Movies
The Best Horror You Can Stream on Shudder in January 2025
My New Year’s resolution is to spend more time watching Shudder. They seem to have gotten that memo because they are adding so many movies I love, like, or want to see this January. The streamer is adding John Carpenter’s The Thing, 2023’s The Vourdalak, and fresh from the fests Red Rooms. So, they seem to have something to match everyone’s freak as they kick the year off in horrific style. This makes me happy because I will not be venturing outside again this winter, so I will have time to watch all of these terrifying treats. Check out the five titles that I feel like we should all have on our radar this month below. So here are the the best movies to stream on Shudder this month!
My New Year’s resolution is to spend more time watching Shudder. They seem to have gotten that memo because they are adding so many movies I love, like, or want to see this January. The streamer is adding John Carpenter’s The Thing, 2023’s The Vourdalak, and fresh from the fests Red Rooms. So, they seem to have something to match everyone’s freak as they kick the year off in horrific style. This makes me happy because I will not be venturing outside again this winter, so I will have time to watch all of these terrifying treats. Check out the five titles that I feel like we should all have on our radar this month below.
The Best Movies to Stream on Shudder This Month
Grafted (2025)
A shy scholarship student studying medical research will do anything to get rid of the birthmark on her face. So, she turns to her late father’s research on a new revolutionary skin grafting procedure for help. I’m looking forward to this Shudder original because it’s a satirical body horror, and it has a woman of color in the lead role. Those are too many of my favorite things to not clear my schedule and see if this is my new personality. Maybe Grafted will find itself in the running to be this year’s The Substance. Or, perhaps it’ll be a gross little time we love for different reasons. Either way, I would like to hit play already!
You can watch Grafted on January 24th.
Get Away
A family’s vacation to a remote Swedish island takes a dark turn when their arrival coincides with a local festival that celebrates a dark history. The family tries to make the best of a weird situation but soon realizes a serial killer is also on the loose. I missed this movie in 2024, so I am happy my favorite streamer is giving it to me in the new year. I’m here for vacations getting ruined by serial killers, and I cannot wait to see this British horror comedy. Fingers crossed that the jokes land and kills are extra bloody.
You can watch Get Away on January 10th
Invoking Yell (2024)
A trio of women head to the woods to shoot their demo tape. This Chilean found footage film about an all-girl black metal band is set in the 1990s. So, if nothing else, it’s going to be the coolest thing to hit Shudder this month. If it happens to be half as creepy as it looks, then this movie will be a ride. I have a good feeling about this one and managed to miss it during its entire festival run. I cannot think of a better way to ring in the new year than to get to the bottom of what this group finds in the woods.
You can watch Invoking Yell on January 1st.
Mind Body Spirit (2024)
An aspiring yoga influencer picks up an unusual ritual practice left by her deceased estranged grandmother. This yoga found footage movie finally has a home so I can make other people watch it. I lucked out and saw it last year so that I could interview the filmmakers. I found this movie to be an eerie and funny little gem. So, I have been waiting to hear how it lands for people who are bigger found footage fans than I am. Hopefully, it’ll find a larger audience because there are so many cool things about this project that need to be celebrated.
You can watch Mind Body Spirit on January 1st.
The Others (2001)
Following the end of WWII, a woman caring for her two photosensitive children becomes convinced their home is haunted. This Nicole Kidman horror movie is never streaming and, until recently, had a hefty rental price tag, which is why I have not seen it since I was a child. The Others is clearly my first priority on New Year’s Day. I need to know if it is as good as I remember, and I need to know ASAP. I advise you all to catch this unsettling story while you can. Who knows when we’ll see it on a streamer again. Nicole Kidman loves a good thriller, but she rarely makes an appearance in proper horror films. So, it is worth a rewatch for that reason, if nothing else.
You can watch The Others on January 1st.
