Celebrate the holidays with some ho-ho-horror movies.
Welcome to Horrorscope, a monthly column keeping horror nerds and initiates up to date on all the horror content coming to and leaving your favorite streaming services. Here’s what to watch in December 2023:
Congratulations, gang. We’ve made it through another year.
2023 added a good handful of horror flics to the genre pile: When Evil Lurks provided an Argentine answer to Lucio Fulci; Huesera: The Bone Woman reminded us that motherhood has lost none of its body horror lustre; Talk to Me proved that the possession genre is in good hand(s), and Infinity Pool proved that Brandon Cronenberg’s talent is only appreciating with age.
We’re big fans of holiday horror around these parts. When the air gets chilly and the decorative lights start to twinkle, all we want to do is flood our screens with Krampus, Wendigos, and Satanic Santas. In that spirit I’ve culled through this month’s streamable horror offerings and identified the trends, highlights, and fearfully festive additions. So be sure to peruse the complete list below, calendar in hand, for a full picture of what horror movies are coming and going from your favorite streaming services in December 2023.
Please keep in mind that all dates listed below may not apply to viewers outside the US.
December 2023 Horror Streaming Cheat Sheet
- One of the enduring “hot-potato” franchises of the streaming landscape, the first five Paranormal Activity movies hit MAX on the first of the month.
- If horror anthologies are your jam, keep an eye on Hulu on December 31st, which sees the arrival of films from The ABCs of Death and V/H/S franchises as well as XX.
- For the bug lovers out there: The Mimic trilogy hits Paramount+ on December 1st.
- Shudder has very sneakily added six Mario Bava bangers to their service on December 15th.
- Franchise completionists should keep an eye on the films leaving MAX at the end of the month (Conjuring universe! Final Destination! Scream! And more!).
- Pretend it’s the summer and catch the first four films in the Jaws franchise before they leave Netflix on the 31st.
Collection Corner: December 2023 Horror Streaming
- ARROW
- Happy Horror-days! (as of December 1st)
- Titles Include: Holiday Fear, The Leech, and Chill Factor.
- Happy Horror-days! (as of December 1st)
- Gala Avary Selects Vol. II (as of December 4th)
- Titles Include: Bloody Birthday, Lady Morgan’s Vengeance, and The Initiation.
- Gala Avary Selects Vol. II (as of December 4th)
- Travis Stevens Selects (as of December 18th)
- Titles Include: No The Case Is Happily Resolved, Inferno of Torture, and Shock.
- Travis Stevens Selects (as of December 18th)
New(ish) Releases
2022
- Beast on December 7th on Peacock;
- Halloween Ends on December 13th on Peacock.
2023
- Scooby-Doo! and Krypto, Too! on December 25th on MAX;
- The Exorcist: Believer on December 1st on Peacock;
- Devils and Santastein on December 1st on Screambox;
- It’s A Wonderful Knife on December 1st on Shudder;
- The Sacrifice Game on December 8th on Shudder;
- All Hallows Eve Trickster on December 1st on Tubi;
- Black Mold on December 7th on Tubi;
- Mirame on December 19th on Tubi;
- A Vampire in the Family on December 24th on Netflix.
The streaming service champion of the month is Shudder, which easily brought the most Holiday-themed ho-ho-horror films to the table out of any service.
The streaming service dunce of the month is Peacock, which had the audacity to assail us with both The Exorcist: Believer and Halloween Ends, two legacy remakes that can kick rocks. Sure, both ARROW and Disney+ didn’t bring any new horror to their services, but at least they aren’t sadists.
Horror Streaming Highlights for December 2023
Pick of the Month — The Sacrifice Game (2023)
Synopsis: It’s December in the 1970s, and while the rest of the students at the Blackvale School for Girls have gone home for the holidays, two holdovers remain. What promises to be a boring snowed-in Christmas takes a Charles Manson-inspired turn when four maniacs show up with body parts aplenty to enact an occult ritual.
As someone who dug 2018’s The Ranger, it delights me to announce that The Sacrifice Game is proof that Jenn Wexler is a name well worth knowing. The Sacrifice Game feels like breath of fresh freaky fun in a genre landscape that’s become overly preoccupied with the real monster being, trauma, actually. If you’ve ever wondered what it would look like if Quentin Tarantino made a Christmas-set teen slasher, this is the film for you!
Available to stream on Shudder December 8th.
