Shudder is an American streaming service that only features horror films and shows of the horror genre. Founded in 2015, Shudder is a treat for horror fans, as it features some of the best horror movies in the world. The fact that AMC’s streaming service only caters to the horror community is what makes it unique; here is the list of best horror movies on a shudder.
Therefore, for all the horror fans reading this article, we’ve made a collection of the best movies on shudder that you can stream right now.
50. Hellbender (2022)
- Director: John Adams, Zelda Adams, Toby Poser
- Cast: Zelda Adams, Toby Poser, Lulu Adams, John Adams
- IMDb Rating: 5.8/10
- Rotten Tomatoes: 97%
The Adams family has developed their artistic style and narrative interests throughout the course of their eight-year collective filmmaking activity. The nuclear family of filmmakers’ sixth picture, Hellbender, is the culmination of confidence and creativity, and it feels like an alchemical breakthrough. It seems the Adams have developed a taste for horror, especially after their 2020 eerie thriller The Deeper You Dig—a perfect match for their recognizable low-budget, in-house approach.
It will unavoidably remind spectators of the most bizarre elements of our upbringings while also being blatantly frightening and perplexingly comforting. And it will also bring up long-buried memories of the agony of going through growing pains—a real hell on Earth if there ever was one.
49. Watcher (2022)
- Director: Chloe Okuno
- Cast: Maika Monroe, Karl Glusman, Burn Gorman, Tudor Petrut
- IMDb Rating: 6.3/10
- Rotten Tomatoes: 87%
Maika Monroe is arguably the best actor working today at knowing when to tilt her head or open her eyes in escalating dread. She became an instant household celebrity among lovers of the genre thanks to her mastery of her body, her capacity to portray terrifying situations realistically, and the 2014 double-feature of The Guest and It Follows. One of those was possibly the paranoid debut feature Watcher director Chloe Okuno, who understands exactly what to do with her star.
She can see those identifying the building across the street via that window. And one of them has a figure in it that likewise stands in front of the glass and is looking back.
48. Skinamarink (2023)
- Director: Kyle Edward Ball
- Cast: Lucas Paul, Ross Paul, Jaime Hill, Dali Rose Tetreault
- IMDb Rating: 5.1/10
- Rotten Tomatoes: 71%
This is a risky, scary, puzzling, and occasionally incredibly boring foray into the most obscure corners of horror esotericism, completely unlike anything the majority of spectators have ever seen. Skinamarink would unquestionably be a front-runner for the top prize in a movie competition where the stated objective was to create a work that was as contentious as it was humanly possible to be.
47. Scare Me (2020)
- Director: Josh Ruben
- Cast: Josh Ruben, Aya Cash, Chris Redd
- IMDb Rating: 5.7/10
- Rotten Tomatoes Score– 84%
Many people enjoy watching scary movies. It’s fun to watch scary movies. Put another way, telling scary stories is enjoyable in any situation as long as you’re with appropriate people. Shudder’s Fear Me celebrates this dynamic by pitting two horror writers against one another in a battle of terror before the second-best setting for a frightful tale: a crackling fireplace. (A campfire is better, but beggars can’t be choosers.)
Josh Ruben and Fred are the authors (Aya Cash). The popular zombie novel Venus, which seems like enhanced horror gibberish from what the public has heard so far about it, was written by best-selling author Fanny (which is exactly the kind of thing that scored points on screens and shelves in the mid-2010s horror boom). Josh is an idiot. He’s holed up in a cabin in a Catskills resort to work on Important Work, which he doesn’t do because, once more, he’s a loser, and he hasn’t written a word worth a damn.
46. The Boy Behind the Door (2021)
- Director: David Charbonier, Justin Powell
- Cast: Lonnie Chavis, Ezra Dewey, Kristin Bauer van Straten, Micah Hauptman
- IMDb Rating: 5.7/10
- Rotten Tomatoes Score– 97%
Though it can seem that way to an adult, The Boy Behind the Door does not heavily rely on nostalgia. The heart of this movie continues to beat with new life till the very end because of the strength of friendship. True childhood kinships have a special sweetness and indestructibility that is ripe between Bobby and Kevin.
They support each other throughout the story because they are each other’s rock, and their language and character impulses strengthen this vital piece of the puzzle. Their motto, “friends till the end,” keeps them going through their hardships, and it is abundantly evident that their symbiotic relationship is their greatest strength.
45. Nightbreed
- Director: Clive Barker
- Cast: David Cronenberg, Craig Sheffer, Anne Bobby
- IMDb Rating: 6.5/10
- Rotten Tomatoes: 43%
Clive Barker authored and directed this adaption of his Cabal, which had a far more muted reception than his smash Hellraiser. However, Nightbreed has established a cult following over the years, thanks in part to the multiple versions that are now accessible. The version of Shudder is the theatrical version, in which Craig Sheffer plays a man who believes his therapist is a serial killer, and his research leads him to a tribe of monsters.
