The traditional horror genre has evolved over past decades for various reasons, and is now in a trend deemed ’elevated horror’ for being so popular and critically lauded. Fascination associated with horror stems from a deep infatuation with simulation experience — watching these terrifying and horrific acts on-screen can evoke a physical and mental simulation within the viewer’s state of mind. This is a huge part as to why many yell at the screen during the build-up of an ultimate kill or the chase of a victim; viewers are immersed into this world to the point where they feel as if they’re actually in the scene and those characters can somehow hear their warnings.
Throughout the 1960s and ’70s, horror films slowly proved that they could be critically acclaimed and make tons of money. Psycho was made for less than $1 and yet earned more than 50 times that; the 1973 adaptation of William Peter Blatty’s 1971 novel The Exorcist was one of the first big-budget horror films, costing $12 million, and it went on to make $450 million, giving the genre true mainstream success. If it wasn’t for early groundbreaking horror films like these that went against the grain, we wouldn’t have streaming services dedicated exclusively to the acclaimed genre.
First launched in 2015 by AMC Networks and created specifically for horror fans, the Shudder streaming service provides a combination of classic, indie, and new original content to its viewers. With a steadily growing platform, the network announced in 2020 that Shudder exceeded one million paid subscribers. Whether you choose to opt into a monthly subscription for $5.99, or an annual plan for $56.99, horror fanatics won’t be disappointed by the plethora of works streamed. With the critically-acclaimed Hellbender premiering on the platform, take a look at some of the best Shudder movies, a selection of jaw-dropping and night-terror evoking originals.
MOVIEWEB VIDEO OF THE DAY
7 Slaxx
Shudder
Slaxx, where wearing a favorite pair of jeans begins to rot the human body from the inside out. Telling the story of an ultra-trendy clothing boutique, a mysterious pair of jeans begins to terrorize the staff. Initially coming off as corny, this bonkers masterpiece incorporates elements of horror and comedy to convey a frightening story of possession with the occasional humorous undertones in one of the best horror flicks about consumerism since Dan of the Dead.
MOVIEWEB VIDEO OF THE DAY
MOVIEWEB VIDEO OF THE DAY
MOVIEWEB VIDEO OF THE DAY
6 Violation
PSA to all family members, if you ever betray one another, watch this movie and definitely make it a priority to ask for forgiveness or sleep with one eye open. Set in Canada (because why not shoot a horror film where most of the citizens are ridiculously nice) Violation follows a woman nearing divorce who seeks revenge against her sister and brother-in-law after a vicious act occurs against her. After watching this movie, viewers will one-hundred percent choose the side of the understandably upset and betrayed sister, though viewers will probably not go to the extensive lengths she has. Violation is a shocking testament to how a person’s own blood can hurt them.
5 Horror Noire: A History of Black Horror
Continental Distributing
Cheers that the age-old trope of Black people dying in the first five minutes of a horror film thankfully ending. In the form of an interview-based setting with fellow scholars and creators, the insightful Horror Noire: A History of Black Horror illustrates untold stories as it pertains to the history of Black Americans in horror cinema. From stereotypes as maids and servants to intentionally creating their own subversive monsters (i.e Blacula), the documentary looks into the origins of Black bodies in film and how the narrative shifted from being disrespected or feared to acting as main character heroes.
4 Horror Noire
The 2021 horror anthology film Horror Noire (taking its cue from the title of the aforementioned documentary) is most notable for featuring a collection of six fictional, thought-provoking horror stories about race: Daddy, Bride Before You, Brand of Evil, The Lake, Sundown and Fugue State. Fellow Black directors, screenwriters, and actors are the central focus, disrupting the long-instilled narrative that people of color cannot play an intricate role in the horror genre.
3 Shook
Shook is the tale of gorgeous, self-centered and Instagram-famous influencers who have no idea about the differences between living an actual life and social media perceptions, which is an actual terror in itself. Internet mega star Mia (Daisye Tutor) becomes the target of a web-based terror campaign, and eventually has to solve a series of games to prevent people she cares about from abruptly being killed in this disturbing little gem.
2 Bliss
Dark Sky Films
A summary of Bliss in three words: sex, vampires and drugs. If anyone has ever experience writers (or any creative) block spanning prolonged periods of time, Bliss is probably a must-watch; on second thought, maybe not if any viewers are extremely sensitive to lighting (epilepsy warning). Desi (Dora Madison), a struggling painter, is experiencing a serious block as she attempts to find the inspiration for a new piece. The rebellious iconoclast ends up spiraling into a life of excessive drug use, fueling her thirst for human blood in this visually wild arthouse horror.
1 The Medium
GDH 559
Mink (Narilya Gulmongkolpech) may be adorable, but whoever wants to befriend her after watching this movie should just go out and purchase a crucifix at this point. As a documentary team follows Northern Thailand-based shaman Nim (Sawanee Utoomma) in order to record her experiences, it is revealed that her niece Mink is beginning to show strange symptoms related to possession. Throughout the duration of the film, Mink’s possession intensifies, her overall behavior becoming more bizarre and intense. This is a clever pseudo-documentary with aspects of satire despite being genuinely disturbing, and is probably the best found-footage film in quite some time.
