Chills ‘n’ chill: The best horror movies to watch on Shudder app now
Oh, the plight of the horror fan. Every year, there’s a lot of horror movies released. Only a select few, however, are the edge of your seat terrifying. The rest? The rest aren’t very good. Any dedicated horror fans, however, should know about Shudder. This streaming service promises you all the chills you need if you’re in the middle of a horror dry spell.
Of course, the worst thing about diving into a streaming service is trying to figure out what to check out. Lucky for you, Film Daily has some spine-tingling recommendations of what to check out on the app Shudder. Be prepared to sleep with your lights on after watching these films.
One Cut of the Dead
Japanese horror is held in high regard by horror fans. Mainly because some J-horror goes hard. Now One Cut of the Dead is no Audition, but it is an insanely great film. Despite low domestic numbers in Japan, One Cut of the Dead scored big overseas revenue due to word of mouth.
This zombie film has earned over a thousand times its budget. No one dares to spoil anything about One Cut of the Dead, but if you want to see a truly unique and great zombie film? Then check this out ASAP.
We Are Still Here
Grief can lead people to some strange places. In We Are Still Here, a grieving couple (Barbara Crampton, Andrew Sensenig) in 1979 move to New England after the death of their son. While there, the wife begins to assert that she’s hearing and seeing the spirit of their dead child.
Influenced by the horror films of the 70s, We Are Still Here is equal parts bloody, powerful, and smart. It’s definitely one of the best if underrated, horror flicks of the 2010s.
Cheap Thrills
Don’t let the label of black comedy throw you off for this 2013 film. While there is a deranged hilarity in the film, there’s also a lot nasty stuff happening on the screen. After being evicted from his apartment, down on his luck Craig (Patty Healy) and his pal Vincent (Ethan Embry) meet a rich couple (Sara Paxton, David Koechner), who challenge them to do greater and greater risks for a large cash sum.
So if you want a couple of laughs with your gore and increasingly awkward feeling about the disparity between the rich and poor, then Cheap Thrills may be the film for you.
Henry: Portrait of a Serial Killer
Want something genuinely disturbing? Michael Rooker stars as the titular Henry in this 1986 film. Oh boy, it’s something that will sit with you long after Henry: Portrait of a Serial Killer ends. It follows Henry as he meets his sociopathic soulmate in Otis (Tom Towles) as the pair embark on a bloody killing spree throughout Chicago.
Part of what makes this film disturbing is how genuine and real it feels because any true crime fan knows sometimes fiction can be tamer than the truth.
A Girl Walks Home Alone at Night
Described as “the first Iranian vampire Western”, A Girl Walks Home Alone at Night is atmospheric and gorgeously shot. We follow a young man named Arash (Arash Marandi) as his life spirals closer and closer to a mysterious female vampire (Sheila Vand), a vampire who targets those who deserve to die.
It’s not intense with a more eerie atmosphere than frightening, but proof that even in a film with a monster humans can be worse.
Mandy
One of Nick Cage’s greatest roles in recent years, the bloody Mandy is a hyper-violent love letter to 80s movies from which it’s inspired by. What film has Nick Cage wreaking bloody revenge on a hippie cult and a demonic LSD fueled biker gang?
It’s brutal and bloody and over the top, but this 2018 film is already considered to be a cult classic. It’s definitely a film that is worth the watch, especially if you grew up on Rambo or any other 80s classic.
The Transfiguration
Definitely a quieter sort of horror then some fans would like, The Transfiguration is a deliberately paced movie. The film follows a lonely young New Yorker with a love of vampire fiction.
Interested in inner-city alienation and urban decay, The Transfiguration can feel a little too real for comfort at times, but the unsettling atmosphere and grounded performances from its cast is what makes it a slow-moving, creepy ride.
The Wailing
This 2016 South Korean film is an endurance challenge at 150 minutes, but more than worth it if a dedicated horror fan puts in the time. The Wailing follows a policeman (Kwak Do-won) who is investigating a series of mysterious killings and illnesses in a quiet Korean hamlet Gokeseong in order to save his daughter (Kim Hwan-hee).
As he delves deeper into the mysterious, he’ll have to deal with forces far beyond the outside of man’s understanding. Despite the prodigious length, The Wailing is full of atmosphere, tense moments, and a ride that any horror fan would love to take.
