Red Christmas

Red Christmas

Year: 2017

Runtime: 82 min

Language: English

Director: Craig Anderson

Echo Score: 66
ThrillerHorror

Snowflakes fall as a fractured family gathers at their secluded matriarch’s estate for Christmas Eve. Their uneasy reunion is shattered by the arrival of a horribly scarred stranger. He seeks retribution against the widow and her family, plunging them into a terrifying fight for survival. The festive atmosphere quickly turns sinister as the killer hunts his prey in a gruesome and chaotic game.

Red Christmas (2017) – Spoiler-Free Movie Summary & Plot Overview

Get a spoiler-free look at Red Christmas (2017) with a clear plot overview that covers the setting, main characters, and story premise—without revealing key twists or the ending. Perfect for deciding if this film is your next watch.

Snowfall blankets a remote family estate, turning the holiday season into a silent tableau of cracked relationships and lingering regrets. As the members of a once‑tight‑knit clan converge for a Christmas Eve gathering, the warm glow of candles struggles against the cold that has settled over years of estrangement. The isolated setting, with its creaking timbers and endless stretches of white, feels both inviting and foreboding, setting the stage for a celebration that teeters on the edge of unease.

At the heart of the reunion is the widowed matriarch, Diane, whose stoic presence holds the family together while hinting at old wounds that have never fully healed. Her children and grandchildren arrive with their own baggage—unspoken grievances, unresolved apologies, and the fragile hope that the season might finally mend what time has frayed. The house, steeped in memories, becomes a character in its own right, its every shadow suggesting stories the family would rather keep locked away.

The quiet tension is shattered by the arrival of a mysterious, scarred stranger, Cletus, whose sudden appearance feels like a cold wind slipping through the cracked doors. He brings with him an air of menace that is both unsettling and oddly magnetic, as if his very presence is a reminder that the past refuses to stay buried. The dynamic between the family and this enigmatic figure fuels a growing sense of dread, turning holiday cheer into a fragile veneer over something far more sinister.

As night deepens and the wind howls outside, the gathering shifts from festive conviviality to a tense, watchful waiting. Each character must confront not only the icy grip of the season but also the unsettling knowledge that something—or someone—has come to rewrite the rules of their family’s legacy. The stage is set for a Christmas unlike any other, where survival hinges as much on confronting inner demons as on the looming threat that now stalks the snow‑covered estate.

Last Updated: August 10, 2025 at 03:07

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Holiday horror movies like Red Christmas

Iconic celebrations shattered by violent intrusion and terror.If you liked the way Red Christmas turns a festive family gathering into a bloodbath, you'll find similar thrills here. This list features movies where holidays and celebrations become the backdrop for relentless terror and violent home invasions, perfect for fans of dark seasonal horror.

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Narrative Summary

The narrative typically begins with a family or group gathering for a celebration, establishing a sense of normalcy and comfort. This peace is abruptly shattered by the arrival of a threat—often a stalker, killer, or supernatural force—forcing the characters into a desperate and gruesome fight for survival within the decorated, now-trapped, location.

Why These Movies?

They are grouped by their core premise of subverting a cheerful, familiar holiday atmosphere with extreme violence and dread. The shared experience is one of contrasting festive iconography with brutal horror, amplifying the sense of invasion and helplessness.

Bleak revenge horror stories like Red Christmas

A killer from the past returns to systematically destroy a guilty family.For viewers who appreciated the grim, motivation-driven horror of Red Christmas, this collection features movies where a traumatic past event fuels a killer's revenge plot against a family. These stories are heavy, straightforward, and typically end with profound loss and devastation.

bleakrevengetraumaticgruesomemoral ambiguitysystematichopelessbrutal

Narrative Summary

The plot is driven by a mysterious or scarred figure seeking vengeance for a historical wrong committed by the family patriarch or matriarch. The story unfolds linearly as the antagonist systematically hunts down family members, revealing the dark secret piece by piece, culminating in a confrontational and often hopeless finale.

Why These Movies?

They share a focus on revenge as the central motive, a straightforward narrative of systematic elimination, and a heavy emotional weight derived from exploring trauma and guilt. The experience is defined by its bleak tone and the inevitability of the tragic outcome.

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Red Christmas Summary

Read a complete plot summary of Red Christmas, including all key story points, character arcs, and turning points. This in-depth recap is ideal for understanding the narrative structure or reviewing what happened in the movie.

Red Christmas Summary

Red Christmas Timeline

Track the full timeline of Red Christmas with every major event arranged chronologically. Perfect for decoding non-linear storytelling, flashbacks, or parallel narratives with a clear scene-by-scene breakdown.

Red Christmas Timeline

Characters, Settings & Themes in Red Christmas

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Characters, Settings & Themes in Red Christmas

More About Red Christmas

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