FanSided celebrates 15 years: 15 best picks on Shudder
By Carla Davis
Shudder didn’t even exist in April of 2007, when 1428 Elm’s parent company FanSided set up shop. But, it’s now every horror lover’s dream, with new films, series and plenty of classics being added each month, so we thought we would compile a list of 15 of the best offerings on Shudder.
This list includes Shudder originals and exclusives, with both movies and series represented, and they are in no particular order.
The Last Drive-In with Joe Bob Briggs (series) – Join Joe Bob Briggs, Darcy the Mail Girl and the rest of the TLDI crew as they present a double feature each week. The films are a mixed bag, with some of them not even strictly horror, but I can honestly say that even if it’s not a great film, the jokes, cosplay, special guests, trivia and shenanigans will keep you entertained.
The Dark and the Wicked – I have written about this Shudder film enough times that it’s pretty clear I’m a huge fan. If you like your horror dark and, well – wicked – this one should be right up your ally. As an elderly man lies bedridden and dying, his two adult children arrive in the hopes of helping their mother, who is caring for him. To their surprise, she demands they leave, and as it turns out, there is a good reason for that; something evil is lurking around the family farm.
The Mortuary Collection – An entertaining anthology-style film, this one stars the great Clancy Brown as the mortician at Raven’s End mortuary. When a young woman shows up seeking a job, he tells her a handful of stories about some of his “customers.” The stories include a monster, an unlikely (and gross-out) pregnancy, a mercy killing and a clever twist on the babysitter trope.
The Seed – One of the newer Shudder originals, The Seed introduces us to three girlfriends getting away to view a meteor shower, with the intention of becoming social media stars. The plans backfire when one of the “meteors” crash lands in their swimming pool before hatching into a weird ET-like creature the next day. Soon, one of the women starts to change; can the other two get out before the changes start to affect them too?
Anything for Jackson – Sheila McCarthy and Julian Richings appear as Audrey and Henry, a couple grieving the death of their beloved grandson Jackson. Desperate to have Jackson back, the couple become Satanists in order to bring him back to life. This process involves replacing an unborn fetus with Jackson so he can be reborn. Although at first you may think this is a satire, things get very dark when a few very shocking events take place. As experienced a horror fan as I am, I audibly gasped a few times during this film.