5 Demented Killer Santa Movies (And One Where He’s the Victim)
I’ve written about killer Santa movies before, but this subgenre is so deep that I felt compelled to revisit it. Yet another entry, the reboot of Silent Night Deadly Night, is being released this month. What is it about Claus that makes him such a popular horror topic?
I don’t think it’s surprising that many young children are frightened by Santa. Sure, he’s supposed to be innocuous, but a large, strange man who has the power to spy on you and judge whether you’re naughty or nice (and dole out rewards and punishments accordingly) would make anybody anxious.
Here are five demented killer Santa movies (and one where he’s the victim). Merry Creepmas!
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5. to all a goodnight (1980)
To All A Goodnight is a golden age slasher that is often overlooked in comparison to similar films like Silent Night Deadly Night (1984) and Christmas Evil (1980). It has a very standard plot. Years ago, a sorority girl was killed in a freak accident. Now her sorority sisters are stalked by a mysterious killer in a Claus costume.
This movie uses the typical slasher archetypes – the innocent final girl, the eccentric janitor who’s an obvious red herring, hapless horny boyfriends who exist merely to increase the body count, etc. If you like this type of movie, To All A Goodnight is worth checking out if you can find it on a free streaming service. Jennifer Runyon, who later appeared in Ghostbusters (1984) delivers a decent performance as final girl, Nancy.
The film concludes with a decent twist. The identity of the killer may surprise you. I was able to figure it out early on, but that’s just because I’ve seen a ridiculous amount of these movies. Hint – golden age slashers loved making the seemingly most harmless character the villain.
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4. all through the house (2015)
Rachel (Ashley Mary Nunes) returns home from college for the Christmas holiday. She becomes acquainted with her eccentric neighbor, Ms. Garrett (Melynda Kiring), whose own daughter mysteriously disappeared years ago.
Meanwhile, a mysterious man in a Santa costume terrorizes the neighborhood. He embarks on an extremely brutal rampage of torture, murder and sexual mutilation. Rachel discovers a shocking secret that explains the killer’s identity and motivation. Can she survive to see the new year?
All Through the House is a low budget throwback that’s intended as a tribute to both ’80s slashers and gory ’70s exploitation films. The acting and production values are not great. Honestly, I thought I was going to hate this thing after the first ten minutes.
It ended up surprising me. All Through the House finds its way once its main storyline gains momentum. Nunes is a tough and attractive final girl. This movie is loaded with references to other horror works like Psycho, House on Sorority Row, Sleepaway Camp, and much more.
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3. Christmas bloody Christmas (2022)
A giant Santa animatronic robot goes haywire and becomes a virtually invincible killing machine in this riotous Terminator-inspired flick. Tori (Riley Dandy), a feisty record store manager, has an epic battle with the mechanical monstrosity. I’ve already written a full review of this one (linked below), so I’ll keep this short.
This movie is as relentless as the original Terminator movie. I kept thinking Tori had finally finished the Santernator off, only to have him revive again and again. This is a wild and crazy ride – pure mindless fun!
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2. Rare Exports: A christmas tale (2010)
This Finnish cult classic is the most unique and imaginative out of all the killer Santa movies I’ve seen. The bizarre plot is about a company who captures and sells wild Santas. In this movie’s universe, Santa is a species of monster who punishes bad children.
Reindeer hunters, who are trying to locate the people responsible for illegally slaughtering the local deer population, find and imprison a mysterious bearded old man. Uh oh! Somebody’s going to be on the naughty list!
There are twists involving Santa’s elves and reindeer. In fact, I probably should have included this movie in my evil Christmas elf movies list.
This movie subverts the expectations of evil Santa movies at nearly every turn. If you’re looking for a typical slasher, look elsewhere. Rare Exports is a wonderfully innovative addition to Christmas horror.
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1. Tales from the Crypt – “And all through the house” (1972)
This is the original, the O.G. killer Santa movie! Like many classic Tales from the Crypt stories, it’s about a bad person getting their just desserts. Joanne (Joan Collins) is married to an old rich guy. She murders her husband on Christmas Eve to collect his lucrative life insurance payment.
Unfortunately for her, karma comes knocking in the form of a psycho in a Santa costume. The madman is lurking outside her home, but she can’t call the police – her husband’s body is still inside. Joan tries to get away with murder and avoid being killed herself, all while trying to hide what’s going on from her young daughter.
This segment, which is based on a 1956 comic (the “killer Santa” concept really goes far back!), is effective, creepy, and eerie. Joan isn’t likeable, but that doesn’t prevent “And All Through the House” from drumming up plenty of suspense. Collins gives a compelling performance.
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Bonus – don’t open till Christmas (1984)
Don’t Open Till Christmas counterbalances all those killer Santa movies by making him the victim this time. Well, not one Santa. Several of them.
A Christmas-hating serial killer targets department store Santas in London. It would be funny if the villain dressed as Ebenezer Scrooge (or maybe the Grinch?), but, alas, he wears a bland translucent mask. The police use undercover officers in Santa suits to bait the killer, but his rampage continues.
Don’t Open Till Christmas is not a great movie by any means. The story is a bit of a mess. This film had a troubled production, and it shows. At least it features a concept that hasn’t been used a million times.
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