The Must-Have Homicidal Doll of the Season
Synopsis: Even if she could afford it, Karen (Catherine Hicks) couldn’t get her hands on a Good Guy doll if she wanted to. They’re the toy of the season. But wide-eyed Andy (Alex Vincent) wants one for his birthday. It’s all he wants. And you just don’t say no to a face like that. Fortunately, Karen is able to buy a “Chucky” doll from a literal back-alley vendor for a cheap price. Unfortunately, the doll is possessed with the soul of the voodoo-practicing serial killer Charles Lee Ray (Brad Dourif).
Child’s Play isn’t a Christmas movie in the strictest sense of the term. But there’s something about Tom Holland‘s 1988 film that has an affinity, shall we say, with this time of year. Maybe it’s the crisp Chicago setting or the toy-centric-mania. Maybe it’s the genuinely touching sense of familial love and trust between Karen and Andy. In any case, if you want a rock-solid seasonal double bill about how terrifying things come in small packages, boot up this and Gremlins.
Leaving MAX on December 31st.
A Holiday Hallmark Romance for the Witch in Your Life
Synopsis: After learning that her cute neighbor Shep (James Stewart) is engaged to her nemesis, modern-day witch Gillian (Kim Novak) conspires to work her magic to make him fall in love with her, instead. Sure, if she catches feelings herself, Gillian could loser her powers. But hey, that kind of reversal only happens in the movies. Oh, wait.
A hex on anyone who questions whether or not Bell, Book and Candle is a horror film. Frankly, I think genre fans deserve their own spooky version of a holiday-set romantic comedy. Sue me for wanting the best for us!
Directed by former child actor Richard Quine (whose pitch-black How to Murder Your Wife is equally horror-adjacent), Bell, Book and Candle features immaculate Christmas vibes, an impish cat named Pyewacket, and supporting performances by the likes of Elsa Lanchester (The Bride of Frankenstein) and Jack Lemmon. It’s like a warm Technicolor cup of hot apple cider on a cold night. Did I mention there’s a Zodiac-themed nightclub?
Available to stream on Screambox on November 1.
Celebrate Christmas with Cronenberg
Synopsis: A car accident leaves improbably-named schoolteacher Johnny Smith (Christopher Walken) in a coma. He wakes up five years later. The bad news is that his girlfriend left his side and started a family with another man. The “good” news is that he now has the ability to psychically connect with anyone he touches. Burdened with foresight, Johnny wrestles with the obligations of his new gift … especially when he learns that if elected, a popular third-party political candidate (Martin Sheen) will incite a nuclear holocaust.
A bit of an oddity both within Stephen King cinematic universe and David Cronenberg‘s genre offerings, The Dead Zone is a chilly political thriller with a delicious Twilight Zone-style twist to it. Produced by the great Debra Hill and decisively shot by frequent Cronenberg collaborator Mark Irwin, The Dead Zone also benefits from an adapted screenplay by Jeffrey Boam (the guy who brought us Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade and The Lost Boys).
Reagan-era coded and cold to the touch, The Dead Zone earns its frigid feeling in large part thanks to Cronenberg’s dogged determination to shoot as much in Ontario, Canada as possible — even in the midst of a historic deep freeze. So, cuddle up next to the space heater and strap in for an icy genre-mish mash that also happens to feature one of the worst bowl cuts in cinema.
Available to stream on Prime Video and Paramount+ on December 1st.
Streamable Horror Incoming This Month
Fresh blood: A list of all the horror content coming to streaming services in December 2023.
