Stop stressing over what to watch this Halloween and instead turn to this varied mix of horror titles, both old and new, from Shudder’s library
Every streaming service turns Halloween into an opportunity to showcase what horror genre heavy hitters they have in their library. But there’s extra pressure for a service like Shudder (also available on AMC+), which specifically zeroes in on horror programming, to go all-out when it comes to the Halloween season.
Shudder has more than 600 horror films in its growing library with dozens more having been added to the mix this October as part of their intensive “Home for Halloween” celebration. As such, it can sometimes be even more difficult to figure out the perfect viewing schedule when there are so many options at one’s disposal.
For those who want to sit in the passenger’s seat and trust what Shudder has to offer, then here’s a broad range of worthy horror hits, both old and new, that cater to genre fans of all shapes and sizes. Consider this a movie marathon, if you will, one that spans 24 hours — from dusk ’til dawn, as they say.
Resurrection (2022) – Coming to Shudder October 28th
“Margaret’s life is in order. She is capable, disciplined and successful. Everything is under control until David returns – that is – carrying with him the horrors of Margaret’s past.”
Resurrection is a heartbreaking meditation on manipulation, abuse, and belief, all of which is expressed through the most toxic of relationships between Rebecca Hall’s Margaret and Tim Roth’s David. Hall’s raw performance depicts the shattering of someone’s psyche and every “kindness” that she performs for her abuser becomes harder to endure. Resurrection is the most recent Shudder title to make the list, but the 2022 movie is such an unsettling experience that it’s likely to leave its viewers disturbed well into next year’s Halloween season.
Pieces (1982)
“The co-eds of a Boston college campus are targeted by a mysterious killer who is creating a human jigsaw puzzle from their body parts.”
“It’s exactly what you think it is!” is one of the many gratuitous taglines for 1982’s ultra-bloody slasher film, Pieces, and it’s hard to argue with the directness of that claim. Those gore hounds who are looking for an over the top massacre will be incredibly pleased with Pieces. The movie’s repugnant prelude which crosses the wires between sexuality and violence lays the framework for a messy murder mystery where dismemberment is just the first course in this bloody buffet.
Hellbender (2021)
“A lonely teen discovers her family’s ties to witchcraft.”
Written and directed by the collective Adams family–John Adams, Zelda Adams, and Toby Poser–who also star in their films, there’s something incredibly earnest and genuine about all of their productions. Hellbender, their most recent feature, is a haunting coming of age story that brings films like The Craft and Ginger Snaps to mind. Hellbender explores universal themes and fears about family and adulthood, but through uniquely hypnotic visuals and brutal acts of horror that eat away at the viewer’s sanity.
StageFright (1987)
“A group of stage actors lock themselves in the theater for a rehearsal of their upcoming musical production, unaware that an escaped psychopath has sneaked into the theater with them.”
Lucio Fulci and Dario Argento are household names to come out of Italian horror. Michele Soavi cut his teeth working alongside these acclaimed directors and he’s also responsible for some groundbreaking horror films like The Church, Dellamorte Dellamore, and StageFright. Many horror movies find strength in setting their murder mysteries against the production of a film or piece of theater, but StageFright goes above and beyond in this regard. The behind the scenes setting is immaculately used with inventive setpieces that are creatively shot and instigated by an intimidating antagonist who wears a furry owl mask and wields an axe. There’s not a weak link in StageFright and it’s the best ’80s slasher you’ve never heard of.
Eaten Alive (1976)
“A psychotic redneck, who owns a dilapidated hotel in rural East Texas, kills various people who upset him or his business, and he feeds their bodies to a large crocodile that he keeps as a pet in the swamp beside his hotel.”
Tobe Hooper’s surreal successor to The Texas Chain Saw Massacre, Eaten Alive, is an even more unbelievable piece of horror cinema that feels like Tim Burton directing indie theater on a haunted bayou. A hungry alligator is the greatest obstacle in Eaten Alive, but the movie becomes a visual feast for the senses that leaves audiences as satiated as the gator. Part unhinged rural horror story, part Brechtian marital drama, Eaten Alive is in a class of its own and one of the strangest movies to come from one of horror’s most transgressive and experimental filmmakers.
Phenomena (1985)
“A young girl who has an amazing ability to communicate with insects is transferred to an exclusive Swiss boarding school, where her unusual capability might help solve a string of murders.”
Shudder has its giallo fans covered when it comes to their wide selection of Dario Argento titles, but Phenomena is one of the director’s finest efforts that often goes overlooked. Argento’s flair for mysterious, extravagant serial killers blends together with supernatural intrigue in this unpredictable horror film that’s simultaneously gorgeous and gross. Forget about Freddy Vs. Jason, it’s Phenomena’s Inga Vs. Nope’s Gordy that the horror fans deserve!
