Ho-Ho-Homicide: 20 Christmas Slasher Movies Ranked From Naughty to Nice (Updated 2025)
Welcome to Knockout Horror. Today we are bringing you – Ho-Ho-Homicide: 20 Christmas Slasher Movies Ranked From Naughty to Nice.
Highlights
Christmas Slashers From Naughty to Nice : A Ranked List of Festive Horror
Christmas is approaching fast and you know what that means? The shops are already packed and it’s a nightmare to leave the house. Doesn’t all that chaos fill you with a certain desire to witness some true Christmas carnage? Well, we are here to scratch that itch.
With that in mind, grab a drink, load up on snacks, and let’s hide from the holiday crowds. Today, we are counting down 20 Christmas Slasher Movies Ranked. I’ve updated this list as of 2025 to pack in even more festive frights.
From killer Santas to snow-covered slayings; every movie here is set during the holidays and drenched in Christmas spirit (and blood). What more could you want from a holiday horror marathon?
Some are holiday classics, while others are coal-in-your-stocking bad. However, they all have their charm, and many are available on free streaming services. I’ve reviewed a bunch of these, so look out for my scores and links to the full reviews for a deeper dive.
Without further ado, let’s unwrap our list of 20 Christmas Slasher Movies Ranked.
Christmas Slasher Quick Picks – The Nice List
| # | Movie Title | Sub-Genre | The Vibe |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Black Christmas (1974) | Proto-Slasher | Pure Nightmare Fuel |
| 2 | Inside (2007) | French Extremity | Insanely Gory |
| 3 | Deadly Games (1989) | French Horror | Home Alone for Adults |
| 4 | Better Watch Out (2016) | Slasher Thriller | Mean-Spirited Twist |
| 5 | Silent Night, Deadly Night | 80s Slasher | Controversial Fun |
| 6 | Christmas Evil (1980) | Psychological | Grimy & Ruthless |
| 7 | Silent Night, Deadly Night (2025) | Slasher Reboot | Slick & Contemporary |
| 8 | Terrifier 3 (2024) | Splatter Slasher | Classless Carnage |
| 9 | It’s a Wonderful Knife (2023) | Slasher Parody | Cheery & Light-hearted |
| 10 | Silent Night (2012) | Slasher Remake | Buckets of Gore |
⚠️ A Quick Note on Streaming & IMDb Score
Streaming libraries change faster than a ten year old’s Christmas list. While we try to keep our “Where to Watch” sections up to date, availability depends heavily on your region. If a movie isn’t on the listed service, check JustWatch! Also, keep in mind that IMDb scores were accurate at the time this list was posted.
20. Don’t Open Till Christmas (1984) – London’s Sordid Santa Scourge
- ⭐ IMDb Score: 4.3/10
- 🎬 Director: Edmund Purdom
- 🔪 Sub-Genre: British Video Nasty
The Knockout Verdict: A disjointed, grimy chore.
Disjointed, kinda boring, and features acting that borders on the criminal. It earn’s the bottom spot for being a bit of a chore to sit through.
Why It Made The List: If you like your slashers grimy, slightly nonsensical, and very British this is for you. It earns a place for the novelty of seeing Santas getting bumped off in London, even if the production was a nightmare.
Go and fire up the trailer for this movie. If that doesn’t scream low budget video nasty then I don’t know what does? A killer is roaming the streets of London, taking all of his Christmas angst out on men who just so happen to be dressed as Santa Claus. Scotland Yard is on the case, but the bodies keep piling up in increasingly sleazy ways.
Where to Watch: Tubi, Shudder, AMC+.
19. Jack Frost (1997) – Soul of a Killer, Body of a Snowman
- ⭐ IMDb Score: 4.6/10
- 🎬 Director: Michael Cooney
- 🔪 Sub-Genre: Slasher Comedy
The Knockout Verdict: Trying too hard to be awful.
