Little known fact: Spooky time is all the time when you're a horror fan! AMC's horror streaming service Shudder makes it easier than ever for both casual viewers and aficionados alike to find whatever their haunted hearts desire. Like all streamers, though, there is a lot of content to parse through. Some of it can be pretty rough — no judgment if that's your thing as we all need a trashy horror movie now and then — but Shudder also happens to be an absolute treasure trove of some of the best horror around. Both foreign and domestic films are given the opportunity to shine on the platform, making it well worth the $5.99 per month (or $56.99 annually) price tag.
Read on for some of the best movies on Shudder right now, and then when you're done here be sure to check out the Best 90s Horror Movies you can stream and the 31 Best Modern Horror Movies.
Dead End
Over the river and through the woods drives a family who gets caught on a never-ending road. Dead End is the kind of holiday horror that finds unsettling fantasies in spending time with family under the duress of festive imprisonment. A cast including Ray Wise and Lin Shaye grow battier by the mile as their automobile continues driving through wintery darkness with no turnoff in sight. There are equal parts psychological and haunting frights, driven by performances that slip into madness like any of us would break if we were trapped forever on a purgatorial highway with fathers, mothers, siblings, or other relatives.
The Vigil
Keith Thomas knocks his feature debut The Vigil out of the park. The Jewish horror story focuses on a young man’s encounter with an evil spirit known as a Mazzik while keeping vigil over a deceased community member. It’s supremely scary as Thomas navigates the shadows of a Brooklyn home’s tighter quarters. Thomas uses Orthodox Jewish practices to heighten his story’s originality, telling a tale of demonic hauntings that feels impressively new. It was my favorite horror movie of 2021 and should be watched ASAP if you’ve never felt the Mazzik’s frightening gaze.
Perpetrator
Jennifer Reeder treats Perpetrator like a spiritual sequel to her debut Knives and Skin in terms of tone, which is rad because Knives and Skin creates such a vibrant environment. Kiah McKirnan stars as Jonny, a teenage girl who inherits “super empathy” powers on her eighteenth birthday and ends up hunting a local serial killer preying on young women. It seems like a lot of storytelling that can easily get tangled, but Reeder maintains a strong command that falls somewhere between high school comedies like Clueless and coming-of-age horrors like Teeth. The film’s unique themes and execution won’t be for everyone, but that’s alright — I’ll take creative expressions over paint-by-numbers safety any day.
Relic
Natalie Erika James’ Relic sits at the top of “Trauma Horror” classifications. The way James weaves dementia into a horror story about losing loved ones is top-notch, from creeptacular visuals to emotionally supercharged themes. It’s easy to tell what mold represents — James isn’t trying to overcomplicate the recreation of widespread fears about mortality. Simplicity is the film’s greatest asset. It’s traumatizing, cathartic, and achingly beautiful in a way that will undoubtedly touch anyone who watches this brilliant representation of mental deterioration as a haunted house.
Paul Dood’s Deadly Lunch Break
Nick Gillespie’s pitch-black comedy about — well, read the title — was one of my favorites from 2021’s South by Southwest film festival. Then it vanished. It’s almost impossible to find Paul Dood’s US release date. Praise Shudder for doing the dark lord’s work and scoring this British answer to Falling Down for their platform, about a hopeful talent show winner seeking revenge on the people who made him miss his audition. Kills are brutal, laughs are plentiful, and performances are perfect for the absurd concept. Please give Paul Dood the attention his film deserves!
Unwelcome
Fans of folklore and creatures should give Unwelcome a chance. Jon Wright’s funny and violent horror-comedy follows an expecting couple who moves into a rural Irish home with a Redcap problem. If you don’t know what Redcaps are, they’re basically murder goblins who kill deservingly nasty people and soak their caps in victims’ blood. Redcaps are brought to life by actors filmed off set for appropriate sizing as these adorable yet vicious hooded soldiers, nailing their tiny but murderous vibes. Unwelcome is always best when the Redcaps are on screen, scampering around with miniature weapons that tear into flesh. As long as you have the patience to get through a beginning sans Redcap shenanigans, you’ll be rewarded later on.
