Run Time: 89 minutes
Mimi's Rating: 4 creepy phone calls out of 5
Origin: Canada
Christmas Spirit: 4/5
A sorority house that is being terrorized by unsettling phone calls further descends into horror when the sisters begin to be murdered by a mysterious figure.
A revolutionary slasher from before slashers were even a thing, this movie is an all-time classic of the genre. Bob Clark also brought us the beloved A Christmas Story - so you know he's got the holiday vibes down pat. Some of the tropes might seem familiar to modern audiences, but this movie does them so well that it's definitely worth a watch.
Run Time: 89 minutes
Mimi's Rating: 4 hairdryers out of 5
Origin: USA
Christmas Spirit: 5/5
Serial killer Jack Frost becomes a mutated snowman after a bizarre accident. Now it's up to the sheriff who originally put him away to put an end to Jack Frost's killing spree.
I can fully understand why this has a cult following. It's unashamed, low-budget, direct-to-video garbage. If you love terrible one-liners, cheap gore effects, and fun winter-themed kills then this is the movie for you.
Run Time: 90 minutes
Mimi's Rating: 3 1/2 drunken dads out of 5
Origin: USA
Christmas Spirit: 5/5
A man and his son create toys that are designed to kill.
This movie is wild, especially the last 20 minutes. Despite the low budget, the effects are imaginatively done, and you can feel the passion that went into making this. And let me tell you, the final 20 minutes will have you picking your jaw up off the floor. Oh, and don't even get me started on Mickey Rooney's character! When he drunkenly turns on his own son, it's legitimately scary.
Run Time: 86 minutes
Mimi's Rating: 3 straight razors out of 5
Origin: UK
Christmas Spirit: 4/5
Someone is going around London killing anyone wearing a Santa suit.
Fancy a "video nasty" for Christmas? Well, grab the popcorn and get ready for some depravity, violence, and nudity if you decide to give this a watch. It doesn't get more festive than mutilated Santas!
Run Time: 89 minutes
Mimi's Rating: 3 1/2 coke snorting santas out of 5
Origin: USA
Christmas Spirit: 3.5/5
A young woman discovers that her family is involved in a Nazi plot to selectively breed and summon elves.
Elves is pure insanity and is truly a "see it to believe it" kind of movie. A so-bad-it's-good classic. Also, how did this get a PG-13 rating? It's full of cursing (including an oddly perverted little boy), full-body nudity, and incest. The 80s really were a different time. Either that or nobody bothered to watch this trash.
Run Time: 89 minutes
Mimi's Rating: 3 swinging paint cans out of 5
Origin: USA
Christmas Spirit: 3/5
A teenage babysitter must protect her charge from home intruders.
I don't want to say too much about this one because I don't want to spoil it for new viewers. Let's say it's not what I expected. Go into it blind if you're in the mood for a Christmas-themed psychological horror movie.
Run Time: 106 minutes
Mimi's Rating: 4 1/2 blenders out of 5
Origin: USA
Christmas Spirit: 5/5
A young man accidentally unleashes a mob of malicious little critters.
The bona fide holiday classic at my house. If you haven't seen Gremlins yet, seriously, check it out. It's a perfect blend of creature horror and comedy. Also, Gizmo the Mogwai is super cute, and the creature effects are primo.
Run Time: 98 minutes
Mimi's Rating: 3 dance numbers out of 5
Origin: UK
Christmas Spirit: 3.5/5
A zombie invasion is threatening the town of Little Haven forcing Anna and her friends to do what they can to survive.
What do you get when you cross Zombies with Glee? A one-of-a-kind Christmas outing. The zombies are surprisingly well done, and the film hits the sweet spot between humour and horror. If you're a zombie fan looking for a unique twist on your typical holiday movie, look no further.
Run Time: 84 minutes
Mimi's Rating: 3 kaiju of 5
Origin: USA
Christmas Spirit: 3.5/5
The staff at a toy store must defend themselves against a zombie-like horde of mutated customers.
