This Halloween season, let Shudder fuel your nightmares with these chilling choices from the leading curatorial voice and cultural destination for genre entertainment!
DADDY’S HEAD
Written and Directed by Benjamin Barfoot
Synopsis
In the wake of his father’s untimely death, a young boy is left in the eerie solitude of a sprawling country estate with his newly widowed stepmother. Struggling to navigate the overwhelming task of parenthood, his stepmother grows distant, leaving their fragile bond at risk of collapse. Amidst the growing tension, the boy begins to hear unsettling sounds echoing through the corridors, and is soon haunted by the presence of a grotesque creature bearing a disturbingly familiar resemblance to his late father. As the boy’s warnings are dismissed as the imagination of a grieving child, the sinister entity tightens its grip on their crumbling lives.
Writer and Director: Benjamin Barfoot
Cast: Julia Brown, Rupert Turnbull, Charles Aitken, Nathaniel Martello-White
Producers: Matthew James Wilkinson, Patrick Tolan
Running Time: 97 minutes
MADS
Written and Directed by David Moreau
Synopsis
Eighteen year old Romain has just graduated and makes a stop at his dealer’s place to try a new pill. As he heads off to a party, he sees an injured woman on the side of the road and decides to help her, but when she gets in his car, she suddenly smashes her own head against the dashboard, bleeding out until she dies. Is this a bad trip? Or is it something else? One thing is for sure, it’s only the beginning of the night.
Writer and Director: David Moreau
Cast: Milton Riche, Laurie Pavy, Lucille Guillaume
Producers: Marlène Wale, Yohan Baiada
Language: French
Runtime: 88 min
V/H/S/BEYOND
Featuring Segments Directed by Jordan Downey, Christian Long & Justin Long, Justin Martinez, Virat Pal, Kate Siegel, and Jay Cheel
Synopsis
V/H/S/BEYOND, the seventh installment of the V/H/S franchise will feature six new bloodcurdling tapes, placing horror at the forefront of a sci-fi-inspired hellscape.
Directors: Jordan Downey, Christian Long & Justin Long, Justin Martinez, Virat Pal, Kate Siegel, and Jay Cheel
Executive Producers: Emily Gotto, Nicholas Lazo, Samuel Zimmerman
Producers: Josh Goldbloom, Michael Schreiber, James Harris, Brad Miska
Running Time: 110 mins
AZRAEL
Starring Samara Weaving
Directed by E.L. Katz, Written by Simon Barrett
Available on Shudder Friday, October 25th
Synopsis
In a world in which no one speaks, a mysterious, devout community hunts down a young woman named Azrael (Samara Weaving) who has escaped their imprisonment. Recaptured by its ruthless leaders, she is to be sacrificed to pacify an evil which resides deep within the surrounding wilderness – but Azrael will stop at nothing to ensure her own freedom and survival. From the seeds of this gritty, relentless parable of sacrifice and salvation, comes an immersive, real-time, action horror tale from the visionary minds of Simon Barrett and E.L. Katz.
Director: E.L. Katz
Writer: Simon Barret
Cast: Samara Weaving, Natahan Stewart-Jarrett, Vic Carmen Sonne, Katariina Unt, Sebastian Bull Sarning
Executive Producers: Jason Cloth, Katrin Kissa, Michael Rothstein, Samuel Hall
Producers: Dan Kagan, Simon Barrett, Dave Caplan
Runtime: 85 min
