I am writing this in the middle of the night, bathed in red light and the soft glow of the Shudder stream, as I have spent many nights. A decade feels like forever ago, yet it feels like yesterday. Time is a flat circle, a snap, a blink, but it is dense with memories: heavy. My childhood was filled with Horror films. I caught them on TV. My family had a VCR and VHS tapes when I was in 4th grade. If I showed interest in a movie (given it didn’t seem too sexy), my mom would try to take me to see it. We bonded over perusing the horror aisles in Blockbuster and taking advantage of the 4 for $20 deals. As the video stores closed (during my college years), and I had less time for the theater, my relationship with Horror grew distant. I would likely have missed a film if I couldn’t get it from Netflix or the $5 Walmart bin. As streaming took over, there weren’t many apps dedicated to Horror. There was no way for me to stumble across a film like Demonic Toys or The Toxic Avenger. I was missing the chaos and charm of indie horror films hand-picked by teens who saw A Nightmare On Elm Street before grade school. I found a few gems along the way, but Shudder changed my Horror experience. My homegirl, Kat, discovered the app and passed the word along to me (down the hall) 8 years ago– or more.  Shudder was like (is like) having a personal video store Horror section to browse through from under a cozy blanket, while the world was (is) on fire. 

I’ve been kicking it with Shudder before there was a “start from the beginning” button: you had to manually rewind the movies if you were using a Roku (I was using a Roku). I felt annoyed, but nostalgic for the “Be Kind, Rewind” days. I remember when the Ghoul Log launched. We, Girl, That’s Scary, used to record with it streaming in the background.  I was there when Host (2020) dropped: I never wanted to open Zoom again (despite teaching online for a living). I was tuned in before The Last Drive-In, which has connected Horror fans across the internet with live updates across social media. Shudder has been with me through three apartments, a few jobs, and major life events. When I wanted to tune out of reality for a tight 90 minutes (give or take), I could lean on Shudder to show me something wild enough to pull me from the gloomy grips of the world around me. Disassociating while spending 45 minutes browsing movies, just to fall asleep with the remote in my hand. I could silence the noise around me by rolling the dice on the Shudder stream and hoping I caught something I hadn’t already seen, or the beginning of a new movie. There’s nothing like punctuating a fresh nightmare with the tail end of City of the Living Dead (1980) playing on the Shudder stream. The world feels a little lighter when you aren’t living near an open portal of hell (although sometimes it feels like it).

Shudder has helped me escape during hard times, and deepened my love and appreciation for the genre. The app was my gateway into Italian Horror and nurtured my love for Giallo films. I learned I love the French Extreme subgenre with titles like Frontiers (2007) and Inside (2007). Shudder put the Gates of Hell (City of the Living Dead, The Beyond, and The House By The Cemetery) and The Vengeance trilogy ( Sympathy For Mr. Vengeance, Oldboy, and Lady Vengeance) in my lap. Late nights scrolling through the titles is how I experienced Dream Home (2010) and The Untold Story (1993): I was exposed to the world of Hong Kong Category III films. I discovered the unsettling scares in Terrified (2017) and Satan’s Slaves: Communion (2022). It’s hard for me to find scares that chill me to the bone. The ability to touch the fear that kept me awake as a child feels like home. Shudder also keeps me connected to new Horror films by creating a pathway from the festivals directly to my screen. I have discovered so many films, I wouldn’t have had access to otherwise. 

Whether your journey has just started, or you’re a seasoned viewer of frights, this app has got you covered. As someone who has seen over 400 of the titles currently available, I can curate a selection of Shudder Originals and Exclusives that might leave your eyeballs sizzling in one way or another.

Shudder is dedicated to the Horror fan in you: embrace it. 

The Hell House LLC Franchise 

The Hell House LLC franchise holds a special place in my heart, and I have Shudder to thank for it. I remember when there was only one movie, but the clowns pulled me back for multiple watches. While the sequels lack the punch of the first movies, waiting for them to release was a time to be alive! They are all worth a watch, however, the fourth installment might be the scariest after the original movie. Fans of found footage horror will get their fill with this franchise. These flicks are perfect for a late-night watch in the dark. The first three films follow the fatal events at the infamous Abaddon Hotel. The fourth movie takes the scares to The Carmichael Manor and expands on the lore.

