There’s something universally comforting about holidays throughout the year. They can be a day for leisure or quality time with friends and family, so perhaps that’s whyhorror movies set on the holidays land differently with viewers. The danger feels more pronounced when cast against the sacredness of a cherished day of celebration.
While Halloween and Christmas each have universally recognized horror films, many holidays had their moment in the blood-soaked spotlight. From Valentine’s Day to Thanksgiving and New Year’s,these are the best horror movies set during different holidays, ranked by how well they use their special date and setting and their overall quality.
10’Terrifier 3' (2024)
Directed by Damien Leone
Quickly growing into one of horror’s most popular franchises, theTerrifierseries continues to break new ground as it breaks new bones in increasingly violently imaginative ways. While the storytelling was minimal in the first feature-length entry,Terrifier 3reflects a tighter focus from writer-directorDamien Leoneon the mythology behind the murderous clown Art (David Howard Thornton). With the first two films set on Halloween, Leone decided Art needed a new holiday to make memories on and moved the third film to Christmas.
Art has so quickly risen as a popular character that just the picture of him leering in a Santa suit was enough to get fans excited for a new night of carnage.Terrifier 3is sure to start new debates about “Is it a Christmas movie,” but what can’t be debated is thateach film improves slightly on the last. Horror fans who like their movies light on the gore should move quickly past theTerrifierseries, asthe scenes can be uncomfortable viewing for the light-hearted. With no end in sight for the franchise, perhaps Art puts on a bunny suit next.
Terrifier 3
9’Terror Train' (1980)
Directed by Roger Spottiswoode
A night-time train on New Year’s Eve is the setting for the slasher classicTerror Train. A fraternity party on a rented train is shaping up to be a night of drunken chaos, but a killer on board is there to guarantee not everyone rings in the new year. As it turns out, the fraternity took part in a prank that led the victim to be institutionalized, and the killer wants their pound of flesh for the indiscretion.
Terror Trainstarshorror iconJamie Lee Curtis, who was already being fitted for the crown of scream queen before starring inTerror Train, having previously appeared inHalloween,The Fog, andProm Night.The claustrophobic setting of the train puts a new spin on a standard slasher concept, with the audience trying to determine the identity of the masked killer before Curtis beats them to the punch. A remake ofTerror Trainwas made in 2022, but the original is the one to watch for New Year’s Eve horror.
Terror Train
8’My Bloody Valentine' (1981)
Directed by George Mihalka
InMy Bloody Valentine, the small mining town of Valentine Bluffs decides to hold a Valentine’s Day dance for the first time in 20 years, but a killer in mining gear stages a violent protest. The dance inadvertently caused the deaths of a group of miners when negligent supervisors left their posts to attend, causing an explosion that led to a cave-in. The sole survivor, driven mad when forced to resort to cannibalism, subsequently killed the supervisors and removed their hearts, promising to do the same to anyone who attempted to host the annual party.
My Bloody Valentinewas a commercial disappointment upon its release, but it received more appreciation in later years,even spawning a 3D remake in 2009.The original cut of My Bloody Valentine was long unseenafter substantial edits of violent scenes were made to get the film down to an R-rating. A later uncut version was released by Scream Factory, giving audiences a chance to decide for themselves which version was better.
My Bloody Valentine
7’Thanksgiving' (2023)
Directed by Eli Roth
When a Black Friday sale ends in a tragic riot, a murderous pilgrim seeks revenge in 2023’sThanksgiving. The film follows the residents of Plymouth, Massachusetts, as they find themselves ill-prepared for an axe-swinging murderer set on interrupting their holiday preparations. Based on the fake trailer in theQuentin TarantinoandRobert Rodriguezdouble featureGrindhouse,the film is a nod to low-budget slashers that used holidays as their ticket-selling gimmick.
Thanksgivingis not without its gory scenes because it’s anEli Rothmovie, but there’s also a heaping amount of levity that makes the movie shine when it’s present.Thanksgivingisa fast-moving slasher that balances an effective whodunit plotline with creative kills, finding new ways to deliver old scares. A throwback to slasher films of the past,Thanksgivingcould easily be a new holiday viewing tradition.
Thanksgiving
6’The Substance' (2024)
Directed by Coralie Fargeat
Actress Elisabeth Sparkle (Demi Moore) seeks to reinvent herself, literally, in the creative horror filmThe Substance. When Elisabeth is unceremoniously fired by her empty suit of a television producer, Harvey (Dennis Quaid), for being too old, she turns to an experimental drug called The Substance. By injecting the drug, Elisabeth creates a new identity, Sue (Margaret Qualley), who becomes the new toast of the town. Before long, the two cannot coexist, and the battle between the two personas leads to fatal results with an outrageous and gory ending on a New Year’s Eve broadcast gone terribly wrong.