This Japanese indie is a prime example of a true word-of-mouth phenomenon, a film made for nearly nothing (reportedly as little as $25,000) that has grossed over $30 million worldwide, mostly due to recommendations. The less you know, the better, so try to stay away from spoilers. All we’ll say is that what you believe this film is for the first half-hour is incorrect, and it takes a turn that results in one of the brightest, most heartbreaking zombie flicks in years.
44. Elvira: Mistress of the Dark
- Director: James Signorelli
- Cast: Cassandra Peterson, Susan Kellermann
- IMDb Rating: 6.5/10
- Rotten Tomatoes: 50%
The arrival of Mistress of Dark in Shudder may bring an entirely new generation of B films into the picture. When television horror hostess Elvira (Cassandra Peterson) quits her LA job, she heads for small-town Massachusetts for her mother’s home, Morgan. Unfortunately, residents of Fallwell are shocked at how sudden occurrences of a woman who loves horror films, deep necklines, double entendres, and even a double entendre lead to an incredibly intense witch hunt. Elvira: Mistress of Dark is pretty much an essential viewing like any other film.
43. Black Christmas
- Director: Sophia Takal
- Cast: Imogen Poots, Brittany O’Grady, Lily Donoghue, Alyse Shannon
- IMDb Rating: 3.4/10
- Rotten Tomatoes: 40%
When someone tries to say that, directed by John Carpenter, “Halloween” was America’s first true-blue slash film, then please correct us. Those distinctions belong to the truly scary Canadian masterpiece of Bob Clark’s “Black Christmas.” During the holiday period in a colorfully lit sorority room, one thing dampens girls’ spirits: a loud snarl that frequently rambles obscenities and obscene nonsense into the phone. Afterward, the girls start vanishing, and the Black Christmas secret has revealed itself – one which should make you shiver.
42. Slumber Party Massacre (1982)
- Director: Amy Holden Jones
- Cast: Michele Michaels, Michael Villella, Debra Deliso, Robin Stille
- IMDb Rating: 5.6/10
- Rotten Tomatoes: 42%
A clever horror satire, Rita Mae Brown has written about the wake party massacre as a slasher satire that uses excessive male eye and other common themes of the time. Filming as a more straightforward horror picture by Amy Holden Jones, this movie has a variety of benefits and cleverly subverts expectations. A group of teens who had slumber parties find themselves in the hands of an unidentified “driller killer,” an escapee who has a power drill and an intention of hurting women.
41. La Llorona
- Director: Michael Chaves
- Cast: Linda Cardellini, Raymond Cruz, Roman Christou
- IMDb Rating: 5.3/10
- Rotten Tomatoes: 28%
Shudder’s first-ever nominee, the Llorona, may not be the jump-in-awe terror that you’d expect from its conjuring cousin. This is an uplifting slow, burn horror which is a Gothic tragedy and a ghost story. Jayro Bustamente chronicles the life of ex-Guatemalan President Enrique (Julio Diaz), who is in the custody of his family. As he hears the weeping voices echo through the hallways at night, the screaming protesters battered the glass during the daylight.
40. City of the Living Dead
- Director: Lucio Fulici
- Cast: Christopher George, Catriona Maccoll, Carlo De Mejo
- IMDb Rating: 6.2/10
- Rotten Tomatoes: 46%
Lucio Fulci’s 1980 movie began the same way any great cinema begins a séance. The women experience horror as they see their priests hang themselves in Dunwich Village. All Lovecraft fans in our readership should cheer when a famous location is mentioned. Mary appears killed while her friends urge police to arrest her. A journalist investigating Mary’s death finds a strange thing in her grave plot.
39. WolfCop
- Director: Lowell Dean
- Cast: Leo Farfad, Amy Matsyio
- IMDb Rating: 5.5/10
- Rotten Tomatoes: 65%
A wry tribute to ’80s bloodbaths, WolfCop lives up to its absurdly charming name but not the rest. Written by and directed by Lowell Dean, this comedy-horror creature feature features Lefard, a former deputy of Woodhaven who wakes up in his own darkened house and has a pent-up battery. These particular hangovers also have a haired werewolf effect. You must fight the creature and find the hidden truth to solve an evil mystery that threatens his town. It is a blast and features seriously ill-practical effects from Emmerson Ziffle, along with plenty of wolf puns to counterbalance these buckets of blood.