Brooklyn 45
Filmmaker Ted Geoghegan has created a profoundly personal and eerily haunting chamber piece with the 1940s-set Brooklyn 45. The likes of Larry Fessenden and Anne Ramsay play World War II veterans who find themselves part of a seance back home, wrestling with ghosts from behind enemy lines. Within the recreational quarters of a New York City Brownstone, these ex-soldiers and ex-interrogators face something supernatural that forces them to relive their past actions. Brooklyn 45 explores how war is hell and your sins follow you everywhere, as influenced by Geoghegan’s late disabled Air Force Veteran-turned-history teacher father — whose input helped shape the script. It’s creepy, contemplative, and offers a fresh spin on WWII themes. Papa would be proud, Mr. Geoghegan.
Slumber Party Massacre (2021)
Slumber Party Massacre is one of the better horror remakes in a hot minute. It’s got all the pillow fights and sexy pajamas you’d expect based on the original, but merely as a distraction and then subversion. As a remake, there’s a brilliant balance between paying homage to a cult classic original and carving a new legacy. The kills are brutal, the commentary is fierce, and the whole sleepover slasher vibe is tons of fun. Truly one of the biggest genre surprises in the last few years.
Terrified
I wrote a CineFix script called The Art of the Jump Scare that became a superb video essay on why jump scares deserve more respect. In my examples, I included the Argentinian horror movie Terrified, which is basically Jump Scares: The Movie — and it’s damn good at being just that. You’ll want to watch Terrified with friends and the lights on if you’re not a regular horror watcher, or alone and in the dark if you welcome a few nightmares. Filmmaker Demián Rugna proves that jump scares are essential to the genre when properly implemented, by going above and beyond to scare audiences into submission.
Jack Be Nimble
The 90s are full of oddities like Garth Maxwell’s Jack Be Nimble now lost to emptied VHS shelves. If you’re into ambitious genre stories that try to balance too many genres with a dreamlike quality, you need to check out this New Zealand import. A very young Alexis Arquette stars as Jack, trying to find his separated sister Dora (Sarah Smuts-Kennedy) after years in the adoption system — oh, and Dora has developed “extra-sensory powers?” It’s one of those movies where there’s no comparison, and it needs to be seen to be believed due to free-flowing ambition. Consider this one buried treasure.
Extra Ordinary
I like Extra Ordinary because it’s not afraid to embrace the adorableness of romantic comedies with lesser horror influences. From Ireland comes a lovey-dovey mix of Ghostbusters and Paranormal Activity through the lens of a dryer Taika Waititi comedy. Rose Dooley (Maeve Higgins) is a driving instructor who must use her abilities of supernatural communication to save a girl from a washed-up rockstar played by Will Forte. There’s ectoplasm, sweet smiles, and the warmest heart in the middle of this satanic meet-cute with some gore for the hardcore horror fans. This one’s safe for date night!
Spoonful of Sugar
They say a spoonful of sugar makes everything better, but Shudder's latest is hardly a sweet treat that soothes. Mercedes Bryce Morgan's Spoonful of Sugar is a story about neglect, babysitting woes, and a nonverbal child with severe allergies named Johnny. Tense interactions between parents, sons, and paid caretakers are woven together like a sinister bedtime story or Grimm fable with a poisonous core. A hallucinogenic atmosphere overtakes when the hired babysitter starts dropping "medicinal" LSD, which marries traumatic events and psychedelic reactions. We love brutal horror flicks promoting unhinged narrative swings around these parts, even if some connect better than others.
Skinamarink
Chances are you’ve seen a viral post about this liminal horror movie called Skinamarink. Kyle Edward Ball embraces immersive experimentation in this recreation of childhood fears of the dark. We see an after-bedtime world from the eyes of two siblings trapped inside a pitch-black house where dark hallways, suspect shadows, and surprise noises are the horror flavors of choice. Terror is about ambiance; appreciation depends on your patience for arthouse horror that points and shoots on grainy film. Skinamarink is the hardest of recommendations — half of you reading this blurb will hate Skinamarink, guaranteed. The other half will have a new favorite oddity to show their friends, sure to divide basements of horror fans debating whether Ball’s anti-mainstream ambitions suit their personal needs.
Let The Wrong One In
Speaking of vampires, Conor McMahon’s indie vampire comedy Let the Wrong One In from two years ago deserves more attention. The title pun alone — spoofing Let the Right One In — gives away the film’s humorous tone, but it’s not some later-stage Scary Movie knockoff. Anthony Head shows up because what’s a vampire flick without an ex-Buffy cast member, as McMahon emphasizes silly practical gore on a tighter budget. “A young supermarket worker discovers that his older brother is a vampire and must choose whether to help him or slay him,” and that’s the plot’s conundrum. As far as sibling hijinx, splattery decapitations and lighthearted bloodletting go, Let the Wrong One In is worth a weekend stream.