Shudder is really doing the heavy lifting this winter, and I am so grateful. I am serious when I say I want to speak to the manager. I need to thank the entire team for giving us the chance to watch The Others on the first day of the new year. Plus, all the other cool titles that seem custom-tailored to my taste. My cold little heart is so happy!
Shudder knows summer is the perfect time to watch scary things in air-conditioned places. Which is why the beloved streamer is giving us newer movies like Heresy, Whistle, This is Not a Test, and Smothered. While it’s always fun to see recent titles arrive alongside classics and deep cuts, my eye isn’t on the films this month. Most of my picks this May are television series and documentaries. Maybe that means I want longer comments with my media and an open library. Or perhaps I’m just reminding myself that I’m a cool nerd and making it your problem too. Whatever the case may be, I have curated another list of titles that I believe deserve our attention. Check out my top five priorities while surfing our favorite streamer below.
Tales From the Crypt (1989 – 1996)
Our beloved 90s anthology is finally making its way to our most cherished streamer. As someone who hasn’t seen Tales From the Crypt since I was a tyke, I’m so giddy that I get to watch it as an adult. More importantly, I get to binge it as John Kassir (the voice of our favorite ghoul) intended. I have been floating since this news was announced at the Overlook Film Festival in April. My insomnia and my Crypt Keeper are about to be reunited, and all is going to be alright in my little world. Come for the celebrities and stay for the puns and wicked deaths. I sincerely hope you call out of work each Friday as a new season gets added to Shudder.
You can watch Tales From the Crypt: Season 1 on May 1st. Subsequent seasons will premiere on Fridays, concluding with Season 7 on June 12
Horror Noire: History of Black Horror (2019)
Based on Dr. Robin R. Means Coleman’s book of the same name, Horror Noire: History of Black Horror is simply that girl. It unpacks the complicated history of Black people in the genre with humor, honesty, and heart. It even gets into the conversations no one seems to want to have and makes room for Black horror icons to actually be heard for once. You could hear the record scratch on Bluesky when this Shudder Original disappeared a few months ago. So, we can all rest easy knowing that it’s coming back home and we can continue to have it in our regular rotation. Horror Noire made many of us feel seen and made us better cinephiles and critics. It’s worth the Shudder subscription on its own if we’re being completely honest.
You can watch Horror Noire: History of Black Horror on May 4th.
The Terror: Devil in Silver (2026)
Your favorite unsettlingly stoic anthology has returned for a new season, and this time, Dan Stevens is in the mix. Stevens plays Pepper, a man with bad luck and a bad temper who gets himself committed to a psychiatric hospital. Any horror fan knows that’s the recipe for many horror bangers, and that’s why I will be sat. The cast also includes CCH Pounder, Judith Light, and Marin Ireland. However, my heart belongs to Karyn Kusama, who is in the director’s chair and the queen of tension. As a Momma Kusma stan account, I am so ready for her to raise my blood pressure and send me to the ER. The demonic duo of AMC+ and Shudder is cooking with this one.
You can watch episode one of The Terror: Devil in Silver on May 7th. Subsequent episodes will premiere weekly, concluding with the season finale on June 11th.
In Search of Darkness 1990-1994 (2024)
We all love to see our faves get together and discuss the horror eras we have romanticized. Which is why watching genre royalty unpack the “lost” decade of horror is something we all probably want to see. As a 90s kid, I feel like we ate pretty well in my day. So, I want to collect all of these stories like infinity stones. Some of the faces we can expect to see are Heather Langenkamp, John Carpenter, Frank Henenlotter, Tim Balme, and Michael Gross. My little nerd heart could bust, and I am happy Shudder is opening the library this May.
You can watch episode one of In Search of Darkness 1990-1994 on May 11th.
Something Is About to Happen (2023)
Things take a turn for a woman who loses her job as a computer programmer. The only movie in my roundup this month goes to the one I perhaps know the least about. Truthfully, I am just here for horror movies about women going through it. Excuse me as I gesture to the world and my bank account. More importantly, Spanish-language horror rarely fails me. So, I am willing to look past the two-hour and two-minute runtime. I am ignoring that it is listed as a romantic horror. I’m doing this because I expect my kind of chaos, and I hope I am right. From one down girl to another, I am rooting for this character on sight.