An overly long, not all that funny, boring exercise in Christmas Slasher monotony. It wants to be a cult classic but fails for me. Still, a lot of people adore it.
Why It Made The List: Labelled as “So bad it’s good”, Jack Frost sees a serial killer’s DNA merging with snow to turn him into a murderous snowman. I have never really understood the love for this one.
Jack Frost sees a vicious serial killer’s DNA merging with a pile of snow to turn him into a murderous snowman who goes about exacting revenge on the people who put him in prison. The costume is deliberately horrendous so at least there are a few laughs there. Check out our full review of Jack Frost right here.
Where to Watch: Tubi, Amazon Prime Video, Peacock.
18. Silent Night, Deadly Night Part 2 (1987) – It’s Garbage Day for Eric Freeman’s Eyebrows
- ⭐ IMDb Score: 3.8/10
- 🎬 Director: Lee Harry
- 🔪 Sub-Genre: Slasher Sequel
The Knockout Verdict: Legendary for all the wrong reasons.
A pretty terrible film, poorly acted and lazily put together, though Eric Freeman’s eyebrows deserve an Oscar.
Why It Made The List: It sits here purely for the “Garbage Day!” scene, which has become an internet meme for the ages. Just ignore the first half which is basically a recap of the first movie.
Ricky, the younger brother of the killer from the first movie, is in a mental institution recounting his life of crime to a psychiatrist. He eventually breaks out to finish what his brother started.
Where to Watch: Tubi, Shudder, The Roku Channel.
17. The Mean One (2022) – A Blood-Soaked Whoville Nightmare
- ⭐ IMDb Score: 3.6/10
- 🎬 Director: LaMorte
- 🔪 Sub-Genre: Horror Parody
The Knockout Verdict: A missed opportunity.
Occasionally funny and often quite silly, but just not all that watchable. A slog that feels like a waste of a great premise.
Why It Made The List: Terrifier’s David Howard Thornton is on top form as the green monster, but the movie doesn’t manage to do a single positive thing with its Grinchy inspiration.
Another candidate for “So bad it is good”; I actually made the mistake of being excited to watch this film. The Mean One is a comedy horror parody of The Grinch. It sees a young girl tortured by memories of a green monster killing her mother on Christmas eve before she finds herself in a battle to the death with the angry Christmas creature when she returns to her home town as an adult. Check out our full review of The Mean One right here.
Where to Watch: VOD (Apple TV, Amazon Video).
16. To All a Good Night (1980) – The Forgotten Prep School Massacre
- ⭐ IMDb Score: 4.7/10
- 🎬 Director: David Hess
- 🔪 Sub-Genre: 80s Slasher
The Knockout Verdict: Generic, low-budget body count.
A by-the-numbers movie that doesn’t really do anything particularly well, but I suppose it’s a requisite watch for completionists.
Why It Made The List: This is a strange one because it actually beat Friday the 13th to the punch by a few months but has been largely forgotten by the horror community. Directed by David Hess (who played Krug in Last House on the Left), it’s incredibly dark (literally, the lighting is terrible) and fairly generic. Still, it’s a good, old fashioned, 80s b-movie slasher so has that going for it.
A group of prep school students decide to hold a Christmas party on campus during the holidays, unknowingly becoming targets for a killer dressed in a Santa suit.
Where to Watch: Tubi, Shudder, AMC+.
15. Christmas, Bloody Christmas (2022) – Robot Santa on an Improvised Rampage
- ⭐ IMDb Score: 5.1/10
- 🎬 Director: Joe Begos
- 🔪 Sub-Genre: Sci-Fi Slasher
The Knockout Verdict: Obnoxious and generic.
Headline by an awful cast frequently tasked with improvising dialogue which will have you reaching for the mute button.
Why It Made The List: I have a genuinely passionate dislike for this movie, but if you can put up with the horrible people and constant f-bombs, you may enjoy Robot Santa’s chaos. It’s pretty damn gory if nothing else.