I know this is technically more of a Thanksgiving movie. We also know that Christmas is slowly oozing out of its containment month. Also, Devon Sawa wears a Santa hat. I say we let it slide. Black Friday is a fun little zombie/monster movie with a likeable cast filled with familiar faces (Yay, Bruce Campbell). The monster effects are well done and unique, making this a worthwhile holiday watch.
Run Time: 91 minutes
Mimi's Rating: 2 used needles out of 5
Origin: UK
Christmas Spirit: 2/5
A dysfunctional family becomes sealed in their home on Christmas. And when the TV gives them bizarre instructions, it begins to put their family bond to the test.
If you've ever felt trapped at a holiday gathering you didn't want to be at, you'll probably relate to this on some level. Especially if you have troublesome family members you're forced to get along with. This movie isn't exactly subtle with its themes, but the concept is still interesting. The ending misses the mark, but I think this is still worth a watch.
Run Time: 100 minutes
Mimi's Rating: 4 Santa vans out of 5
Origin: USA
Christmas Spirit: 5/5
An unstable Santa-obsessed man goes on a holiday killing spree after being ridiculed at work.
Christmas Evil has a well earned cult following thanks to its unique take on the slasher genre and its exploration of mental health and consumerism. If you don't mind a movie with a slower pace and an ambiguous ending, you'll enjoy this for its dark humour and thought-provoking plot. It's one of my favourite Christmas-themed movies I've watched this year.
Run Time: 98 minutes
Mimi's Rating: 4 snow globes out of 5
Origin: USA
Christmas Spirit: 5/5
A young boy accidentally summons Krampus to his home for Christmas.
This horror-comedy is stuffed full of Christmas. It doesn't just take place during the holidays. Christmas is the driving force behind the plot and it has a very comfy snow storm atmosphere. It has the holiday moral of your regular non-monster-filled Christmas film, but we all know the addition of monsters makes it all the better. The cast is stacked with the talents of Adam Scott, Toni Collette, and David Koechner.
Run Time: 92 minutes
Mimi's Rating: 3.5 christmas parties out of 5
Origin: UK
Christmas Spirit: 4/5
A group of friends and family gather for one final holiday celebration before an apocalypse will wipe out humanity.
Silent Night is a memorable Christmas black comedy; I recommend you avoid reading too much and just watch it. You'll definitely be left with some ideas to contemplate.
Run Time: 90 minutes North American Cut
84 minutes European Cut
Mimi's Rating: 4 icicles out of 5
Origin: Canada
Christmas Spirit: 5/5
An insane asylum escapee returns to his childhood home that has been turned into a sorority house and begins to slaughter those now living there.
This loose remake of 1974's Black Christmas is a fantastic slasher in its own right. I loved the killer's super messed up back story. It added a layer of depth to the character that I wasn't expecting, and it's something that's often missing in slasher movies. This is how you do a horror remake.
Run Time: 108 minutes
Mimi's Rating: 3.5 cults out of 5
Origin: UK / USA
Christmas Spirit: 2/5
A soon-to-be stepmother is stranded at a rural lodge with her fiance's children over the Christmas holidays. There, they begin to experience strange events that seem connected to her past.
A tense psychological horror movie that expertly uses its snow-bound location. The plot will keep you guessing until the end. I could say more, but I wouldn't want to spoil that ending.
Run Time: 103 minutes
Mimi's Rating: 4 metal heads of 5
Origin: Spain / Italy
Christmas Spirit: 3.5/5
A priest, a metal-head, and a TV occultist are trying to prevent the birth of the antichrist on Christmas Eve.
A dryly humourous horror-comedy with a unique plot and interesting setting. It's more of a comedy than a horror movie, but it's very successful at the comedy bits. The 'ticking clock' addition to the plot really helped the movie speed along. If this isn't considered a cult classic, it should be!
Run Time: 87 minutes
Mimi's Rating: 2.5 giant candy canes out of 5
Origin: USA
Christmas Spirit: 3.5/5
A robotic Santa Claus in a small town toy store goes haywire and goes on a killing spree.
