[Rainbow Christmas 2019] 20 Christmas Horror Films You Can Watch For Free

No Netflix? No Shudder? Want to enjoy some spooky holiday cheer but running a bit short on subscription service funds after buying all those presents? We’ve got you covered with our list of 20 Christmas horror films that you can watch for free, regardless of the services you pay for.

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1. Silent Night, Bloody Night (1972)

After a man inherits a family estate that was once an insane asylum, a rash of murders occur in the town. This film stars Patrick O’Neal and cult actress Mary Woronov, known for her work with Andy Warhol. John Carradine also makes an appearance, and Troma king Llyod Kaufman co-produced it. Be warned, there’s incest and rape in this one.

2. Last Stop on the Night Train (1975)

Two girls riding on a train on Christmas Eve are brutalized (and don’t take that lightly), and their attackers then lodge in the home of one of their parents. If it feels familiar, it’s because it pulls inspiration from The Last House on the Left (1972) by Wes Craven, and The Virgin Spring (1960) by Ingmar Bergman. Again, be warned that there’s violent rape and mutilation present.

3. Home for the Holidays (1972)

An essentially all female-led whodunnit film where a rich, sick father asks his daughters to come home for the holidays. This is a cover to then tell them he believes his wife is poisoning him. It has a very young Sally Field as one of the daughters, and a fairly memorable killer in a yellow rain slicker.

4. Sole Survivor (1984)

A woman is the only survivor in an inexplicable airplane crash, and afterward has growing feelings of dread that she wasn’t meant to live through it at all. Is it survivor’s guilt, or something else trying to finish the job? This is the first film that Thom Eberhardt directed before going on to write and direct the iconic Night of the Comet (1984). It also seems to be a precursor to the far more recognized Final Destination series.

5. Don’t Open Till Christmas (1984)

This is a British slasher flick where someone is killing any person they come upon in a Santa Claus costume. Director Edmund Purdom also stars in the film. Caroline Munro, who was the only actor who ever signed a long-term contract with Hammer Films, stars as herself, and appears in another film on this list, Maniac (1980).

6. Whoever Slew Auntie Roo? (1971)

If you’re looking for a horror twist on the classic Hansel and Gretel tale, this is the film for you. Auntie Roo, played by Shelley Winters, is a wealthy widow who lures orphaned children into her home with treats. This film is akin other such films such as What Ever Happened to Baby Jane? (1962) in the Grand Dame Guignol genre of horror, AKA washed out older women who have become mentally unbalanced. It’s also directed by Curtis Harrington, a forerunner of New Queer Cinema.

7. Elves (1989)

You want elves? You want Nazis using elves to breed with selected young women to create a race of supposed supermen? You get that, and more with this film. It’s got Dan “Grizzly Adams” Haggerty as the gruff lead, and it’s really just so out there that it’s best just to watch and see for yourself.

8. To All a Goodnight (1980)

Another slasher, as seems to be the case with most Christmas horror. This one takes place at a finishing school, and has a group of girls and their boyfriends being hunted by a killer dressed as Santa Claus. It was directed by David Hess, known for playing the pivotal villain in Wes Craven’s The Last House on the Left (1972).

9. The Dorm That Dripped Blood (1982)

Another killer coming after kids in a dorm, this time ones who opted to stay there over Christmas Break to help clean it out for renovations. It has Daphne Zuniga in her first film, who later went on to star in The Initiation (1984) and Spaceballs (1987).

Bonus:

Treevenge (2008)

A short film depicting humans finally paying for their sins against tree kind. It was directed by Jason Eisner, who also directed Hobo with a Shotgun (2011), and features the theme song from Cannibal Holocaust (1980).

Tales from the Crypt S1E2: “And All Through the House” (1989)

This well-known Tales from the Crypt episode came extremely early on in the series, featuring a woman juggling her aggravating husband, her daughter, and an escaped killer in a Santa costume. It was directed by Robert Zemeckis and written by Fred Dekker. Dekker also wrote House (1986), Night of the Creeps (1986), and Monster Squad (1987).

Tubi

10. Dead End (2003)

A slow burn film where a family finds themselves stuck on a seemingly never-ending road on Christmas Eve. It stars two horror favorites, Lin Shaye and Ray Wise as the father who makes the horrible mistake of trying a shortcut that gets them trapped on their nightmare journey.

11. The Children (2008)

Something is wrong with the children, and they are out for blood. This film is not for those who don’t want to see small children have gory deaths, or those who don’t want to hear said children do a lot of screaming and crying before they even become murderous. Eva Birthistle, the main mother in the film, was also in the film Wake Wood (2011).

12. Silent Night, Deadly Night Part 2 (1987)

You don’t really need to have seen Part 1 to watch this, in fact a big chunk of this film uses footage from the previous film in flashbacks. The brother of the first film’s killer recounts their childhood trauma, and eventually goes on a killing spree of his own in a Santa costume. This film has the notorious “GARBAGE DAY!” scene, showcasing the kind of over the top acting you can expect from it.

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13. Black Christmas (1974)

One of the quintessential Christmas horror films, and just in time to give it a watch before you check out the remake coming out this month. Sorority sisters are terrorized by a mysterious killer who keeps making unnerving phone calls. This film is based on an urban legend, as well as a series of murders that occurred in real life in Quebec.

14. Christmas Evil (1980)

Maybe it’s best to let children go on believing in Santa Claus as long as possible, because this film features a man who suffered trauma as a child finding out Santa isn’t real. He then snaps after further abuse in the workplace. This film has a huge fan in John Waters, who helped turn it into a cult classic thanks to his praise.

15. P2 (2007)

After getting trapped in an underground parking garage, a young woman fights to escape a security guard who is fixated on her. Said security guard is played by Wes Bentley, and one of the producers is Alexandre Aja. He, along with P2’s director Franck Khalfoun, worked on High Tension (2003), and the remake of Maniac (2012).

16. Maniac (1980)

Speaking of, the original film is also on our list! It may be considered a bit of a stretch, but it is, in fact, set around Christmas. A man, haunted by childhood abuse, is obsessed with killing young women and taking their scalps as trophies. This film had next to nothing for a budget, but has become a cult classic despite (or perhaps because of) it’s notoriety during the time of video nasty era.

17. Jack Frost (1997)

Many of us were likely haunted by the cover of this one in Blockbuster or other rental stores as kids, but now you can finally see if it lives up to your expectations. Serial killer Jack Frost comes back to life as a murderous snowman. Not to be confused with the film of the same name that came out a year later staring Michael Keaton, this film was the start of Shannon Elizabeth’s career. She went on to star in Scary Movie (2000), and the 2001 remake of Thirteen Ghosts.

18. Santa’s Slay (2005)

Santa is actually a demon, the son of Satan and a human woman, and has only been delivering presents and joy because he lost a bet with an angel. His penance is up, and now he’s on a murderous rampage. Wrestler Bill Goldberg stars as the vicious Santa Claus, and has a young Emilie de Ravin. She’s likely best known for shows such as Roswell, Lost, and Once Upon a Time, but she was also in the 2006 remake of The Hills Have Eyes.

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19. The Gingerdead Man (2005)

This film is exactly what you’d expect, being about a killer gingerbread man voiced by Gary Busey. It’s one of many horror comedy films directed by Charles Band, and made by his company Full Moon Features. They also created the likes of the Puppet Master and Evil Bong film series.

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20. Wind Chill (2007)

Emily Blunt stars as a college student hitching a ride home with another student she doesn’t know for Christmas break. When their car gets stuck in a bad snowstorm, they begin to see things in the storm. None of the main characters in the film are named, perhaps to try to make the audience identify with them more easily.