38. Cannibal Holocaust
- Director: Ruggero Deodato
- Cast: Francesca Clardi, Perry Pirkanen
- IMDb Rating: 5.8/10
- Rotten Tomatoes: 65%
Many consider it to be one of the most frightening horror cinemas of all time, and it is not for the faint of heart. Cannibal Holocaust, the first authentic “found footage” film, follows a group of scholars who venture into the Amazon in pursuit of a documentary crew that has gone missing. Instead, they discover their videotape, which is considerably worse than anyone could have predicted as it has disturbing body horror. The documentary crew is not only devoured by the titular cannibals, but they also stage many of their setpieces, indicating that they are genuine “savages.” Prepare to see real animal fatalities as well as depictions of rape and abuse. Ruggero Deodato, the film’s director, was jailed for making a snuff film because it was so horrific. To prove his innocence, he had to bring his actors to court.
37. Dogs don’t wear pants
- Director: J.-P. Valkeapaa
- Cast: Pekka Strang, Krista Kosonen, Ilona Huhta
- IMDb Rating: 6.8/10
- Rotten Tomatoes: 90%
After the death of his mother, he continues his sleepwalking life — confused, disoriented, and incapable of communication. A couple of nights after his daughter patronized a local tattoo shop, a young man stumbles upon a sex dungeon. Under her bare heel, Mona’s boot Juha reveals herself as self-destruction. Sure, it takes him many pieces to find a new way to be whole, and he’s lost them all. The film features an extraordinary performance from Pekka Strang and Kristin Koson. Rarely do films have teeth pulled in pain.
36. Nightmare Cinema
- Director: Alejandro Brugués, Joe Dante, Ryhei Kitamura, David Slade,
- Cast: Mickey Rourke, Adam Godley, Mick Garris
- IMDb Rating: 5.5/10
- Rotten Tomatoes: 76%
Five strangers meet at The Projectionist’s haunting movie theatre (Mickey Rourke). Once inside, audience members are treated to a series of screenings that reveal their innermost fears and darkest secrets throughout five stories.
- The Thing in the Woods (D: Alejandro Brugués), is a postmodern spoof of slasher films about a killer who is not what he appears to be. Eric Nelsen, Sarah Withers, Kevin Fonteyne, and Chris Warren star in the film.
- Mirari (D: Joe Dante), a scarred lady, seeks plastic surgery at a scary facility. Richard Chamberlain, Zarah Mahler, Mark Grossman, and Belinda Balaski co-star.
- Mashit (D: Ryhei Kitamura), is a group of Catholic schoolgirls who become possessed by a sex-crazed demon. Maurice Benard, Stephanie Cood, Calista Bess, and Mariela Garriga star in the film.
- A woman waiting for a doctor’s appointment in This Way to Egress (D: David Slade) encounters strange twists in reality. Elizabeth Reaser, Adam Godley, Ezra Buzzington, Bronwyn Merrill, and Patrick Wilson star in the film.
- Dead (D: Mick Garris), an adolescent piano prodigy, dies, is resurrected, and is attacked by supernatural forces. Faly Rakotohavan, Annabeth Gish, Daryl C. Brown, Lexy Panterra, and Orson Chaplin star in the film.
35. The Invitation (2015)
- Director: Karyn Kusama
- Cast: Logan Marshall-Green, Michiel Huisman, Tammy Blanchard, Emayatzy Corinealdi
- IMDb Rating: 6.6/10
- Rotten Tomatoes: 89%
Jennifer Body Director Karyn Kusama returns with this gorgeous indie that was filmed on a shoestring budget. The Invitation is probably the best Shudder film of the tenth decade. See also: Watch this horror movie You’re Next by Godzilla – Kong. When a guy goes to dinner parties at his ex’s house with his new girlfriend, he quickly suspects things are not going well. As he begins to meet his friends, it is difficult to avoid feeling like they were brought in for a frightfully evil reason.
34. Z
- Director: Brandon Christensen
- Cast: Keegan Connor Tracy
- IMDb Rating: 5.5 /10
- Rotten Tomatoes: 97%
Imagination may be lethal. Brandon Christensen’s eerie nightmare, simply titled Z, employs the well-worn theme of a child’s killer imaginary companion. Although the plot is familiar, the graphics are enough to keep you haunted. Keegan Connor Tracy, the lead actor, really immerses herself in her role — literally. According to her, Z “was such a massive emotional trip for me, and I had to sort of isolate myself a lot to be in that woman’s mental and emotional place.”
