Holiday horror

Holiday-themed horror films, or holiday horror, are a horror subgenre of slasher films and typically involve a psychopathic killer stalking a sequence of victims in a violent manner during Christmas. The murders often are conducted with a bladed tool such as a knife, machete, or axe by someone dressed as Santa Claus, a snowman, an elf, or another Christmas character.

With origins dating back to the 1970s, holiday horror films come in short and long formats, use familiar Christmas themes (tinsel-decorated homes, creepy Christmas music, Santa Claus costume) that serve as a backdrop to terrorize audiences.

Films

Bob Clark's Black Christmas (1974) is regarded as one of the earliest precursors of holiday horror and slasher films. The plot centers on a group of sorority sisters massacred by a sadistic killer during Christmas break and masterfully uses tension and suspense.

Other holiday horror films include:

• Home for the Holidays (1972 film)
• "And All Through the House", segment of the anthology film Tales from the Crypt (1972)
• Silent Night, Bloody Night (1974)
• To All a Goodnight (1980)
• Christmas Evil (1980)
• Gremlins (1984)
• Silent Night, Deadly Night (1984)
• Elves (1989)
• The Nightmare before Christmas (1993)
• Jack Frost (1997)
• Jack Frost 2: Revenge of the Mutant Killer Snowman (2000)
• The Gingerdead Man (2005)
• Santa's Slay (2005)
• Black Christmas (2006, remake of the 1974 film)
• Gingerdead Man 2: Passion of the Crust (2008)
• Rare Exports: A Christmas Tale (2010)
• Gingerdead Man 3: Saturday Night Cleaver (2011)
• Gingerdead Man vs. Evil Bong (2013)
• A Christmas Horror Story (2015)
• Krampus (2015)
• All Through the House (2015)
• Jack Frost (2016, remake of the 1997 film)