With Christmas quickly approaching, it's good to occasionally remember that the holidays can be a scary time for some - what with finding the right gifts, dealing with the in-laws, long lines at the mall, and online shopping getting your orders in time for the big day.

We figured we would celebrate the scary side of the Christmas season with a few Christmas-themed horror films for you to watch as the Yule Tide crashes down on us all. So if you're not big on the more cliche classic Christmas movies, and your system could use a bit of a jolly jolt, try any of these flicks on for size.

Better Watch Out (2016)

This home invasion horror flick brings the old trope of the terrorized babysitter to a whole new level. When Ashley (Olivia DeJonge) is put in charge of her usual babysitting client, Luke (Levi Miller) and his pal Garrett (Ed Oxenbould) around the holidays, what she thinks is a simple home invasion quickly unravels into a twisty third act that will definitely bring a shock to whoever watches this brilliantly crafted thriller.

Better Watch Out is available on Amazon Prime, Tubi, AMC+, Pluto TV, and Crackle.

Krampus (2015)

Boasting a stellar cast of character actors which includes Toni Collette, Adam Scott, David Koechner, Allison Tolman, and Seth Green, Krampus is the story of a young boy who accidentally unleashes the titular evil entity on his holiday-ruining family, who can't seem to get along during Christmas. Trapped together in their home with an unnaturally crazy blizzard snowing them in, the cranky brood have no choice but to work together to survive the Krampus, who punishes those on the naughty list.

Krampus is available on FXNow.

Black Christmas (1974)

This classic holiday horror is from Bob Clark, the same director who gave us the much-replayed Christmas staple A Christmas Story (1983).

Far from the cute story of a kid and his quest for a B.B. Gun, Black Christmas is about a group of sorority sisters at the mercy of a serial killer, who gained access to their sorority house while staying at college over the holidays. What makes this film so insanely scary is the shots in the POV of the killer stalking his way in and out of scenes. Tense and terrifying, Black Christmas has been remade twice, but the later versions don't hold a candle to the original.

Black Christmas is available on AMC+, Crackle, Pluto TV, Plex, and Shout! Factory TV.

Silent Night, Deadly Night (1984)

After witnessing the death of his parents around Christmas, Billy is sent to a religious orphanage where he is further traumatized by the Mother Superior. When he grows up, Billy gets a job at a toy store and is eventually triggered by those past experiences to become a Santa-themed serial killer.

Considered a cult classic to some, Silent Night, Deadly Night has all the grind-house feels made famous in the 70s' horror. It is available to watch on Tubi with ads.

Santa's Slay (2005)

If seeing a famous wrestler go on a rampage is your thing (a discussion for another time), Santa's Slay might just be the holiday treat for you. Bill Goldberg plays Santa Claus, in this instance a demon who is forced to become the holiday gift-giver after losing a bet with an angel way back in the day. After the agreement is finally off, Santa goes back to his violent ways, taking revenge on anyone who gets in his way.

One of the weirder ones on the list, Santa's Slay also stars Chris Kattan and Fran Drescher.

Santa's Slay is available on Bravo Now, Plex, SyFy Now, and NBC.com.

A Christmas Horror Story (2015)

This Christmas oddity stars William Shatner. The film is a weird and wild mishmash of several stories, which eventually weave together to involve evil elves, Krampus, and an epic final battle between Santa Claus and Krampus, which will leave you wondering why there aren't more films where Santa gets to kick some butt.

A Christmas Horror Story is available on AMC+.

Rare Exports (2010)

Rare Exports takes a wild look at the Santa Claus legend. When a group of people dig up the big guy who (looking worse for wear) has been trapped underground for centuries. After Santa escapes and children begin going missing, a boy and his dad re-capture him in hopes of selling him to the people who dug him up. But watch out: his elves are determined to get their leader back, and will stop at nothing to do so.

One of the darker takes on Santa out there, Rare Exports is one of the weirder ones you can watch this year.

Rare Exports is available on AMC+, Crackle, Hulu, Plex, Tubi, and Pluto TV

Gremlins (1984)

One of the most fun horror comedies to come out of the 1980's, this holiday classic revolves around an inventor who buys a rare - and truly adorable - creature, called a Mogwai, for his son Billy on Christmas. Naming him Gizmo, Billy is told to follow a special (and kind of illogical) set of rules when caring for his new pet. No bright light. Never get it wet. Don't feed it after midnight. Needless to say, he doesn't listen, unleashing a slew of evil, lizard skinned versions of his new pal, who together lay waste to a quiet little town.

This cult classic has gone on to delight fans for decades, spawning a sequel, and a rumored animated prequel. Definitely a must-watch this holiday season.

Gremlins is available on HBO Max.

Tags
Adam Scott, William shatner