20 creepy Santa Claus movies to watch this Christmas 

Mariam
Christmas Bloody Christmas, ; Source: Shudder (via AMC Networks)
Christmas Bloody Christmas, ; Source: Shudder (via AMC Networks)

While Christmas offers a host of fuzzy, heartwarming, romantic movies, there also is a vast number of horror movies featuring creepy Santa Clauses. These movies with wicked Santa Clauses, instead of bringing tokens of happiness with them, bring such an eerie energy that you will be left scared and shocked.

Here is a list of 20 creepy Santa Claus movies to watch this Christmas.

20) Bad Santa

Bad Santa, ; Source: Dimension Films
Bad Santa, ; Source: Dimension Films

Bad Santa is a movie about two con artists who pose as Santa and his elf to rob stores during Christmas. As opposed to traditional good-hearted Santa Clauses, this movie portrays a twisted and dark take on it. This Santa is depressed, an alcoholic, and a thief, who pulls you towards the dark side.

19) Nightmare on 34th Street

Nightmare on the 34th Street, ; Source: Wild Eye Releasing
Nightmare on the 34th Street, ; Source: Wild Eye Releasing

Nightmare on 34th Street is about a little boy who meets Santa. But this Santa doesn’t give him gifts and stories with moral value lessons. Instead he brings with him 4 scary stories that will terrorize anyone and everyone. Also, this Santa is actually a killer disguised as Santa.

18) To All A Goodnight

To All A Goodnight, ; Source: Intercontinental Releasing Corporation
To All A Goodnight, ; Source: Intercontinental Releasing Corporation

To All A Goodnight is about a group of friends in a boarding school who stay behind for the holiday season. What they never anticipated was a creepy Santa Klaus would get after their life, trying to kill them all. As they try to uncover the identity and motive of this slasher Santa Klaus, will they run out of time or manage to survive?

17) Santa Claws

Santa Claws, ; Source: Full Moon Entertainment
Santa Claws, ; Source: Full Moon Entertainment

Tainting the festive spirit of Christmas with horror, Santa Claws is another slasher movie. It’s about Raven, who is trying to establish herself as an actress, and her obsessive fan. This boy is so obsessed with her that he dresses up as Santa and goes on killing anyone who has ever disrespected Raven. And he does the killing with claws, giving the movie the clever title.

16) Sint

Sint (Saint), ; Source: A-Film Distribution (Netherlands)
Sint (Saint), ; Source: A-Film Distribution (Netherlands)

Sint is a dark movie filled with grotesque elements. It's a movie with a unique take on Saint Nicholas, where he is imagined as a murderous gang leader who, every full moon, terrorizes villages and people. It follows a teenager and a policeman trying to stop the Sint from his killing spree.

15) 13 Slays Till X-Mas

13 Slays Till X-Mas, ; Source: Scream Team Releasing
13 Slays Till X-Mas, ; Source: Scream Team Releasing

13 Slays Till X-mas is about a group of strangers who meet at a bar one Christmas Eve and share Christmas horror stories. But things take a dark turn when they realize that their stories might not just be fiction and that there is some connection between them. This is another film featuring a spooky and insane Santa Claus, and it is full of horror, grotesqueness, and violence.

14) Mrs. Claus

Mrs. Claus, ; Source: Wild Eye Releasing
Mrs. Claus, ; Source: Wild Eye Releasing

Mrs. Claus is about a sorority house that is closed after the death of one of the inmates. Years later, the house is reopened, and a Christmas party is thrown there. What the partygoers don’t realize is that the house might be haunted and a female Santa is trying to kill them all.

13) Once Upon a Time at Christmas

Once Upon a Time at Christmas, ; Source: Lionsgate
Once Upon a Time at Christmas, ; Source: Lionsgate

Once upon a time at Christmas is about an unhinged duo—Santa Claus and Mrs. Claus—who go on a killing spree in a small town. What’s unique about their killing style is they follow the song “12 Days Until Christmas" and engineer the murder to match the lyrics. The FBI and a young girl, Jennifer, are both trying to uncover the identity of these killers, but will it be too late?

12) All Through the House

All Through the House, ; Source: Gravitas Ventures
All Through the House, ; Source: Gravitas Ventures

All Through the House is about a woman, Rachel, who returns to her hometown after years, only to find a killer masked as Santa killing people all over the town. She takes it upon herself to go out and stop this serial killer. This small-town horror movie makes a perfect watch for a scary Christmas.

11) Deadly Games

Deadly Games, ; Source: StudioCanal
Deadly Games, ; Source: StudioCanal

Deadly Games is about a technologically advanced little boy, Thomas, who is really interested in security traps. One Christmas Eve, a Santa infiltrates his house while he is alone with his grandfather. Now Thomas must deploy all his techniques and fight this Santa who is adamant on killing him.