| Streaming Service | Movie | Date |
|---|---|---|
| The Criterion Channel | Bell, Book and Candle (1958) | Dec 1 |
| Freevee | Hotel Transylvania (2012) | Dec 1 |
| Freevee | The Night of the Hunter (1955) | Dec 1 |
| Freevee | The Purge (2013) | Dec 1 |
| MAX | 9 (2009) | Dec 1 |
| MAX | Jurassic World (2015) | Dec 1 |
| MAX | Paranormal Activity (2009) | Dec 1 |
| MAX | Paranormal Activity 2 (2010) | Dec 1 |
| MAX | Paranormal Activity 3 (2011) | Dec 1 |
| MAX | Paranormal Activity 4 (2012) | Dec 1 |
| MAX | Paranormal Activity: The Marked Ones (2014) | Dec 1 |
| MAX | The Strangers: Prey at Night (2018) | Dec 1 |
| MAX | Scooby-Doo! and Krypto, Too! (2023) | Dec 25 |
| Hulu | District 9 (2009) | Dec 1 |
| Hulu | Hansel and Gretel: Witch Hunters (2013) | Dec 1 |
| Hulu | Hostel: Part III (2011) | Dec 1 |
| Hulu | The Omen (2006) | Dec 1 |
| Hulu | Shutter (2008) | Dec 1 |
| Hulu | The ABCs of Death (2012) | Dec 31 |
| Hulu | The ABCs of Death 2 (2014) | Dec 31 |
| Hulu | I Saw the Devil (2010) | Dec 31 |
| Hulu | Satanic (2016) | Dec 31 |
| Hulu | Splinter (2008) | Dec 31 |
| Hulu | Vanishing on 7th Street (2010) | Dec 31 |
| Hulu | V/H/S (2012) | Dec 31 |
| Hulu | V/H/S 2 (2013) | Dec 31 |
| Hulu | V/H/S: Viral (2014) | Dec 31 |
| Hulu | XX (2017) | Dec 31 |
| Hulu | Zombieland: Double Tap (2019) | Dec 31 |
| Netflix | Black Swan (2010) | Dec 1 |
| Netflix | Insidious (2010) | Dec 1 |
| Netflix | The Meg (2018) | Dec 1 |
| Netflix | Blood Vessel (2019) | Dec 8 |
| Netflix | A Vampire in the Family (2023) | Dec 24 |
| Paramount+ | 10 Cloverfield Lane (2016) | Dec 1 |
| Paramount+ | Carriers (2009) | Dec 1 |
| Paramount+ | Cloverfield (2008) | Dec 1 |
| Paramount+ | Crawl (2019) | Dec 1 |
| Paramount+ | Grindhouse: Death Proof (2007) | Dec 1 |
| Paramount+ | Grindhouse: Planet Terror (2007) | Dec 1 |
| Paramount+ | Mimic (1997) | Dec 1 |
| Paramount+ | Mimic 2 (2001) | Dec 1 |
| Paramount+ | Mimic 3: Sentinel (2003) | Dec 1 |
| Paramount+ | Mother! (2017) | Dec 1 |
| Paramount+ | Rosemary’s Baby (version unclear) | Dec 1 |
| Paramount+ | The Dead Zone (1983) | Dec 1 |
| Paramount+ | The Prophecy (1995) | Dec 1 |
| Paramount+ | The Prophecy 3: The Ascent (2000) | Dec 1 |
| Paramount+ | The Prophecy II (1998) | Dec 1 |
| Paramount+ | The Prophecy: Forsaken (2005) | Dec 1 |
| Paramount+ | The Prophecy: Uprising (2005) | Dec 1 |
| Paramount+ | The Shining (1980) | Dec 1 |
| Paramount+ | The Thing (version unclear) | Dec 1 |
| Peacock | The Exorcist: Believer (2023) | Dec 1 |
| Peacock | Exorcist: The Beginning (2004) | Dec 1 |
| Peacock | Pitch Black (2000) | Dec 1 |
| Peacock | Beast (2022) | Dec 7 |
| Peacock | Halloween Ends (2022) | Dec 13 |
| Plex | Shutter (2008) | Dec 1 |
| Plex | Splinter (2008) | Dec 1 |
| Plex | Trollhunter (2010) | Dec 7 |
| Plex | It Comes At Night (2017) | Dec 8 |
| Prime Video | Tales From the Darkside: The Movie (1990) | Dec 1 |
| Prime Video | The Conjuring: The Devil Made Me Do It (2021) | Dec 1 |
