We review Tyler MacIntyre’s It’s a Wonderful Knife (2023). This Shudder Original reimagines the holiday classic as a slasher movie. Is it a clever, bloody subversion of George Bailey’s story or just a toothless, saccharine trudge through festive tropes? Find out in our full review.
Want to get the kids into horror this Christmas? Here are 5 family friendly festive frights, ranked from worst to best.
We review Magnus Martens’ There’s Something in the Barn (2023). This Norwegian Christmas horror sees an American family battle a murderous barn elf, but is it a new festive tradition like Rare Exports or just a tonally confused Gremlins-lite trudge? Find out in our full review.
We review René Manzor’s Deadly Games (1989). This French cult classic sees a child prodigy defending his home from a killer Santa using a series of traps. Is it really the horror blueprint for Home Alone, or just a stylish holiday trudge through 80s tropes? Find out in our full review.
Looking for festive frights? Look elsewhere. We’ve scraped the bottom of Santa’s sack to rank 10 truly awful Christmas horror movies that ruin the holidays. From the preachy Black Christmas remake to the boring Jack Frost, save yourself the trouble and read this instead.
We review Joe Begos’ Christmas Bloody Christmas (2022). This Shudder original slasher features a robotic Santa gone rogue, but is it a neon-soaked holiday classic or just a loud, obnoxious, and painfully improvised trudge with unlikable characters? Find out in our full review.
We review John McPhail’s Anna and the Apocalypse (2017). This unique festive mashup combines a zombie outbreak with high school musical numbers, but is it a catchy new Christmas tradition or just a tonally confused trudge through undead tropes? Find out in our full review.
We review Damien Leone’s Terrifier 3 (2024). Art the Clown is back for a blood-soaked Christmas, but is this festive slasher a new holiday masterpiece or just a bloated, tonally confused trudge that tries too hard to offend? Find out in our full review.
We review Steven LaMorte’s The Mean One (2022). Starring David Howard Thornton (Terrifier’s Art the Clown) as a murderous version of the Grinch, but is this festive parody a new cult classic or just a cheap, shaky, and boring trudge through holiday tropes? Find out in our full review.
We review Adam Marcus’ Secret Santa (2018). This Christmas-themed horror-comedy from the director of Jason Goes to Hell tries to be edgy and offensive, but is it a new holiday cult classic or just a mean-spirited, dated trudge through unlikable characters and bad CGI? Find out in our full review.
We review Eli Roth’s Thanksgiving (2023). Based on the mock trailer from Grindhouse, this holiday slasher delivers a feast of inventive kills and practical gore, but is the John Carver mystery a seasonal delight or just a predictable trudge through basic horror tropes? Find out in our full review.
We review Alison Locke’s The Apology (2022). Starring Anna Gunn and Linus Roache, this Shudder festive thriller is a dark, character-driven chamber play, but is it an intense holiday treat or just a slow, repetitive trudge through uninspired tropes? Find out in our full review.