Shudder in May: French horror and Fangoria’s Chainsaw Awards

Shudder has some good films coming to us in May, in addition to the continuation of Slasher: Ripper and The Last Drive-In with Joe Bob Briggs.

Let’s take a look at what subscribers can watch on Shudder in May!

May 1:

High Tension – In this French Extremity film directed by Alexandre Aja, Marie and Alex are college friends on a road trip to stay a few days with Alex’s family. When a serial killer invades the home, Marie ends up in a race to find Alex, who has been abducted by the terrifying man. There is a pretty good twist in this one.

Inside – Not for the squeamish, this is another French Extremity film. On Christmas Eve, four months after surviving the car accident that killed her husband, pregnant Sarah is preparing to head to the hospital to give birth the next day. A strange woman shows up at her door, and it soon becomes apparent that this woman is determined to walk away with Sarah’s infant…even if it means she must physically remove the child from her womb.

Livid – A young home health nurse trainee, her boyfriend and his brother break into the ornate home of a comatose woman on Halloween night, hoping to find the treasure rumored to be hidden inside. But, they discover there are supernatural forces at work, and their simple plan becomes much more complicated than they could imagine.

Martyrs – One of the best-known and highly-regarded French Extremity films is this one, which was remade into a lackluster Americanized version. As a child, Lucie was kidnapped and tortured for over a year before she managed to escape. When she is placed in an orphanage, she becomes friends with Anna, and when the two are adults, Anna joins Lucie’s quest to find and punish those who had imprisoned her. This is a hard film to watch, it’s grim and bloody, but the story is fantastic.

May 8:

Poison for the Fairies – In this Mexican film, Veronica is orphaned and lives with her Grandmother and nanny. The nanny is very superstitious and tells the girl frightening “true” stories of witches. Veronica tells another girl that she herself is a witch, and forces the girl to do her bidding.

Darker than the Night – Four women move into a strange house inherited by one of them, and soon find themselves witnessing terrifying events.

May 15:

The Babadook – Poor Amelia is a single mom whose husband was killed in a car accident that happened when he was driving her to the hospital to give birth. Her son Sam, now six years old, is challenging to say the least. The discovery of the world’s worst pop-up children’s book called Mister Babadook causes Sam to become abnormally obsessed with the monster, and soon Amelia finds herself questioning whether or not Mister Babadook actually exists.

The Devil’s Doorway – In Northern Ireland in the 1960s, two priests are sent to look into reports of a statue of the Virgin Mary said to weep blood. The statue is located at a Catholic home for immoral women, and the two men record their investigation.

May 22:

In Their Skin – Selma Blair stars in this home invasion thriller about a family that moves into a suburban cottage in order to grieve for their daughter Tess, who was killed in an accident. Their son Brendon (Quinn Lord, AKA “Sam” from Trick ‘r Treat) is threatened by the neighbors’ son, and it sets off a series of events that end in chaos and bloodshed.

May 12:

Huesera: The Bone Woman (Shudder Exclusive, available on Shudder US, CA, ANZ and UKI) – Valeria is expecting her first baby when she (and her unborn child) become threatened by a dark unknown entity. It means taking some serious chances, but a group of witches may be able to help Valeria. This chilling Spanish supernatural horror film made its debut at Tribeca in 2022.

May 19:

Consecration (Shudder Exclusive, available in US, CA, ANZ and UKI) – Christopher Smith (Creep) directed this one, in which a young woman named Grace (Jena Malone) travels to a convent in Scotland to find out what happened to her brother. He was a priest who supposedly murdered Father Carroll before taking his own life. Grace begins to uncover a bloody story.

May 21:

The Fangoria Chainsaw Awards – The 2023 version of iconic horror magazine Fangoria’s awards will stream live on Shudder TV and AMC+ TV on Sunday, May 21, beginning at 9:00 p.m. ET. David Dastmalchian is hosting for the third year in a row, with Peaches Christ co-hosting. Presenters will include Jamie Clayton (Hulu’s Hellraiser), Madeleine McGraw and Mason Thames (The Black Phone) and Akela Cooper (M3GAN). Among the nominated films are Prey, X, The Black Phone, Nope, Pearl, Blood Relatives, Stranger Things, Barbarian, Terrifier 2 and Queer for Fear.

May 26:

Influencer (Shudder Original, available in US, CA, ANZ and UKI) – Kurtis David Harder (Spiral) both directed and co-produced this film, which introduces us to a social media influencer named Madison. While visiting Thailand, Madison meets a traveller named CW, who takes to an off-the-grid island. Will this get Madison more likes, or will she end up in mortal danger?

Are you looking forward to seeing the rest of Slasher: Ripper? Want to enjoy some more drive-in films with Joe Bob and the gang? Or is there another Shudder addition coming up in May that has you chomping at the bit? Tell us about it in the comments section.