It’s Christmas time again. And you know what that means? A hearty meal followed by a movie marathon to celebrate the festive season in a variety of merry and not so merry ways. Here are some movies that pushed the envelope and became horror films:

1) Violent Night (2022)

As its name suggests, Violent Night contains lots of blood shed when a group of mercenaries ambush a wealthy family’s compound demanding a hefty ransom. Despite Santa feeling under appreciated and disgruntled that people have lost the true spirit of Christmas, he suits up and takes down the bad guys. It was penned by Pat Casey and Josh Miller. Read our interview with them.

2) Silent Night (2023)

John Woo delivers with his high-octane gang-related film as a grief-stricken couple seek revenge against the gang that killed their child during crossfire on Christmas Eve. Artfully written by screenwriter Robert Lynn Archer, it contains no dialogue to tell the touching story. Check out our interview with him.

Brian Godlock) Joel Kinnaman in Silent Night

3) Silent Night, Deadly Night (1984)

In keeping with the Christmas carol theme, screenwriter tells the terrifying story of Slasher Santa who slashes his way through an orphanage. It was based on a horror short story called He Sees You When You’re Sleeping and its working title was Slayride. Needless to say, it became a cult hit without a fireplace, eggnog and a Christmas tree.

Billy Chapman (Robert Brian Wilson) in Silent Night, Deadly Night

4) Christmas Bloody Christmas (2022)

What happens when a malfunctioning Santa robot goes haywire and terrorizes the small town where Tori is a record store owner who wants to party on Christmas Eve? Slasher mayhem. I guess she can’t simply turn him off and on again or send him back to the factory. Writer/ director Joe Begos goes full-throttle Terminator in this slasher hit.

Santa (Abraham Benrubi) in Christmas Bloody Christmas

5) It’s A Wonderful Knife (2023)

Frank Capra probably didn’t have this cheeky, pun-titled slasher when he made his iconic supernatural movie. But Christmas isn’t a fun time for everybody, especially in Angel Falls where Winnie Caruthers lives. Her life is turned upside down when a masked killer called The Angel slices and dices his way through the town. Way to ruin Christmas!

Winnie Corruthers (Jane Widdop) in It’s A Wonderful Knife

6) Carnage For Christmas (2024)

Not the most common gift request for the Yuletide season, but some Christmases don’t go as planned. In this Australian horror film helmed by Alice Maio Mackay, Lori, a true crime podcaster visits her town for the first time since her transition and becomes embroiled in the mystery of the ghost of a serial killer who has returned to re-enact his murders in a wild killing spree.

Carnage Fro Christmas

7) Die Hard (1988)

The jury has delivered its final verdict and Die Hard has been officially inducted into the Christmas movie hall of fame because it’s set on Christmas Eve. Not quite as grizzly as the previous entries, but it does occupy a place in most people’s post-dinner streaming queue. Nakatomi Plaza will never be the same.

John McClane (Bruce Willis) in Die Hard