Not So Silent Night--5 Horror Movies To Watch On Christmas
‘Tis the season to be jolly, but if you had a rough year, you probably aren’t in the mood to be jolly.
In fact, feel-good movies are out. Parties…you probably weren’t invited to one anyway. Presents are scarce, and your wallet is pretty much empty. But if you are a horror fan, fear not, you do have something entertaining to watch while you navigate through the holidays.
Holiday movies are no longer about romance and family togetherness. Since the 1980s, there have been horror movies where even the most loved icons have been twisted into something wicked.
Here is a selection of horror movies to keep you company and help you through your foul mood.
Plot: A boy receives a cute creature called a Mogwai, but accidentally spills water on it and feeds it after midnight. This causes the creature to multiply into scaly, mischievous monsters that lay waste to his town on Christmas Eve.
Ending: The boy and his Mogwai corner the leader, Stripe, in a store. They expose him to direct sunlight, which causes him to melt into a puddle of goo, ending the invasion.
Why You Should Watch It: They are cute, they are clever, but they are also dangerous. They create quite a mayhem wherever they go. In one scene, they create utter chaos in the kitchen as they feast on Christmas cookies, and a character must rely on kitchen gadgets to get rid of them.
Plot: A group of sorority sisters is harassed by obscene phone calls while an unidentified man hides in their attic. He begins picking the girls off one by one using various household objects.
Ending: The lone survivor, Jess, kills her boyfriend because she wrongly suspects he is the murderer. The police leave her alone in the house to sleep, unaware that the real killer is still alive in the attic, watching her.
Why You Should Watch It: Christmas is no longer colorful and peaceful in this horror flick. A Christmas decoration turns into a murder weapon, and in the background, there are carolers. It’s the perfect mix of Christmas festivities and horror blended into one cult classic.
Plot: When young Max tears up his letter to Santa in frustration, he accidentally summons an ancient shadow-demon. The demon and its twisted toys lay siege to his home, dragging his family members away one by one.
Ending: Max begs the demon to take him instead of his family and is dropped into a fiery pit. He wakes up in bed thinking it was a dream, but realizes his family is trapped in a permanent "Hell" inside a snow globe on the demon's shelf.
Why You Should Watch It: The holidays get a twisted spin in this movie. The toys and gifts that are synonymous with the holiday season are no longer quite so innocent. From gingerbread men to jack-in-the-boxes, all of them are literally after your life!
Plot: Art the Clown returns during the Christmas season, dressing as Santa to commit gruesome murders. He targets Sienna, the girl who defeated him in the previous film, and her young sister.
Ending: Sienna uses a magical sword to behead Art, but his demonic accomplice opens a portal to a hellish dimension. Sienna survives, but her sister is dragged into the portal, and Art is shown to be capable of regenerating.
Why You Should Watch It: Art the Clown has become a horror icon over the years, so imagine him impersonating a beloved Christmas icon. Yes, he takes over being a mall Santa and causes terror everywhere he goes.
The Story: Billy is a drifter who witnessed his parents' murder by a man in a Santa suit. He has a voice in his head called "Charlie" (the ghost/consciousness of that original killer) that forces him to kill "naughty" people—specifically murderers and abusers—using a specific advent calendar ritual. He finds a connection with Pam, a local woman with her own anger issues, and tries to stop a child abductor called "The Snatcher."
The Ending (Spoilers): Billy and Pam find the missing children in an underground ball pit. Billy kills The Snatcher but is fatally shot by Max, an abusive cop who was secretly helping the kidnapper. As Billy dies, he touches Pam’s hand, and his consciousness (along with the "Charlie" entity) transfers into her. Pam immediately gains Billy's powers, sees Max's crimes, and brutally kills him with an axe. The movie ends with Billy's voice inside Pam's head, and she smiles, becoming the new "Killer Santa."
Why You Should Watch It: Silent nights are no longer silent when Billy is on a killing spree. The remake focuses on Billy going after those who are truly naughty. It starts off like the perfect romance until it pivots to something horrific. Also, the movie relies on practical effects and stunts rather than CGI.
It may not have done well at the box office, but the critics sure seemed to love it.
So, if the thought of carols and mistletoe makes you want to hide under the covers, just remember that you aren’t alone. While everyone else is busy pretending to be merry, you can settle in with these twisted tales where the stockings are hung with care, and a side of carnage.
Whether it's scaly monsters, demonic toys, or a killer in a red suit, these movies prove that the holidays don't have to be perfect to be entertaining. Sometimes, watching a mall Santa go on a rampage is exactly what you need to vent that seasonal frustration. Grab your popcorn, dim the lights, and let these horror classics turn your blue Christmas into a bloody good time.
Happy haunting!
Comments
Post a Comment