Movies
Forget ‘Conclave’ (2024) – Watch This Oscar Inspired Horror Marathon
One of my favorite things to do every year is a bit of Oscar catchup once the Academy Award nominations come out. For some that might mean sitting down to marathon September 5, Flow, The Brutalist, etc. And while that’s all well and good, the real fun is in finding horror movies that the nominees made or starred in before they hit the prestige era of their career (though The Substance proves that those two eras aren’t always mutually exclusive). If you’d like to join in on this grand tradition, I have arranged an epic marathon that drags the horror movie skeletons out of these esteemed performers and filmmakers’ closets!
One of my favorite things to do every year is a bit of Oscar catchup once the Academy Award nominations come out. For some that might mean sitting down to marathon September 5, Flow, The Brutalist, etc. And while that’s all well and good, the real fun is in finding horror movies that the nominees made or starred in before they hit the prestige era of their career (though The Substance proves that those two eras aren’t always mutually exclusive). If you’d like to join in on this grand tradition, I have arranged an epic Oscar inspired horror marathon that drags the horror movie skeletons out of these esteemed performers and filmmakers’ closets!
An Oscar Inspired Horror Marathon
Brady Corbet in Funny Games (2007)
Before he was the esteemed director of The Brutalist, Brady Corbet was the less-esteemed director of the ludicrous pop music odyssey Vox Lux. And before that, he was a working actor, a gig that led him to star opposite Naomi Watts in Michael Haneke’s shot-for-shot remake of his notorious 1997 movie Funny Games. I’m just saying, if any Brady Corbet movie actually deserves to be called The Brutalist, it’s probably this one.
Traci Loader doing Possessor (2020)
From an English-language facsimile of an Austrian movie, we move on to a son’s facsimile of his father’s beloved subgenre. This body horror outing by Brandon Cronenberg featured work by Makeup and Hairstyling nominee Traci Loader. Traci is nominated this year for Nosferatu, another horror title getting big ups from the Academy this year, but she proved her mettle in the genre long before that with the visceral Possessor.
Possessor is streaming on Tubi
Demi Moore in Parasite (1982)
Before making a splash in St. Elmo’s Fire, Oscar-nominated The Substance star Demi Moore took on her second-ever feature film role in the 1982 sci-fi horror movie Parasite, in which she plays a lemon grower who helps fight off a post-apocalyptic parasite. This movie’s shlock credentials are unmatched, considering it is also an early outing from notorious Full Moon filmmaker Charles Band and was also originally distributed in 3-D.
Parasite is streaming on Plex
Timothée Chalamet in Bones and All (2022)
The theme connecting this to Parasite is “filmmakers who have lived in Italy.” (Never forget Charles Band lived and worked in a 12th century castle just outside Rome for years – check it out in Castle Freak.) Luca Guadagnino’s cannibal love story is a YA fantasy romance adaptation to beat the band, filled to the brim with carnal longings, whether it be for food, flesh, or A Complete Unknown nominee Timothée Chalamet. And when you’re watching a Guadagnino film, you know it’s mostly the latter.
Bones and All is streaming on MGM+
Guy Pearce in Ravenous (1999)
From one cannibal movie to another, it’s time to check out The Brutalist nominee Guy Pearce leading a cast studded with “that guy” actors including Robert Carlyle, Neal McDonough, and David Arquette. This Wendigo movie is unique among the horror genre in many ways, including its 1840s period setting and the fact that it’s a pre-2000 horror movie directed by a woman, in this case the late great Antonia Bird.
Coralie Fargeat doing Revenge (2018)
Speaking of horror movies directed by women… This isn’t necessarily a skeleton in the closet considering the fact that Coralie Fargeat has been nominated for directing The Substance, but her directorial debut Revenge is a must-watch. While this modernized rape-revenge movie feels like an entirely different beast from The Substance, it contains many of the same core nuggets, including a harrowing examination of a specific aspect of one woman’s experience with the patriarchy, a fuckton of blood, and a general top-to-bottom disgust with the human condition.
Revenge is streaming on Shudder
BONUS: Demi Moore on I Spit On Your Grave (1978)
So we’ve just talked about the rape-revenge genre AND The Substance, so let’s take a quick break to honor Demi Moore’s early work as the cover model on the poster for 1978’s I Spit On Your Grave. Feel free to watch the movie, if you can handle it, but it actually stars Camille Keaton, so it doesn’t technically count for this marathon.
Fernanda Torres in Gêmeas (1999)
OK, we’ve hit a bit of a snag here. If you don’t speak Portuguese, this one will be harder to find, so feel free to skip it if you’re actually following along. But I’m Still Here nominee Fernanda Torres has dabbled in horror, and it is well worth acknowledging this psychological thriller about twin sisters (both played by Torres) who fight over the same man.