33. My heart can’t beat unless you tell it to
- Director: Jonathan Cuartas
- Cast: Owen Campbell, Ingrid Scham
- IMDb Rating: 6/10
- Rotten Tomatoes: 98%
Jonathan Cuartas wrote and directed this 2021 vampire movie, which has been compared to the work of Claire Denis and Jim Jarmusch. It’s the story of two persons (Patrick Fugit and Ingrid Sophie Schram) who look for victims to keep a third (Owen Campbell) alive. To survive, he must consume the blood of others. It’s the best indie vampire picture in years; creepy and tense.
32. Scream, Queen! My Nightmare on Elm Street (2019)
- Director: Roman Chimienti and Tyler Jenson
- Cast: Mark Patton, Robert Englund, Jack Sholder, David Chaskin, Kim Myers
- IMDb Rating: 7.2/10
- Rotten Tomatoes: 100%
When “A Nightmare on Elm Street 2: Freddy’s Revenge” was released, it was bombed by audiences who mocked its gay subtext and rejected it following the success of the film. Eventually, the audience reclaimed it and rediscovered it in indie circuits, but they ruined the star’s career.
Watch the entire five Scream movies ranked in the Scream Queen category. My Nightmare in Elm Street is a documentary film that follows Mark Patton, who was effectively dismissed from “Freddy Revenge” and was found guilty by a homoerotic artist who had intended it and buried it in the DNA of the film. Patton has requested an apology and acknowledgment that he did his part as ordered.
31. Horror Noire: A History of Black Horror (2019)
- Director: Xavier Burgin
- Cast: Jordan Peele
- IMDb Rating: 4.7/10
- Rotten Tomatoes: 100%
Jordan Peele’s 2017 feature film “Get Out” was a major change-making film telling an openly racist tale that paints an awful picture of whiteness and an omnipresent racial antipathy. It is not the first instance of black horror. Horror Noir, made by Shudder, is an anthology film that traces Black horror in cinema. This volume traces black horrors and cements the influence of such genres as Ganja Hess Black Ulla Tales from the Hood, CandyMan & more.
30. Mayhem (2017)
- Director– Joe Lynch
- Rotten Tomatoes Score– 84%
Mayhem, a 2017 masterpiece directed by Joe Lynch, is a must-see for anyone looking for some “bloody good fun.”It features some impressive star power, including Steven Yeun and Samara Weaving. High-octane action, violence, humor, and a dash of horror are all present in the visceral movie to great effect.
Its shorter running time (only 83 minutes) makes it a great choice for anyone looking for something to watch quickly on an especially busy evening.
29. Anything For Jackson (2020)
- Director– Justin G. Dyck
- Rotten Tomatoes Score– 98%
When it comes to horror movies, loss, sadness, grief, and despair are some of the most captivating emotions. It is simpler for audiences to accept decisions and motivations that might seem completely absurd from any other perspective by depicting characters who are suffering from great sadness.
The movie Anything For Jackson illustrates an elderly couple who have turned to Satanism in an effort to bring their dead grandson back to life, which takes the idea to a dangerous level.
Naturally, things don’t go as planned, and the couple is left to deal with the consequences of their actions. It is slow to get going and heartbreaking, similar to the blockbuster Hereditary.
28. Lucky (2021)
- Director– Natasha Kermani
- Rotten Tomatoes Score– 93%
Some of the most “divided” reviews for any movie on Shudder have been written about this one. It appears that opinions among viewers on whether the film merits a higher rating are divided. It’s best to completely disregard these reviews and enter Lucky blind, though.
Lucky isn’t “the perfect cup of tea for everyone,” but even so, it’s still a really good addition to the psychological Horror genre. Lucky may be very appealing to those seeking a story that focuses more on mental struggles than monsters. In this one, viewers should go in without any expectations and just be there to enjoy the ride. The indie horror movie has a lot of depth.
27. Near Dark (1987)
- Director– Kathryn Bigelow
- Rotten Tomatoes Score– 83%
The vampire mythos is turned on its head in Kathryn Bigelow’s Near Dark, which creates a story that is simultaneously unapologetically 1980s and strangely timeless.
This gritty Western-inspired horror film, which is devoid of any romantic overtones, is about Caleb, a man who gets bitten in the neck by a female vampire and finds himself torn between two families and two worlds.
26. Henry: Portrait Of A Serial Killer (1990)
- Director– John McNaughton
- Rotten Tomatoes Score– 89%
Many horror films provide pure escape through well-chosen scares fueled by threats that are sufficiently removed from reality to frighten but not necessarily traumatize. Henry: Compared to the genre’s more well-known representatives, Portrait of a Serial Killer is a completely different animal, and it is not for the timid.
John McNaughton’s project, which draws inspiration in part from Henry Lee Lucas and Ottis Toole, is about a drifter who kills for no apparent reason.