| Prime Video | The Dead Zone (1983) | Dec 1 |
| Prime Video | The Ring (2002) | Dec 1 |
| Screambox | Adam Chaplin (2011) | Dec 1 |
| Screambox | Antibodies (2005) | Dec 1 |
| Screambox | Bitter Feast (2010) | Dec 1 |
| Screambox | Blood Conscious (2021) | Dec 1 |
| Screambox | Darlin’ (2019) | Dec 1 |
| Screambox | Devils (2023) | Dec 1 |
| Screambox | Eaten Alive (version unclear) | Dec 1 |
| Screambox | The Honeymoon Phase (2019) | Dec 1 |
| Screambox | My Heart Can’t Beat Unless You Tell It To (2020) | Dec 1 |
| Screambox | Norway (2014) | Dec 1 |
| Screambox | Phenomena (1985) | Dec 1 |
| Screambox | Rare Exports (2010) | Dec 1 |
| Screambox | Santastein (2023) | Dec 1 |
| Screambox | Sleep Tight (2011) | Dec 1 |
| Screambox | Stake Land (2010) | Dec 1 |
| Screambox | Summer of Blood (2014) | Dec 1 |
| Screambox | Wake Wood (2009) | Dec 1 |
| Shudder | It’s A Wonderful Knife (2023) | Dec 1 |
| Shudder | The Children (2008) | Dec 1 |
| Shudder | Black Christmas (2006) | Dec 1 |
| Shudder | P2 (2007) | Dec 1 |
| Shudder | Night of the Comet (1984) | Dec 1 |
| Shudder | To All a Good Night (1980) | Dec 1 |
| Shudder | The Sacrifice Game (2023) | Dec 8 |
| Shudder | Wendigo (2001) | Dec 11 |
| Shudder | Devil’s Pass (2013) | Dec 11 |
| Shudder | I Trapped the Devil (2019) | Dec 11 |
| Shudder | Bay of Blood (1971) | Dec 15 |
| Shudder | Baron Blood (1972) | Dec 15 |
| Shudder | Black Sunday (1960) | Dec 15 |
| Shudder | Kill, Baby … Kill! (1966) | Dec 15 |
| Shudder | Lisa and the Devil (1974) | Dec 15 |
| Shudder | The Evil Eye (1963) | Dec 15 |
| Shudder | The Gingerdead Man (2005) | Dec 18 |
| Shudder | Barbarians (2021) | Dec 25 |
| Tubi | Constantine (2005) | Dec 1 |
| Tubi | Eve’s Bayou (1997) | Dec 1 |
| Tubi | All Hallows Eve Trickster (2023) | Dec 1 |
| Tubi | Annabelle (2014) | Dec 1 |
| Tubi | Cabin Fever (2002) | Dec 1 |
| Tubi | Cabin Fever 2 (2009) | Dec 1 |
| Tubi | Doctor Sleep (2019) | Dec 1 |
| Tubi | Final Destination (2000) | Dec 1 |
| Tubi | Final Destination 2 (2003) | Dec 1 |
| Tubi | Final Destination 3 (2006) | Dec 1 |
| Tubi | Final Destination 5 (2011) | Dec 1 |
| Tubi | It Comes At Night (2017) | Dec 1 |
| Tubi | Jason Goes To Hell: The Final Friday (1993) | Dec 1 |
| Tubi | Jason X (2001) | Dec 1 |
| Tubi | Rob Zombie’s Halloween (2007) | Dec 1 |
| Tubi | Rob Zombie’s Halloween II (2009) | Dec 1 |
| Tubi | Silent Hill: Revelation 3D (2012) | Dec 1 |
| Tubi | Slither (2006) | Dec 1 |
| Tubi | The Final Destination (2009) | Dec 1 |
| Tubi | The Skeleton Key (2005) | Dec 1 |
| Tubi | Tremors: Shrieker Island (2020) | Dec 1 |
| Tubi | Casper’s Haunted Christmas (2000) | Dec 1 |
| Tubi | Scooby-Doo (2002) | Dec 1 |
| Tubi | Scooby-Doo 2: Monsters Unleashed (2004) | Dec 1 |
| Tubi | Black Mold (2023) | Dec 7 |
| Tubi | Mirame (2023) | Dec 19 |
Horror Streaming Titles Expiring Soon
On Their Way Out: These films have one foot in the grave—bump ‘em to the top of your December 2023 queue while you can!
