A Christmas Horror Story is a 2015 anthology horror with four stories leading to an epic Yuletide Daddy showdown between Santa Klaus and Krampus. This festive horror has something for every horror fan, and the superb editing provides a seamless cohesion among the stories despite having four separate directors. Even the seemingly unrelated story in which Santa Claus fights off an army of his own undead elves and Krampus ends with an effective twist that perfectly ties the stories together.
Bailey Downs: A Small Town Ripe for Christmas Terror
A Christmas Horror Story takes place in the quaint Bailey Downs, a town Santa most definitely skips over during the big night, cookies and milk be damned. The town is still reeling from the brutal murder of two teens at the local high school a year prior.
And most of the characters we follow throughout the interwoven tales have been quite naughty. We first meet William Shatner as Dangerous Dan, an inebriated radio DJ trying to rouse up some Christmas joy at the station, to the dismay of the weatherman and residential Grinch Norman (George Buza). Dan also relays increasingly disturbing news from the mall and urges listeners to stay clear of the area.
Krampus Enters the Picture: A Family Holiday Gone Wrong
Later we meet Dan’s kleptomaniac granddaughter Caprice (Amy Forsyth) as she begins an impromptu holiday trip with her loveless nuclear family to beg their reclusive aunt for money. The family quickly catches the attention of Krampus, who is eager to punish the family for their misdeeds.
Meanwhile, Caprice’s friends are at their high school to film a documentary on the two murdered students. The high school was also once a convent with its own gruesome history, and the friends soon discover a vengeful spirit stalking the halls. We also meet Scott Peters (Adrian Holmes), the cop who responded to the incident, and his family as they search for the perfect Christmas tree on private property (#ACAB). But once at home, Scott’s son begins acting strangely, and the property owner calls the family later to beg them to return whatever creature took their son’s place.
Santa Claus vs. Zombie Elves: Bloodshed at the North Pole
Chaos is also brewing at the North Pole, where Santa and his elves are preparing for the Holy Night. Soon the elves and Mrs. Claus succumb to a zombie infection, and Santa is forced to fight them all off before facing off with his arch nemesis Krampus (Krampus sure has been pretty busy!). This is the bloodiest story of them all, and the unexpected ending—while pretty dark—effectively ties this fantastical story in with the rest of the film.
A Christmas Horror Story is a fun and festive B horror film that doesn’t take itself too seriously. As with most anthology movies, some stories are stronger than others, and while the superb editing blends the stories well, some stories still feel less developed than others. But the dark humor, gleeful gore, and perfect runtime of 99 minutes are more than enough to make fellow Grinches’ hearts grow three sizes.
You can stream ‘A Christmas Horror Story’ on Shudder!
