10 best shows to watch on Shudder right now

Stars: Mike Flanagan, Kate Siegel, Edgar Wright, Alexandra Essoe, Greg Nicotero, Joe Lo Truglio, David Dastmalchian, Andy Muschietti

Original network: Shudder (2022)

Seasons available on Shudder: 1

The 101 Scariest Horror Movie Moments Of All Time is a pretty self-explanatory title, right? The impressive eight-episode docuseries features interviews with notable horror directors, writers, and actors as they unpack some of the genre’s most famous (and infamous) scary scenes. For fans of horror, there is no better way to dig deep into years and years’ worth of movies that have left an indelible mark on the genre.

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Stars: Fiona Shaw, Paul Schneider, Amy Forsyth, Aisha Dee, Luisa D’Oliveira, John Caroll Lynch, Brandon Scott, Gregg Henry, Steven Weber

Original network: SYFY (2016-2018)

Seasons available on Shudder: 4

Channel Zero is a horror anthology from Nick Antosca, who went on to co-produce NBC’s Hannibal and create Peacock’s true-crime series A Friend Of The Family. Each six-episode season is generated using popular online stories, a.k.a. “creepypastas,” and features an entirely different cast and tale. (Think topics like serial killers and haunted houses.) Channel Zero almost feels like American Horror Story minus the camp and with an added dose of genuine scares.

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Stars: Brad Dourif, Zackary Arthur, Alyvia Alyn Lind, Björgvin Arnarson, Devon Sawa, Jennifer Tilly, Fiona Dourif

Original network: SYFY (2021-present)

Seasons available on Shudder: 2

You would think Don Mancini’s Child’s Play franchise, which debuted in 1988, would grow tiresome by now. But Mancini finds a fresh and funny way to update the story with Chucky, which follows everyone’s favorite ruthless killer doll as he makes suburban New Jersey, a Catholic school, and even the freaking White House as his hunting grounds. It’s equal parts gruesome and hilarious, and there’s nothing not to love here. (Season three is currently airing on SYFY.)

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Stars: Giancarlo Esposito, D’Arcy Carden, David Arquette, James Remar, Adam Pally, Anna Camp, Justin Long, Reid Scott, Michael Rooker, Barbara Crampton

Original network: Shudder (2019-present)

Seasons available on Shudder: 4

Shudder’s star-studded horror anthology, a continuation the 1982 film of the same name (that also takes inspiration form the Creepshow comics) pays homage to horror notables like Stephen King, Joe Hill, Bird Box’s John Malerman, and The Walking Dead’s Greg Nicotero. Each episode of the series contains roughly two grim tales, maintaining the spirit of the original while still charting its own creepy course.

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Stars: Matthew Goode, Terese Palmer, Edward Bluemel, Alex Kingston, Owen Teale, Louise Brealey, Daniel Ezra

Original network: Sky One (2018-2022)

Seasons available on Shudder: 3

The surprisingly sexy and dramatic series centers on historian Diana Bishop (Palmer), whose discovery of a witchy manuscript leads to unexpected secrets about various magical creatures. She teams up with a vampire, Matthew Clairmont (Goode), to protect this book and its mysteries from the supernatural world. The show primarily works because of the electric chemistry between the two leads, along with a healthy serving of classic witch-vampire rivalries.

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Stars: Stephen King, Robert Englund, Quentin Tarantino, Rob Zombie, Jamie Lee Curtis, Jason Blum, Greg Nicotero, Jack Black, Jordan Peele

Original network: Shudder (2018-2021)

Seasons available on Shudder: 3

Yes, of course, Eli Roth has his own documentary series on Shudder. He produces and hosts History Of Horror, which features some of the genre’s most defining names discussing the rise of everything from slashers to zombies pics. Along the way, they break down why audiences connect with horror, how the genre reflects the state of society, and what fans can expect next.

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Original network: Shudder (2018-present)

Seasons available on Shudder: 5

Joe Bob Briggs hosts the variety special The Last Drive-In, which has already aired five seasons and a whopping 20 specials on Shudder. In each episode, he delves into some of his favorite films, like Halloween, Hellraiser, The Hills Have Eyes, Phantasm, C.H.U.D., A Girl Walks Home Alone At Night, and Black Christmas. Basically, it’s like a late-night show devoted to horror, with drop ins from Barbara Crampton, David Gordon Green, Reggie Bannister, Felissa Rose, and others.

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Stars: Carmen Maria Machado, Leslye Headland, Justin Simien, Mark Gattis, Roberto Aguirre-Sacasa, Lea DeLaria

Original network: Shudder (2022)

Seasons available on Shudder: 1

This essential four-part docuseries examines the queer-coded aspects of the horror genre, especially in noted works like Frankenstein, Dracula, and all things Alfred Hitchcock. It also delves into gothic fiction, vampire stories, body switching, and the depiction of the LGBTQ+ community in popular films, offering insights from celebs and artists.

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Stars: Steve Byers, Christopher Jacot, Joanne Vannicola, Paula Brancati, Mercedes Morris, Lisa Berry, Eric McCormack

Original network: Shudder (2021-present)

Seasons available on Shudder: 2

Netflix’s loss is Shudder’s gain in the case of Slasher. The former let go of the Canadian horror series after three seasons, so Shudder picked it up for two more. (Only those last two are available to stream here). The slasher anthology follows a different masked killer in each season. The fourth, titled Flesh & Blood, feels like a combination of Ready Or Not and Succession, while season five, Ripper, is a gothic 19th century tale.

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Stars: Jared Harris, Ciarán Hinds, Tobias Menzies, Ian Hart, Paul Ready, Sian Brooke, Adam Nagaitis, Alistair Petrie, Clive Russell

Original network: AMC (2018-2019)

Seasons available on Shudder: 1

David Kajganich’s The Terror is a sublime, slow-burning horror show. Season one tells the fictionalized, haunting tale of Sir John Franklin (Harris), the commanding office of naval ship HMS Terror. On the hunt for safe passage, he sails his crew into uncharted territory in the icy Arctic archipelago. Of course, HMS Terror gets trapped, and everyone has to struggle to survive. Unbeknownst to them, an evil entity is about to make that a very difficult challenge. The Terror also got a second season (dubbed Infamy), but Shudder only offers the first—and better—round.

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