Not all Christmas movies have a cheery Santa Claus. 6m6xz

A divisive Christmas horror movie from the 1980s is getting a second remake. The biggest horror remake boom occured in the 2000s, when a bevy of iconic horror titles were rebooted including Dawn of the Dead, Friday the 13th, Halloween, The Texas Chain Saw Massacre, The Last House on the Left, The House on Sorority Row and more. However, remakes have been produced throughout horror history, including the prominent 1980s examples The Thing and The Blob, and the tradition has continued into the modern era with titles including 2020's The Invisible Man, 2022's Firestarter, and 2024's Salem's Lot.

2022's Violent Night is the latest in a long line of killer Santa Claus movies and, for every one that is nice, there are a few that deserve a lump of coal in their stocking. Turning Santa Claus into a bloodthirsty killer is a classic horror trope. As a genre, horror thrives on making innocent images from childhood (clowns, dolls, puppets) into terrifying threats, and there is no cultural figure more harmless, and therefore more ripe for subversion, than jolly old Saint Nick.

The Silent Night, Deadly Night franchise has managed to wring six movies out of the “killer Santa Claus” premise, but ranking these efforts proves that not all of them made it onto the “nice” list. Released in 1984, Silent Night, Deadly Night was massively controversial upon release. Thanks to its depiction of a killer Santa Claus, the controversial Yuletide slasher was heavily protested by concerned parents and even had its creators named and shamed by legendary critics Siskel and Ebert on their televised review round-up.

A reboot for Silent Night, Deadly Night is in development. The original slasher pic, directed by Charles E. Sellier Jr. and released in 1984, was a Christmas-themed horror, centering around a young boy who watches his parents get killed by a man dressed as Santa Claus. The boy, now grown and traumatized by the event, embarks on a murderous rampage, clad in a Santa outfit of his own. The direct sequel Silent Night, Deadly Night 2 was released in 1987, followed by Silent Night, Deadly Night 3: Better Watch Out in 1989. Silent Night, Deadly Night 4: Initiation came out in 1990 and Silent Night, Deadly Night 5: The Toy Maker in 1991, but they were only “sequels” in name alone, holding no connection, plot wise, to the first three films.

Silent Night, Deadly Night Part 2 is by all measures a terrible movie, but it managed to spawn the hilarious and long-lasting "Garbage Day!" meme. While horror set on Christmas is by no means a rarity, the Silent Night, Deadly Night franchise is definitely one of the oddest and most puzzling in the genre. Released in 1984, the first Silent Night, Deadly Night is far from a good film, sporting an obviously low budget, poor acting, mostly detestable characters, and an overall sense of pervading sleaze.

While he may have spoken out against the controversial Silent Night, Deadly Night, Mickey Rooney found himself as the title villain in fifth entry The Toy Maker. John Carpenter's Halloween kickstarted the slasher genre in the 1980s, with many filmmakers seeking to replicate the movie's formula. This often included stories based around themed holidays or dates, including My Bloody Valentine, Friday The 13th, or Prom Night. A killer with a unique mask or weapon was also a must.

The 1984 Christmas slasher film Silent Night, Deadly Night became a huge source of controversy, even for those who hadn't actually seen it. Christmas is of course primarily a time people associate with happiness, good cheer, and celebration. Not everyone who observes Christmas does it for religious reasons, but it's easily the most popular holiday in America, and in many other parts of the world. Christmas' non-religious mascot is the jolly fat man known as Santa Claus, who brings presents to all the good little children around the world.

Though Halloween may be the height of horror-watching season, there are plenty of Christmas-themed horror movies to tide over even the most discerning fan this holiday season.