Shudder has become one of, if not, my favorite streaming services on the market. Over the years, it’s truly become the hub of every horror lover’s dream. In one of the toughest decisions in my young life, I’ve assembled a list of some of my favorites (there are almost 600 movies streaming on Shudder, so you can imagine how hard it was for me).

I had to set some strict rules for myself to actually complete the piece that I want to share to avoid anyone thinking I’ve lost my mind. I’m not including any classic horror like The House on Haunted Hill or Bride of Frankenstein, only because those are givens, and I wanted to focus more on indie horror films, Shudder Exclusives, and Shudder Originals.

I also didn’t include any documentaries or any movies I’ve written on before like American Mary and Daniel Isn’t Real to give y’all a fresh take. However, I did cheat a bit and included some movies also on Shudder in my recommended section, and those will be in bold.

I can honestly say Shudder has incredible content, down to their podcasts, so I suggest using my list as a jumping off point to further explore…especially if you have time to kill. Before I make anymore awful puns, I present to you, in no particular order, 40 of my favorite movies currently streaming on Shudder*.

*at the time of this writing - please don’t hate me if they’re gone for some reason

Scare Me: Josh Rubin proves to be a triple threat in his directorial debut that he also wrote and stars in as Fred, a seemingly down-on-his-luck writer, across from Aya Cash’s character Fanny, a successful novelist. What begins as a night of two writers workshopping horror stories quickly turns into a tense, dark comedy about writing, success, jealousy…and pizza.

Recommended movies: You Might Be The Killer and Cabin in the Woods

Scare Package: A horror anthology filmed in and around Austin (with Vulcan Video basically being a secondary character. RIP, you sweet angel) with something for everyone. Werewolves, cursed lollipops, sludge creatures, and more await you at Rad Chad’s Video Emporium.

Recommended movies: Uncle Peckerhead (IMDb TV) and Holidays

Vicious Fun: A film-obsessed horror writer gets more than he bargained for after accidentally attending a meeting for an organization of serial killers. The charm of 80s slashers meets the right amount of gore and cheese.

Recommended movies: American Psycho (Cinemax) and How to Be a Serial Killer (Tubi)

Mayhem: There’s a new virus in town casually causing violent tendencies and a full release of inhibitions. What happens when the virus infiltrates an entire office building that includes Steven Yeun and Samara Weaving? One hell of a fun flick.

Recommended movies: Cheap Thrills and The Belko Experiment

Spiral: Malik and his husband, Aaron, move with their daughter, Kayla, to a Stepford-esque town. Naturally, things are far more sinister than they appear to be, and Malik finds himself in a battle to save his family as he knows it.

Recommended movies: Get Out (FXNow) and The Invitation

After Midnight: Hank awakes one morning to find his partner of over a decade has left, only leaving a mysterious note behind. Soon after, he begins having to fend off a dangerous creature every night, as the story of he and Abby’s relationship and his mental health both begin to unravel.

Recommended movies: The Battery (Tubi, Amazon Prime) and Honeymoon (Tubi, Amazon Prime)

The Mortuary Collection: It’s no secret I’m a sucker for a good horror anthology, and The Mortuary Collection is no exception. Its gleefully grotesque stories, including a pregnant fraternity brother, a Lovecraftian medicine cabinet, and a love connection that just won’t die, all lead to a delightful twist within our wraparound segment. P.S. Enjoy the added bonus of Jacob Elordi playing another shitty, Nate Jacobs-esque frat bro.

Recommended movies: The Field Guide to Evil (Hulu) and Scary Stories to Tell in the Dark (Netflix)

The Shed: A teenage boy discovers a vampire in his shed and turns to his best friend for help. The catch? His best friend sees the creature’s presence as an opportunity to get revenge on those who cross them.

Recommended movies: Fright Night (1985) and Silver Bullet (Paramount+)

Host: A group of friends plan a Zoom party during the pandemic times. All goes well until one decides to play a prank during a seance ceremony, which angers a paranormal entity that decides to hunt them down, one by one.

Recommended movies: Paranormal Activity (Netflix) and Unfriended (Netflix)

The Last Thing Mary Saw [TW/CW: SA, r*pe]: - A forbidden relationship between Mary and Eleanor not only leads to harsh religious punishment for the two but proves to be part of a foretold prophecy with tragic consequences.

Recommended movies: The Fear Street series (Netflix) and The VVitch (Showtime - even though it’s not my fave, and you can read more on how I feel)

Warning: Do Not Play: Aspiring filmmaker Mi-Jung discovers an allegedly cursed film she believes will help in creating a horror movie of her own. Ignoring the warning of the film’s director, Mi-Jung quickly realizes her own ambition and curiosity might lead to the credits rolling on her own life.

