While winter brings the holiday spirit to some viewers, it brings the yearning for a great horror movie to others. Over the years, filmmakers and writers have established winter as one of the most effective backdrops for horror. The cold and isolation of a winter storm is the perfect setting to evoke fear, while a wintry horror tale also brings an odd sense of comfort to viewers. Just look to the 2025 release Dead of Winter for that.
Viewers can use our guide to discover the 10 best winter horror movies available on platforms like HBO Max, Peacock, and more.
The Shining (1980)
Based on the Stephen King book of the same name, The Shining is a psychological horror that follows Jack Torrance’s (Jack Nicholson) descent into madness while caring for a desolate, winter resort with his wife, Wendy (Shelly Duvall), and son, Danny (Danny Lloyd). Although The Shining deviates a bit from King’s novel, it still stands as one of the greatest horror movies ever made. In addition to iconic cinematography, the movie’s setting masterfully evokes a sense of dread and isolation.
The Shining creates a sense of uncanniness and eeriness that keeps viewers glued to the screen. Nicholson’s ability to portray madness and Duvall’s depiction of genuine stress and paranoia also elevate the viewing experience. If you love Stephen King movies and twisted psychological thrillers like Pet Sematary (1989) and Hereditary (2018), The Shining is a must-see.
The Thing (1982)
The Thing is a sci-fi horror movie set in Antarctica, where a mysterious, shapeshifting creature terrorizes a group of American researchers. It masterfully creates an atmosphere of horror, fear, and distrust, as the extraterrestrial life form can assume the appearance of any of the researchers. The desolate and extreme environment of Antarctica contributes to the sense of hopelessness and fear of the unknown.
In addition to its adeptness at conveying fear and paranoia, The Thing boasts a level of sophistication rare for the time, with outstanding visuals, performances, and a fast plot that doesn’t waste a second of its runtime. Its bleak and thoughtful exploration of paranoia and human nature is the cherry on top. The Thing is so unique that there aren’t many movies that parallel it. However, it's an excellent choice for viewers seeking a masterclass in suspense, comparable to 12 Angry Men (1957) and Alien (1979).
Misery (1990)
Misery is a King adaptation that centers on the author Paul Sheldon (James Caan), who ends up at the mercy of obsessive fan Annie Wilkes (Kathy Bates) after getting caught in a blizzard. The film is excellent for King fans, as the author himself has included Misery among his favorite adaptations of his work. It wonderfully adapts the source material, conveying all the horror and chaos of the novel.
Bates also offers one of the most convincing King villains in cinema, as she masterfully portrays the chilling and psychotic Wilkes. Misery is particularly terrifying and suspenseful because, between Paul’s injuries and the raging blizzard, it so perfectly captures the feeling of pure isolation and helplessness. Fans of claustrophobic and uncomfortable horror films, such as The Shining and Gerald’s Game (2017), will enjoy Misery.
Dreamcatcher (2003)
The King adaptation Dreamcatcher follows a group of friends who acquired telepathic powers as teenagers on their annual winter hunting trip, only to find themselves caught up in an alien invasion. Dreamcatcher is one of King’s more absurd adaptations, packed with body horror, superhuman powers, alien invasions, and alien possession. However, viewers who give it a chance will find it’s a compelling movie with an ambitious premise and strong performances.
Dreamcatcher capitalizes on its winter premise, utilizing the isolated environment to evoke fear and uncertainty as the friends come across lost campers and witness strange animal behavior. The film is a bit overstuffed, but strange and frightening enough to intrigue. If you enjoy King’s more off-the-wall adaptations, like The Tommyknockers (1993), you’ll be interested in Dreamcatcher.
30 Days of Night (2007)
30 Days of Night takes place in Barrow, Alaska, where some residents brave a month-long polar night and find themselves preyed upon by vampires. The film is a unique twist on the vampire genre, depicting the monsters as brutal, ruthless killing machines who kill without discernment. 30 Days of Night’s vampires are genuinely terrifying. Meanwhile, the winter and far-north setting creates an environment where one of the vampire’s few weaknesses, sunlight, is rendered obsolete.