Blood Relatives
You know Noah Segan from his Knives Out roles and films like Looper, but now you know him as something else — a feature film director. Blood Relatives (which I reviewed for IGN) is Segan’s parental road trip vampire flick with Yiddish roots, a plucky indie with a warm heart and thirst for blood. The attraction here is the chemistry between greaser dad Segan and his runaway daughter, played by Victoria Moroles. It’s sweet, downplays gore to accentuate relationship drama, and becomes a charming riff on Near Dark that’s far more comforting than psychotic.
A Wounded Fawn
In my review for A Wounded Fawn, I threw out a host of comparisons from William Lustig's Maniac to Mary Harron's American Psycho. Josh Ruben plays quite the villain, calling back to another womanizing murderer: Sebastian Stan's predator in Fresh. Travis Stevens takes significant risks in this twisty, bendy, hybrid-as-heck horror flick that's like a tour through countless subgenres — which makes A Wounded Fawn one of the year's more divisive titles. It's a ferociously wild kill-or-be-killed horror tale that never stops pushing further into psychotic madness, whether you like it or not (emphasis on the "like it or not" implications).
Deadstream
Vanessa & Joseph Winter struck gold with Deadstream, about an obnoxious livestreamer who takes his followers into Death Manor. It’s got the scrappiness of Sam Raimi’s original Evil Dead with the adaptive camouflage of screenlife evolutions in genre storytelling. Joseph Winter plays the internet celebrity seeking new sponsorship, Shawn Ruddy, and does a tremendous job keeping us watching while karma works its magic in a real-time haunted house. Deadstream is one of those discoveries you hope doesn’t become a “lost treasure,” and that’s why you’ll keep hearing me yell about this wonderful funhouse of streaming horrors until I’m blue in the face.
Speak No Evil
Christian Tafdrup brings another feel-bad stunner to its ranks, titled Speak No Evil. It’s a facetious title because I can assure you there’s plenty of evil spoken, heard, and shown. A Danish family road trips to visit their newfound Dutch vacation friends and things go — as with most Shudder releases — horribly awry. Speak No Evil plays the slow burn and builds to an absolutely soul-sucking finale that applies pressure until you’re ready to submit. That simmering approach to tension will be a divisive element for horror fans that might disappoint more adrenaline-forward horror fans, but patience will be the greatest virtue for others.
Watcher
Chloe Okuno’s feature debut Watcher is a psychological stunner that’s invasive and vulnerable to alarming degrees. Maika Monroe plays an American outsider in Bucharest (Julia) who’s left alone by her work-addicted husband while she navigates a foreign city. Discomfort and paranoia seep into Julia’s daily activities when she worries there’s a stalker behind her every step, but no one heeds her warnings. Enter Burn Gorman as an unassuming neighbor who seems to be in the wrong place every time Julia feels unsafe, and you get one of 2022’s horror standouts so far based on nothing but society’s patronizing of unbelieved women.
The Convent
Mike Mendez has succeeded as an indie filmmaker with attitude and spunk, as exemplified by his 2000s nunsploitation flick The Convent. It’s filled with demon nuns, neon possessions, and late-night horror vibes that smell more like the 2000s than an entire canister of Axe body spray. Dumb teens are dumb, and it’s never above simple clichés, but everyone’s having so much fun in the process — including Coolio and Bill Moseley, who play officers in an incredibly wacky scenario. The vibes are strong with The Convent, perfect for a “pizza and beers” weekend night with fellow goofball horror fans.
Tammy and the T-Rex
Tammy and the T-Rex could be the most 90s film ever released. Legend talks about how Stewart Raffill came into possession of an animatronic dinosaur and had to make a movie using the larger-than-life prop — and that’s how this bonkers romantic comedy was born. Paul Walker (yes, that Paul Walker) plays a teenager whose brain is transplanted into a T-Rex, and swooning crush Tammy — played by Denise Richards (YUP) — does everything she can to save the man-dino-experiment he’s become. What’s even crazier is the existence of a savage “gore cut” that features expert practical effects by John Carl Buechler that was unreleased until recently because the studio softened and censored the theatrical cut. Now you can watch Tammy and the T-Rex as intended, with hilarious hijinks and squashed heads crushed underfoot with blood spraying everywhere.
