I’ve been a fan of holiday horror since I first watched Black Christmas with my eyes closed at just 9-years-old. Again, where were my parents? Well, right alongside me, of course. Thus, my introduction to holiday horror was introduced, and my complete interest for the best subgenre ever has yet to waver.
From evil gingerbread men coming to life to an ancient yuletide creature terrorizing children on Christmas, holiday horror reaches a variety of holidays and utilizes a cauldron of different themes. And while Eli Roth’s upcoming slasher extravaganza Thanksgiving certainly isn’t the first of its kind in regards to eye-catching holiday horror, it’s definitely extended the hype.
But seeing as horror movies are typically associated with Halloween, most folks think horror movies surrounding Christas, Thanksgiving, or even the 4th of July are nonsensical garbage — and I’m here to tell them they’re totally wrong. You see, horror is absolutely subjective — meaning whatever floats your proverbial boat (“hi, Georgie!”) goes.
I mean, holiday horror has become so popular over the years that folks have even entertained the idea of regular holiday movies being turned and twisted to seem like a horror movie. Just think about it — Kevin McCallister from Home Alone setting up booby traps that could have easily killed the burglars? That’s a horror villain in the making. Or perhaps the sequel to A Christmas Story? I shudder just thinking about it.
So instead of spooks and scares taking place throughout the year, let’s celebrate holiday horror —specifically, toys with the horrifying notion of scaring people — during the most joyous time of the year. With Christmas themes centered around shopping in malls for hours while sipping on a cup of warm cocoa, holiday horror completely swoops in like a hawk attacking a mouse to shift the landscape and turn the horror realm on its head.
And, honestly, that idea is not so far-fetched when you think about it. For some people, the holidays — specifically Christmas — are reminders of sorrow, loneliness, and insufficient income. So, how do horror movies capitalize on those feelings? Well, monsters, entities, or masked perpetrators typically make their presence felt in a horror flick and cause terror for characters who are already down in the dumps. Now that’s just downright evil.
And no, I’m certainly not going to sit here and act like these particular horror movies are cinematic treasures. It’s quite the opposite, actually, seeing as a strong majority of these spooky flicks are low-budget projects that simply live to provide a healthy dose of entertainment rather than score a handful of Oscars gold. I mean, honestly, let’s just take a look at some of these: Santa’s Slay. Jack Frost (no, not the tear-jerking Michael Keaton one). Krampus. Christmas Evil. I could go on, and I know you’d like me to, but you get the point — these movies are freakin’ fun.
So while I do enjoy an overabundance of subgenres in horror — including zombies, the supernatural, and home invasion thrillers — I’ll simply die on the hill of holiday horror being the best subgenre, and I’m just tired of pretending that it’s not.
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Khushi Patel is a science fiction author who lives in Austin, Texas. She has published three novels, and her work has been praised for its originality and imagination. Khushi is a graduate of Rice University, and she has worked as a software engineer. She is a member of the Science Fiction Writers of America, and her books have been nominated for several awards.