The Substancewasone of the most buzzed-about films of 2024due to thebrilliant satire and original visionof directorCoralie Fargeat. Moore is heartbreaking in her performance as the emotionally devastated Elisabeth, and Qualley keeps proving why she’s one of the most sought-after young actors working today.The Substanceis one of the most stylish and bloody films that will guarantee no one will have a worse NYE experience than Sue.
The Substance
5’Trick ‘r Treat' (2007)
Directed by Michael Dougherty
A werewolf, a serial killer, and souls seeking vengeance or just some of the characters that cross paths in the Halloween horror comedyTrick ‘r Treat. Five different stories are woven together for a breezy exploration of the dark and darkly comedic.Trick ‘r Treatcaptures the sense of fun present in anthology series such asTales From theCryptwhile also managing to create creepy scenarios with effective visuals.
The writing is pulpy horror greatness, with the stories inTrick ‘r Treattied together in a satisfying way that guarantees a second viewing to find missed clues. A standout performance fromDylan Bakeras a murderous parent is black comedy gold, but all the actors, includingBrian CoxandAnna Paquin, look like they’re enjoying hamming it up for the sleeper hit. In a genre where the worst film can still manage a trilogy and a spinoff franchise,it’s wildly disappointing that a sequel forTrick ‘r Treatwas never made.
Trick ‘r Treat
4’Midsommar’ (2019)
Directed by Ari Aster
A group of students celebrate Midsummer in the worst place possible in directorAri Aster’sMidsommar. Still grieving the suicide attempt of her sister that also claimed the lives of her parents, Dani (Florence Pugh) reluctantly attends a midsummer festival in Sweden with her boyfriend and his friends. As the rituals of the festival get darker, Dani is beckoned to a new way of life that will come at the cost of those close to her.
As has been the case with all of Aster’s work,Midsommaris divisive among horror fanswho disagree on the merits of the film.Midsommaris a film thatfinds its horror in unease and dread, so fans of bloodshed probably won’t get the same satisfaction from the story that Aster fans do. Pacing aside, Pugh carries the film with one of the best performances of her career in a film that is as beautiful to look at as it is unsettling.
3’Gremlins' (1984)
Directed by Joe Dante
The most family-friendly of all scary movies,Gremlinsis a Christmas-themed horror film the whole family can watch. Billy (Zach Galligan) receives an exotic pet in the form of a mogwai named Gizmo, but he has to follow three simple rules: don’t get him wet, don’t expose him to bright light, and don’t feed him after midnight. With the responsibility level of an adult man who lives with his parents, Billy can’t enforce the rules and soon his hometown is overrun with green scaly gremlins.
The sequel,Gremlins 2: The New Batch, used the concept of the gremlins to make a zany live-action cartoon, but the first movie remains a dark modern-day fable. The excellent character design of the gremlins made an instantly recognizable new creature that, along with the mogwais, became fan favorites. The franchise may only consist of two films, but interest in the property remains high, with the recent Max cartoonsGremlins: Secret of the MogwaiandGremlins: The Wild Batch.
2’Black Christmas' (1974)
Directed by Bob Clark
Considered one of the original slasher films,Black Christmasremains a classic example of how scary the genre can be when done right. An obscene caller stalks the members of a sorority house, and when he’s not dialing their number, he’s taking their lives.Olivia Husseystars as Jess, a sorority sister who recently finds out she’s pregnant and considering an abortion despite her boyfriend’s frustration with the decision.
What makesBlack Christmasso effective is the notion of the killer being inside the sorority house while calling. The perceived safety of being inside a house with locked doors is challenged if the locks only serve to keep the victim and killer trapped inside together. Hussey andMargot Kidderturn in memorable performances and help elevateBlack Christmasinto one of the greatest horror filmsof all time.
Black Christmas
1’Halloween' (1978)
Directed by John Carpenter
The town of Haddonfield, Illinois, is receiving a return visit from its worst resident inJohn Carpenter’sHalloween.Jamie Lee Curtis stars as Laurie Strode, the babysitter working on the wrong street when escaped mental patient Michael Myers returns to leave a trail of destruction in his old neighborhood. In order to survive, Laurie will have to rely on her wits and a little luck to avoid Myer’s wrath (for this film, at least).
Carpenter’s original intent forHalloweenwas tocreate an anthology series out of the sequels. Alas, ifHalloween III: Season of the Witchproved anything, it was that fans were only going to accept Michael Myers as the antagonist. It’s hard to argue with a winning formula, as theHalloweenseries has more than 10 films in its franchisewith no signs of stopping.Halloweenis the definitive holiday horror movie, widely regarded as one of the best in the entire genre.
