Shudder consistently rolls out new original films throughout each year, and 2024 was no exception. For the most part, Shudder debuts at least one new original film each week – that’s a lot of horror movies, so of course they are a mixed bag.
Sadly, I haven’t watched all of the originals that premiered in 2024, but what follows are five of my favorites that I did see, ranked.
5. Destroy All Neighbors – For a fun horror/comedy, please direct your attention to Destroy All Neighbors, which came to Shudder in January of 2024. All William wants to do is finish working on the record album that has consumed all of his time and energy for three years now. Unfortunately, his new neighbor Vlad is interfering with William’s focus.
Vlad is constantly making noise, banging on walls and playing very loud music throughout the nights. Finally, William knocks on Vlad’s door to request that he be a little quieter, and it doesn’t go well. Vlad laughs at William’s request, threatens to fight him, and ends up accidently killing himself through a home gym mishap. Oops!
In a panic, William dismembers Vlad’s body…which unexpectedly returns to life as a zombie. And it only gets worse from there, as more accidental deaths occur. Gory and genuinely funny, Destroy All Neighbors was one of the more enjoyable comedy/horror films I saw in 2024.
4. In a Violent Nature – First, let’s acknowledge that In a Violent Nature (which released on Shudder in September) is not a film that every horror fan will love. It’s slow-moving, and a lot of the screen time is spent following along with “Johnny” as he leisurely strolls through the woods.
Johnny is accidentally brought back from his grave when a group of friends swipe the locket that kept him contained. That’s too bad for the friends, because Johnny is determined to get the locket back, as well as brutally kill anyone who crossed his slow-moving path.
So, yes, In a Violent Nature is an exceedingly slow burn of a film. But, sprinkled throughout the beautiful scenery as Johnny trods through the woods are some pretty brutal and creative kill scenes, along with lots of bloody and gore. Anyone who has seen it most likely has the image of the poor “yoga girl” burned into their brain as Jonny punches through her stomach from behind and rips her head off.
If you like slow moving horror AND graphic gore, In a Violent Nature should be added to your list of films to watch on Shudder.
3. You’ll Never Find Me – This Shudder original made its debut in March. Another slow burn, You’ll Never Find Me’s biggest strength is the solid, very strong acting performances by Brendan Rock and Jordan Cowen, who were given the task of carrying nearly the entire film themselves.
Rock is Patrick, an older man who lives in a trailer. From the beginning, we can tell that he is dealing with some sort of trauma. During a storm that steadily increases throughout the film, a young woman knocks at his door, asking if he can give her a ride into town. Patrick tells her his car is broken down, but offers her dry clothes and coins for a local pay phone.
He gives her directions to the phone, but tells her it’s located behind a locked gate and she won’t be able to get to it alone.
Although much of the film’s run town is spent with the two characters’ conversation, questions and revelations, the atmosphere amps up the tension (along with the storm), and we soon discover secrets that both of them have been carrying.
You’ll Never Find Me is an excellent “serious” horror movie that is an exercise in building tension slowly and steadily.
2. Late Night With the Devil – When this unique possession flick hit theaters in March, it quickly became IFC Films’ highest-grossing opening. It came to Shudder barely a month later, where it also became its biggest opening weekend.
Framed as a documentary of sorts, the film explores the fictional legendary Halloween 1977 episode of a late-night talk show called Night Owls. Night Owls host Jack Delroy was a member of an exclusive California men’s club known as The Grove.
After the death of his wife from cancer, Jack took some time off, but then returned and had to conquer the show’s poor ratings. In an effort to build numbers, a special Halloween-themed episode was planned, with guests including a psychic, a skeptic who was at one time a magician, and a 13-year-old girl named Lilly, who is supposedly possessed. Lilly is accompanied by a parapsychologist named June.
As the episode progresses, some pretty crazy (and scary) events happen, events that involve all of the guests. But it’s Lilly’s story that is the most frightening, especially when the demon that possesses her (known by the girl as “Mr. Wiggles) begins to make his presence known.
Jack’s mental health goes into a downward spiral as Late Night With the Devil speeds to its bloody conclusion. There is plenty of suspense and tension throughout, and David Dastmalchian’s performance as Jack is *chef’s kiss.* He is quickly proving himself to be one of the strongest actors working in horror movies currently.
1. Infested – Wow, is this one an edge-of-your-seat horror movie! And I must caution those of you who suffer from arachnophobia: you might not be able to make it through it. I don’t have a fear of spiders, but there were times I had to put my feet up on the couch and bite my nails.
Kaleb is a young man arguing with his sister over selling their late mother’s house. He lives in a pretty seedy apartment building, but all of the residents are good friends. Kaleb is fond of exotic creatures, and obtains a spider from an exotic animal dealer, taking it home to his apartment and securing it in a shoe box.
You guessed it, the spider manages to escape. Oh, and guess what? It is deadly poisonous and multiplies at an astoundingly fast rate. Soon the building is infested with the venomous critters and is quarantined by the local government, trapping the low-income residents inside.
Infested is a French film, so yes, there are subtitles. But even if you usually say no to subtitles, I encourage you to give it a try if you like painfully suspenseful films that also include the creepiest of crawly creatures. I promise, your heart rate will increase!