Chilly Nights & Festive Frights

While it's typical to find holiday favorites and syrupy family fare at nearly every turn this time of year, here are some thrill-based tales that are a nice break from tradition

A Nasty Piece of Work (Hulu)

Keeping with the holiday theme included in most of Blumhouse's and Hulu's "Into the Dark" features, this twisted adventure sees Ted (Kyle Howard) competing for the opportunity of a lifetime after his sociopathic boss (Julian Sands) announces the company can't afford to give any Christmas bonuses. Instead, Ted and his wife Tatum (Angela Sarafyan) are invited to dinner, where he'll be pitted against a fellow employee (Dustin Milligan) for a chance at a promotion. Predictably, the offer involves a barbaric test of wills, but unpredictably, its dark comedic chops shine brightly throughout its brisk 78 minute runtime. It also stars Molly Hagan, Natalie Hall and Nico Greetham. There is a sequence of dialogue and a thematic element surrounding a particular epithet about mental disabilities, so please be warned.

Anna and the Apocalypse (Hulu and Amazon Prime Video)

Nothing says Christmas quite like a musical...and a horde of flesh-eating zombies. Light on scares, but not on blood and guts, this slapstick comedy follows a group of high school students as they battle against a deadly outbreak during the most wonderful time of the year. All the while, they belt out rhythmic tunes and burst into spontaneous dance numbers. I've always felt musicals were ridiculous, but this film fully embraces their impracticality. It also manages to tell a story with some heart, as Anna (Ella Hunt) journeys with her friends (played by Ben Wiggins, Christopher Leavaux, Malcom Cumming and Sarah Swire) to be reunited with her dad (Mark Benton). Its wackiness is akin to "Shaun of the Dead" and its a British production as well, which further drives home the comparisons, but it has its own essence and feels fresh despite treading in well-known waters.

Better Watch Out (Tubi and Amazon Prime Video)

This bizarre black comedy stars Levi Miller as Luke, a foul-mouthed tween who has a huge crush on his babysitter Ashley (Olivia DeJonge). Knowing she'll be moving away soon, he chooses to awkwardly act on his feelings and she appropriately shuts him down. Things go from bad to worse when they fall victim to a home invasion, but oddly enough, that may be the least of their worries. If "Home Alone" had an R-rated mean streak, it would be this movie. It almost functions as a demented, alternate universe take on the holiday classic, transforming its violent gags into a deadly game with real consequences. Featuring familiar faces like Patrick Warburton and genre favorite Virginia Madsen in bit parts, this subversive seasonal escapade offers a nice change of pace in several respects.

Silent Night (Tubi and Amazon Prime Video)

Not a clever horror-comedy like previous entries or a slow-burning psychological unraveling like one of the titles still to come, "Silent Night" is an old-fashioned slasher that recalls the heyday of its predecessors. A re-imagining of the 1984 cult cheesefest "Silent Night, Deadly Night", the 2012 version easily has the highest production values of the franchise. The storytelling is a bit lackluster, but it does make up for it with a few gnarly kills. Like the original, it features a killer Santa Claus terrorizing a small town, but unlike before, the events now focus on a rookie deputy (Jaime King) and the town sheriff (Malcolm McDowell) as they track him down. Calling it a "good" movie may be a little bit of a stretch, but as far as slasher-based remakes are concerned, it may be a tad underrated.

The Decline (Neflix)

This French-Canadian action-thriller features six civilians (Guillaume Cyr, Guillaume Laurin, Marc Beaupré, Marc-André Grondin, Marie-Evelyne Lessard and Marilyn Castonguay) who travel to a remote location in Quebec for survivalist training. The boot camp is led by Alain (Réal Bossé), a seemingly respected and familiar figure among survival enthusiasts. The event relatively goes off without a hitch, that is until a tragic accident occurs, triggering a brutal power struggle within the group. At just over an hour and twenty minutes long, there's not a ton of character development or thematic depth, but its escalation into violence makes it a gripping film. Granted, this is a little bit of a cheat, as it isn't Christmas related. However, its snowy setting and chilling premise make it a perfect watch for a cozy night on the couch.

The Lodge (Hulu and Amazon Prime Video)

After losing their mother (Alicia Silverstone), two young children (Jaeden Martell and Lia McHugh) reluctantly spend Christmas with their father and his new girlfriend, Grace (Riley Keough), at their family lodge. The kids' icy relationship with Grace is strained even further after their father ventures back into town on business, leaving the three tucked away in the mountains alone. Those seeking jump scares will be sorely disappointed with this moody psychological thriller. Alternatively, it relies on atmospherics and suspense to craft a genuinely unsettling film. Its calculated cinematography and sharp direction (by Austrian duo Veronika Franz and Severin Fiala) elevate the film's creepiness and sense of isolation. The film also explores weighty topics like divorce, religion and suicide, as well as featuring that unfortunate slur mentioned earlier, so if any of those are trigger points, please be advised.