Thanks to the “Unhappy Holidays Collection” on Shudder, it’s going to be a very merry, scary Christmas! Slip on those winter boots, because you’ll be shaking in them later — Shudder is bringing out their sleigh packed with killer films this December that won’t disappoint. There’s a little something for everyone, from psychological thrillers to slasher classics. Ho Ho Horror!
A Wounded Fawn
A Wounded Fawn is a twisted tale inspired by Greek mythology and surrealist art. Add a dash of maniacal serial killer (Josh Ruben, Scare Me) and a shocking plot twist, and it’s the perfect recipe for a sordid horror movie. You'll think twice about getting back into the dating pool. Get ready for a lusty and trippy ride!
Christmas Bloody Christmas
Have you ever wondered what it would be like if one of those beloved animatronic characters you see at theme parks came to life? Well, now you don’t have to with Christmas Bloody Christmas, from horror auteur Joe Begos. In this holiday delight, a robotic, ax-wielding Santa comes to life and decides that everyone in town has been too naughty this year to live. The film stars a fierce Riley Dandy (That’s Amor) as the record store clerk who has to stop robot Santa, and Jeff Daniel Phillips from The Munsters.
The Apology
Shudder
We can all relate to dysfunctional family gatherings, but hopefully, your Christmas with the kin will go better than the plot of The Apology. This family dinner starring Anna Gunn from Breaking Bad turns very dark, very quickly. After watching this film, your drunk uncle and nosy grandma won’t seem so bad. Awesome bonus: the legendary Janeane Garofalo makes an appearance.
Scare Package II: Rad Chad’s Revenge
If you loved Scare Package (2019), you’ll adore its campy cousin, Scare Package II: Rad Chad’s Revenge, directed by Aaron B. Koontz. What’s better than being scared? Being scared and laughing your butt off! If Saw and Scream had a lovechild, it would look a lot like this comedy horror film. It may inspire you to try that escape room challenge you’ve been thinking about, or maybe just keep you away from it forever!
Burial
The gritty film Burial will be appealing if you like history and horror. Set during World War II, a group of Russian soldiers is tasked with transporting Hitler’s remains back to Moscow. It’s hard to resist a tale about the hunter becoming the hunted, as Burial finds a group of Nazi soldiers undeterred by Hitler's suicide attempting to kill the Russian troops, and one female intelligence officer having to fight back with the help of a local villager. Besides, anything Charlotte Vega stars in is always a winner.
A Nightmare on Elm Street
Santa isn’t the only one watching you. Freddy Krueger will be making an appearance in your dreams this holiday season. Shudder is bringing back seven of the Nightmare on Elm Street movies! Everyone should add little Wes Craven and Robert Englund figurines to their nativity scenes this Christmas.
One, two, Freddy’s coming for you. Remember when it was too dangerous to go to sleep? Our scary, scarred friend from A Nightmare on Elm Street is still there waiting for you to slip into dreamland in this classic slasher that started the terrifying, bonkers franchise. You better stay awake!
A Nightmare on Elm Street 2: Freddy’s Revenge (1985)
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Nightmares abound when Freddy returns in A Nightmare on Elm Street 2: Freddy’s Revenge. Prowling the dreams of children isn’t enough to satiate his bloodthirsty hunger. He’s pissed and out for revenge. Only this time, he’s figured out how to possess the body of a teenage boy to do his murderous bidding.
A Nightmare on Elm Street 3: Dream Warriors (1987)
Nancy barely escaped Freddy’s blades before, and now she’s determined to finish him once and for all in A Nightmare on Elm Street 3: Dream Warriors, perhaps the most celebrated installment in the franchise outside the original. Unfortunately for Nancy, nobody believes her, and Freddy is an immortal, demonic killer that lives beyond the physical realm.
A Nightmare on Elm Street 4: The Dream Master (1988)
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A group of teenagers takes the power back in A Nightmare on Elm Street 4: The Dream Master, an epic addition to the Nightmare series. Each teen takes on magical powers in their dreams in order to beat Freddy at his own game. Will they succeed?
A Nightmare on Elm Street 5: The Dream Child (1989)
Disfigured Freddy continues to be a ghastly nightmare for the children and grandchildren of the townspeople that killed him in A Nightmare on Elm Street 5: The Dream Child, which might just have the best special effects in Nightmare's franchise. Freddy's even targeting the unborn in this one, in an attempt to continue his horrific rage. Will his evil ever stop?
Freddy’s Dead: The Final Nightmare (1991)
Get ready to face your fears and unpack some deep, psychological baggage in Freddy’s Dead: The Final Nightmare, one of the darkest entries in the series. This movie takes dream analysis to another level. Freddy’s victim gets to the messy core of her worst nightmare and ultimate enemy.
Wes Craven’s New Nightmare (1994)
The infamous child killer returns in this ten-year anniversary homage to the original. You’ll see some old and new characters in this epic haunt as they try to put Freddy to rest once and for all. Wes Craven’s New Nightmare is a meta-horror experiment which saw Wes Craven return to the franchise, paving the way for his smash hit meta slasher Scream, which would become the next great horror franchise. Like a fine, blood-red wine, the Nightmare on Elm Street collection gets better and better!
Make sure you ask Santa for an extra nightlight for Christmas. You’re going to need it after watching these holiday horrors. Shudder’s “Unhappy Holidays Collection” also slates new episodes of The Boulet Brothers’ Dragula: Titans (with guest judges Elvira and Barbara Crampton) and the beloved Joe Bob’s Ghoultide Get-Together. We hope screams of joy and fear fill the air this holiday season for you and your family!