Killer Santa Unleashes Holiday Horror in Finnish Slasher ‘DARK CHRISTMAS’ Ahead of AFM
Finnish Christmas Slasher ‘DARK CHRISTMAS’ Unleashes Killer Santa in New Trailer Ahead of AFM
Finnish filmmaker Keke Soikkeli is bringing a murderous Santa Claus to the holiday season with DARK CHRISTMAS (Musta Joulu), a new slasher film scheduled for theatrical release in Finland in December 2026. International sales company EuroObscura will introduce the film to buyers at the American Film Market (AFM), following the release of its official trailer and selections at two international genre festivals.
The film has been selected for the Rojo Sangre International Fantastic Film Festival in Buenos Aires, Argentina, and the Obscura Film Festival in Berlin, Germany, as it prepares for its domestic theatrical rollout.
Set during an exclusive Christmas influencer gala at a secluded manor, DARK CHRISTMAS follows Katariina, an aspiring social media personality who receives an invitation to an event that could provide her entry into the glamorous world of online celebrity.
The evening takes a violent turn when the party's scheduled Santa Claus cancels at the last minute, forcing organizers to bring in an unexpected replacement. After the mysterious man in red is publicly humiliated by the influencers and turned into viral entertainment, he retaliates by targeting the guests in a murderous rampage.
As attendees begin disappearing, the isolated manor becomes the setting for a deadly confrontation. Santa begins delivering gruesome punishments to those responsible for mocking him, while Katariina struggles to survive and confront unresolved events from her past.
The film incorporates social media satire into its traditional slasher premise, with the guests continuing to document their experiences and pursue online attention even as the situation becomes increasingly dangerous.
Directed by Soikkeli, DARK CHRISTMAS combines holiday horror with a critique of influencer culture, using the characters' obsession with public image and viral recognition as part of the story's central conflict.
The newly released trailer offers an initial look at the film's Christmas setting, masked holiday menace and violent encounters as the celebration descends into chaos.
DARK CHRISTMAS joins a longstanding tradition of seasonal horror films that transform familiar holiday imagery into sources of terror. Its premise places a contemporary social media setting alongside the recognizable conventions of the Christmas slasher, including an isolated location, a confined group of potential victims and a killer operating under the guise of Santa Claus.
EuroObscura, which specializes in international sales of European horror, science-fiction, action and fantasy films, will handle the project's presentation to distributors at AFM.
Founded in 2010, the company focuses on bringing European genre productions to international markets, with DARK CHRISTMAS among the titles being offered to buyers during this year's event.
The film's festival selections in Argentina and Germany provide additional exposure ahead of its planned Finnish theatrical release.
DARK CHRISTMAS is scheduled to open in Finnish theaters in December 2026. International distribution arrangements and release dates outside Finland have not yet been announced.
Comments