Demon Wind
Demon Wind is an unintentionally bad-good 90s horror masterpiece that tries to recreate Evil Dead but fails so miserably that it boomerangs back to being amazing. This movie has everything! Magicians who know karate, Lou Diamond Phillips dressed as a boil-covered demon, animal transformations — except there’s no wind, just fog? Demon Wind doesn’t understand pacing, character development, or most other technical merits of cinema, but sure does make for an endlessly entertaining stream for maybe-not-sober watch parties. It’s a futile film to explain as possessions, nude seductresses, and cloven-hoofed devils cycle through scenes at random, yet must be experienced by anyone who loves cheesy midnighters with extra cheese overflowing everywhere.
Detention
Detention is based on a Taiwanese video game that blends national traumas with hints of Silent Hill and international survival horror games like DreadOut. High school students find themselves under martial law in 1962 Taiwan, where reading certain books is enough to earn the death sentence. Horrors are a mixture of government oppression and ghastly deities who resemble The Crooked Man, living at the intersection of historical terrors and demonic symbolism. It’s a story that oozes fear based on Taiwan’s tragic past without sacrificing these searing glimpses of horror between monsters, hangings, and other ghoulish accents that exploit the genre’s frightening efficiencies. How dare an overseas period piece be spooky and informative!
Scare Me
Josh Ruben's debut spotlights the power behind a well-told story. Two writers in cabins seeking rejuvenated creative juices spend time during a power outage telling each other scary tales to prove who's the better wordsmith. Imaginations run wild when their descriptions come alive, as Ruben and co-star Aya Cash (and SNL's Chris Redd) entertain using nothing but emphatic campfire tactics to raise chills that are impressive in their simplicity. Werewolves won't appear when Ruben tells a werewolf story, for example — entertainment is in a storyteller's annunciation and presence, which all actors convey splendidly. It's a clever exercise that proves how horror starts with sentences and characters before any visual effects are turned gory or grotesque, making the most of lower budgets by telling of terror without the need to show.
Hounds Of Love
Ben Young’s directorial debut, Hounds of Love, is as vicious and brutal a debut film as you can find. The Australian serial killer thriller stars Emma Booth and Stephen Curry as predators who prey on young girls. Their latest target, played by Ashleigh Cummings, is drugged and abducted as a prelude to gut-churning horrors that range from perverse fetishes to real-world sadism. Hounds of Love is a hard true(ish) crime pill to swallow — producers confirm Young’s criminals mix inspiration from a host of Australian and international murder sprees but nothing specific — which plays at romantic and abusive traumas. Booth and Currey are too charismatic; Cummings is a fierce and combative victim. It’s the darkest brand of horror tale, rooted in earthly evils but too accomplished by filmmaking standards. For those who listen to true crime podcasts like their daily treats, Hounds of Love is a must-see.
Black Roses
Black Roses falls under the “80s midnighter” umbrella for its cheesy rock ‘n roller themes and demonic costumes. It’s for those who enjoy films like Deathgasm, Rock ‘N’ Roll Nightmare, and Trick ‘R Treat (the heavy metal horror one). Bands of the era like Lizzy Borden and King Kobra lend their talents to a possessed band that turns suburban teens against their parents, resulting in unexplainable deaths. You’ll witness leather-clad monsters on stage who hypnotize their adoring crowd and record players that come alive, eating their prey. There’s nothing serious about Black Roses, so expect more comedy than tragedy — but it’s a definitive relic for headbanger horror fans. One that’s been especially hard to find, which makes its availability on Shudder all the more critical.
Satan’s Slaves
I will never shut up about Joko Anwar's scare-machine, Satan's Slaves. The way we talk about James Wan's mastery of haunted house architecture could fit Anwar's stylistic darkness as well. I don't scare as easily anymore, given how many horror flicks I watch per year, but Satan's Slaves is one of those rare instances where I felt like a 7-year-old watching A Nightmare On Elm Street. It's steeped in unnerving paranormal activity that feels fresher from an international perspective, finding the perfect balance between cultural significance and nightmare camera tricks. Indonesian horror has been on fire these last however many years — Satan's Slaves is one of the best examples.