10) Christmas Bloody Christmas

Christmas Bloody Christmas, ; Source: Shudder (via AMC Networks)
Christmas Bloody Christmas, ; Source: Shudder (via AMC Networks)

Christmas bloody Christmas is about a toy Santa that goes berserk. The toy originally made to play with children gets malfunctioned and now wants to kill them. Tori, the toy shop owner, must stop this Santa at all costs and in the process also save her own life.

9) A Christmas Horror Story

A Christmas Horror Story, ; Source: RLJ Entertainment
A Christmas Horror Story, ; Source: RLJ Entertainment

A Christmas Horror Story is about 4 stories interwoven together by a radio jockey who keeps receiving updates on his show about a serial killer on a spree in a mall. With a shocking plot twist where the Santa Klaus is not who you would expect him to be, it is an interesting slasher set against the festive season.

8) Santa's Slay

Santa’s Slay, ; Source: Media 8 Entertainment
Santa’s Slay, ; Source: Media 8 Entertainment

As the name suggests, Santa’s Slay is a movie with a unique take on the concept of Santa Claus. As opposed to what we have grown up believing, Santa Claus in reality is a demon. He lost a bet with an angel and had to take up the duty of distributing gifts every Christmas. But once the bet is over, Santa returns to his old ways, becoming the killing machine that he is.

7) Violent Night

Violent Night, ; Source: Universal Pictures
Violent Night, ; Source: Universal Pictures

Starring David Harbour, Violent Night is a movie about a Santa who has become an alcoholic and wearily fulfills his duty of distributing gifts every Christmas. While delivering the gifts to one house, he sees a gang of men holding them hostage. Despite the fact that this Santa has lost the spirit of Christmas, he is a skilled warrior and sets out on a mission to save them.

6) Christmas Evil

Christmas Evil, ; Source: Pan American Pictures
Christmas Evil, ; Source: Pan American Pictures

Christmas Evil is a widely appreciated film. It is about a toy factory worker who was traumatized during his childhood when he learned that Santa was not real. One Christmas Eve, after some clashes at his workplace, he has a mental breakdown and disguises himself as Santa Claus, out on a mission to kill. Soon he loses touch with his human side, becoming totally unhinged and unstable.

5) Rare Exports

Rare Exports, ; Source: Oscilloscope Laboratories
Rare Exports, ; Source: Oscilloscope Laboratories

Rare Exports is about an archaeological company that, while digging in Finland, unearths Santa Claus. But opposed to what the legends say about him, he is actually an evil person who punishes children who have been naughty with death. He was captured a long time ago and buried, but now that he is free, he is on a mission to kill everyone on the naughty list.

4) Krampus

Krampus, ; Source: Universal Pictures
Krampus, ; Source: Universal Pictures

Krampus is the Santa Claus equivalent of a half-human, half-goat figure whose task is to punish children who have been bad. This movie, Krampus, is about a little boy who accidentally summons this demon. It is all set to unleash horror upon the boy’s dysfunctional family. Can they be saved from his wrath?

3) Silent Night, Deadly Night

Silent Night, Deadly Night , ; Source: Silent Night Releasing
Silent Night, Deadly Night , ; Source: Silent Night Releasing

Silent Night, Deadly Night is about a boy named Billy who witnesses the murder of his parents by Santa Claus. He is traumatized and is sent to live in an orphanage under Sister Margaret. As he grows older, the toll of his past becomes too much, and he loses his sanity, dressing up as Santa and going out killing people himself. Sister Margaret tries to save him, but in all this process, Billy ends up dead.

2) Silent Night, Deadly Night 2

Silent Night, Deadly Night, ; Source: TriStar Pictures
Silent Night, Deadly Night, ; Source: TriStar Pictures

The second part of Silent Night, Deadly Night follows Billy’s brother, Ricky, who is admitted to a psychiatric facility. He believes Sister Margaret is involved in his brother’s death and wants to avenge him. Thus, Ricky dresses up as Santa Claus and, like his brother Billy, goes out on a killing spree. Will he be able to complete his mission, or will he receive a fate the same as his brother Billy's?

1) The Nightmare Before Christmas

The Nightmare Before Christmas, ; Source: Touchstone Pictures
The Nightmare Before Christmas, ; Source: Touchstone Pictures

The Nightmare Before Christmas is an iconic animated movie. It follows Jack, the pumpkin king of Halloween, who is done and bored with Halloween. He becomes fascinated with the idea of Christmas and kidnaps Santa Claus. This results in a very scary Christmas that ultimately becomes a nightmare.

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Edited by Sangeeta Mathew