The movie accurately portrays the titular character’s violent behavior without adding any extraneous flourishes to lessen the impact of the scenes. Henry is brutal, unsettling, intense, and grim; its horror is genuine.
25. A Creepshow Holiday Special (2020)
- Director– Gregory Nicotero
- Rotten Tomatoes Score– N/A
Greg Nicotero clearly loved the holidays when he created this wonderful Creepshow-branded special. The end result is a fantastic exploration of the history of the holiday season, particularly as it relates to some of the most recognizable “monsters” in folklore, by fusing together the series’ signature Comedy and Horror elements.
A man tries to get help from a mysterious group when he thinks he might be a “werewolf” or something similar. The underlying narrative that develops is clever, funny, and chock-full of different Horror clichés. It’s the ideal movie for Christmas, Halloween, or any other occasion.
24. Night of the Demons
- Director: Kevin S Tenney
- Cast: Kevin S Tenney, Linnea Quigley
- IMDb Rating: 6.1/10
- Rotten Tomatoes: 36%
There’s no Halloween party complete without Night of Demons. Hell, Kevin S. Tenney’s supernatural splatterfest is an annual Halloween celebration. A group of hard-partying High Schoolers celebrates Halloween by going to a funeral home. During the seance, though, the unruly demons of the basement crematorium unleash his gang one by one in an unrelenting dance.
23. The Exorcist III
- Director: William Peter Blatty
- Cast: Kinderman, Jason Miller
- IMDb Rating: 6.5/10
- Rotten Tomatoes:59%
Lieutenant Williams F. Kidman battles his demons while investigating a bizarre series of murders with the hallmarks of an old man. Kinderman is shocked that his former catatonic patient claims to have killed his systolen alcoholic father Damien Karas. It was written by William Peter Blatty the author of “The Exorcist”.
22. Martyrs
- Director: Pascal Laugier
- Cast: Morjana Alaoui, Mylene Jampanol
- IMDb Rating: 7/10
- Rotten Tomatoes: 64%
Shudder added numerous films from the recent French horror resurgence, including Inside and High Tension, in March 2022, but Martyrs is one of the most infamous of that group.
The stomach-turning picture, directed by Pascal Laugier in 2008, created ripples around the world. Mylene Jampanoi and Morjana Alaoui play a woman and her friend who seek vengeance on those who mistreated her as a youngster. It is not for the weak of heart.
This Joe Lynch film’s stars have gotten much more popular in the short time since it aired at South by Southwest in 2017, which should pique interest in this dark comedy–horror thriller.
Steven Yeun (Burning) and Samara Weaving (Ready or Not) play two people in an office — he works there, and she is a client — while an inhibition-destroying virus wreaks havoc. It’s a cross between Office Space and Mad Max: Fury Road.
21. The Day of The Beast
- Director: Alex de La Iglesia
- Cast: Santiago Seguera
- IMDb Rating: 7.1/10
- Rotten Tomatoes: 75%
Lex de la Iglesia is a prolific director, although American audiences may be unaware of this because the majority of his work is in Spanish. Because none of his films take safer roads, The Day of the Beast is a proper introduction to the craziness he unleashes.
Take, for example, The Day of the Beast, a Christmas horror film about a metalhead, a Catholic priest sinning as much as he can, and an Italian occult superstar – a trio tasked with preventing the birth of the Antichrist.
Iglesia’s morbid humor inspires these wild, off-the-wall, highly inventive tales that cross genres. The Day of the Beast is a combination of satanic horror and buddy comedy, among other things. A new Christmas tradition is in the works!
20. The Columnist
- Director: Iwo Van Aart
- Cast: Katja Herbers, Bram Van Der Kelen
- IMDb Rating: 6.3/10
- Rotten Tomatoes: 80%
If you read Shudder, you’re probably aware that Evil is one of the best shows on television right now (get yourself to Paramount+ if you don’t). Katja Herbers, the show’s star, carries The Columnist, a nasty horror comedy about an author who receives death threats on social media and decides to deal with her problem with the kind of bloody horror finality that most trolls never expect. Everything’s not flawless, but Herbers, who is completely brave, keeps it together.
19. The Changeling
- Director: Peter Medak
- Cast: George C Scott, Trish Van Devere, Melvyn Douglas
- IMDb Rating: 7.2/10
- Rotten Tomatoes: 83%
Peter Medak’s 1980 ghost story was advertised mostly for its shocks, but it’s become a little tame in that regard; now it’s more useful as an example of how terrific George C. Scott was every time he stepped in front of a camera. Scott plays a father who moves to Seattle after the death of his wife and daughter and discovers his new home is haunted.
It’s fascinating to watch this film now and understand how much it graphically affected films like The Conjuring and Annabelle. It’s a clear source of inspiration.
