It's finally here! Your favorite time of the year has arrived. Get ready for a scary-filled, scream-worthy season ahead. Start with these frightening and spine-tingling movie collections on Shudder.
Haunted Habitations: More than just the moving blues
The "For Sale" sign in front of the house you desire brings excitement and a world of possibilities. However, could it also be hiding something sinister within its walls? In these films, that's precisely the case for the new homeowners, who encounter something far beyond a simple remodeling mishap.
In Hell House LLC, a documentary crew investigates the mysterious tragedy that occurred on the opening night of a haunted house attraction in upstate New York. The details surrounding the incident are vague until the crew meets a surviving employee with footage of the events leading up to that fateful night. Something is lurking in the dilapidated Abaddon Hotel, including one of the scariest clowns to ever appear on the big screen.
The success of the 2015 film led to two sequels: Hell House LLC II: The Abaddon Hotel and Hell House LLC III: The Lake of Fire, both Shudder originals. In 2023, the prequel Hell House LLC Origins: The Carmichael Manor was released, followed by Hell House LLC: Lineage this year, completing the franchise. The latter will be on Shudder in October.
Other classic must-watch films in this collection include The Others, 2001's mega hit starring Nicole Kidman; the original House on Haunted Hill, with horror icon Vincent Price; and The Stone Tape, a must-see British film about a group of scientists researching a dark force at a haunted Victorian mansion.
Hexes and Ooohs!: Witches are in this season
With the upcoming premiere of a certain movie featuring a green witch, it's the perfect time to discuss the collection "Hexes and Ooohs," which focuses on the most wicked of witches.
The Autopsy of Jane Doe follows a father and son team of coroners, played by Brian Cox from Succession and Emile Hirsch, as they encounter an unusual murder victim found in the basement of a nearby house in small-town Grantham County, Virginia. The woman's corpse shows no signs of external injuries, but as the autopsy begins, unsettling discoveries lead to a series of supernatural events that unveil the horrifying truth about who she truly is. This film is a must-watch for the spooky season. The tension builds throughout the movie, with plenty of jump scares that will keep your senses on edge and make you reconsider history's dark secrets.
Additional films to consider watching in this collection: the folk horror film Eyes of Fire (1983), which delves into 18th-century superstitions and magic; the classic horror thriller Witchboard, featuring the late great Tawny Kitaen, which revolves around a deadly Ouija board; and the twisted Shudder original The Pale Door, a story about cowboys who venture into a ghost town inhabited by a coven of witches.
The Babysitters Club: Survive a Night of Terror
Babysitting seems simple, right? Put the kids to bed and hang out until the parents return home. It sounds easy enough. However, that's not the case for the sitters featured in this collection. In these movies, they are just trying to survive the night.
The House of the Devil begins innocently enough: Samantha Hughes, a young college student in the 1980s, is looking for a job to make some quick cash and finds a babysitting opportunity through a newspaper ad. Her best friend, Megan (played by Oscar-nominated director Greta Gerwig), accompanies her to an old mansion, where they learn that the job entails watching over the owner's invalid mother. Reluctantly, Samantha decides to take the job anyway because, after all, it should be easy, right? The old woman doesn’t even leave her room... or so Samantha thinks. After watching this classic by Ti West (The X Trilogy), you'll think twice about listening to music on headphones in the house by yourself.
Other films to watch in this collection include John Carpenter's classic slasher film, Halloween; All Hallows' Eve, featuring cult favorite Art the Clown; and Shudder's latest release, Night of the Reaper, which has recieved favorable reviews since it's release This film is similar to House of the Devil and follows a college student who takes on a babysitting job shortly after another teenage babysitter has been murdered. The local sheriff is puzzled by the case until he receives a piece of evidence indicating that the murder wasn't an isolated incident, and it becomes clear that the killer is planning a sequel.