Coming by way of Shudder, Christmas, Bloody Christmas sees an absolutely obnoxious prick of a record store owner trying to escape from a murderous robotic Santa on Christmas eve. Check out our full review of Christmas, Bloody Christmas right here.
Where to Watch: Shudder, AMC+.
14. Red Christmas (2016) – An Unhinged Australian Splatter-Fest
- ⭐ IMDb Score: 4.7/10
- 🎬 Director: Craig Anderson
- 🔪 Sub-Genre: Splatter Horror
The Knockout Verdict: Visually striking but rough.
It’s a bit weird and rough around the edges thanks to its absurd plot. It definitely stands out from the festive crowd, though and breaks some serious taboos.
Why It Made The List: Some people absolutely despise this movie! Go and check out the user reviews on IMDb for proof of that. Still, it’s a Christmas slasher nonetheless. It features Dee Wallace and tackles heavy subjects while delivering schlocky kills.
A matriarch gathering her family for one last Christmas in their childhood home is interrupted by a mysterious, cloaked stranger named Cletus who has a sinister connection to her past.
Where to Watch: Tubi, Vudu, Freevee.
13. Black Christmas (2006) – Skin Cookies and Incestuous Entrails
- ⭐ IMDb Score: 4.6/10
- 🎬 Director: Glen Morgan
- 🔪 Sub-Genre: Slasher Remake
The Knockout Verdict: Gory and mean-spirited.
If you want a Christmas slasher that moves at a million miles an hour and isn’t afraid to get gross, it’s somewhat watchable.
Why It Made The List: I’m actually not sure why I have placed 2006’s Black Christmas so high on this list. It’s really quite bad. It trades subtle tension for skin cookies and eyeball-popping gore. Some people are warming to it after the 2019 travesty.
It’s a loose remake of the 1974 classic, but this version dials up the gore and explores the backstory of the killer. Billy, now an adult, returns to his childhood home, which is now a sorority house, to pick off the sisters one by one. Check out our full review of Black Christmas (2006) right here.
Where to Watch: Tubi, Pluto TV.
12. Santa’s Slay (2005) – Goldberg’s Hell-Raising Holiday Slay-Ride
- ⭐ IMDb Score: 5.4/10
- 🎬 Director: David Steiman
- 🔪 Sub-Genre: Horror Comedy
The Knockout Verdict: Stupid, campy fun.
It runs out of steam a bit in the middle, but it’s good fun with a few beers. The opening massacre is worth the price alone.
Why It Made The List: Starring wrestler Bill Goldberg as a jacked Santa who is actually the son of Satan. It doesn’t take itself remotely seriously, which is exactly what we need. It’s good fun with a few beers… Or a lot of beers as the case may be.
It turns out Santa isn’t a saint; he’s actually the son of Satan who lost a wager with an angel 1,000 years ago and was forced to be nice. Now the bet is over, and he is ready to kill again.
Where to Watch: Tubi.
11. All Through the House (2015) – A Bloody Valentine to 80s Slasher Excess
- ⭐ IMDb Score: 4.9/10
- 🎬 Director: Todd Nunes
- 🔪 Sub-Genre: Indie Slasher
The Knockout Verdict: Solid hidden gem.
The acting is a bit ropey, but it features surprisingly great practical effects and delivers on the red stuff slasher fans crave.
Why It Made The List: It’s a modern indie slasher designed as a love letter to the 80s. A masked Santa with a penchant for garden shears… What’s not to love?
A quiet neighbourhood is terrorised by a Santa suit wearing killer obsessed with garden shears and castration.
Where to Watch: Tubi, Vudu, Amazon Prime Video.
10. Silent Night (2012) – A High-Octane Woodchipper Remake
- ⭐ IMDb Score: 5.2/10
- 🎬 Director: Steven Miller
- 🔪 Sub-Genre: Slasher Remake
The Knockout Verdict: Sprinkling of Christmas jeer.