Adrien Brody in Splice (2009)
And now we move on from characters who share DNA to characters who specifically mutate DNA. In Splice, which was helmed by Cube’s Vincenzo Natali, The Brutalist nominee Adrien Brody plays a geneticist who is part of a team that accidentally creates a monster.
Splice is streaming on Max
Jarin Blaschke doing Blood Night: The Legend of Mary Hatchet (2009)
Splice’s B-movie nature leaves a huge gulf in esteem between it and The Brutalist, but I think we can widen that gulf here. Jarin Blaschke has been nominated for lensing Robert Eggers’ Nosferatu after collaborating with the aesthetically inclined filmmaker previously on The Witch, The Lighthouse (for which Blaschke was nominated for his first Oscar), and The Northman. However, way back in the day, he was cutting his teeth on the down-and-dirty direct-to-DVD slasher Blood Night: The Legend of Mary Hatchet, which features appearances from horror royalty in the form of Bill Moseley and Danielle Harris.
Mikey Madison in Scream (2022)
And so we move from one slasher to another, though this one is much better known. Not only is Anora nominee Mikey Madison in the 2022 legacy sequel Scream, but she also gets to (SPOILER ALERT) play one of the Ghostface killers. Honestly, that’s a much bigger honor than some paltry Oscar.
Scream is streaming on Netflix (and also Paramount+)
BONUS: Ariana Grande in Scream Queens Season 1 (2015)
If you’re still thirsty for slashers after all that, why not have a cool-down at the end of your marathon with the first couple episodes of Ryan Murphy’s short-lived horror-comedy series Scream Queens? The Wicked nominee has a memorable death scene early on, and you’ll get to witness the ignoble birth of the cringe-inducing “Señorita Awesome” meme that you may have seen floating around the Internet lately.
Scream Queens is streaming on Hulu
My New Year’s resolution is to spend more time watching my favorite app. Luckily, Shudder is not taking it easy on us this holiday season, so I may meet my quota this January. The streamer is bringing in the new year with quite a few bangers. We have classics from icons, a new title from the first family of indie horror, and a couple of lesser-known films that have finally found a home. So, I am obviously living for this month’s programming and think most of you will too. I have picked the five films that I believe deserve our collective attention the most. Get into each of them and start your 2026 off on the right foot.
The Best Movies to Stream on Shudder This Month
Carrie (1976)
A sheltered teen finally unleashes her telekinetic powers after being humiliated for the last time. Carrie is the reason I thought proms might be cool when I was a kid. This Brian De Palma adaptation is one of my favorite Stephen King adaptations. It is also an important title in the good-for-her subgenre. I cannot help rooting for Carrie White (Sissy Spacek) when I watch her snap at this prom and then head home to accidentally deal with her mom. The only tragedy of this evening is that Carrie had to die, too. I said what I said, and I will be hitting play again while it is on Shudder. This recommendation goes out to the other recovering sheltered girls who would be the problem if they had powers. I see you because I am you.
You can watch Carrie on January 1st.
Marshmallow (2025)
A shy 12-year-old gets sent to summer camp and finds himself in a living nightmare. While Marshmallow did not land for me, I know plenty of people who love it. Which makes this the perfect addition to the Shudder catalogue. I am actually excited to see more folks fall in love with this movie when it hits the streamer. If nothing else, it will help a few folks cross off another 2025 title if they are still playing catch-up with last year’s movies. It also gets cool points from me for not taking the easy route with the mystery it built. I hope you all dig it more than I did, and tell your friends about it. Perhaps you could even encourage them to sign up for the app.
You can watch Marshmallow on January 1st.
Chain Reactions (2024)
Tobe Hooper’s The Texas Chain Saw Massacre cemented his horror legacy over fifty years ago. So, it is long overdue for a documentary where horror royalty can discuss its impact on them and their careers. I have been waiting for a couple of years to hear Karyn Kusama and Takashi Miike talk about Hooper’s work and how he inspired them. So, I am super geeked that Shudder is finally giving me the chance to see this film. The streamer is also helping the nerds out by adding The Texas Chain Saw Massacre (1974) and The Texas Chain Saw Massacre 2 (1986) this month. If you are also an overachieving couch potato, I will see you at the finish line next week.
You can watch Chain Reactions on January 9th.
In the Mouth of Madness (1994)
An insurance investigator discovers the impact a horror writer’s books have on people. I love chaos, and John Carpenter chaos happens to be one of my favorite kinds of chaos. While we talk about The Thing and Halloween all the time, this maestro has given us plenty of horror to celebrate. In the Mouth of Madness is very much one of those titles vying for a top spot among the best of his filmography. To sweeten the batshit pot, this movie features Sam Neill. You know that he only shows up in our genre if the movie is going to be legendary. You cannot tell me this is not a Shudder priority this month.
You can watch In the Mouth of Madness on January 10th.
