Looks like another July will be spent getting cozy with Shudder in this house. Between all the new (to me) international titles and the conclusion of Hell Motel on July 29th, the app has filled my calendar for the month. Hold my texts, keep your emails in the draft folder, and don’t look for me outside. My TV and I are on a mission, and we’re prioritizing the five titles below. I hope they grab your attention and make it into your Shudder viewings this summer as well. However, I’ll be too busy watching them to know what anyone else is doing, so happy streaming whatever you decide to get into. 

While we have you here, you should consider joining us for Bloody Brunches! Every Sunday at 11 AM CST / 12 PM EST, we’ll be livestreaming a new episode of Hell Motel. Who know’s who you’ll see, sometimes Ian Carpenter and crew stop by!

The Best Movies to Stream on Shudder This Month

Lake Placid (1999)

A small group of people try to capture a gigantic crocodile terrorizing the people of Black Lake, Maine. I am not an aquatic horror girl, and I am usually unimpressed with 90s action horror titles. I make a special exception for Lake Placid though. Sure, it stars Bridget Fonda, Bill Pullman, and Oliver Platt. However, real film buffs know that it’s really the late Betty White who carries this movie. Her foul-mouthed character stood on business and is the reason most of us revisit this title during the summer.

You can watch Lake Placid on July 1st.

Nyi Blorong (1982)

The South Sea Queen’s daughter rises to take a human lover. I have a long history of disliking snakes and movies about snakes. However, I’m leaning into this 1982 film because I deserve a retro Indonesian horror fantasy moment. I am also excited because it stars the late Suzzanna, the queen of Indonesian horror. I only learned about her a few years ago and wanted to spend some time with her work. As usual, Shudder is making it too easy to become a better cinephile. 

You can watch Nyi Blorong on July 7th.

The Housemaid (2018)

An orphaned girl is hired as a housemaid at a haunted rubber plantation in 1953 French Indochina. Once there, she falls in love with the landowner, which sends the ghost of his dead wife into a jealous rage. I was excited to watch this just because it sounds chaotic, and I do not see enough Vietnamese horror for my liking. However, I recently discovered it is also an IFC Midnight title, so now my expectations are through the roof. IFC has been the home of upsetting, weird, and unique horror since 2010. I have a date with Shudder on July 14th, because I want this movie in my eyeballs the second it becomes available.

You can watch The Housemaid on July 14th.

Swallow (2020)

A pregnant housewife is compelled to eat dangerous objects, leading her husband and in-laws to become more controlling. Swallow had the misfortune of debuting during the top of the pandemic, so many people missed it. I found it on accident during Thanksgiving back when Showtime still had its own app. It’s quiet chaos that surprised me in a good way. I have been trying to make everyone I know watch it, and Shudder is making that so much easier this month. I am overdue for a rewatch myself, so I will also be hitting play while it’s available this July. 

You can watch Swallow on July 21st.

Monster Island (2024)

A Japanese ship transporting prisoners of war and a British POW are stranded on an island where a mythical creator hunts them. Can they work together now that their very survival depends on it? I was bummed I missed this movie at Overlook Film Fest this year because all my friends loved it. So, obviously, I am thrilled Monster Island (also known as Orang Ikan) is hitting the Shudders streets so soon. I do not know what the other monster movies are doing this July because my heart belongs to this baby.

You can watch Monster Island on July 25th.

So, as usual, I will be hiding in my apartment and trying to make Shudder Saturdays my personality. I’m running at their international titles like it’s my job and revisiting a few movies I never spend enough time with. I hope your Shudder watches spark as much joy for you as I expect mine will this July. 

I love telling people what to watch so much that Horror Press is allowing me to try out another column. I will be strongly encouraging you to hit play on fantastic horror movies on Netflix every month moving forward. We all love to give Netflix crap for never having anything good, but I have come to realize they have some pretty great genre titles. They just never advertise any of it. Specifically when it comes to the international genre movies that I will be introducing you to over the next few months. However, I wanted to capture summer’s energy by going big for this initial column. Let’s dive into some bloody, haunting, and occasionally sincere horror movies this July!

The Best Movies to Stream on Netflix This Month

Heart Eyes (2025)

Two single pringles catch the attention of the Heart Eyes Killer on Valentine’s Day. This forces them to work together to avoid becoming his latest victims. You should know two things about me. I love a Josh Ruben (Scare Me, Werewolves Within) horror movie with my oxygen, and I am a slasher connoisseur. So, I should not have been surprised by the hold that Heart Eyes had on me. Or that it would still be one of my favorite movies of 2025 this late into the year. Yet, here I am, just a simple girl, standing in front of my favorite new slasher, asking him to kill again. 

His House (2020)

A refugee couple escapes war-torn South Sudan and attempts to build a new life. However, they find themselves subjected to the racist systems of an English town and the evil haunting them in their new home. Wunmi Mosaku (Sinners, Lovecraft Country) never misses, but this is possibly my favorite performance of hers so far. She gives Rial a vulnerability and strength while clueing us into there being so much more weighing on this character’s soul. His House is one of my favorite movies of 2020. Not nearly enough people have watched this Netflix gem for my liking.

Talk To Me (2022)

A group of friends use an embalmed hand to communicate with spirits. However, the thrills soon turn to chills when a supernatural force infects their group. Talk to Me is that girl! Danny and Michael Philippou (Bring Her Back) gave us a fun and terrifying rollercoaster while gleefully adding to the Fuck Those Kids horror category. Everyone on screen was in demonic danger, and that is part of the reason this movie is so chilling. The first time I watched it, I kept forgetting to breathe. Which is how I knew I was in love. It is mindboggling that the film was only streaming on Kanopy until a couple of months ago. Please take advantage of its time on Netflix while you still can.

Train to Busan (2016)

A man and his estranged daughter find themselves trapped on a speeding train that is overrun with zombies. I initially laughed at this premise and wrote it off as a Snakes on a Plane kind of movie. So, I was late to discover this South Korean film is one of the best zombie movies of the millennium (so far). The acting, SFX makeup, script – literally everything about Train to Busan is too good to fit into one blurb. It is vicious, funny, sad, and feels like a shot of adrenaline straight to the heart. Which makes it the perfect Netflix watch for July. 

Us (2019)

A family takes a vacation to the matriarch’s childhood home, where they are shocked to discover they have deadly doppelgangers. Jordan Peele (Get Out, Nope) never misses. Anyone who says they do not understand Us needs to rewatch it immediately. Not only does this film give us two different award-caliber performances by Lupita Nyong’o, but it is also pure cinema. Us lives at the intersection of summer vibes and Black excellence. Even the score is an event as it takes you on a nightmarish journey. Real horror fans know that clocking all the horror references is also a good time. Once you get past all the other stunning components of this film, of course.

Netflix is also getting the second season of Yellowjackets, if you are still playing catchup with the cannibal gang. So, there is plenty for everyone at all the tiers. I had to fight the urge to make this a list of 20 because there are so many wild, unsettling, fun, and (quite a few) underrated gems on the streamer. I will be back with a list of international horror for August. In the meantime, feast your eyes on these recommendations, then let us know if you are as obsessed with them as I am.