A fitting option for Xmas viewing. It’s not perfect but definitely watchable with buckets of gore for you to enjoy.
Why It Made The List: It has all the usual slasher goodness: fun kills, nudity, and Malcolm McDowell hamming it up. It’s worth more than the sum of its parts.
Malcolm McDowell and Jaime King star in this slasher that sees a police force in a small Midwestern USA town hunting for a Santa Claus serial killer who is taking lives over the Christmas period. This is a low-key remake of 84 slasher classic Silent Night, Deadly Night but you might not guess it while watching. Check out our full review of Silent Night right here.
Where to Watch: Tubi, VOD (Rent).
9. It’s a Wonderful Knife (2023) – Slaying Through a Festive Multiverse
- ⭐ IMDb Score: 5.2/10
- 🎬 Director: Tyler MacIntyre
- 🔪 Sub-Genre: Slasher Parody
The Knockout Verdict: Cheery Christmas slasher.
A fun time for anyone looking for something different. It’s light-hearted, positive despite the theme, and doesn’t ask a ton of the viewer.
Why It Made The List: It’s a horror parody of It’s a Wonderful Life. While it lacks exciting kills, the feel-good factor is there if you love the source material. It can be funny in parts, too.
As you may have guessed, this is a horror parody of the classic Christmas movie It’s a Wonderful Life. The story follows Winnie (Jane Widdop) who, after stopping a murderous killer the year before, finds her life falling apart and wishes she was never born. Having her wish granted, Winnie is shown just what life would be like had she never existed. Check out our full review of It’s a Wonderful Knife right here.
Where to Watch: Shudder, AMC+.
8. Terrifier 3 (2024) – Art the Clown Ruins Christmas
- ⭐ IMDb Score: 6.4/10
- 🎬 Director: Damien Leone
- 🔪 Sub-Genre: Splatter Slasher
The Knockout Verdict: Lacks taste, brings violence.
A slasher for the TikTok generation. It’s gory, classless, and unnecessary, but Art is a fantastic antagonist.
Why It Made The List: When it comes to Christmas slashers, they don’t get much more bloody. What it lacks in taste it more than makes up for in sheer violence. Just don’t expect it to be remotely tasteful.
This is the most current movie on the list and, obviously, had to occupy a top ten spot. Even if I do happen to think it is just a tad overrated. With that being said, when it comes to Christmas slasher movies, they don’t get much more bloody than this one. Terrifier 3 sees the return of Art The Clown as he haunts the residents of Miles County on Christmas Eve in his pursuit of the previous movie’s protagonist Sienna (Lauren LaVera). Check out our full review of Terrifier 3 right here.
Where to Watch: VOD (Rent/Buy), Screambox.
7. Silent Night, Deadly Night (2025) – A Slick, Modern Reimagining
- ⭐ IMDb Score: 6.4/10
- 🎬 Director: Mike P. Nelson
- 🔪 Sub-Genre: Reboot Slasher
The Knockout Verdict: Solid, contemporary edge.
A slicker update that proves there is still life left in the killer Santa trope. A great double bill with the original and maybe even throw in the quiet 2012 remake Silent Night, too.
Why It Made The List: This 2025 reboot keeps the mean spirit of the original alive and brings an altogether less demented Billy to a younger generation. I’m shocked it was commissioned but people seem to really enjoy it.
This 2025 reboot sees a young man, traumatised by witnessing his parents’ murder by a Santa-suited killer as a child, don the red suit himself to exact some bloody revenge. Check out our review of Silent Night, Deadly Night (2025) right here.
Where to Watch: Theaters / VOD.
6. Christmas Evil (1980) – The Gritty, Psychological Cult Classic
- ⭐ IMDb Score: 5.4/10
- 🎬 Director: Lewis Jackson
- 🔪 Sub-Genre: Psychological Slasher
The Knockout Verdict: Ruthlessly fresh even today.
An absolute slasher essential that looks fantastic for a low-budget 80s horror and might surprise you with its psychological leaning story. A lot of fun.
