The Best Holiday Horror Movies for Every Occasion!
Saint Patrick’s Day (March 17th)- Leprechaun
There are a few films out there you can watch to get your Irish pride on for St. Patrick’s Day, but if you’re looking for some holiday horror movies to mark the occasion, you gotta go with Leprechaun. It’s actually one of the longest-running horror franchises out there, so you’ve got a few options (from the hood to outer space). However, I’m officially endorsing the OG Leprechaun movie since it’s campy horror at its best. Plus, there’s a pretty sinister drinking game you can play while you watch, just so you can really get into the swing of things.
Honorable Mention: Grabbers.
Earth Day (April 22nd)- The Bay
Earth day is about taking time to honor our planet, because if we’re not more careful with it, we could end up living in one of these holiday horror movies. The Bay technically features footage that was taken during the 4th of July (shown in mockumentry format), but it’s the main theme that I’m really interested in. A small sea-side town has been dumping growth-hormone filled runoff in their bay for years. This pollution leads to very dangerous aquatic parasites to undergo quite a growth spurt and they’re hungry. I’d say The Bay gives up a pretty good reason not to pollute the planet.
Arbor Day (The last Friday in April) – The Ruins
We go from honoring mother earth to giving a shout out to all the plants out there that we depend on for survival. Now, most people might associate Arbor Day with trees, but I decided to go with the killer vine movie The Ruins since there really aren’t many murderous tree movies out there. Set in Mexico, it follows a group of tourists who decide to go poking their noses around a pyramid despite being warned not to. They soon discover why as the mass of vines comes to live with quite an appetite. Trapped at the top, they have to find a way off or become fertilizer.
Honorable Mention: Any of these killer plant movies.
Cinco de Mayo (May 5th)- Tigers Are Not Afraid
I couldn’t find any holiday horror movies actually set during Cinco de Mayo, so I instead decided to fill this spot with one of the best Mexcian horror films I’ve seen in years instead. Tigers Are Not Afraid is a twisted dark modern fairy tale in which children running from members of a gang are forced to survive on the streets. The only thing saving them are the three wishes one of them has. The wishes don’t always turn out the way they want though. It’s a haunting film that is unlike anything I’ve seen in years.
Honorable Mention: The Curse of La Llorena and Cronos.
Mother’s Day (The 2nd Sunday in May)- Rosemary’s Baby
Despite its problematic director, I’ve decided to award the Mother’s day slot of these holiday horror movies to Rosemary’s Baby. When bizarre nightmares and strange instances start to plague a young expecting mother, she finds herself growing more and more paranoid. Of course, it’s not paranoia if they’re really out to get you and she soon discovers that she’s being gaslighted by a cult. As she feels her sanity slipping, she can’t help questioning who the father of her child really is. Spoiler Alert: It’s no one good.
Honorable Mentions: Psycho, Mother’s Day, and Mother!.
Memorial Day (May 31st)- Jacobs Ladder
Heads up, the reason why Jacobs Ladder is earning the holiday horror movies Memorial Day slot is a bit of a spoiler. So, if you haven’t seen it, go ahead and scroll on by…
Memorial Day is about honoring those soldiers who have fallen in battle. Well, it turns out the Jacob Singer definitely qualifies as he is hunted by demons hoping to drag him to hell. Always lurking just out of sight, Jacob starts to question his own sanity until the terrible truth is finally revealed to him. It’s a very dark film that’s perfect for Memorial Day.