20 Best Christmas Horror Movies You NEED To Watch

After years of unsuccessfully attempting to get a sequel to his cult classic Halloween horror Trick 'r Treat produced, Michael Dougherty turned to Christmas for his follow-up project.

Krampus takes place days before Christmas, as our young protagonist Max (Emjay Anthony) becomes so disenfranchised with the joy of the season that he inadvertently unleashes the wrath of the demonic Krampus (Luke Hawker).

Clearly inspired by some of the most beloved Christmas horror films - at least one of which is also on this list - Krampus is a giddily entertaining B-movie throwback that benefits from its outstanding creature effects, fun kills, and crackerjack cast, led by Adam Scott, Toni Collette, David Koechner, and Allison Tolman.

Even with a PG-13 rating, Krampus gets pretty close to the bone with some of its death scenes, helping establish an all-bets-are-off, anyone-can-die vibe from early on. And so, it's for good reason that Krampus has endured as something of a cult classic over the past decade.