MadS (2024) 

MadS is a recent addition to the Shudder catalog, and it breathes new life into the zombie/infection subgenre. The film is a one-take as viewers bounce from one viewpoint to the next as the infection spreads. The infected have unique traits like the soft glow of their eyes and animal-like movements paired with human expressions of madness, dread, and despair. The pacing keeps your blood pumping like an action film, while focusing on a few characters. Mads follows a teenager who has a wild encounter with an injured woman after testing out a new drug from his dealer. 

V/H/S Beyond (2024)

Many Horror fans were already familiar with the V/H/S franchise before it came to Shudder (I highly recommend the second installment). This franchise has been tweaking its recipe with each installment, and V/H/S Beyond is one of the best entries to date. This film centers on alien encounters and space, differing from the last few movies, which focused on a particular year. It feels more cohesive than other installments with the mockumentary format, as opposed to the “tape within a tape” format audiences were used to. Within fifteen minutes, V/H/S Beyond launches us into invasions from hell and drops nightmarish creature designs on viewers like anvils. I will never look at planes or oranges the same again. 

Satan’s Slaves (2017) and Satan’s Slaves: Communion (2022)

This one-two punch is perfect for a Friday night fright. Joko Anwar knows how to craft a nightmare. The scares, lore, and deaths will make audiences squirm with dread. After their mother dies, the family is haunted by a dark presence. The stakes are high and scares cling to you like wet clothes. The less you know about the story, the scarier it will be. 

One Cut of The Dead (2019) 

While there is a trailer for this movie, I implore you to skip it.  It’s difficult to discuss this movie without spoiling the plot. I recommend that you stop reading and press play now. You will go through various states of emotion while watching One Cut Of The Dead.

Bliss (2019) 

Joe Begos delivers a trippy vampiric film with Bliss: He also knows how to bring the blood (See VFW and Christmas, Bloody, Christmas). The music and the lighting will seduce you, while the blood spray will give you a jolt of energy. The film follows an artist who turns to experimental drugs to deal with their creative block. The repercussions are deadly. 

Cold Hell (2017) 

I was happy to press play on this film. I blindly chose this movie and was pleasantly surprised by the action scenes and hand-to-hand combat. Cold Hell has elements of a noir film, a slasher, an action film, and a giallo. The plot focuses on a taxi driver who witnesses a murder and becomes a target. The cat-and-mouse ordeal is unique because the “mouse” is a trained boxer who doesn’t go down easily. 

Tigers Are Not Afraid (2019)

I love a dark fairytale, especially when it’s international. Issa López intrigues viewers with magic and terrifies them with the horrors of the real world. We follow a group of young children who are left on their own as they escape the terrors of the cartel. The blend of magic and realism is masterful. Have your Kleenex ready because the movie takes tragic turns.

Psycho Goreman (2021) 

Horror fans who love Power Rangers, Sci-Fi, and comedy should sprint to watch Psycho Goreman. The dialogue is quotable (for the Ironian tongue, of course!) and the special effects are great! The movie feels like an R-rated episode of Power Rangers, especially the battle scene in the forest. Psycho Goreman is wildly upbeat for a film that discusses destruction on a grand scale. The plot involves two siblings who accidentally resurrect an Alien Overlord with mixed results. There aren’t many scares, but there are plenty of laughs and blood.  

Oddity (2024) 

I have a lot of love for this self-contained revenge tale. It has Creepshow vibes with much less camp. I appreciate horror films that give us something new without reinventing the wheel. Oddity is the haunting tale of a sister going after those responsible for the death of her twin sister.  The haunting atmosphere, biting dialogue, and supernatural thrills make this film rewatchable. 

In A Violent Nature (2024) 

I didn’t know I needed an arthouse version of Friday The 13th. In A Violent Nature feels like watching someone play an open-world video game as a slasher. The majority of the movie is from the killer’s perspective, even when the killing is not happening: this creates opportunities for moments of comedy. The dialogue can be grating, but the kills are inventive and bloody. One of the kills is one of the wildest kills I have seen in Horror. We follow a group of teens who remove a necklace from a collapsed fire tower in the woods, resurrecting Johnny’s spirit (and corpse) with deadly consequences.

Infested (2023) 

Infested is one of the best killer bug movies I’ve seen in a long time. It glued me to my seat and made me want to burn all of my clothes at the same time. The film follows a young man who brings home a venomous spider. The entire building is in danger once the spider escapes and begins to reproduce. Killer bug movies are usually campy due to over-the-top creature design or sound design. Infested leaves the “camp” behind and brings the thrills and high stakes. The fear is tangible through the screen.

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