While this movie is stylish (fantastic usage of colours) and well-crafted, the characters can be insufferable. They really like the word 'fuck'; I felt like I was watching an episode of The Trailer Park Boys. I was ready for robo-santa to start icing these fools 20 minutes in. If you're looking for a stylish and gore-filled Santa slasher, this one is for you.
Run Time: 91 minutes
Mimi's Rating: 4 teddy bears out of 5
Origin: UK / USA
Christmas Spirit: 2.5/5
A widow lures children into her English manor in this demented tale inspired by Hansel and Gretel.
An English horror-thriller elevated by its compelling lead performance by Shelley Winters. I found her portrayal of Auntie Roo sympathetic, and the plot maintained just the right level of ambiguity. I loved the Christmas atmosphere, and it kept the perfect level of camp. If you want a twisted fable this holiday season, why don't you find out who slew Auntie Roo?
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Run Time: 88 minutes
Mimi's Rating: 4 garbage days out of 5
Origin: USA
Christmas Spirit: 3/5
Traumatized by his brother's murderous rampage years earlier, Ricky has also become a serial killer and swears to avenge his brother's death.
If you missed the first one, no worries - you can jump right in and get all the highlights. A large chunk of this movie is just flashbacks to the original. The new footage we do get is well worth it, thanks to a standout performance by Eric Freeman. It's so over-the-top it's like a masterclass in scenery-chewing. You've gotta see it to believe it!
Run Time: 95 minutes
Mimi's Rating: 3 comet parties out of 5
Origin: USA
Christmas Spirit: 1.5/5
Two Valley girls wake up to find that a passing comet has brought about the apocalypse.
The two leads are interesting, but the end tends to drag. Fantastic 80s nostalgia but has dull direction and story. But this is still worth checking out for those interested in 80s scifi horror comedies. I also appreciate it's female leads, which was a nice change for an apocalypse movie.
Run Time: 70 minutes
Mimi's Rating: 1 electric chairs out of 5
Origin: USA
Christmas Spirit: 1/5
When the ashes of the serial killer Millard Findlemeyer are combined with gingerbread cookie mix, he returns as the titular Gingerdead Man.
A mind-bogglingly stupid outing. A low-budget cringefest. Only watch this if you're really into trash cinema. Although there are no holiday scenes, the gingerbread reference is there, probably to save some dough (pun intended). I mean, what else is gingerbread associated with?
Run Time: 73 minutes
Mimi's Rating: 1 1/2 demonic rituals out of 5
Origin: UK
Christmas Spirit: 4/5
A serial killer is resurrected as a Christmas tree.
A good holiday party pick (if you have like-minded friends), you can chat and snack during the boring parts and then laugh at all the tree antics. Or if you're a weirdo like me, watch it alone and laugh at all the strange dialogue.
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Run Time: 98 minutes
Mimi's Rating: 3 1/2 Elvis songs out of 5
Origin: USA
Christmas Spirit: 1.5/5
A businesswoman is trapped in a parking garage with her unhinged secret admirer on Christmas Eve.
A very well-done, tense cat-and-mouse thriller with a surprising amount of gore for the genre. It's impressive the amount of thrills they pack into the limited location. Heads up, there's some brutal violence against a dog. So, avoid this movie if that's something you don't want to see.
Run Time: 87 minutes
Mimi's Rating: 4 sweet grandfathers out of 5
Origin: France
Christmas Spirit: 4/5
On Christmas Eve, a young boy must defend his home from a killer dressed as Santa Claus.
Deadly Games is a well-crafted little Christmas thriller that plays out like a demented version of Home Alone. In fact, it's the movie that did Home Alone before Chris Columbus did. I enjoyed the family dynamics, even if the main character is a rich brat. The home invasion sequences were well done and appropriately scary. Check this out if you're curious about a horror version of Home Alone.
Run Time: 84 minutes
Mimi's Rating: 3 jungle gyms out of 5
Origin: UK
Christmas Spirit: 1/5
A Christmas vacation becomes a nightmare when the children begin to attack their parents.
I did not expect this to have so much violence perpetrated by and against kids. I thought I knew what to expect based on the premise, but still, you'll be shocked at how far they go. If you think you can handle it, check it out.