Recommended movies: Gonjiam: Haunted Asylum and Noroi: The Curse

Slaxx: [TW/CW: child death] As the saying goes, “There’s a high price for fashion.” In this case, the exploitation of child labor leads to a tragic accident and a possessed pair of pants.

Recommended movies: Bad Hair (Hulu) and In Fabric (Showtime)

The Beach House: In an attempt to mend the cracks in their relationship, Emily and Randall make their way to the coast. Mother Nature has other plans, however, as gooey, luminescent, and fleshy squid-like organisms begin turning humans into glass-eyed husks.

Recommended movies: Color Out of Space and The Block Island Sound (Netflix)

Satanic Panic: A pizza delivery girl looking for a big tip takes a delivery that might just be her last. Satanic Panic is worth watching for Rebecca Romijn’s wealthy Satanic priestess alone.

Recommended movies: The Babysitter series (Netflix) and We Summon The Darkness (Netflix)

Haunt: Looking for something more than a run of the mill haunted house, Harper and her friends are trapped in a (literal) fatal attraction.

Recommended movies: Hell Fest (Netflix) and The Houses October Built (Tubi, The Roku Channel)

One Cut of the Dead: A zombie movie told in three parts. I know how basic the synopsis is, but I don’t want to ruin a minute for you. They may be called The Walking Dead, but run to One Cut of the Dead. I promise you won’t be disappointed.

Recommended movies: Shaun of the Dead (Starz) and Sam & Mattie Make a Zombie Movie

Tigers Are Not Afraid [TW/CW: child death, drug use, violence]: A group of children try to survive wartorn and cartel-filled streets. It’s extremely sad, so I would definitely suggest watching something light after.

Recommended movies: The Orphanage and Cargo (Netflix)

Knife + Heart [TW: there are scenes in the film that might be harmful to those with light and photo sensitivities, SA]: A queer, giallo thriller centered around the porn industry in Paris circa 1980 where Anne, a low-tier porn producer/director, becomes an amateur gumshoe as members of the cast and crew start dying.

Recommended movies: StageFright and Climax (Showtime)

The Call: Chris falls in with the wrong crowd when trying to fit in. After a few of his friends vandalize the house of an alleged criminal in town, she passes away, but all of the kids involved are mentioned in her will. All they have to do is answer the phone.

Recommended movies: Tamara and the Insidious franchise

Mass Hysteria: A real-life version of the Salem Witch Trials kicks off after a misunderstanding with one of the period actors. Mass Hysteria has laugh out loud funny moments, and it’s great satire for those who grew up doing theater/around the theater crowd.

Recommended movies: They’re Watching (Tubi) and Elvira, Mistress of the Dark

Here Comes Hell: I’m actually really glad I watched Here Comes Hell on a whim because I originally wasn’t very interested, and I’m here to eat my words. Picture Sam Raimi’s camp and Deadites. Now, add them to the likes of The Haunting. Shake well, and you’ll have Here Comes Hell.

Recommended movies: Evil Dead (HBO Max) and House on Haunted Hill (1959)

An Unquiet Grave: A widower channels his sorrow into resurrecting his wife with one small problem: He uses her sister’s body for her vessel. An Unquiet Grave dives into themes of grief, relationships, and tries to answer the question of how far would you go for more time with the ones you love.

Recommended movies: Pet Sematary (Netflix, 1989) and The Taking of Deborah Logan

Anything for Jackson: Willing to do whatever it takes to bring their dead grandson back from the spirit realm, a couple lures a young, pregnant woman into their home. I don’t want to ruin the details, but be prepared to say, “What the fuck?” multiple times.

Recommended movies: The House of the Devil and The Lodge (Hulu)

The Power: A new night nurse is working her first shift (of course) when the hospital loses electricity and must battle paranormal entities and the remnants of her own past traumas. If you’re afraid of hospitals AND the dark, I would proceed with caution.

Recommended movies: The Awakening and The Conjuring 2 (Netflix)

The Last Matinee: A projectionist’s daughter subs in for her father at a local movie theater on the same day a gruesome murderer plans to kill all of the theater’s patrons. The real horror is that our fiend has the brutality of Jason Vorhees with the dead eyes of Michael Myers, but appears to be human. Fair warning, there’s a lot of eye stuff.

Recommended movies: Demons and Blood Diner (The Roku Channel)

Horror Noire: From racist vampires to religious cults, Horror Noire uses satire, legends, and horror to take on real-world issues. Like the documentary of the same name, Horror Noire showcases Black actors, directors, writers, and creatives.

Recommended movies: Tales from the Hood 1 & 2 and Tales of Halloween

Good Manners: Clara is hired by a seemingly wealthy heiress, Ana, as a nanny for her unborn child. Clara and Ana's relationship soon becomes something more, but the birth of Ana’s child permanently changes Clara’s world. And yes, there are werewolves.