Perfect Blue (1997)
“A pop singer gives up her career to become an actress, but she slowly goes insane when she starts being stalked by an obsessed fan and what seems to be a ghost of her past.”
Shudder has no shortage of live-action horror content, but they’ve recently made an exciting push to showcase more avant-garde anime material. Satoshi Kon is a visionary voice in the anime industry whose works have inspired the likes of Darren Aronofsky and Christopher Nolan. Each of Kon’s four feature films are compelling character studies, but Perfect Blue might be the director’s most immortal work. The paranoid thriller examines toxic fandom and parasocial relationships through surreal visuals that beautifully express the characters‘ fractured mental states.
Basket Case (1982)
“A young man carrying a big basket that contains his extremely deformed, formerly conjoined twin brother seeks vengeance on the doctors who separated them against their will.”
The absurdist antics of the Bradley “twins” go on to fuel a trilogy of twisted schlocky horror films, but the madness begins in Basket Case. The playful monster movie benefits from perfectly understanding what it is and there’s endless charm in both the movie’s wicker-bound villain and the constant exasperation that Kevin Van Hentenryck brings to Duane. Each Basket Case sequel gets progressively grandiose, which somehow works in the franchise’s favor. For those who find that Basket Case particularly resonates with them, Shudder offers more of writer/director Frank Henenlotter’s fearful, filthy filmography, like Frankenhooker and Brain Damage.
Prom Night II: Hello Mary Lou (1987)
“Thirty years after her accidental death at her 1957 senior prom, the tortured spirit of prom queen Mary Lou Maloney returns to seek revenge.”
Prom Night II: Hello Mary Lou is the sublime horror sequel that’s not only an improvement from its predecessor, but is so tangentially connected that it can be watched without any prior Prom Night knowledge. Hello Mary Lou tells a standard vengeful ghost story that’s set against a high school prom, but despite this generic premise, the movie contains endless style and personality. There are truly impressive visuals and fantasy sequences in Prom Night II that put some of Freddy Krueger’s most inventive kills to shame. Wendy Lyon’s performance as the possessed Vicki Carpenter is also enough to elevate this movie to another level. Prom Night II is the ideal dose of delirious horror that should just be watched, not questioned. It’s the perfect palate cleanser after any heavy horror movie.
Anything For Jackson (2020)
“A bereaved Satanist couple kidnap a pregnant woman so they can use an ancient spellbook to put their dead grandson’s spirit into her unborn child but end up summoning more than they bargained for.”
2020’s Anything for Jackson flew under the radar for many audiences and while it may initially look like any other poltergeist or possession story gone wrong, the movie continually subverts expectations with its direction. Held together by phenomenal performances and a menagerie of ghosts that would already have several spin-off films if they were a part of The Conjuring universe, the film’s final act is a horrifying culmination of heavy themes and disturbing demons. Justin G. Dyck has clear talent as a horror director and hopefully Anything for Jackson is just the start of many more haunting genre pictures to come.
The Exorcist III (1990)
“A police lieutenant uncovers more than he bargained for as his investigation of a series of murders, which have all the hallmarks of the deceased Gemini serial killer, leads him to question the patients of a psychiatric ward.”
William Friedkin’s original Exorcist is still heralded as a masterpiece. However, William Peter Blatty–the author of The Exorcist novel–steps up to write and direct The Exorcist III, which a very vocal community has embraced as the franchise’s secret gem. Blatty’s sequel is a somber, nihilistic story about characters at the end of their ropes. Its dark meditations are complemented by several haunting jump scares that are among the best in the genre. With a Blumhouse legacy sequel to 1973’s The Exorcist on the way, it’s the perfect time to check out this odd chapter in the Pazuzu legacy. And hey, more Brad Dourif in one’s life is never a bad thing.
The Descent (2005)
“A caving expedition goes horribly wrong, as the explorers become trapped and ultimately pursued by a strange breed of predators.”
Neil Marshall emerged as one of Game of Thrones’ most consistent directors, but his roots are in horror and The Descent remains one of the best surprises to come out of the 2000s. The Descent begins as an emotional meditation on grief with an all-female cast that naturally transforms into a terrifying, claustrophobic fight for survival where physical monsters become more of a concern than their psychological demons. The film’s sequel doesn’t pack quite the same punch, but Shudder offers both of these installments for those who want to indulge in a subterranean double creature feature.
These selections should guarantee that those who choose to stay in for Halloween and binge to their hearts’ content will have plenty of options to keep themselves scared, surprised, and satisfied for each hour on October 31st.