30 Days of Night makes for a riveting supernatural thriller. It delivers on the terror with nonstop suspense and unrestrained violence and carnage. If you’re looking for a vampire film that subverts vampire tropes, such as Abigail (2024) and A Girl Walks Home Alone at Night (2014), 30 Days of Night is an excellent choice.
Frozen (2010)
Not to be confused with the 2013 Disney animated movie, Frozen (2010) is a psychological horror film in which several snowboarders struggle for survival after being stranded on a chairlift at a ski resort. Frozen is one of those films that doesn’t need supernatural elements and jump scares to be frightening. In this movie, winter isn’t just a setting, but the actual source of terror as the protagonists try to escape its unrelenting chill.
Frozen creates an unnerving atmosphere and is pulsing with suspense. It’s also unique in its ability to utilize a setting as restrictive as a ski lift chair and spin it into a formidable horror setting. The movie is highly reminiscent of other psychological thrillers with unique settings, such as Fall (2022) and Open Water (2003), and is excellent for viewers seeking a horror movie without supernatural elements.
Rare Exports: A Christmas Tale (2010)
Rare Exports: A Christmas Tale is a holiday horror comedy in which a research team drills into what they believe to be Santa Claus’s tomb, but inadvertently unleashes an ancient evil. Viewers get not only a wintry setting, but also a holiday horror. The film demonstrates just how fun holiday horror can be with its black humor and ambitious, dark spin on Santa Claus.
Rare Exports: A Christmas Tale offers light horror elements, including dead reindeer and disappearing children. However, it doesn’t take itself too seriously and leans more into comedy and absurdity. The result is a weird, darkly comedic tale of an evil Santa Claus, staunchly different from the typical legends. If you love holiday dark humor like Bad Santa (2003) and Violent Night (2022), Rare Exports: A Christmas Tale will be a treat.
The Blackcoat’s Daughter (2015)
Osgood Perkins’ The Blackcoat’s Daughter takes place in the dead of winter, where two young girls stay behind at a Catholic boarding school during vacation and face a sinister evil force. The film functions as a dark, unsettling horror mystery told in parts from three different perspectives. It achieves that eerie feeling in viewers that everything is not as it seems through its slow-burning premise and haunting score.
The Blackcoat’s Daughter makes excellent use of tension, jump scares, and mystery to keep viewers intrigued, while Emma Roberts, Kiernan Shipka, and Lucy Boynton offer fantastic performances. It's comparable in quality and chills to other standout A24 horror movies, such as Hereditary and Midsommar (2019), and is a must-see for fans of Perkins.
The Lodge (2019)
The Lodge centers on Grace (Riley Keough), who becomes stranded at a remote winter lodge with her two soon-to-be stepchildren over Christmas vacation and experiences supernatural phenomena. Its wintry setting and unsettling atmosphere equip it with a chill that’s hard to avoid. The Lodge is one of those movies that avoids cheap thrills and creates horror through a wholly shocking, bleak plot that generates misery and discomfort.
The Lodge’s brutal, bleak premise means that it won’t appeal to all viewers. However, if you love horror movies that are difficult to watch and stick with you long after they’re over, such as Bring Her Back (2025), then The Lodge will be appealing.
Dead of Winter (2025)
In Dead of Winter, a widow, Barb (Emma Thompson), ends up at a remote Minnesota lodge in the dead of winter to spread her husband’s ashes, only to be interrupted by a murderous couple and the young woman they’re holding hostage. The movie makes full use of its setting and is replete with breathtaking shots of snow-covered expanses that capture the sheer isolation of the environment. Thompson also offers one of the best performances of her career as an unlikely heroine and the perfect force to take on Judy Greer’s unhinged villain.
At a runtime of just 98 minutes, Dead of Winter never lets up the pace or suspense. From the first hint of horror all the way to the unpredictable end, viewers will be on the edge of their seats. Like Frozen and Misery, Dead of Winter relies heavily on suspense and psychological horror to keep viewers engaged while also ramping up the action for those seeking even more thrills.