Why It Made The List: Harry’s serious view of holiday hypocrisy stands in stark contrast to the silly take on slasher horror. It’s an excellent mix of kills and character study.
Toy factory worker Harry wants to restore the Christmas spirit. Keeping an eye on all of the kids in the neighbourhood to see who has been good and who has been bad. Harry flips his wig over Christmas after trouble at work and goes on a killing spree. Check out our full review of Christmas Evil right here.
Where to Watch: Shudder, Tubi, AMC+.
5. Silent Night, Deadly Night (1984) – The Movie That Outraged Parents Everywhere
- ⭐ IMDb Score: 5.8/10
- 🎬 Director: Charles E. Sellier Jr.
- 🔪 Sub-Genre: 80s Slasher
The Knockout Verdict: Fun, campy slasher.
It isn’t going to blow you away, but it is fun in the way only a campy 80s slasher can be.
Why It Made The List: Younger viewers might be surprised by the amount of backstory we are exposed regarding the killer. It’s a fairly deep story of a child suffering from PTSD hidden inside a slasher romp.
You could switch this movie and the last one around depending on preference; both are great comedy horror slashers set at Christmas. It could be argued, however, that Silent Night, Deadly Night was heavily inspired by Christmas Evil, at least in themes. This movie sees little Billy witnessing his parents brutally slain by a Santa costume wearing killer on Christmas eve. Growing up with a resentment of the occasion, an adult Billy is pushed to his limits at work and goes on a killing spree of his own. Check out our full review of Silent Night, Deadly Night right here.
Where to Watch: Tubi, Shudder.
4. Better Watch Out (2016) – Home Invasion With a Twisted Festive Kick
- ⭐ IMDb Score: 6.5/10
- 🎬 Director: Chris Peckover
- 🔪 Sub-Genre: Home Invasion / Slasher
The Knockout Verdict: Clever and well-acted.
Incredibly clever and well-acted. If you haven’t seen this yet, go in as blind as possible for the best experience. Don’t watch any trailers, just settle in for the ride.
Why It Made The List: The early-movie twist is absolutely fantastic. It takes a sharp turn into something much darker and meaner than your standard home invasion. It also features one of the most despicable villains this side of Christmas horror.
On a quiet suburban street during the holidays, a babysitter must defend a twelve-year-old boy from intruders, only to discover that this is far from a normal home invasion. To say too much about Better Watch Out would be a crime because the mid-movie twist is absolutely fantastic. Check out our spoiler free review of Better Watch Out right here.
Where to Watch: Peacock, Tubi, Crackle.
3. Deadly Games (3615 code Père Noël) (1989) – The Brutal, French Precursor to Home Alone
- ⭐ IMDb Score: 6.5/10
- 🎬 Director: René Manzor
- 🔪 Sub-Genre: French Horror
The Knockout Verdict: Total cult classic.
Action is fantastic, it’s actually quite scary in parts thanks to Patrick Floersheim playing a sinister Santa, and the visuals are stylish. It plays out like an intense game of cat and mouse and deserves more love.
Why It Made The List: A year before Home Alone, this pure horror movie saw a boy defend his home from a terrifying Santa with booby traps. The similarities are striking.
A young genius boy defends his large mansion home from a deranged killer dressed as Santa Claus using a series of homemade booby traps and gadgets. Does that plot sound familiar? It should, because this French film came out a year before Home Alone and the similarities are striking. In fact, the director of Deadly Games even threatened to sue the makers of Home Alone for stealing its plot. It’s an awesome film. Check out our full review of Deadly Games right here.
Where to Watch: Shudder, AMC+.
2. Inside (2007) – A Relentless New French Extremity Nightmare
- ⭐ IMDb Score: 6.7/10
- 🎬 Director: Alexandre Bustillo, Julien Maury
- 🔪 Sub-Genre: New French Extremity
The Knockout Verdict: Brilliant, albeit disturbing.