18. The Autopsy of Jane Doe
- Director: André Øvredal
- Cast: Olwen Kelley, Emile Hirsch, Brian Cox
- IMDb Rating: 6.8/10
- Rotten Tomatoes: 86%
While investigating a family murder, Sheriff Sheldon and his crew are perplexed by the finding of a stranger’s body buried in the basement, which does not fit the crime scene. He delivers the lovely Jane Doe’s body to coroner Tommy Tilden late at night and requests that the cause of death be delayed until the next morning so that he can respond to the press.
Austin Tilden, Tommy’s son, and assistant are about to go to the movies with his fiancée Emma, but he decides to stay and aid his father with the autopsy. Throughout the stormy and sad night, they reveal strange and unsettling revelations about Jane Doe.
17. Bliss
- Director: Joe Begos
- Cast: Dora Madison, Tru Collins, Rhys Wakefield
- IMDb Rating: 5.9/10
- Rotten Tomatoes: 87%
Bliss is a great option if you want to trip absolute balls from the comfort of your own house. Writer/director Joe Begos’ neon-drenched vampire freak-out comes with a (very thoughtful!) seizure warning, and for good reason: it’s a 90-minute gory frenzy of punk rock and practical effects spanning Los Angeles’ underbelly.
Dora Madison leads the charge as Dezzy, a self-destructive painter amid a creative slump who becomes obsessed with drugs and blood, both of which throw her into psychotic blackouts.
Madison is a marvel here, bringing everything she has into a fully dedicated, ultra-physical display. When I first saw Bliss, I characterized it as “as if Nicolas Cage from Vampire’s Kiss and Nicolas Cage from Mandy had a baby + that baby was super addicted to cocaine.” I still stand by it. This film whips an almost unfathomable amount of ass.
16. Texas Chainsaw massacre (1974)
- Director: Tobe Hooper
- Cast: Marilyn Burns, Gunnar Hansen, Teri Mcminn, William Vail
- IMDb Rating: 7.5/10
- Rotten Tomatoes: 89%
When talking about the best movies on a shudder, especially the best horror movies, Texas Chainsaw Massacre is a very enjoyable but also a must-watch Shudder film.
The chainsaw attack was repeated several times and there were plenty of sequels and prequels too, but the original remains one outstanding piece of horror film in the film history which cannot match the best of them. A few young men on vacation in Texas are hit in their homes when their chainsaws explode. Leatherface and his family live a grotesque reflection of American Dreams through this haunting vision.
Related: The 30 Best Horror Movies on Amazon Prime Right Now
15. Mandy
- Director: Panos Cosmatos
- Cast: Nicolas Cage, Andrea Riseborough
- IMDb Rating: 6.5/10
- Rotten Tomatoes: 90%
In this 2018 film, Panos Cosmatos offered Nicolas Cage one of the best performances of his career, and it already feels like a cult classic. Mandy is a one-hour slow burn about a man who goes through hell after a cult kidnaps and murders his wife (Andrea Riseborough).
Then, for the next hour, it’s a crazy movie soaked in blood with a chainsaw fight. You won’t be able to accurately express it in words, so you’ll just have to see it.
14. Rare Exports: A Christmas Tale
- Director: Jalmari Helander
- Cast: Onni Tomilla, Jona Tommila
- IMDb Rating: 6.6/10
- Rotten Tomatoes: 90%
This Finnish film from 2010 has become a cult favorite for being a rare Christmas movie that may also be classified as a horror picture. What if the origins of the Santa Claus narrative were far darker?
That’s the idea of the narrative of the Joulupukki, a person in Finnish folklore who led to the jolly fat guy. It’s a very twisted and strange holiday classic, similar to The Santa Clause coupled with The Thing.
13. After Midnight
- Director: Jeremy Gardner
- Cast: Jeremy Gardner, Brea Grant, Justin Benson
- IMDb Rating: 5.3/10
- Rotten Tomatoes: 90%
Titled Something Else when it first appeared on the festival market, this genre hybrid is an incredibly smart piece of what might be called “elevated horror,” blending traditional romantic drama elements with something far more terrifying.
The very talented Jeremy Gardner wrote, co-directed, and stars as Hank, whose girlfriend Abby (Brea Grant) just left him, right before something scary starts lurking around his house at night.
12. V/H/S 94
- Director: Anthology film
- Cast: Anne Hopkins, Gina Philps
- IMDb Rating: 5.4/10
- Rotten Tomatoes: 90%
This deep terror horror anthology is back to the party the way it did in 1994. The term party in this situation mainly refers to horrific experiments by mad scientists and urban legends living inside sewers.
