July 4 is a holiday that is celebrated by most Americans, and for horror film lovers, that often means watching movies that tie in with summer or Independence Day. We’re talking films such as Uncle Sam, I Know What You Did Last Summer and The Purge.
But since it’s a national holiday, the majority of people have the day off from work, and the 4th is on a Friday this year…so hurray for long weekends! That means we have more time to binge horror movies, and why should we just stick with the theme of summer or Independence Day?
Here is a short list of holiday horror movies that are recommended for year-round viewing, and we aren’t just sticking to summer or the fourth.
Heart Eyes – Set during Valentine’s Day, this is one of the newer films on our list. The infamous Heart Eyes Killer has been moving around the US, slaughtering couples each Valentine’s Day. This year, Heart Eyes has moved to Seattle, and the opening scene involves the very creative murders of a couple who are celebrating their engagement at a winery.
Then we move on to our main character, Ally, who recently broke up with her boyfriend. Jaded by the experience, she writes a disastrous commercial for the jewelry company she works for, which resulted in her being forcibly paired up with Jay. As the two meet for dinner to discuss plans, they are noticed by Heart Eyes, who proceeds to stalk them throughout the night.
Heart Eyes is fun AND gory, everything you love about a Valentine-themed horror movie. You can stream Heart Eyes on Netflix.
The Hole in the Ground – This Irish horror movie is perfect for recognizing St. Patrick’s Day. It was Writer/Director Lee Cronin’s first feature film, and he would go on to create Evil Dead Rise four years later.
Sarah and her little boy Chris make a move to the Irish countryside, and discover a large sinkhole in the forest. After Chris temporarily disappears one night, he begins to exhibit odd behavior. As the frightening events continue to unfold, Sarah will have to fight to recover her son, and to protect the two of them. The Hole in the Ground can be rented on several streaming platforms, including Amazon Prime.
Jaws – Is there really any better way to celebrate the Fourth of July than watching the most iconic shark film of all time? I personally never get tired of watching Sheriff Martin Brody, shark hunter Quint and oceanographer Matt Hooper set out on a too-small boat to capture the shark that has been terrorizing the beach-goers at Amity.
While director Steven Spielberg was most likely initially devastated when the very expensive mechanical sharks he planned to use continuously malfunctioned, it turned out to be a very happy accident. Spielberg made the decision to cut back drastically on the number of times the shark was actually shown on camera, and it served to amp up the film’s tension. Jaws can be seen on Peacock.
Trick ‘r Treat – OK, I am biased about this unique, delightful, and positively gorgeous Halloween-themed film, but it perfectly embodies the holiday. The colors, the scenery, the special effects – all of them scream Halloween.
In Warren Valley, Ohio, viewers are treated to multiple storylines involving the town’s residents on Halloween night. As an odd-looking figure named Sam, clad in orange footie pajamas and with a burlap sack on his head wanders through town, he sets out to punish those who don’t show the proper respect to Halloween.
A group of kids trekking to the local quarry, a couple returning home from a Halloween party, a sadistic neighbor who kills locals and buries them in his back yard, a reclusive old man with a big secret, and a young woman trying to find a date for an outdoor Halloween party – each of them has their own story, and we love every minute of it. Trick ‘r Treat is available to rent on multiple streaming platforms.
Thanksgiving – Eli Roth brought us this Thanksgiving-themed slasher in 2023. It’s another fun, gory flick that keeps us guessing until the end, and it’s even set in Plymouth, Massachusetts.
A Black Friday stampede at the local RightMart results in the deaths of several people, and a year later, the store is planning for another sale. But some of the local people are violently murdered by a person wearing a pilgrim mask, who is soon referred to as John Carver.
Jessica and her friends are stalked by the killer, and soon must fight for their lives. Thanksgiving can be streamed on Netflix.
Black Christmas – There are a lot of Christmas-themed horror movies out there, but the original Black Christmas set the standard, and holds up even now, 50 years after its initial release.
The students at a sorority house are winding down for the holidays, and receive yet another obscene phone call during their Christmas party. Little do they know, “Billy” is actually inside the house, hunkered down in the attic when he isn’t prowling around killing off the girls.
Black Christmas is suspenseful and truly scary, even though there is little to no onscreen blood, and the cast is superb. Olivia Hussey is a great heroine as Jess, Margot Kidder is hilarious and heart breaking as the drunk Phyllis, and Keri Dullea keeps us on our toes as we try to figure out if he is innocent, or if he is actually Billy. Black Christmas is available to watch on several streaming platforms, including Tubi and Shudder.