Spring, that lovely time of year when regrowth and the warmth of nature are in full swing. Sounds like the perfect season to stay inside and watch horror movies! So, join us in this May’s edition of It Came from Streaming for existential threats on a personal and planetary scale, ecological horrors small and large, and a movie where Michael Rooker becomes a big slimy parasite monster. All the things of Spring!
Death Spa – Shudder, Tubi
A health spa is plagued by a string of gruesome deaths– seemingly set off by its murderous state-of-the-art computer system.
Time to get toned and tan, people, the summer is almost here. And what better inspiration is there than a good cheesy 80s slasher?
Death Spa has a downright strange plot, spurred by a bizarre killer with even more bizarre motives. If I tried to describe it here, I would sound stark raving mad; the best I can say is think Smart House if Charles Band directed it and you were allowed to show gore on the Disney Channel.
Between magic blenders, an exceptionally drippy Ken Foree, and wheelchair-based self-immolation, rest assured that there’s no schlock like this schlock. Watch with friends for maximum enjoyment because I know I will.
Annihilation – Paramount+, Hulu
A biologist leads an expedition into a cosmically contaminated quarantine after the return of its only survivor: her husband.
April showers bring May flowers! And…it Came from Streaming brings horrific monstrosities in an alien exclusion zone.
It’s my favorite Alex Garland film for a few reasons: it’s highly rewatchable, thematically rich, kind of heartbreaking the entire way through, and aesthetically impactful in ways I think will be reverberating through horror cinema for years to come. Now if only he would get on with adapting the rest of Jeff Vandermeer’s Southern Reach Trilogy…
The Host – HBO Max
A man-made, amphibious aberration surfaces and terrorizes a man and his family.
Arguably the best monster movie of the decade, and one of South Korea’s most popular film exports, has finally made its way to HBO Max. A rare thoughtful creature feature that is every bit about family as it is about the monster, The Host is an eco-horror film of deep sorrow and pulse-pounding fear, The Host is quintessential viewing for any horror fan.
Slither – Tubi
A parasitic worm from space turns a mild-mannered man into a cruel mutant hellbent on assimilating his whole town.
James Gunn’s finest horror work (sorry The Belko Experiment fans) finally hits streaming for free, thanks to Tubi. Whereas The Host is the tasteful, thoughtful creature feature, Slither hearkens back to the B-grade monster movies of the 60s and 70s like The Incredible Melting Man, with all the upgraded gorey practical effects of the modern age like Cronenberg’s The Fly and Night of the Creeps. Eat your heart out, Rick Baker!
You also get some star performances from Michael Rooker as our main villain, Elizabeth Banks and Nathan Fillion as our heroes, and cameos from the likes of Lloyd Kaufman and Rob Zombie!
Psycho & The Birds – Netflix
Double feature: Attack of the Mommy Issues, followed by Revenge of the Birds!
A quick shoutout to Jessica Scott @WeWhoWalkHere, who made me aware of this pair of classics that came to streaming. There’s not much to be said about these seminal classics of the genre that hasn’t already been espoused in a thousand film courses and essays, so if you haven’t already, it’s time you see Alfred Hitchcock’s most iconic films while they’re in the same convenient place.
Be sure to let us know on Twitter and Instagram which one of these recommendations was your favorite and stay tuned for more It Came from Streaming next month!