The 7 Best Ski Horror Movies of All Time

1. Frozen

The doomed protagonists of Frozen must weather the elements as they live through every skier’s worst nightmare: being stuck on the chairlift after dark. A storm arrives, the temperature plunges, and, somewhere in the distance, wolves lurk, waiting for their chance to snack on some unsuspecting victims.

Do the heroes make it out in one piece? You’ll have to watch Frozen yourself and find out—just don’t let the nightmares about chairlifts afterward ruin your next ski trip.

2. Shredder

Filmed at Silver Mountain Resort in Kellogg, Idaho, Shredder takes a Jason Voorhees-style character and sics him on an unsuspecting group of friends as they ski and snowboard at an abandoned resort. But this killer isn’t wearing a hockey mask—his choice of a black balaclava and dark outerwear is more fitting for the mountains.

Shredder hits several other classic B-movie horror notes: hokey dialogue, saucy seduction, and hapless heroes. Only this time, instead of a godforsaken corn field or a haunted mansion, the characters are stalked through snowy terrain. At least they got to do some shredding before meeting an untimely end.

3. Avalanche Sharks

In 2014, skiers were treated to the snowsports equivalent of Sharknado: the aptly titled Avalanche Sharks. The film asks a provocative question: What if sharks could swim through the snow? Chaos, apparently. Laughable CGI and, again, plenty of B-movie tropes make Avalanche Sharks as ridiculous and fun as you might expect.

4. Cold Prey

Similar to Shredder, Cold Prey spoils a ski trip with a menacing slasher film character. The movie, which is Norwegian, begins with an adventure in the mountains. But when one member of the group breaks their leg, they’re all forced to shack up in an abandoned ski lodge.

What should have been a relaxing evening in the mountains goes south, of course—they soon discover that the lodge has another resident with a penchant for something other than skiing: murder and pickaxes.

5. Let It Snow

Not to be confused with the romantic comedy of the same name, Let It Snow involves a bad decision that will be familiar to many skiers—riding somewhere that you probably shouldn’t. During a ski trip, a couple decides to snowboard down the fearsome Black Ridge, despite warnings that numerous people have disappeared or died there. The boyfriend inevitably disappears, leaving the film’s heroine to tangle with a snowmobile-riding villain alone.

6. Ghostkeeper

The snowy lodge featured in Ghostkeeper isn't abandoned, but its inhabitant, a mysterious elderly woman, has some secrets. Three snowmobilers stumble across the hotel and creep inside to escape the cold. Eventually, they encounter a supernatural evil and have to fight for their lives.

7. The Shining

The Shining doesn't involve skiing. Why, then, is it on this list? One, it’s a good horror movie. Two, the film is connected to a big piece of snowsports history: Timberline Lodge, Oregon, a historic ski hideaway and resort located on the flanks of Mt. Hood. The hotel was used for some exterior shots in The Shining, serving as the unquestionably spooky Overlook Hotel.

In real life, Timberline Lodge isn’t infested with ghouls. Instead, it’s a National Historic Landmark with timeless ski lodge styling and an ambience that’s more cozy than creepy. So don’t worry about encountering an axe-wielding maniac at Timberline Lodge—if there are ghosts there, they’ll probably just offer you a hot chocolate and ask you if you want to go skiing.