June Chills: My Top 5 Shudder Picks

(Originally written on cafecrashdown.com)

Guess who’s back and ready to spook up your June? 🎥💀 That’s right, it’s time for our Top 5 Shudder Favorites to make a comeback! 🔥🍿 Get ready to dive into some seriously SPICY picks on Shudder this month.

1. Stopmotion (2024) – English

Ella Blake, a stop-motion animator struggling to control her demons after the loss of her overbearing mother, embarks upon the creation of a film that becomes the battleground for her sanity. As Ella’s mind starts to fracture, the characters in her project take on a life of their own. Directed by Robert Morgan, this film is a must-watch for stop-motion art enthusiasts. I found it refreshing with good action and some great practical effects, which we LOVE. If you appreciate well-done practical effects, this film is definitely worth a shot.

2. Pyewacket (2018) – English

A frustrated, angst-ridden teenage girl awakens something in the woods when she naively performs an occult ritual to evoke a witch to kill her mother. Pyewacket is a low-budget, light supernatural horror film that’s worth watching. It’s a clever take on the classic story of a teenager summoning evil, and it’s very well-acted. The script builds reasonable tension minute by minute, and while the ending is predictable, it closes the story in a believable way without relying on shock value.

3. Vacation Of Terror (1989) – Spanish

After inheriting a new summer home from a deceased relative, Fernando brings his family along for a vacation. They quickly discover strange happenings on the property, but when young daughter Gaby falls into a well and returns with an old doll, things turn horrific. Directed by René Cardona III, this film is a straightforward “child finds a possessed doll inhabited with the vengeful spirit of a witch” story, but with extra spicy flair. It’s a movie that gets a little carried away with its low budget and cheap effects—but that’s part of its charm! It’s my kind of ridiculous supernatural fun.

4. Graduation Day (1981)

The class of ‘81 is running out of time. After the death of a high school track star during a race, a mysterious killer in a fencing mask begins murdering her friends and teachers. The team is devastated, and the school plans to honor her memory at the upcoming graduation. However, an unknown killer has another idea—to kill all the track team members and cause total havoc at graduation. Who’s the killer? Will you guess correctly? A classic slasher film with all the suspense and drama you could want.

5. Nightwatch (2023) – Danish

Martin’s daughter, Emma, takes up a night watch job to find out what happened to her parents almost thirty years ago. A meeting with Wörmer in his cell pulls the serial killer out of his coma and sets in motion a chain of fateful events. This is a legacy sequel to the first film I have not seen, but I really enjoyed it. Everything from the first film is made comprehensible so you feel caught up. Great acting from Nikolaj Coster-Waldau and honestly good writing. What an accomplishment to write and direct a sequel set made exactly 30 years later with 4 out of the 5 original main cast members reprising their roles while not feeling forced. The story is logical and well thought out, and the reprising actors didn’t miss a step sliding back into their roles. When you watch these films back to back, it is truly something special. A must-watch double feature.