If You Want a Good Scare, Try These Christmas Horror Movies

When you think of your all-time favorite Christmas movies, you probably think of films that bring warmth to your cheeks — life-affirming films like It's a Wonderful Life or Miracle on 34th Street. But while that's one genre of Christmas movie, it isn't the only genre. There are Christmas romances that also add some heart flutters into the mix. There are Christmas comedies that go for big laughs over poignant scenes. Of course, there are Christmas movies for kids and animated Christmas movies to watch with the whole family. And then, when they go off to bed, there's that darker, more sinister type of movie: the Christmas horror.

While "holiday" and "horror" sound like two things that don't go well together, the mash-up actually makes a lot of sense: Sometimes, you just need something that cuts through the treacle of the season, and offers a bit of catharsis for what can be a stressful time of year. When you need that type of release, these are the best Christmas horror movies to watch in 2022. Instead of jolly old elves, you can spend your time with Krampuses, Christmas vampires and other things that go bump in the night (and we're not talking Rudolph's hooves).