Well, it’s Christmas Eve (day) and we’re down to the few wee hours before the magical day. As a way of helping to spread my own brand of Christmas fear, I’ve dug up some of the best holiday horror short films from Christmas past – and a couple from Christmas present.
I discovered a film that will definitely not be for all tastes – A Spanish short called Merry Little Christmas that is an incredibly well-made film but is possibly the most vile and disturbing film I think I’ve ever seen but at the same time is incredibly cool. It’s in the middle of the list so give it a whirl…if you dare!
I hope you enjoy these spirited shorts and give them a watch instead of It’s A Wonderful Life or A Christmas Story this year…Happy Horrordays to one and all!!!
RARE EXPORTS INC. (2003)
This is the film from which the incredible 2010 feature was made from. This is a must-see for fans of the feature length version as it gives a good look into where the movie came from.
An elite trio of expert hunters venture into the woods to track and capture an especially rare and dangerous prey for the Christmas season.
SANTA (2013)
This Greek horror short from writers/directors Dionysis Atzarakis and Manos Atzarakis shows just how much you can accomplish in a short amount of time. This short clocks in at 90 seconds but packs in the frights. This is one of my favorite Christmas shorts.
A young girl is still awake on Christmas Eve waiting for Santa to arrive… She hears a sound from the fireplace and sneaks into the living room to see Santa, but… is he what she was hoping for?
TREEVENGE (2008)
This comical gore-fest from writer/director Jason Eisner (Hobo With A Shotgun, The ABCs of Death, V/H/S/2) will have you laughing out loud and then reaching for a vomit bag.
Christmas trees ripped out of their forest plan revenge against people enjoying the holidays.
HERE COMES SANTA (2011)
This is a killer Santa flick that looks great with good production values. This film is reminiscent of slashers like Black Christmas and Halloween. Writer and director Todd Nunes does a great job of serving up the scares in this one; a well-made shocker.
A woman setting up Christmas decorations for another woman is stalked by a killer dressed like Santa Claus.
MERRY LITTLE CHRISTMAS (2010)
*******Caution – Watch at your own risk – Extremely NSFW (18+ Only)*******
This Spanish short by writer and director Manuel Marín has to be one of the most graphic, disturbing and brutal shorts I may have ever seen, and that’s saying a lot. This Christmas themed horror short is about as bleak as can get and I questioned whether or not to include this film due to its graphic nature but it is filmed extremely well and is an example of incredible filmmaking that horror fans should enjoy.
I caution you about watching this film today as it may dampen your Christmas spirits, you may want to wait until after Christmas to watch this, no lie. Proceed at your own risk!!!
SECRET SANTA (2014)
This horror short from Amalgam Studios is the only recent film on this list. This film was only released a few days ago.
A woman receives Christmas gifts from an unknown person. Maybe this is her Secret Santa, but then things turn deadly.
Christmas Morning (2013)
This short is more like a music video than a film, but that’s okay too. It’s directed by Ryan Richardson and is more comedic in nature, certainly not as dark as others on this list.
Christmas morning can be hard when you don’t get what you want.
My Name Is Kris Kringle (2010)
This wonderful film is from great short filmmaker Drew Daywalt (Leprechaun’s Revenge, Death Valley TV Series) and stars R.A. Mihailoff (Leatherface in Leatherface: Texas Chainsaw Massacre III) as a psycho Kris Kringle.
Kris Kringle is apprehended by the police for what he does to the children on his “Naughty” list.
Winter Stalker (2010)
This nifty two-minute short horror film is by writer/director Stephen Reedy and is appropriately creepy about a woman’s stalker who just happens to be the man in white himself.
A woman sleeps peacefully unaware that a secret admirer has a gift for her.
A Christmas Treat (1985)
This is the oldest film on the list, but definitely belongs here. The film from writer and director Tim Sullivan, who went on to direct such cult films as 2001 Maniacs, 2001 Maniacs: Field of Screams and Chillerama (segment “I was a Teenage Werebear”) was made when he was only 21 years-old and shows his filmmaking talents at a young age. This film also was the winner of the Fangoria Short Film Search Award.
A young boy is lying in bed as Santa is downstairs leaving presents under the tree. The boy slowly walks down the stairs and taps on Santa’s shoulder…
SOMETHING UNDER THE CHRISTMAS TREE (2014)
This is another new short from this year, but I had to include it because I really enjoyed it. It comes from Writer/Director/Cinematographer/Editor Danny Villanueva Jr.
A young boy encounters something evil under the Christmas tree.
Well, there you have it folks. My choices for the 11 of the best short Christmas horror films I could dig up. I could have added a lot more but these are what I stuck with. I hope you enjoyed them and have a Merry Christmas and a Scary New Year!
