Shudder is known for being the premier streaming service for fans of all things scary, haunted, and macabre. In 2018 it acquired its first exclusive film, Revenge – directed by Coralie Fargeat, who is now Oscar-nominated thanks to her hit film The Substance. Since then, the streaming service has released tons of original shows and movies. Some are horror comedies, like their hits Bloody Axe Wound and Scare Package. But others are downright terrifying and have become some of the biggest horror hits of the last few years.
Join us as we highlight the 10 scariest original shows and movies that are streaming on Shudder right now. And remember, they’re all also available on AMC+, and some are even on multiple platforms, including Hulu and Tubi.
Late Night with the Devil
Originally premiering at the 2023 SXSW festival, Late Night with the Devil is set in the ‘70s and sees a struggling late-night host try to earn ratings by bringing a young girl onto his show who claims to be possessed. Even wilder, the movie is heavily inspired by the very real and very infamous Bohemian Club (seriously, look it up) and the allegedly hedonistic activities that happen during their summer meetings. Horror fans will love Late Night with the Devil because it builds up tons of suspense, and its unique TV show setting creates a great and unexpected atmosphere for a horror film.
In a Violent Nature
Most horror movies follow a group of young people as they’re pursued by a masked killer. But In a Violent Nature follows the killer instead. The film has some absolutely brutal kills and a fantastic wooded setting that makes viewers feel the isolation and helplessness of the victims. And even though audiences follow the killer around, his actions still seem incredibly random, making everything more scary and confusing. If you love a good slasher flick and want a seriously smart and sadistic twist to the genre, this is it. It feels like someone took the old-school scares of Friday the 13th and combined it with the brutal ambiance of Terrifier.
Cursed Films
They say truth is stranger than fiction, and sometimes it’s way scarier too. The docuseries Cursed Films looks at the terrifying and often tragic true stories behind some of the most iconic horror films ever made. From Cannibal Holocaust to Rosemary’s Baby, Poltergeist, and more, Cursed Films looks at movies that were plagued by absolutely horrendous events during their productions, like mysterious deaths, catastrophic accidents, riots, and more. For some of these movies, what happened behind the scenes is way scarier than what you saw on film.
Host
Lots of people tried to make Zoom-based films during the pandemic, and let’s just be honest…they all failed horribly because most of us didn’t want to be reminded of lockdown during lockdown. There were movies like Locked Down, Alone Together, and Distancing Socially, which had such bad receptions, most people have probably never even heard of them. But one pandemic film that was surprisingly good (and scary as hell) was 2020’s Host. In the movie, a group of girls decide to entertain themselves during the COVID lockdown by having a seance over Zoom. But they soon discover that their little game has taken a demonic turn. Using lots of practical effects and Paranormal Activity-style scares, Host is a terrifying ghost movie.
V/H/S/94
V/H/S is an anthology horror franchise inspired by the format’s long-running tradition within the horror community. It’s a modern take on classic anthology films like Creepshow and Body Bags, and In 2021, Shudder took over the franchise and released V/H/S/94. The anthology film is set in 1994 and has some seriously scary entries. “Storm Drain” sees a reporter come face to face with an urban legend known as Rat Man, who lives in the city’s sewer system. “The Subject,” meanwhile, is some of the best body horror out there and centers around a mad scientist who is combining humans with machines. There’s a total of five shorts and all of them are filled with terror, dread, and suspense.
Glorious
Glorious is hands-down the wildest Shudder movie ever. In the film, Ryan Kwanten (from True Blood fame) enters a rural rest stop bathroom and notices there’s a gloryhole in the stall he’s using. And in the other stall there’s someone…or something…needing to be pleasured. Trust me, this film is wild and becomes a full-blown Lovecraftian affair with J.K. Simmons voicing the monster. Plus, the ending twist is totally brilliant and adds a whole new layer to an already shocking movie.
The Beach House
So, The Beach House is one of those movies where the twists and surprises are half the fun, so I won’t spoil too much of the plot. But I’ll give you this much – Just know that it involves a group at a beach house, something horrible is happening, and then viewers get treated to some seriously squirm-worthy body horror. That’s all I’m giving you, you’ll need to watch it to find out what’s really going on.
V/H/S/Beyond
Another fantastic addition to the V/H/S series is 2024’s V/H/S/Beyond, which was dedicated to a more sci-fi horror approach to the franchise. Just like the other V/H/S films, Beyond is an anthology movie, but the segments are wilder than ever. Highlights include “Stork” which is filmed from the perspective of a police body cam and features zombies and one seriously disturbing stork monster, and “Live and Let Die”, where a UFO encounter becomes deadly for a group of skydivers. The sci-fi edge in Beyond is a lot of fun and proves that the V/H/S franchise always has something new up its sleeve.
Skinamarink
Ok, full disclosure on this one: This movie requires patience and the right setting. Skinamarink is like someone combined an arthouse film with Paranormal Activity. If you’re in a rush or are doing something else, don’t watch it. This isn’t the kind of film you can watch while playing Candy Crush on your phone. It’s the kind of movie that requires a dark, quiet room so you can fully get lost in its disturbing ambiance. But if you can devote yourself to Skinamarink, get ready for one hell of a paranormal mindfuck.
Influencer
Have you ever heard the stories of Clark Rockefeller or Anna Sorokin? Then you should check out Influencer. In the movie, a sadistic con artist traps a vapid influencer and attempts to become her by stealing her identity. But things go wrong when the influencer’s boyfriend unexpectedly shows up. It’s kind of like The Talented Mr. Ripley, but with more horror and suspense. The film scored great reviews and had premieres at numerous horror film festivals.
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