You can watch episode one of Something Is About to Happen on May 15th.
That is what I plan to use my Shudder Saturdays for this month. Let us know what you’re plotting to hit play on in the comments because we’re nosy.
Is anyone else remembering we have movies at home and logging in a lot of Netflix hours this spring? I know I am, and I keep finding more hidden treasures on this app. They collect so much international media and never tell us they have it. I find this frustrating as I pull up late to things I’m probably going to love. Quite a few foreign films make it into my lineup this month. Two of them I have never heard of before and are newer titles that should be getting some attention, in case they’re some of the best of their respective years. One is French, and we all need to revisit it for reasons that I’ll explain later.
Another thing worth noting about Netflix’s recent additions is an American show called Man on Fire. This serialized adaptation of A. J. Quinnell’s novel of the same name stars Yahya Abdul-Mateen II. He’ll be playing the character my generation associates with Denzel Washington because of the 2004 film adaptation. As a nerd who has been wondering why Yahya hasn’t been on my screen for a minute, I will probably have finished binging this before you even make it to the end of this article. I digress! Here are the five movies I plan to watch this month on Netflix!
180 (2026)
An act of road rage leaves a young boy in critical condition and his father seeking revenge. As usual, Netflix has not really advertised this South African thriller. However, I love revenge and am always game for a new release. So, I’m happy the powers that be put this in the recent lineup. It looks good, which gives me hope that this is going to be a gritty and bloody adventure. Fingers crossed, a few of you also hit play on this one because I’d like more quality South African thrillers that are easily accessible in America. I’m tired of hunting them down years after the fact.
Benedetta (2021)
A nun has religious visions that threaten the core of the Church while she is also having a secret affair in the 17th century. You are probably confused as to why Paul Verhoeven’s French psychological romantic drama is in my Netflix round-up. Especially if you clocked the long run time, and now I love a 90-minute or less movie. Listen! If you give me a nun having visions and having a lesbian affair in a period piece, it is my sworn duty to tell everybody. It is also my job to rewatch it for reasons. Don’t say I never did anything for you!
Him (2025)
A young athlete discovers why you should never meet your heroes when he is invited to train with a football legend. People were way too mean to this movie. It’s giving Neon Demon and Black Swan for Black male athletes. It’s not perfect, but the aesthetics and vibes are on 10. More importantly, Marlon Wayans and Tyriq Withers deliver some pretty fantastic performances that keep you locked in. I’m excited to revisit it and see if I like it more (or less) than when I caught it in theaters. Hopefully, more people will do the same now that the more biased discourse has died down.
Mudborn (2025)
A spirit terrorizes a video-game designer and his pregnant wife. I have no idea what to expect from Meng-Ju Shieh’s Mandarin supernatural horror film. However, I’m excited to see what this spirit is about. Again, Netflix continues to drop the ball on advertising international films. So, it’s up to us to find it in the streets and raise the alarm. In a perfect world, this movie will be the nightmare fuel I’m always seeking out. However, at the end of the day, I’m just happy to show up and support international films helmed by people of color. It’s a win-win situation, however I look at it.
Scream (2022)
A new Ghostface is terrorizing Woodsboro 25 years after the original killing spree rocked the town. As a Wes Craven stan account and fan of Radio Silence, I was so happy this movie turned out awesome. I can still say this is one of my favorite horror wins of this decade because it showed this franchise still had some life in it. It also introduced us to our Core Four, led by my new favorite final girl, Sam Carpenter (Melissa Barrera). As someone who enjoyed these first six movies, I will always clear my schedule for a marathon and am happy to see Scream (2022) on Netflix this month. I plan to rewatch it and continue being salty that I will never know how this new trilogy was supposed to end.
That’s what I have this month. Happy Netflixing to each and every one of you!
