Since today is September 30th and we are officially at the doorstep of spookiest season of the year, there's no better time to dive headfirst into Shudder's terrifying lineup for a proper October horror marathon. When it comes to the best horror movies on the dedicated platform, Shudder has a vast library of terrifying content made for the most fearsome fans of the horror genre. From the most obscure regional restorations to the most hyped original frightfests, AMC’s popular streaming service has a variety of content that will challenge even the bravest horror fans. There is an array of terrifying movies that can make one think twice before going on a camping trip, and some of them are still available for streaming on Shudder.
These five films are sheer mastery of terror that deliver the most frightening moments of unspeakable horror with an array of bone-chilling effects, psychological depth, and lingering dread.
1. When Evil Lurks (2023) Directed by Demián Rugna
The Premise
Two brothers, Pedro and Jimmy, find that a local man has become “rotten” in their small rural Argentine village. Despite local superstitions, they decide to bring the possessed man to their own home to hold him temporarily before the proper exorcism. The possession soon spreads, infecting the village in an unstoppable wave of supernatural evil.
Why It’s Worth Watching
Argentinian director Demián Rugna’s When Evil Lurks is a genuinely frightening film that delivers on its promise to terrify the viewer. Most traditional supernatural horror movies have built-in rules to limit the effectiveness of the monster or haunting. Demián Rugna ignores all of them, giving the film a particularly nasty feel.
Evil in this movie takes no prisoners and usually employs children and animals as tools to inflict pain and terror on humans. The movie creates a palpable sense of claustrophobia that the characters experience despite several scenes taking place outdoors. The dread is enhanced by the feeling that the evil is right next to the protagonists but has not been noticed yet.
The Standout Scene
A routine house call reveals the horrifying sight of a dog and a girl in the house as the infection has already begun, leading to one of the most horrifying horror movie deaths committed to film in recent years.
2. The Dark and the Wicked (2020) Directed by Bryan Bertino
The Premise
An elderly man is dying in an isolated goat farm in Texas. His grown-up children, Louise and Michael, arrive to help him during his final days. They soon realize that their mother is consumed by a demonic presence that draws the last breaths out of their father. The siblings have to confront the foul entity that possesses their mother.
Why It’s Worth Watching
Bryan Bertino, the director of The Strangers (2008), has created an especially nasty film about demonic possession. The director managed to combine the standard elements of supernatural horror with the dread of losing a loved one. The film presents a particularly nihilistic outlook on the role of demons in human lives.
The entity that targets the family in The Dark and the Wicked does not seek to test humans or teach them a lesson. It enjoys the torment that it brings, employing various means to scare and damage the protagonist. The film’s chilling atmosphere is amplified by the use of an eerie musical score and the sound of the wind blowing through the empty fields surrounding the isolated goat house.
The Standout Scene
An innocuous scene in the kitchen turns into a heart-wrenching moment as the camera focuses on a chef’s knife that the possessed entity is about to use to slash someone.
3. Terrified (Aterrados) (2017) Directed by Demián Rugna
The Premise
A number of paranormal investigators and a skeptical police detective get involved in an investigation of an impossible string of bizarre supernatural events occurring in a residential subdivision of Buenos Aires. From invisible hands slapping a woman against her bathroom walls to a ghost child sitting at the kitchen table, the investigators attempt to uncover the source of the haunting.
Why It’s Worth Watching
Before When Evil Lurks , Argentinian director Demián Rugna delivered another treat for the fans of supernatural horror. Terrified is a particularly frightening movie with an array of jump scares that seem to come out of nowhere at times. The film presents an especially nightmarish vision of ghosts and spirits. Unlike in most supernatural horror movies, the ghosts in Terrified act more like biological organisms that inhabit the physical world.
The investigator’s team in Terrified tries to document every strange occurrence, and the film manages to balance between the authentic investigation and a series of grotesque supernatural effects. Rugna employs a variety of special effects and makeup to create truly horrifying scenes. The film presents a variety of terrifying apparitions that are frightening enough to disturb one’s peace of mind.
The Standout Scene
The film’s most genuinely frightening moment comes in the form of a ghost child sitting at a dining room table in broad daylight, sipping milk from a glass.
4. Hell House LLC (2015) Directed by Stephen Cognetti
The Premise
Hell House LLC is a found footage documentary-style film about a group of Halloween haunted-house creators who find an abandoned, reportedly haunted hotel to use as their yearly location. Throughout the film, the crew is seen preparing the house for the opening night of their scare event as they experience unexplainable supernatural incidents.
Why It’s Worth Watching
Hell House LLC is one of the best examples of the found footage genre, alongside The Blair Witch Project and Paranormal Activity . Most of the footage was apparently filmed by ordinary people who had no idea that they would become famous horror movie stars. Stephen Cognetti understood that the true appeal of found footage movies consists in its ability to make the audience feel as if they are watching real events.
This film employs the most effective low-tech strategies to generate tension and genuine supernatural chills. Using the found footage concept allowed the director to experiment with the viewer’s perception, using cheap but effective special effects.
The Standout Scene
While laid back and in bed, one of the crew members looks in horror at a white clown that turns its head towards him.
5. Host (2020) Directed by Rob Savage
The Premise
As the COVID-19 pandemic sweeps the globe, six friends spend their evenings at home communicating via video conferencing. One of the participants decides to contact a psychic on Zoom to lighten the gloomy mood. However, one of the women does not take the séance seriously, making up an entire story about a deceased relative. As a result, the friends find themselves trapped in the haunted web conference as the evil entity begins to haunt them one by one.
Why It’s Worth Watching
With a runtime of only 57 minutes, Host does not contain a single unnecessary second. Rob Savage used the global popularity of video conferencing software to create a film that effectively uses the familiar interface to frighten the moviegoing public. Due to the unique nature of the production, the viewer will hardly be able to discern the edges of the screen, which creates an especially disconcerting effect.
The director uses a number of innovative video effects that only become apparent when the film is watched on a computer monitor. Once the viewer realizes that the ghost can see them as well, the game is over, and the entity will do everything to get out of the computer screen.
The Standout Scene
While communicating with the spirit, one of the characters turns on the face-detection filter in complete darkness, inadvertently revealing an invisible entity.
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