St. Patrick's Day is a traditional Irish holiday, but it's also become a big part of pop culture with sitcom episodes and horror movies themed around the day. Although movies such as Leprechaun immediately come to mind when picturing St. Patrick's Day horror, there are several lesser-known gems in the subgenre that build upon the story Mark Jones created. Many horror movies with St. Patrick's Day-related themes include the involvement of leprechauns.
Leprechauns as present in horror movies stem from the Celtic folklore of "lobaircin", who were said to be small-bodied men that used trickery to guard their treasures. While the leprechaun has become the standard for horror films of this kind, recent filmmakers have explored other avenues of terror for the otherwise cheerful holiday. Many of the St. Patrick's Day horror movies are simply set on that day, like so many horror movies set on Christmas Day centering on the holiday, but not necessarily featuring Santa Claus.
10 Unlucky Charms (2013)
- Available to stream on Roku, Tubi, and Freevee
In Unlucky Charms, five young women compete to win the opportunity to model the latest line from famous fashion designer, DeeDee Deville, played by Jeryl Prescott of The Walking Dead. One by one, the competitors go missing as DeeDee uses the power of an ancient charm bracelet to unleash a hobgoblin, cyclops, banshee, and leprechaun to steal the souls of the women and allow her to remain young. While the makeup and special effects may be lacking, the unique concept makes it the perfect horror comedy movie to welcome St. Patrick's Day.
9 Maniac Cop (1988)
- Available to stream on Tubi and Pluto TV
A killer dressed as a police officer commits a series of seemingly random murders in New York City. As the investigation continues amidst the chaos of St. Patrick's Day celebrations, it becomes clear that the undead killer cop may have been one of their own. In the first of three Maniac Cop films, horror movie icon Bruce Campbell plays Jack Forrest, a police officer who must find the real killer to clear his name. Though not explicitly St. Patrick's Day themed, this film is a fun slasher to watch on any occasion.
8 Red Clover (2012)
- Available to stream on Roku and Tubi
Originally titled "Leprechaun's Revenge", Red Clover follows Karen, a teenager who was cursed by a leprechaun after plucking a red clover from the forest. While her skeptical father, played by Billy Zane, doesn't believe in the curse, Karen's grandfather knows the truth and helps her to hunt down the leprechaun, who must be reburied within four days to save Karen's life. Despite the low budget, the Syfy Original movie manages to reinvent the leprechaun horror genre and portrays a distinctive representation of the leprechaun that leans more toward woodland than humanoid. Red Clover embraces the clichés of St. Patrick's Day to create a fun creature feature.
7 Leprechaun: Origins (2014)
- Available to stream on Roku and Freevee
Unrelated to the Leprechaun franchise, Leprechaun: Origins is Zach Lipovsky's twist on the legend that audiences have come to know and love. Using the classic 'unsuspecting tourists abroad' trope, the film follows four backpackers who are led to a cabin and locked inside before being tormented by a leprechaun. Based on the anatomy of mole rats, the movie's leprechaun is one of its most notable features.
6 The Hallow (2015)
- Available to stream on AMC+ and Tubi
Bojana Novakovic, whose horror credits include Drag Me To Hell and Devil, plays a young mother who moves to a remote Irish village for her husband's job. Despite being told by local residents of the dangers of trespassing the forest, the couple ignores the warning and finds themselves the victims of the demonic faeries living in the hallows. Building on the traditional Irish folklore of faeries and banshees, The Hallow is a great horror movie for St. Patrick's Day.
5 Leprechaun Returns (2018)
- Available to rent through Apple TV and Amazon
Twenty-five years after the events of the movie that began the trend, Leprechaun Returns attempts to modernize 1993's Leprechaun while maintaining its comedic slasher roots. The construction of a sorority house on the land of the original leprechaun's demise reawakens the creature who takes his revenge on the sorority girls. Despite being the first in the franchise without Warwick Davis playing the leprechaun, this film is full of fun kills and the same quips that made the original a success.
4 Leprechaun (1993)
- Available to stream on Roku
The film that launched the leprechaun genre and Jennifer Aniston's career, Leprechaun tells the story of J.D. (John Sanderford) and his daughter Tory (Aniston), who move into a house containing the previously trapped leprechaun. When the painters mistakenly release him, Tory and her friends must track down the house's original owner and discover how to defeat the leprechaun once more. While the film was intended to be scary, the campy nature of the movie made it a cult classic among horror fans. It's become regular viewing for St. Patrick's Day horror movie fans.
3 Into The Dark: Crawlers (2020)
- Available to stream on Hulu
Into The Dark isn't a movie, but instead a horror anthology series. Each episode stands alone, making each one like a mini-movie. Inspired by Invasion of the Body Snatchers, St. Patrick's Day partiers are forced to band together in Hulu's Into The Dark episode, "Crawlers", when an alien invasion begins taking over the bodies of everyone in the city. The narration from the character, Shauna, is reminiscent of zombie apocalypse movies and an unexpected addition to the alien invasion plot line. While the characters are sometimes lacking authenticity, "Crawlers" is a fun contribution to the St Patrick's Day horror movies.
2 Leprechaun 3 (1995)
- Available to stream on Roku and Freevee
The Leprechaun franchise hit its stride with the third installation, as the leprechaun wreaks havoc in Las Vegas, terrorizing casino-goers and gamblers alike. When a gold medallion is removed from an ancient statue at a pawn shop, the leprechaun is released once again. Unlike the previous films, Leprechaun 3 leans into its genre as a horror-comedy, playing up the jokes and outrageous kills. The film also ups the stakes as the leprechaun infects an unsuspecting human with his green blood, transforming him into a "tall" leprechaun. Featuring a scene where the leprechaun dances with an Elvis impersonator, this St. Patrick's Day horror movie is at least worth a hate-watch.
1 Grabbers (2012)
- Available to stream on AMC+ and DirecTV
Taking inspiration from the notable horror film Tremors, the Irish film plays on the stereotypes of creature features to poke fun at itself. As the island of Erin is under attack from a sea creature that can only be described as an alien squid, a team consisting of officers and a scientist discovers that the only way to defeat the man-eating beast is to get as drunk as possible. While the film doesn't take place on St. Patrick's Day, Grabbers ridiculous horror-comedy is the perfect movie to celebrate the Irish holiday.