boring film that wastes a golden concept.
The Overrated “Cult Classic”: Jack Frost (1997)
People claim to love this for the “so-bad-it’s-good” vibes, but take off the nostalgia goggles and it’s just a tedious, unfunny slog with terrible effects.
Most Frustrating Watch: ATM (2012)
A masterclass in how not to write characters. You will spend the entire runtime shouting at the screen as three idiots make the worst decisions in horror history.
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