Mother of Flies (2025)
A terminally ill young woman and her dad head to the woods to seek out a recluse who claims she can cure her cancer. The Adams Family has been holding court on Shudder for years, so it feels right that Mother of Flies is a Shudder Original. More importantly, this fest favorite has one of the best performances of 2025. Which makes it a great time for people to finally get to see it and get in line to give Toby Poser her flowers. Whatever you think your favorite Poser role is, it is about to change when you see her as Solveig. I am being serious when I say that this movie might be the first family of indie horror at their best.
You can watch Mother of Flies on January 23rd.
New year, but same Shudder. I would not want to go into 2026 any other way, personally. I hope these horrific recommendations bring you the good kind of anxiety. Or at least distract you from the state of the world for a bit.
I’m happy Netflix knew I would be back on my bull shit. Now that we’re in January, and the end-of-year lists are done, I’m trying to cram as many 2025 titles into my eyeballs as I possibly can. I know it sounds backwards, but it’s sadly a yearly tradition now. No matter how many titles you cram into a year, there are always a ton more you missed. Because I am broken, I need to know if I missed anything that should have been on my lists ASAP. Then I can drag myself for not getting my eyeballs on things sooner. Or worse, seeing titles that came out after my deadline and would have definitely been on there. I need to feel resentment for their schedules not letting me be great.
Luckily for me, the streamer has dropped quite a bit of new stuff recently. This includes movies and shows that I put off, or that legitimately premiered a couple of weeks ago. So, now I can spiral in the comfort of my own home as I binge all of these titles like a maniac. If you are also trying to walk into the new year stressed out, then maybe this streaming guide is for you, too.
City of Shadows (2025)
When a burned body is put on display on the facade of an iconic building, two inspectors must work together to solve the crime. I don’t know much about this Spanish thriller, but I know winter is the time for an unsettling mystery. The show is based on the first book of the Milo Malart tetralogy written by Aro Sáinz de la Maza. So, if it’s as good as I hope it is, there is a whole world with this inspector awaiting us in print. I’m ready to take all six of these episodes in one setting if the streaming Gods allow.
Frankenstein (2025)
Oscar Isaac, Jacob Elordi, and Christoph Waltz are among the names in this newest adaptation of the beloved Gothic horror classic. Guillermo del Toro’s take on Mary Shelley’s Frankenstein is clearly one of the top priorities this month. While I skipped it in festivals because of the runtime, I knew I would have a date with it on Netflix this winter. While it has been on the streamer for a minute, I wasn’t able to dedicate two and a half hours to it. I also had watched my friends’ mixed reviews come in, and couldn’t take another disappointment last year. So, I saved this treat for the holiday. Fingers crossed, it is better than people are saying it is.
I Know What You Did Last Summer (2025)
A new group of friends is tormented by a new stalker in this sequel to Kevin Williamson’s other ’90s slasher. I’m indifferent to the I Know What You Did Last Summer movies. Some are less awful than others, and I think this one was fine, but I know the original source material. Which means I know just how far they stray from what the original author, Lois Duncan, was about. So, I look at these movies and the flimsy premise they repeat differently than a lot of my friends. I think it’s an interesting look at how IP gets handled in Hollywood, but I don’t usually get much out of these. Which is another reason I’m kinder to this Jennifer Kaytin Robinson film than some people. While I won’t be rewatching it this January, I think a lot of people who missed it in theaters are going to have fun with some of these kills now that it’s on Netflix.
Stranger Things: Season 5 (2025)
The long-awaited conclusion to Stranger Things is finally upon us! Will Vecna take out some of this ridiculously large cast on the way out? I hope so. Will we pretend to be surprised when Eddie Munson gets a few seconds of screentime? I refuse to play this game. However, are we all going to tune in to see how this epic ride ends? You betcha! I hate that they’re breaking this final season up into three chunks, but I will be sitting for all of them.
The first four episodes hit in November. The next three landed on Netflix on December 25, and the finale premiered on December 31. I don’t know what to expect, but I know I am so ready to close this chapter of my relationship with Netflix and the Duffer Brothers. If it is even half as good as season four, then I will be a very happy nerd.
Troll 2 (2025)
A new troll awakens, causing Nora, Andreas, and Captain Kris to find new allies to take it down. This Norwegian monster flick almost got by me, so I’m happy Netflix dropped the trailer for this one. I’m using this as an excuse to finally watch the first one. I’m thinking a double feature is in order, so I can spend a whole day with these trolls. This is not my usual type of party, but after Troll Hunter won me over, I figure anything can happen. So, I will not judge you if you’re not feeling this out of left field pick. Just know that I’m running at it with an open mind and hoping to see some carnage as a reward.
These are just the Netflix titles I’m prioritizing. This is in no way a complete overview of all of the new shows and movies they’ve added this winter. We also know that they usually have a ton of international bangers that they refuse to advertise. So, I end up stumbling over Korean titles every January and then trying to tell people we missed some really excellent stuff. So, pick up your remote and turn your phone off. It’s time to Netflix and Chill in the less sexy and more nerdy way.
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