V/HS 94 represents a return to the original series with five new grainy horrors written by franchise alumni Simon Barrett and Timo Tjahjanto together with fresh comer Jennifer Reader and Chloe Okuno. V/H 94 has the varying quality, and its highs have the most frightening moments of any horror flicks franchise. It’s a must-watch horror movie for a horror fan.
11. Satan’s Slaves
- Director: Joko Anwar
- Cast: Tara Rosso, Bront Palarae
- IMDb Rating: 6.6/10
- Rotten Tomatoes: 91%
I’ll never stop talking about Satan’s Slaves, Joko Anwar’s scare machine. The way we discuss James Wan’s mastery of haunted house design might also apply to Anwar’s artistic darkness. Given how many horror films I see each year, I don’t get scared as readily as I used to, but Satan’s Slaves is one of those rare occasions where I felt like a 7-year-old watching A Nightmare On Elm Street.
It’s immersed with unsettling paranormal activity that feels more contemporary from an international standpoint, striking the proper balance between cultural importance and scary camera trickery. Indonesian horror has been on fire in recent years, with Satan’s Slaves being one of the greatest examples.
10. Deep Red (1975)
- Director: Dario Argento
- Cast: Macha Meril, David Hemmings
- IMDb Rating: 7.5/10
- Rotten Tomatoes: 93%
Deep Red, one of Italy’s most popular “Giallo”, is a stylish and exciting thriller whose plot mixes Detective Noir and brutal horror genres. A pianist witnesses a murder and becomes obsessed with locating the serial killer if he can’t be found. Deep red is a fantastic horror film and is essential from Shudder’s library.
A psychic who can read minds picks up on a murderer’s thoughts among the audience and soon becomes a victim. An English pianist becomes involved in the investigation, but many of his lines of inquiry are cut off by new deaths, and he begins to question how the murderer can monitor his movements so precisely.
9. Re-animator
- Director: Stuart Gordon
- Cast: Jeffrey Combs, Bruce Abbott
- IMDb Rating: 7.2/10
- Rotten Tomatoes: 94%
Many filmmakers have attempted to include H.P. Lovecraft into their work, either as an influence or as a straight adaptation, but Stuart Gordon’s 1985 cult smash is widely considered to be the greatest. Gordon is brave in adapting Lovecraft’s Herbert West — Reanimator into a full picture, creating a film that has some of the most memorable twisted imagery and ideas of its day
This is a take on the traditional tale of medical science gone bad as a scientist begins reanimating dead bodies. It was originally X-rated for its general lunacy. It’s never a good idea.
8. Train to Busan
- Director: Yeon Sang Ho
- Cast: Gong Yoo, Don Lee
- IMDb Rating: 7.6/10
- Rotten Tomatoes: 94%
The living dead thrived on serialized television after the zombie genre got a significant boost in the early aughts, but they died out in theatres for a period. Train to Busan is a genuine return to form for the genre, an old-fashioned zombie flick with heart and soul, a simple but ingenious set-up, and some terrifying zombies.
The film follows a father and his young daughter on a horrific train ride through South Korea’s zombie epidemic, locked inside increasingly contaminated compartments of the passenger train.
Characters you want to cheer for — and some you want to root against — Train to Busan a pure zombie movie is packed with zombie action that takes advantage of the close quarters, traversing through the cars of the train with several innovative set-pieces that highlight the physique of these deformed, fast-moving zombies.
After years of watching the living survive among the dead on the big screen, it’s about time someone gave the undead their bite back, and Train to Busan is just the ticket.
7. Monstrum
- Director: Huh Jong Ho
- Cast: Kim Myung Hin
- IMDb Rating: 6.1/10
- Rotten Tomatoes: 95%
Who can resist a horror film in which a disease is the least of everyone’s concerns? A disease is devastating Joseon, but stories of a monster are spreading, posing a new threat to King Jungjong’s reign. When it comes to kings, though, nothing is ever as it appears.
While some criticized Monstrum for being predictable, this one is more about the journey than the destination. The action portions are enjoyable, as are the creature effects, and there may or may not be a monster dubbed “Sparkles.”
6. Night of the Living Dead (1968)
- Director: George A. Romero
- Cast: Judith O’Dea, Karl Hardman, Russell Streiner, Duane Jones
- IMDb Rating: 7.8/10
- Rotten Tomatoes: 96%
Zombies in their present form are impossible to find without “Nights of the Dead”. Romero’s Indie Horror classic is an enduring horror sub-genre that persists today. Watch Guillermo del Toros premiere movie, a horror masterpiece.
