The 7 Best Horror Movies and Shows Coming To Shudder in July 2024 (2024)

Shudder continues to shock and awe its subscribers with fresh and horrifying movies to watch, and this month is no exception! Whether you’re looking for something new or a classic horror movie, you need not look any further. Of course, summer is mostly bright, warm, and sunny, but that doesn’t mean you can’t enjoy a scary movie come nightfall, after the lush foliage from the trees blocks out the moonlight, casting dark shadows everywhere you look… There's no shortage of horror movies set during the summertime if you know where to look. This month, Shudder is adding new originals and exclusives as well as some cherished favorites, offering something to satisfy every horror buff’s appetite. This list will help point you toward your new favorite horror movie of July!

Arcadian (2024)

Set 15 years after a pandemic has wiped out the majority of Earth’s human population, Paul (Nicolas Cage) and his two sons, Thomas (Maxwell Jenkins) and Joseph (Jaeden Martell) live in a remote farmhouse by themselves. During the day, they venture out for supplies but come nightfall, they board up every door and window in the house because monstrous, light-sensitive creatures emerge in the darkness to hunt down the remaining humans. One day, Thomas makes a mistake and inadvertently stays out past sunset. When Paul goes to find him that night, he becomes gravely injured while battling one of the monsters.

Meanwhile, Joseph discovers that the creatures have been digging underneath the house intending to break through the floorboards to infiltrate their home. Now that Paul is severely injured, the two brothers have to find a way to survive the next night, when the creatures return to kill them all. If you’re a fan of movies like A Quiet Place, or It Comes At Night, this is the perfect hybrid for you to watch. Not only do the protagonists have to deal with deadly creatures looking for blood, but they also have to be wary of other people they may encounter after the fall of civilization, when food, medicine, and other supplies are hard to come by.

Humane (2024)

Humane is set during a climate-based crisis, the government declares that the only way for humanity to continue is by culling a percentage of the population. The Department of Citizen Strategy (D.O.C.S.) implements an order that involves either voluntary or conscripted euthanasia, giving people a choice to opt for death for the future of civilization if they choose to do so. When Charles (Peter Gallagher) and his second wife, Dawn (Uni Park), invite their four adult children to dinner one night, they announce that they’ve opted for euthanasia. Dawn changes her mind and flees, leaving behind a note, but when D.O.C.S. agent, Bob (Enrico Colantoni) shows up at the door, he says he cannot leave without a second body, as two bodies were promised. He then takes the young daughter outside because she is exempt, as a minor, and leaves the four adult siblings inside with two hours to decide who will have to die to fill Dawn’s place.

The Last Drive-In with Joe Bob Briggs (2018-)

Continuing with this season’s new format of having the two movie selections broken into separate episodes, this month will have a live airing on July 5 and July 19, with the episodes available to stream on July 7 and July 21, respectively. If you’re unfamiliar with the show, host Joe Bob Briggs (John Bloom) chooses a horror movie to watch and discusses the film with viewers with guest appearances, movie props, and fun facts about the production. Last month, the movies chosen were Donnie Darko, starring a young Jake Gyllenhaal plagued by a monstrous 6-foot-tall rabbit, and Suitable Flesh, starring Heather Graham as a psychiatrist who becomes obsessed with one of her patients. If you’re into horror movies of all types; classic, cult, foreign, or brand-new scares, tune in to see what Joe Bob brings to the table this month!

The Shining (1980)

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If you’re looking for a break from the brutal summer heat, this movie will chill you to the bones. Based on the Stephen King novel of the same name, The Shining follows Jack Torrence (Jack Nicholson) as a disgraced teacher and struggling writer who takes a job as the caretaker for the remote ski lodge in Colorado, The Overlook Hotel. His wife, Wendy (Shelley Duvall), and son, Danny (Danny Lloyd), accompany him as they prepare to live in the hotel by themselves for the duration of winter, as the resort is inaccessible after the snow blocks off the main roads. He learns that the previous caretaker supposedly lost his mind and killed his family and himself, but seems determined to take the job to give himself time to write his book. His son, Danny, also has the ability to see ghosts, unbeknownst to his parents. The Overlook is filled with tormented souls, desperate to consume the living by any means possible, even if it means possessing Jack and convincing him to kill his family, like his predecessor. If you somehow haven’t seen The Shining yet, it’s highly recommended to watch this and the recent sequel that came out in 2019, Doctor Sleep.

Possum (2018)

Possum is a must-see film if you’re into dark and twisted mysteries. At times, it can be a bit of a slow burn, but the payoff is worth it. This British thriller stars Sean Harris (The Stranger) as Phillip Connell, a disgraced children’s puppeteer, who is forced to return to his childhood home to live with his uncle, Maurice (Alun Armstrong). He carries a leather bag that contains a grotesque spider marionette that he calls “Possum,” and despite his best attempts to destroy or dispose of the puppet, it always reappears. Without giving away too much, this film is layered with generational trauma and how difficult it can be to escape the past when it has 8 legs and follows you wherever you go.

Starry Eyes (2014)

Starry Eyes encapsulates the mentality of how far one is willing to push themselves to achieve their dream goals. Aspiring actress Sarah Walker (Alexandra Essoe) is struggling with her current life, working at a fast-food restaurant and constantly being put down by her peers as she tries to break into Hollywood. When she goes to audition for a role in The Silver Scream for the well-known production company Astraeus Pictures, she is dismissed and responds by screaming and ripping her hair out in a nearby bathroom. Her reaction intrigues the casting director, and she is asked to return for a second audition. The demands of the producers and casting director begin to get more and more bizarre, but she is determined to do whatever it takes to get the role. How far will the starlet go to get her big breakthrough?

We Are Still Here (2015)

From the same producers as Starry Eyes, comes We Are Still Here, a film that follows grieving parents Anne (Barbara Crampton) and Paul (Andrew Sensenig), who purchase a home in rural New England to clear their minds after the accidental death of their son. Little do they know that the house used to be a funeral home in the 1800s, where the owners would swindle customers by selling the corpses and burying empty caskets. After a few supernatural occurrences, they ask around and find out that the house is cursed and must be “fed” every 30 years or so, or else the spirits trapped inside will seek vengeance on the innocent townfolk. If you’re feeling the heat of summer, this is another wintery and snowy movie to send some chills down your spine and raise some goosebumps.

Stay tuned to see what Shudder will have to offer next month!