A Nautical Christmas Horror Idea with Rocklin Graves Productions

A Christmas horror movie, set at sea, in the 19th century, with a ghost in the fog.

In this Storybreakers episode, Chris Brennan is joined by Evan from Rocklin Graves Productions, and we break story on a brand-new holiday horror film idea completely off the top of our heads.

We start with our favorite Christmas horror picks, then we build a slow-burn nautical ghost story around a gruff fisherman spending Christmas away from home. A cramped fishing vessel. A crew trying to force “Christmas cheer” into a brutal job.

Mistrust, guilt, and grief boiling over, until the sea itself starts pulling them toward something they can’t explain.

Expect: a haunted boat, a missing captain, a Christmas tree that becomes a trigger, and a final fight to make it back to shore before Christmas Eve.

If you love holiday horror, ghost stories, and screenwriting process, this one’s for you.

Takeaways

• Christmas horror film development
• Exploration of guilt, grief, and supernatural haunting
• Character dynamics and tension on a fishing boat Supernatural tension and conflict
• Escalating danger and mistrust Supernatural entity as a metaphor for inner demons
• Survival and redemption in the face of loss

Chapters

• 00:00 Exploring Christmas Horror Favorites
• 24:07 Introducing the Supernatural Element
• 31:04 Character Dynamics and Crew Interactions
• 36:05 Setting Sail and Crew Dynamics
• 41:17 The Manifestation of Grief
• 51:05 The Disappearance
• 58:48 The Conflict of Sustenance
• 01:07:22 Confrontation with the Entity
• 01:16:23 Returning Home