Monstrum
Who can say no to a horror movie where a plague is the least of everyone’s worries? A sickness is ravaging Joseon, but rumors of a monster run rampant further threaten King Jungjong's kingdom. Things are never really what they seem with monarchs, though. While some critics called Monstrum predictable, this one’s kind of more about the journey than the destination. The action sequences are a joy, the creature effects are fun, and there may or may not be a monster nicknamed “Sparkles.”
Z
Imaginations can be killer. Brandon Christensen’s spooky nightmare, called simply Z, plays into the familiar trope of a child’s murderous imaginary friend. The plot may be recognizable here, but the visuals are enough to keep you haunted. Lead actress Keegan Connor Tracy really loses herself in her role — literally. She’s gone on record saying that Z "was such a huge emotional journey for me and I had to sort of sequester myself a lot to stay in that woman’s mental and emotional space."
Blood Quantum
We love a sociopolitical horror joint! Fresh takes on the zombie genre are hard, a fact that becomes even truer when a film diverts from the horror-comedy angle and plays it straight. Still, Blood Quantum pulls it off. A play on controversial Blood Quantum Laws, we learn six months into the apocalypse that members of the Red Crow Reservation and all those with Native blood cannot be infected by the “Zeds” while the rest of the world is fair game. Though no more plot details will be offered here, it feels important to note that Stonehorse Lone Goeman’s Gisigu is an icon and the film is worth checking out for his performance alone.
The Cleansing Hour
The Cleansing Hour is perfect introductory horror. You’ve heard of televangelists, but have you ever heard of tele-exorcists? We follow a pretend preacher as he and his crew stage fake exorcisms for views on their tacky set. At least we do until the possession stops being fake and Max — the hot preacher — is forced to reckon with his past sins if he wants to save his fiancée. It’s a little predictable, and some of the performances are a little shaky, but the practical effects are strong and Alix Angelis carries everyone across the finish line with her impeccable acting.
One Cut of the Dead
There are good movies, there are bad movies, a lot of just ok movies, and then there are special movies. One Cut of the Dead is in that last category. Usually when you hear “stick with it past the first 30 minutes,” you assume that the first third of the movie is rough. In One Cut’s case, you simply don’t know what’s going on (in a good way) until those early 30 minutes wrap up. A “love letter” can feel like a cliche, but that’s exactly what kind of film One Cut of the Dead manages to be. Telling you who that love letter is addressed to heads into spoiler territory, but trust that this one is remarkable and give it a shot.
Psycho Goreman
If you’re looking for a “hot nonsense” kind of film to meet your viewing needs, Psycho Goreman is just that. This silly, vulgar, and sometimes touching flick became one of those instant cult classics for a multitude of reasons. The real question is, which aspect of it will be the one that wins you over? Will it be Nita-Josee Hanna’s hilarious performance as Mimi, the hunky boys, or PG inexplicably dressed as Dr. Alan Grant? Psycho Goreman is loads of fun for the whole family (swears and all), especially for those who gravitate towards practical effects.
The Medium
When you watch a lot of horror, getting creeped out can become a tall order. The Medium fits that bill and then some. It shifts from haunting to utterly terrifying with ease, and features an incredible performance from Narilya Gulmongkolpech as Mink. Found footage isn’t for everyone, but rest assured that any shaky camera work is used solely to enhance the story rather than to simply jar the audience. (And note that the film has no relation to the game.)
Horror Noire: A History of Black Horror
We see “essential viewing” thrown around all willy nilly a lot these days. That acknowledgment aside, Horror Noire is absolutely essential viewing. Based on Horror Noire: Blacks in American Horror Films from the 1890s to Present by Dr. Robin R. Means Coleman, the documentary explores the Black history of horror. Featuring legends from Tony Todd to Jordan Peele and focusing on everything from The Birth of a Nation to blaxploitation to contemporary hits like Get Out, Horror Noire seeks to highlight both the sins and successes of Black representation in horror. The doc is also being followed up by an anthology series that premiered on October 29th on Shudder.
Tigers Are Not Afraid
Fantasy and stone-cold realism typically mix like oil and vinegar, but that’s the magic of Tigers Are Not Afraid. The award-winning film is unforgettable. A small group of children’s stories intertwine as the Mexican Drug War ravages their town and, in the process, they all find themselves met with challenges beyond their years. Those hurdles are coupled with impeccable performances and emotional traumas that will leave most viewers breathless.
What are your favorite horror movies on Shudder? Let's discuss in the comments!
