Shudder has emerged as a really strong contender for horror enthusiasts to discover under-appreciated or cult films in the genre, with it showcasing both household names and veterans. The subsidiary of AMC has produced its own exclusive films, and brought back horrendous B-movies of years past.
Shudder’s catalogue is really strong, with plenty of different subgenres represented and excellent exclusives being consistently produced. Here’s ten of the best currently available on the streaming service.
Glorious
J.K. Simmons voices a demon in a gloryhole. How could you possibly go wrong? After a nasty break-up, Ryan Kwanten’s Wes is on a road trip to get as far away from his memories as he can. Stopping at a random rest stop, he quickly becomes the prisoner of an otherworldly and disembodied voice claiming to be an ancient god preventing oblivion. The minimalist setting works wonders for Glorious, with it resulting in a tight film with some shocking turns.
The Columnist
This one goes out to good portion of every writer’s spam email section. The Columnist is not quite horror, but instead a dark comedy around a print journalist who becomes fatigued and sickened by the hateful and grotesque comments sent her way. Receiving horrendous threats, she quickly takes a dark turn into exacting vigilante revenge on those who threatened her. The Dutch film is a really interesting look at the ouroboros-like circle of violence and hate which the internet hosts, with Katja Herbers giving an excellent performance.
Revealer
If you’re after a character-driven horror-comedy with a ridiculous premise, you’d better check out Revealer. A Shudder original, the film sees a stripper get trapped with a religious protestor in a peep show booth in the 1980s, with the apocalypse unfurling around them. While it doesn’t have the most horrific moments or the gore you may be after, the story is really strong and is a great character piece. Decent laughs throughout with its neon-soaked aesthetic a perfect remedy for dull-colored horror in the mainstream.
The Spine of Night
The tremendous-looking horror fantasy animation The Spine of Night is a breathtaking genre crossover with some Lovecraftian flair. Seeking forbidden knowledge, a young man starts a chain of events which leads to a dance of fates between necromancers, young adepts, tomb raiders, and a battle all stemming from a curious plant. The rotoscoped animation is really well utilized to convey a sense of otherworldly-ness and bring out striking qualities in its characters. Evil Dead alum Lucy Lawless headlines the film, alongside the ageless class of Richard E. Grant.
Sissy
Making fun of influencers has never been bloodier in this delightfully dark Australian slasher. Cecilia has become a star in the mental health influencer sphere, giving advice to countless others on how to live and improve. Beneath it all, she’s a broken woman tormented by her past. When that past comes knocking, it sends her into a violent spiral in the Australian bushlands. Think Wolf Creek meets Friday the 13th with biting satire of modern internet culture, and Sissy becomes an excellent watch.
Possessor
David Cronenberg is known for his confronting and sexually charged body horror films, and you’ll be pleased to know his son is too! Brandon Cronenberg’s Possessor operates in the same vein as his father’s many, many body horror films with his own added flair. David was a fan of body horror being shown to represent the next stage of human evolution, and Brandon’s Possessor sees how technology fits into such a world. The sexually charged horror espionage flick sees Andrea Riseborough really shine in an often challenging movie.
Slaxx
It’s about a pair of killer jeans which murder its way through the staff of a retail shop overnight. You almost certainly cannot go wrong with such an idea, and the comedy value of its premise is enough to see you into your seat, before you get some real substance in its ultimate messaging and character work. Yes, Slaxx — the killer jeans movie — has real heart to it. Not something you’d see every day on Shudder.
Verotika
Glenn Danzig of heavy metal fame acts as an auteur in the cult classic bound Verotika, an anthology film with three stories of, well, somewhat over-the-topic erotic horror value. Released in 2019, it’s almost entirely terrible but has a so-bad-it’s-good value to it, partly from Danzig’s absolute inability to direct, let alone understand what makes for a good horror story.
We Summon the Darkness
Alexandra Daddario is the highlight of this slasher mystery, with a fun romp of kills packed inside a neat 90 minute package. Directed by Marc Meyers, who wowed many with his biopic My Friend Dahmer, it really shows what this up-and-coming director is capable of, leaving plenty of room for twists from its fairly basic premise. Three women embark on a road trip for heavy metal gigs, and the satanic music trope plays in well with this 2019 flick.
Dark Glasses
Horror icon Dario Argento made a big return to filmmaking in 2022 with Dark Glasses, and as one of the old masters of horror showed, he’s more than capable of sticking around in this new era. Starring his daughter Asia Argento, an eclipse enables a serial killer to go about his business seemingly unstoppable as Asia’s character requires a young boy to act as her eyes after going blind. High concept, very ridiculous, suitably enjoyable.
Published: Jan 4, 2023 11:24 am