The traditional horror genre has evolved over the 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 of 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. Let's take a look at some of the best Shudder movies, a selection of jaw-dropping and night-terror-evoking originals.

Update October 14, 2023: In honor of Spooky Season, this article has been updated with even more great horror movies that can be watched on Shudder this Halloween by Evan Lewis.

12 Nightmare

Nightmare
Nordisk Film Production AS

Nightmare is a Norwegian horror about a young couple who are deep in the picture-perfect honeymoon phase of their love. They move into a new home on an amazing deal, with the catch being it needs to be updated and renovated to truly be the home of their dreams. Not everything is as it seems; their neighbors have a rocky relationship, arguing nonstop despite the constant wailing of their new baby, and the spoused woman, Mona, suffers from terrible nightmares when she falls asleep.

It does not take long before Mona's dreams become reality in her eyes, and she has to protect herself and her unborn baby from a demon that is called the Mare. Nightmare is a decent, thrilling watch for anyone into the horror subgenre of people suffering from their own visions and speculating whether they are plausible.

11 Elevator Game

Elevator Game close-up
Shudder

Elevator Game is actually based on a phenomenon that stems from the internet. Ryan is an outcast teenager who managed to get on with a group of people who recently graduated from high school. This group's hobby is researching and deflating the credibility of urban legends. Ryan has something hidden under his sleeve, though; his sister has gone missing, and he thinks he has a good idea as to why it happened. The teen thinks this group knows something and that a dangerous online challenge dubbed the Elevator Game has something to do with it. The game has something to do with a supernatural spirit. Ryan wants to play the game and needs the group's help to find out how to save his sister from whatever spirit is holding her hostage if she is even still alive.

10 Perpetrator

Kiah McKirnan and Alicia Silverstone in Perpetrator (2023) promo
Shudder

Alicia Silverstone is most known for playing Cher Horowitz in the cult classic film Clueless, but did you know she also has some horror chops? She stars in the Shudder original Perpetrator as Aunt Hildie, the estranged aunt of a teenage girl and the film's central character. When the teenage girl (Jonny, played by Kiah McKirnan) reaches her eighteenth birthday, she goes through something unexpected: an odd, esoteric changing of sorts that they call the Forevering. A group of girls goes missing in thin air at her school, and in response, a changed and feral Jonny goes after a perplexing entity that is called the Perpetrator.

9 From Black

fromblack
Shudder

Fans of Pitch Perfect would be shocked to see Anna Camp in this supernatural horror, but it is worth checking out for those willing to expand their horizons. From Black centers around a woman who is recovering from drug addiction and the unexplained circumstances around her son going missing.

Without giving away too much, the story follows Camp's character's willingness to delve into darkness in order to get her life back. The price of happiness is a question that is posed, and although the reviews for From Black paint a polarizing picture, fans of supernatural elements and the lead actress will for sure get some fun out of this oftentimes clichéd but entertaining Shudder original.

8 Skinamarink

Skinamarink on Shudder
Shudder

Skinamarink is an oddball of a film and not likely to satiate the needs of someone looking for something that is easier to digest. It is very polarizing for that reason, as the narrative is told through unconventional methods. The plot is about two children who wake up in the middle of the night only to find that their father is no longer home. Not only that, but all exits to the home have also vanished, so there is no way to escape and look for him. Most people who had night terrors as a child found that this one struck a chord with them, so maybe check this one out if you are part of that niche audience.

7 Slaxx

slaxx-killer-jeans-social
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 with a lack of regard for plausibility, 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 most well-made horror flicks about consumerism and capitalism since Dan of the Dead.

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Horror and comedy both rely on tension and release, and these films induce a really physical reaction with both laughter and fear.

6 Violation

violation, shudder film
Shudder

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

Duane Jones in Night of the Living Dead (1968)
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 pertain 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

Horror Noire
Shudder

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. They most certainly can, and this is stone-cold proof of it.

3 Shook

Shook 1
Shudder

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 megastar 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. With social media and having a prominent online presence becoming more and more the norm, Shook should be relatable or at least understood by most people belonging to younger generations.

2 Bliss

Bliss
Dark Sky Films

A summary of Bliss in three words: sex, vampires, and drugs. If anyone has ever experienced writer's (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 flashing lights (epilepsy warning, because we care for your safety!).

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Here's What Makes The Medium The Best Found Footage Movie of 2021
One of the most unique and well-executed found footage films released in 2021 was the Thai supernatural horror movie The Medium.

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. It is a unique take on the plight of creatives, and how the lack of ideas can affect the psyche of someone who relies on unconventional means (like painting) to make money.

1 The Medium

The medium Banjong Pisanthanakun
GDH 559 / Showbox

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 Medium, 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.