As fall turns to winter, it is time to turn our attention to the great horror films that have successfully incorporated the chill of the season. While weather is a seemingly unimportant aspect of a film, these movies manage to take advantage of how cold, desolate, and frightening the winter can be… especially in a horror film.
10. Silent Night Deadly Night (1984):
Directed by Charles E. Sellier, Jr., this Christmas-themed horror movie created such controversy that Tri-Star Pictures pulled it from theaters days after it was released. Thankfully for all of us horror fans, it would eventually be re-released. It tells the story of a young boy who was institutionalized after witnessing the brutal murder of his parents by a man in a Santa outfit. In a serious lapse of judgment, he is released as an adult… at Christmastime. Donning a Santa outfit, he decides to let his freak flag fly and exact revenge on anyone and everyone during the most joyous time of year. The movie offended the PTA and a number of other religious organizations, resulting in the picketing and letter writing that eventually got the movie pulled from theaters. Of course, all that negative attention only served to make it even more popular… forever giving it cult status among horror fans.
9. 30 Days of Night (2007):
Horror fans either love or hate this vampire movie set in Barrow, Alaska. Directed by David Slade, the film capitalizes on the lore that says sunlight kills vampires. Since Barrow, Alaska, is about to experience a 30-day “polar night,” it becomes a target for a clan of vampires, who descend with a vengeance. Isolated and unable to signal for help, the townspeople of Barrow must fight for their lives… for the next 30 days. Plus, with all the snow in this movie, it will definitely put you in the mood for the holidays!
8. Dead Snow (2009):
Tommy Wirkola directed this Nazi zombie flick about a group of students that have to battle the undead in the mountains of Norway. Based on Scandinavian folklore that says the dead will rise to protect their treasures, the undead in this film are Nazis who are out to protect items that were never theirs to begin with. This film became a hit with many horror fans and seems to show that whatever is going on in Scandinavian countries, it seems like they have a knack for making great horror.
7. Cold Prey (2006):
Roar Uthaug’s Norwegian slasher film follows a group of teens on a ski vacation. When one member of the party breaks his leg, the group finds shelter in an abandoned hotel. Instead of finding help, they find themselves pursued by a psychopathic killer who may very well be responsible for a young boy who was buried alive in the snow at the beginning of the film. While other slasher flicks only touch on back story, this one does a great job of infusing storyline with death and destruction. If you are in the mood for a great wintery movie, this one will definitely get you ready for the holidays… and skiing.
6. Curtains (1983):
Directed by Richard Ciupka, Curtains is little-known 80’s slasher flick that bombed at the box office but became a bit of a staple on late-night television in a time when television stations signed off every night with the “Star-Spangled Banner.” Those of us old enough to remember the 80s and had the pleasure of witnessing this gem will recall the terrifying “ice-skating scene” that it’s most known for. The film takes place at the mansion of a well-known director in the dead of winter, where a group of actresses have been gathered to compete for a new role… only to find themselves being killed off one by one. If you are in the mood for some fantastic 80’s fare, do yourself a favor and check this out.
5. ATM (2012):
David Brooks directed this underrated chiller. The film focuses on three friends who find themselves trapped by a maniac inside an ATM booth. Taking place on a freezing cold winter night, their hooded captor spends nearly the entirety of the movie slowly torturing them from mere feet away. As the ATM booth gets colder and colder, the group must race against the clock to try to save themselves before their menacing captor decides to make his final strike. Surprisingly, the movie never gets boring despite the fact that it takes place within the confines of an ATM.
4. Wind Chill (2007):
Gregory Jacobs directed this winter-themed horror. Prior to their holiday vacation, two students decide to ride-share together in order to get back home. Faced with extreme snow and freezing temperatures, the two find themselves stuck on a remote road after an ill-advised shortcut. With temperatures dropping below zero and the weather worsening, they are visited by horrific apparitions… and to make matters worse, one of them isn’t who he says he is. It is hard not to get cold just watching this movie.
3. The Shining (1980):
What list about chilly horror movies would be complete without The Shining? Stanley Kubrick’s psychological horror is based on the Stephen King novel of the same name. It tells the story of a family who decide to spend the winter as caretakers of the eerie Overlook Hotel, a mountaintop resort in Colorado. It seems like an excellent opportunity for Jack to write his next book, but instead he uses the opportunity to slowly go mad and try to kill his wife and young, psychic son. The movie focuses on his slow decent into madness in a haunted hotel. The winter setting adds a great dimension to this classic horror film, making an already desolate and claustrophobic environment seem all the more terrifying.
2. Ravenous (1999):
Directed by Antonia Bird, this horror film is set in the 1840’s during the Mexican-American war. In a remote outpost during a particularly brutal winter, the residents are visited by a desperate man who brings with him a horrific tale of cannibalism and desperation. Hoping to find the perpetrators of such horrific acts, a group goes out in search of these monsters, with unexpected results. With elements of a great mystery, this horror movie uses the harsh, cold winter as an additional menace to our protagonists.
1. Let the Right One In (2008):
Equal parts tragedy, love story, and horror, this film is easily one of the most unusual horror movies ever made. Directed by Tomas Alfredson, it focuses on a bullied and lonely 12-year-old boy who becomes close friends with his neighbor, a young girl who also happens to be a vampire. As the friendship between them grows, they both realize that in order to stay together, sacrifices must be made. It is a beautiful, haunting story made all the better by the winter setting that could almost be considered an additional character on its own. A remake was made for American audiences in 2010 called Let Me In; however, like most remakes, I would strongly recommend taking the time to see the original. It truly is a masterpiece.