When the dead are coming back to life and trying to eat the living, the victims gather at the back of the house to reveal tension and dangers that could be causing their death. Night of the Living Dead is a story about America’s wars with Vietnam. It is a classic horror film and the best horror film from Shudder’s archives.
5. It Follows
- Director: David Robert Mitchell
- Cast: Malika Monroe, Lili Sepe
- IMDb Rating: 6.8/10
- Rotten Tomatoes: 96%
When carefree adolescent Jay (Maika Monroe) sleeps with her new lover, Hugh (Jake Weary), for the first time, she discovers that she is the newest victim of a lethal curse carried from victim to victim by sexual intercourse. Jay discovers that death will come to her as either a friend or a stranger.
Jay’s pals don’t believe her seemingly paranoid rants until they, too, start seeing phantom assassins and join together to help her flee or protect herself.
4. The Amusement Park
- Director: George A Romero
- Cast: Lincoln Maazel, Marianne Koch
- IMDb Rating: 6.4/10
- Rotten Tomatoes: 96%
When the Lutheran Service Society of Western Pennsylvania engaged George A. Romero to produce a film about ageism, he shot this short film.
The outcome surprised them so much that it was essentially shelved for a half-century before becoming available exclusively on Shudder. It’s a remarkable chapter in Romero’s filmography, showcasing his extraordinary framing ability and unmistakable social consciousness.
Related: The 50 Best Horror Movies on Netflix to Watch Tonight
3. Housebound
- Director: Gerard Johnstone
- Cast: Morgana O’Reilly, Glen-Paul Waru
- IMDb Rating: 6.7/10
- Rotten Tomatoes: 96%
Gerald Johnstone’s SXSW smash is based on a brilliant premise: What if you were assigned house arrest in a haunted house? Kylie (Morgana O’Reilly) is the one who finds herself in this situation, and the house just happens to be her mother’s. Dark family secrets combine with a tight structure to form an underappreciated modern ghost story.
This 2001 action picture is still banned in various countries throughout the world, despite being one of Takashi Miike’s breakthrough films abroad. Naturally, there is a lot of violence on Shudder, but Ichi is in its category of insane. It was the type of film that had to be custom ordered from online sites when it was launched, but it can now be streamed right to your phone while you’re on the bus. Isn’t technology amazing?
This 1980 Giallo, the middle part of what is commonly referred to as Dario Argento’s Three Mothers Trilogy, is frequently overlooked while discussing the career of one of Italy’s best directors.
It’s not Suspiria, the first film in the trilogy, but there’s so much flare and skill on exhibit here that you owe it to yourself to check it out, especially if you enjoy Argento’s more popular works.
2. A Girl Walks Home Alone at Night
- Director: Ana Lily Simpour
- Cast: Ana Lily Simpour, Sheila Vand, Arash Marandi.
- IMDb Rating: 6.9/10
- Rotten Tomatoes: 96%
When you witness a new picture, you know you’re in the hands of a risk-taking debut filmmaker. This was the situation when this black-and-white vampire western — yep, another one — debuted at Sundance. Ana Lily Amirpour has a particular style that combines her history and hobbies to create something adventurous and new. A Girl Walks Home alone at night is a great shudder watch.
1. Halloween (1978)
- Director: John Carpenter
- Cast: Jamie Lee Curtis, John Carpenter
- IMDb Rating: 7.7/10
- Rotten Tomatoes: 96%
John Carpenter’s Halloween (1978), a cult classic is an exemplary slasher genre with iconic killer Michael Myers and resourceful Final Girl Laurie Strode.
Years after killing his sister Michael escapes authorities. The Halloween of John Carpenter is an impressively trimmed-down nightmare of a Halloween night and holds up very nicely today. This is also an excellent movie at Shudder.
Six-year-old Michael Myers, possessed by an incomprehensible desire to kill, massacres his fifteen-year-old sister, Judith, on Halloween night, October 31, 1963.
Michael escapes from Smith’s Grove Sanitarium, a mental health hospital and detention center for the criminally insane, on the fifteenth anniversary of the terrible murder, and returns to his hometown of Haddonfield, Illinois.
Soon, heartless Michael becomes obsessed with Laurie Strode, a blissfully unaware high school girl, and her friends, Annie and Lynda, while Myers’ psychiatrist, Dr. Samuel Loomis, and skeptic Sheriff Leigh Brackett comb the area in search of the psychologically disturbed inmate. The shadows, on the other hand, are dense, and he is constantly one step ahead of them.
Related: The 30 Best Horror Movies on HBO Max To Watch Tonight
Conclusion
While shudder hosts a giant library of movies, this list includes some horror movies on shudder and also the best movies on shudder. Surely, if you want to impress your dinner party guests with horror movies to watch, you can refer to this list.