| Streaming Service | Movie | Date |
|---|---|---|
| The Criterion Channel | Bram Stoker’s Dracula (1992) | Dec 31 |
| The Criterion Channel | In the Mouth of Madness (1995) | Dec 31 |
| The Criterion Channel | Body Snatchers (1993) | Dec 31 |
| The Criterion Channel | Videodrome (1983) | Dec 31 |
| The Criterion Channel | Phantom of the Paradise (1974) | Dec 31 |
| The Criterion Channel | Freaks (1932) | Dec 31 |
| The Criterion Channel | Donnie Darko (2001) | Dec 31 |
| The Criterion Channel | Ravenous (1999) | Dec 31 |
| The Criterion Channel | Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde (1931) | Dec 31 |
| The Criterion Channel | The Rapture (1991) | Dec 31 |
| The Criterion Channel | The Old Dark House (1932) | Dec 31 |
| The Criterion Channel | Mystery of the Wax Museum (1933) | Dec 31 |
| The Criterion Channel | Island of Lost Souls (1932) | Dec 31 |
| The Criterion Channel | The Black Cat (1934) | Dec 31 |
| The Criterion Channel | Thirteen Women (1932) | Dec 31 |
| The Criterion Channel | Svengali (1931) | Dec 31 |
| The Criterion Channel | The Raven (1935) | Dec 31 |
| The Criterion Channel | The Lodger (1944) | Dec 31 |
| MAX | Annabelle (2014) | Dec 31 |
| MAX | Annabelle Comes Home (2019) | Dec 31 |
| MAX | Annabelle: Creation (2017) | Dec 31 |
| MAX | Child’s Play (1988) | Dec 31 |
| MAX | The Conjuring 2 (2016) | Dec 31 |
| MAX | Constantine: City of Demons (2018) | Dec 31 |
| MAX | The Curse of La Llorona (2019) | Dec 31 |
| MAX | Final Destination (2000) | Dec 31 |
| MAX | Final Destination 2 (2003) | Dec 31 |
| MAX | Final Destination 3 (2006) | Dec 31 |
| MAX | Final Destination 5 (2011) | Dec 31 |
| MAX | The Final Destination (2009) | Dec 31 |
| MAX | The Haunting (1999) | Dec 31 |
| MAX | Insidious: Chapter 2 (2013) | Dec 31 |
| MAX | Leatherface: The Texas Chainsaw Massacre III (1990) | Dec 31 |
| MAX | Misery (1990) | Dec 31 |
| MAX | The Phantom of the Opera (2004) | Dec 31 |
| MAX | Scooby-Doo (2002) | Dec 31 |
| MAX | Scooby-Doo! The Sword and the Scoob! (2021) | Dec 31 |
| MAX | Scream (1996) | Dec 31 |
| MAX | Scream 2 (1997) | Dec 31 |
| MAX | Scream 3 (2000) | Dec 31 |
| MAX | So I Married an Axe Murderer (1993) | Dec 31 |
| MAX | Stephen King’s Graveyard Shift (1990) | Dec 31 |
| MAX | Stephen King’s Silver Bullet (1985) | Dec 31 |
| MAX | Stephen King’s Thinner (1996) | Dec 31 |
| MAX | Take Shelter (2011) | Dec 31 |
| MAX | Teen Witch (1989) | Dec 31 |
| MAX | The Texas Chainsaw Massacre (2003) | Dec 31 |
| MAX | The Texas Chainsaw Massacre: The Beginning (2006) | Dec 31 |
| MAX | Trick ‘r Treat (2009) | Dec 31 |
| MAX | Urge (2016) | Dec 31 |
| MAX | Warm Bodies (2013) | Dec 31 |
| MAX | You’re Next (2013) | Dec 31 |
| Hulu | Blade (1998) | Dec 31 |
| Hulu | Blade 2 (2002) | Dec 31 |
| Hulu | Blade: Trinity (2004) | Dec 31 |
| Hulu | Body At Brighton Rock (2019) | Dec 31 |
| Hulu | Dark Shadows (2012) | Dec 31 |
| Hulu | Daybreakers (2010) | Dec 31 |
| Hulu | Devil’s Due (2014) | Dec 31 |
| Hulu | Exorcist: The Beginning (2004) | Dec 31 |
| Hulu | Godzilla (1998) | Dec 31 |
| Hulu | Interview With the Vampire (1994) | Dec 31 |
| Hulu | The Possession (2012) | Dec 31 |
| Hulu | The Rocky Horror Picture Show (1975) | Dec 31 |
| Hulu | The Village (2004) | Dec 31 |
| Plex | Diabolique (version unclear) | Dec 31 |
| Plex | A Haunted House 2 (2014) | Dec 31 |
| Plex | The Quiet (2005) | Dec 31 |
| Plex | Train to Busan (2016) | Dec 31 |
| Netflix | Casper (1995) | Dec 31 |
| Netflix | Jaws (1975) | Dec 31 |
| Netflix | Jaws 2 (1978) | Dec 31 |
| Netflix | Jaws 3-D (1983) | Dec 31 |
| Netflix | Jaws: The Revenge (1987) | Dec 31 |
Related Topics: Horror, Horrorscope
Based in the Pacific North West, Meg enjoys long scrambles on cliff faces and cozying up with a good piece of 1960s eurotrash. As a senior contributor at FSR, Meg’s objective is to spread the good word about the best of sleaze, genre, and practical effects.
