7 Best Shudder Originals, Ranked

This anthology series is based on the 1982 cult film of the same name, written by Stephen King and directed by Night of the Living Dead‘s George Romero. It also features several well-known horror icons stepping in for behind-the-scenes work, like King’s son, Joe Hill, Mike Flanagan‘s brother, Jamie, who serves as writer for the Season 4 premiere, “Twenty Minutes with Cassandra / Smile, and The Walking Dead‘s Greg Nicotero, who directs the same episode, serving as executive producer.

Slasher: Ripper is an eight-episode season of a larger season-based anthology series that flips the infamous Jack The Ripper story on its ear. There’s a killer stalking the mean streets, but instead of targeting the poor and downtrodden like Jacky Boy, The Widow is meting out justice against the rich and powerful. The only person standing in the way of this killer is the newly promoted detective, Kenneth Rijkers (Gabriel Darku), whose ironclad belief in justice may wind up being yet another victim of The Widow. Expect phenomenal performances from the latter and Eric McCormack being deliciously evil.

As staunch supporters of the V/H/S franchise, V/H/S/85 may be one of the anthology film franchise’s best outings. Utilizing the franchise’s found footage setup and the retro style of the 80s, this installment features a frightful journey into the grim underbelly of the forgotten decade through five tales of terror on a taped-over made-for-TV documentary.

This 4-part docuseries delves into LGBTQ+ representation and queer coding in the horror genre across different eras by interviewing a range of LGBTQ+ creators. It examines influences from historical phenomena like the Pansy Craze and the Lavender Scare to how the AIDS epidemic shaped 1980s vampire films. It also won Best LGBTQ Documentary or Documentary Series and Best TV Documentary or Documentary Series at the 15th Annual Dorian Awards.

A modern-day take on Bravo’s countdown miniseries, Shudder’s 101 Scariest Horror Movie Moments of All Time emphasizes “horror.” There’s insight from actors, creators, scholars, and enthusiasts, including, but not limited to, Keith David, Joe Dante, Mike Flanagan, and special effect wiz Greg Nicotero. The show originally premiered on Shudder on September 7, with new episodes streaming every Wednesday. Although it covers some of the same films as its spiritual predecessor, it also benefits from covering many new movies in the last 20 years. And Shudder doesn’t limit itself either, despite strictly covering horror. There are recent international entries and some terrifying television moments included as well. One of the best antidotes from the ongoing miniseries so far is Holland recalling how long it took to get the perfect shot of Chucky rolling under the sofa in the original Child’s Play.

Horror Noire: A History of Black Horror is a documentary film released in 2019, directed by Xavier Burgin and adapted from Robin R. Means Coleman’s 2011 non-fiction book, “Horror Noire: Blacks in American Horror Films” from the 1890s to Present. This film delves into the development of black horror as a genre, featuring interviews with Coleman, as well as prominent figures such as actors Keith David, Tony Todd, and Rachel True, director Jordan Peele, and author Tananarive Due. It won Best Non-Theatrical Releases at the Online Film Critics Society Awards and Best Documentary at the Rondo Hatton Classic Horror Awards.