The winter holidays evoke thoughts of the jolly old man in his high-contrast red and white suit. But the color red will evoke something much more grim after watching these Killer Santas. Remember to put out the milk and cookies and keep the fireplace clean because these films will teach you to be good, for goodness’ sake.

Rare Exports: A Christmas Tale (2010)

Starting things off, we have the Finnish film Rare Exports: A Christmas Tale from writer and director Jalmari Helander (whose 2022 effort Sisu proved to be a fan favorite). Rare Exports tells the story of a small town ravaged by mystery when a British-American drilling team uncovers the body of Santa Clause within Korvatunturi mountain. At times eerie and unsettling but always fun, Rare Exports is a must-watch for fans of heroic children and reimagined mythology.

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Deadly Games (originally 3615 code Père Noël) (1989)

The list continues with another foreign effort, the French horror-thriller Deadly Games (aka Dial Code Santa Claus, Game Over, and Hide and Freak), directed by René Manzor (The Adventures of Young Indiana Jones: Passion for Life). Deadly Games pits a murderous mall Santa against a Kevin McCallister-esque boy left to his own devices. Despite its 1989 release, the film premiered in North America in 2018, ringing all the nostalgic bells of a lost childhood classic. Manzor proves himself a pioneer of modern horror with Deadly Games, a clever and frightening exploration of childlike whimsy in an unforgiving world.

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Silent Night, Deadly Night (1984)

The first in a series of notorious films, Silent Night, Deadly Night, directed by Charles E. Sellier, Jr. (producer of The Life and Times of Grizzly Adams), fits more neatly into the slasher genre of horror films. Although campy in its execution, the film takes a much more sinister approach to horror, exploring themes of abuse, PTSD, and psychological trauma. After witnessing the murder of his parents by a killer in a Santa costume, Billy dons the red and white suit and begins a spree killing of his own. Keep your eyes out for scream queen Linnea Quigley, star of The Return of the Living Dead, Night of the Demons, and A Nightmare on Elm Street: The Dream Master.

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Christmas Bloody Christmas (2022)

Director Joe Begos (Bliss and VFW) blends the grainy 80s aesthetic with modern horror sensibilities in his 2022 holiday horror film Christmas Bloody Christmas. Replacing the previously mentioned murderous mall Santa trope with a blood-thirsty animatronic, Begos blends The Terminator and Silent Night, Deadly Night to craft a wholly original holiday bloodfest. The film stars Mystery Science Theater 3000’s Jonah Ray Rodriguez, ER’s Abraham Benrubi, and Once Upon a Time in Hollywood’s Kansas Bowling. Watch out Freddy Fazbear, Santa Clause is coming to town.

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Santa’s Slay (2005)

On a more comedic note, Santa’s Slay reinvents Santa Claus as a resentful demon paying his millennium-long debt to an angel after losing a bet. Once the debt is paid, Santa lets loose on a murderous rampage filled with over-the-top kills, including a turkey leg suffocation. Directed by David Steiman and produced by Brett Ratner (Rush Hour, X-Men: The Last Stand, and Red Dragon), Santa’s Slay stars World Heavyweight Wrestling Champion Bill Goldberg as Santa Claus alongside Rebecca Gayheart (Beverly Hills, 90210, Urban Legend, and Jawbreaker), Chris Kattan (A Night at the Roxbury and Undercover Brother), and Fran Drescher (This is Spinal Tap, The Nanny, and Hotel Transylvania).

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