Recommended movies: Late Phases aka Night of the Wolf (IMDb TV) and Raw (Netflix)

My Heart Can’t Beat Unless You Tell It To: Patrick Fugit is one of my ultimate celebrity crushes, and this movie has solidified it. My Heart Can’t Beat Unless You Tell It To subverts the entire vampire genre and focuses more on familial ramifications. The word “vampire” is never used, and at times, you’re so focused within the family dynamics, you’ll forget about the supernatural aspect.

Recommended movies: Let the Right One In (Hulu) and Jakob’s Wife

The Medium [CW/TW: child ab*s*]: A documentary film crew chronicling the life of a medium/vessel of an ancient entity must shift the direction of their film when their subject’s niece becomes possessed. The Medium is fascinating because the storyline is extremely unique, and the last few seconds are jaw-dropping.

Recommended movies: V/H/S 2 (especially the “Safe Haven” segment - Amazon Prime) and The Sacrament (Amazon Prime)

V/H/S 94: Outside of V/H/S Viral, which we don’t talk about, V/H/S 94 is another welcome addition to the V/H/S franchise. Between sewer-dwelling gods and unconventional wakes, you’ll be entertained. Hail Raatma.

Recommended movies: WNUF Halloween Special and The Collingswood Story

Therapy: I’m going to start with a disclaimer: Therapy isn’t perfect. The third act is pretty rocky, BUT it watches like an ARG, so I had a fun time with it. Officers receive footage of a group being terrorized in a dangerous and dilapidated property, and obviously, there’s more to the story than what’s on tape.

Recommended movies: Session 9 and Hell House LLC franchise

Caveat: An unemployed man, Isaac, takes a much-needed job caring for his landlord’s niece, Olga. Once he arrives at her home, Isaac is surprised by the conditions of the job, including the requirement of a chained harness to ease Olga’s anxiety. Isaac begins to have feelings of deja vu and uncovers some secrets within the house that were meant to stay buried.

Recommended movies: Jack Goes Home (Amazon Prime) and Intruders (Amazon Prime - just have a Rory Culkin double feature)

Party Hard, Die Young: In classic slasher form, members of a high school senior class take a trip to kick off summer and celebrate graduation. As their classmates begin dying in all kinds of gnarly ways, they realize someone connected to their past might be looking to get even.

Recommended movies: Scream 2 and I Know What You Did Last Summer (Netflix)

Skull: The Mask: An evil, centuries-old entity finds its second wind after the discovery of an ancient mask. Skull: The Mask takes no prisoners (except the guy who the mask possesses to carry out its crimes) when it comes to gore, so it’s BRUTAL.

Recommended movies: Prince of Darkness (Starz) and Demon Knight

Blood Quantum: When the zombie apocalypse breaks out, the Mi’kmaq tribe realize they’re immune and begin helping non-immune survivors. Although there are zombies around, the real danger might actually live inside.

Recommended movies: The Dead Can’t Dance and Train to Busan

Pyewacket: After a fight with her mother, being forced to move, and the death of her father, teenage Leah decides to summon a witch/demon to help give her a fresh start. As you’ve probably guessed, things don’t quite go as planned.

Recommended movies: We Need to Do Something and Book of Shadows: Blair Witch 2 (Pluto TV)

Spring: Evan escapes to Italy where he falls in love, but his new lover has a massive cross to bear. It’s weird to call this a romance, but in essence, it is. It’s a love story that also happens to be a body horror film, so if you’re looking for a happy medium between the two (as people are wont to do), you heard it here first.

Recommended movies: Afflicted (Amazon Prime) and XX (Hulu)

Shrew’s Nest [CW/TW: child ab*s*, SA]: A seamstress who is afraid to leave her home becomes deeply attached to a man who shows up on her doorstep injured, and will stop at nothing to protect their relationship.

Recommended movies: Misery (Showtime) and Run (Hulu)

Eat Brains Love: A sexually-transmitted zombie virus is spreading. A team of individuals with psychic abilities is tasked with hunting the zombies down. Needless to say, high school bites.

Recommended movies: Freaks of Nature and Boy Eats Girl (Tubi, The Roku Channel)

Psycho Goreman: I try not to play favorites, but this is definitely one of my favorites on the list. Take the likes of Big Bad Beetleborgs and Power Rangers and mix them with a comedic version Hellraiser, and you’ll start to have an idea of the hilarious, over-the-top, and gore-driven masterpiece that is Psycho Goreman.

Recommended movies: Deathgasm and Slice (Showtime)

Stream Queen: The Best Offerings on Shudder