Holiday Horror 2024

I'm getting to my Holiday Horror post a little later than last year's post, but it's New Year's Eve and it's still Hanukkah and Kwanzaa, all of which I include under the banner of "the holidays," so it's not actually late (although I seem to have watched mostly Christmas-specific movies this year). What better way to deal with my conflicted feelings about this Most Wonderful Time of the year than lots of blood and guts and tinsel?

Krampus (2015)

Starting with the movie that probably made me start this holiday horror tradition in the first place, I decided it was time to revisit Krampus (2015). It's still a fun movie on a repeat viewing, reminding us that there's always been a lot of horror traditions this time of year. I also appreciate the dip into cosmic horror in what could have been a more pedestrian horror movie. No matter how cozy we may think we are, there are more horrors in this universe than are dreamt of in our philosophies.

Rare Exports (2010)

Another modern classic of holiday horror, the Finnish film Rare Exports never disappoints! As I said last time I reviewed it, I enjoy movies that do interesting things with Christmas mythology, and Rare Exports definitely fits the bill. Also, you get some delightful characters in a unique setting of northern Finland (zero women, though, which is a bit odd). And did I mention all the weird, creepy Santas, who may be coming to a mall near you?

Krampus: The Return (2022)

I figured I'd check this out since I already watched Krampus. How does it compare? Not well, honestly. And just to be clear, I don't think there's any particular connection between this one and the 2015 Krampus. There's a bit of low-budget charm to the Krampus mask, but the story of a woman grieving for her brother while a slasher dressed as Krampus murders people just didn't grab me for some reason (I suppose grief comes for a lot of us this time of year). Oh well, they can't all be classics.

Dead End (2003)

This was probably my favorite new watch of the bunch. Ray Wise (Laura Palmer's dad in Twin Peaks) plays a man driving his family to a Christmas Eve gathering. He decides to try a shortcut, and well, this is a horror movie and it does not go well. And things get weird. I love the idea that a shortcut through the woods could lead to an eerie, eldritch space beyond the normal--maybe the perfect metaphor for this weird, eerie time of year?

Dear Santa (2024)

Is Dear Santa really a horror movie? No, not really. But it takes place during the holidays and one of the main characters is Satan, so close enough. A boy accidentally writes a letter to "Satan" instead of "Santa," and this common type-o leads to an uncommon visit from Jack Black who says he will grant the boy three wishes in exchange for his soul. Probably the most surprising thing about Dear Santa is just how wholesome a movie about Satan can be. Weird. But kind of fun, especially if you appreciate Jack Black's usual shenanigans.

The Leech (2022)

This horror comedy was at the Chattanooga Film Festival a couple years ago, but I must've missed it, so I figured I should check it out. A Catholic priest with a dwindling congregation decides to take in a homeless man around Christmas as an act of Christian charity. The man takes advantage of the situation, and things get ...  weird. What do we owe each other? When can charity turn bad? I'm not sure The Leech really answers these questions, but it's fun to see what happens next. There's also a surprisingly nuanced portrayal of a priest, but without being cheesy or preachy.

The Christmas Spirit (2022)

One of the weirder entries on this year's list, The Christmas Spirit is about a man haunted by a spirit for decades after accidentally causing his sister's death when he was a kid. So far it maybe sounds like a typical horror creature as a manifestation of grief type of thing, but the spirit is dressed as a wrestler (complete with Lucha Libre mask) and tries to convince the main character that he is an ancient deity who needs the man to ritually murder a teenager who looks like his deceased sister in order to erase the bond between man and deity. Is this spirit real, or a manifestation of the man's grief and regret? Does he really have to murder a teen? How do we all hurt ourselves and others when we don't deal with our grief, regret, and trauma in healthy ways?

I watched a few more movies this year, but I'm running out of steam and it's New Year's Eve, so I will forego reviews (at least for now). Here's what else I watched!

The Nights Before Christmas (2020)

Carnage for Christmas (2024)

The Ice House (1978) and Stigma (1977) (Both part of the Ghost Story for Christmas series that originally aired on British TV and is now available on Shudder)

Secret Santa (2018)

Happy Holidays!

EDIT (3 Jan. 25): I later watched New Year, New You (2018) to get a New Year's movie in there.