What’s coming to Shudder in January? Here are some highlights

Things have been pretty quiet on the Shudder front for the past couple of weeks, with the exception of Joe Bob’s Ghoutide Get-Together, which is understandable. As fans know, AMC Networks made the Scrooge-like decision to significantly cut back on staff at all of their streaming networks. Shudder did not escape the proverbial axe, and several of their employees were laid off, including GM Craig Engler. With everything happening so suddenly, it will most likely take the remaining team members a while to get over the shock and get back on their feet.

And, indeed, the press release for the January schedule was extremely scant (listing only “highlights”). So far, only three additions have been announced by Shudder…but at least they are good ones.

January 5:

Possession – This 1981 film, starring Isabelle Adjani and Sam Neill, was banned in the UK after its limited theatrical release. It was re-released in 1983 with over a third of the film cut. It tells the story of a marriage gone extremely bad, with Mark (Neill) returning home, only to find his wife Anna (Adjani) behaving strangely and telling him she wants a divorce. As he attempts to find out what is going on with Anna, the story gets more bizarre. Sam Neill himself said of Possession in an interview: “I call it the most extreme film I’ve ever made, in every possible respect, and he (writer-director Andrzej Zulawski) asked of us things I wouldn’t and couldn’t go to now. And I think I only just escaped that film with my sanity barely intact.”

January 12:

Chucky Season 1 Binge – Originally premiering on Syfy and USA Network, this series was a very clever sequel to the Child’s Play film franchise (with the most recent film being Cult of Chucky). Brad Dourif returned as the familiar and menacing voice of the red-haired “Good Guy” title character, Jennifer Tilly showed up as Tiffany, and even Alex Vincent came back to reprise his role as Andy from the very first film. The series begins with 14-year-old Jake buying a vintage Chucky doll at a yard sale, and we know where this is headed right away! Hopefully, the remaining two seasons will soon follow season one on Shudder.

Shudder is adding a new Exclusive to its roster for the new year

January 26:

The Lair (Shudder Exclusive) – When a Royal Air Force pilot is shot down over Afghanistan, she seeks shelter, only to find herself in an underground bunker that appears to be abandoned. While the bunker may indeed be empty of humans, Kate soon finds that she is not really alone – there are plenty of half human, half alien creatures to keep her company. If you aren’t sold on that description, consider the fact that this film is directed and co-written by the great Neil Marshall (Dog Soldiers, The Descent).

That’s all we have for now, but we will let you know when Shudder updates us with more of their plans for January.

What would you like to see come to Shudder for the first month of 2023? Tell us about it in the comments section.