A '70s Christmas Horror Masterpiece (And Its 2006 Remake) Are Streaming For Free On Tubi

Christmas doesn't always have to be about cheer and goodwill towards all — sometimes it can be bloody terrifying. For those of us feeling a little more "Bah Humbug!" than usual this year, there's a deliciously bleak holiday treat streaming on Tubi just in time for the season: Bob Clark's seminal 1974 slasher "Black Christmas." "Black Christmas" isn't just a truly terrific Christmas horror movie; it's also one of the best slashers ever made and changed the genre forever. The movie takes place over Christmas break and follows the young women of a sorority house as they're stalked and slaughtered by a mysterious killer who torments them with creepy phone calls. It's the inspiration behind some of the most well-worn slasher tropes, but it is so brilliantly executed that its power is undeniable. 

"Black Christmas" has been remade twice, first in 2006 and then in 2019, though neither remake was as successful as the original (in large part because it's hard to improve upon perfection). Fans who are curious to check out the 2006 remake directed by Glen Morgan are in luck, however, because it is also streaming for free on Tubi! While it's not going to blow you away quite like the 1974 version, there are still some pretty valid reasons to want to watch, including an A-list cast featuring Michelle Trachtenberg, Mary Elizabeth Winstead, and Lacey Chabert. Besides, when the weather outside is frightful, it's fun to bring a bit of fright inside, too! 

Depending on who you ask, the 2006 "Black Christmas" remake is either totally overhated or one of the worst horror remakes of all time. Trading in the creeping dread of the original for a thumping soundtrack and buckets of blood and gore, Morgan's "Black Christmas" is truly a thing of its time. A fantastic young cast helps make it a bit more bearable, and some acerbic humor keeps things from getting too dour, but unfortunately, it's the kind of movie you might expect from the same era that gave us "The Hills Have Eyes" and "The Texas Chain Saw Massacre" remakes that also seemed to miss the point. 

If you can put the original out of your mind and try to enjoy the 2006 "Black Christmas" on its own terms, it's a fairly servicable mid-2000s slasher with a decent cast, and there are far worse ways to spend an afternoon. Besides, since it's Tubi, it's free!

Even if you decide to skip the 2006 "Black Christmas," the original is honestly a must-see for everyone, even folks who aren't all that into horror. The women in this movie actually have personal autonomy, for Pete's sake! In 1974! We can't get that in the vast majority of movies these days, let alone slashers. Bob Clark went out of his way to depict the young adults in "Black Christmas" more like their real-world counterparts, helping to alleviate the idea that young people aren't capable of making their own decisions. In a time when young women were fighting for abortion rights and young men were conscientiously objecting to going to fight a foreign war in Vietnam, giving young adults credit for being adults really mattered. 

Of course, "Black Christmas" is still a horror movie and has one seriously bleak ending, so it might not be the right holiday watch for the most sensitive viewers. For everyone else, though, "Black Christmas" on Tubi is quite the stocking stuffer.