One of the greatest Christmas horror movies period. Not for the faint of heart and certainly not a cheerful watch. It’s gory, taboo crushing, and relentlessly bleak.
Why It Made The List: Béatrice Dalle is beyond menacing in a movie that is insanely gory. It offers an atypical antagonist and a raw approach to the genre. One of the best New French Extremity films ever. Just not for the faint of heart.
Inside sees the heavily pregnant Sarah (Alysson Paradis) hunted on Christmas Eve by a maniacal home invader hell bent on ruining her life. Béatrice Dalle is beyond menacing in a movie that is insanely gory and features some horrifying moments of violence that are sure to stay with you. Check out our full review of Inside right here.
Where to Watch: Tubi, Vudu (Unrated).
1. Black Christmas (1974) – The Undisputed King of Festive Fear
- ⭐ IMDb Score: 7.1/10
- 🎬 Director: Bob Clark
- 🔪 Sub-Genre: Proto-Slasher
The Knockout Verdict: Greatest Christmas horror ever.
One of my favourite movies. Just as tense, scary, and fiendishly enjoyable today as it was then. It really set the benchmark for the slasher genre, as a whole.
Why It Made The List: Bob Clark transformed the holiday into pure unadulterated nightmare fuel. It created many of the genre tropes we see to this day. It even helped make the “calls are coming from inside the house” trope famous.
Is this the movie that kicked off the Christmas slasher, and even the Christmas horror, movie trend, in earnest? You could certainly make that argument; hell, you could even make the argument that Black Christmas started the slasher genre, as a whole. Following the story of a group of sorority sisters being hunted by a faceless killer over the Christmas holiday, Black Christmas is just as tense, scary, and fiendishly enjoyable today as it was then. Check out our full review of Black Christmas (1974) right here.
Where to Watch: Shudder, Tubi, Peacock, Crackle.
Time to Deck the Halls (With Blood)
Whether you decide to punish yourself with the bottom of the barrel or settle in for a certified classic, there is definitely enough here to keep your screens bloody right through until New Year’s Eve.
🎁 Quick Picks: The Best of the Best
The All-Time Masterpiece: Black Christmas (1974)
The undisputed champion of the sub-genre. It is tense, atmospheric, and genuinely scary even by today’s standards. If you want to see where the slasher genre truly began, this is essential viewing.
The Most Disturbing: Inside (2007)
Not for the faint of heart. This New French Extremity title is a blood-soaked nightmare that trades festive cheer for pure, unadulterated carnage. It is the definitive “Anti-Christmas” slasher.
The Best “Home Alone” for Adults: Deadly Games (1989)
A stylistic French thriller that beats Kevin McCallister to the punch. It is a fantastic game of cat and mouse featuring a genuinely terrifying killer Santa. A must-watch cult classic.
The Best Modern Twist: Better Watch Out (2016)
Clever, mean-spirited, and featuring a plot twist that completely re-frames the holiday home invasion sub-genre. Go in blind and enjoy the rug being pulled out from under you.
The Most Over-the-Top Splatter: Terrifier 3 (2024)
For the gore-hounds who want their holiday spirit served with a side of classless carnage. Art the Clown is in top form here, breaking every festive taboo he can find.
Support the Site Knockout Horror is a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program. Basically, if you click a link to rent or buy a movie, we may earn a tiny commission at no extra cost to you. As an Amazon Associate, I earn from qualifying purchases. This helps keep the lights on and the nightmares coming. Don't worry, we will never recommend a movie purely to generate clicks. If it's bad, we will tell you.
Disclaimer: All movie images, posters, video stills, and related media featured in this article are the property of their respective copyright holders. They are presented here under the principles of fair use for the purposes of commentary, criticism, and review. Knockout Horror makes no claim of ownership over these materials. Each image is used purely to illustrate discussion of the films and to provide context for readers. We encourage audiences to support the official releases of the movies mentioned.
