We’re spoiled for choice when it comes to the best streaming service subscriptions, but have you signed up for Shudder? If you’re an expert on horror movies, it’s an absolute must as the platform hosts hundreds of horror, thriller and suspense movies on an ad-free basis at an incredibly affordable price. There are plenty of other reasons you should invest, but more on the nuts and bolts later.
What about the movies themselves? We’ve already had spooky hits including Late Night with the Devil, The Ugly Stepsister and Coralie Fargeat’s Revenge (the film before The Substance) since the streamer was launched by AMC in 2015, routinely championing smaller filmmakers as the horror genre continues to be one of the most popular in the industry. In the last year alone, Shudder has been attached to some of the biggest releases we’ve seen, including In A Violent Nature and Clown in a Cornfield.
One 2025 Shudder movie has caught my eye though, and it’s set to absolutely destroy me. It’s not even been released yet, but with a Rotten Tomatoes critic score of 95%, you and your subscription need to be ready to watch it as soon as it drops. If that isn’t a valid reason to treat yourself to Shudder, I don’t know what is.
Get a Shudder subscription for Good Dog, 2025’s most heartbreaking horror movie
If you’ve ever been worried about pets being killed in the middle of a slasher’s reign of terror, you’re about to be even more anxious about Good Boy. Dubbed in early reviews as the most heartbreaking movie of the year, the story follows a family home’s supernatural terror told through the eyes of their pet dog, Indy. Todd (Shane Jensen) relocates to his family’s rural farmhouse following a sudden death amongst them, which, of course, is rumored to be haunted.
As Shudder itself puts it: “Unable to communicate his fears to Todd, Indy must confront and understand the malevolent forces threatening his owner. As the supernatural activity escalates, the dog’s loyalty is put to the ultimate test in a desperate attempt to protect his human companion.” Yep, I am going to cry.
In my mind’s eye, Good Boy is going to be the stark opposite of Stephen King’s Cujo, with all hope of survival resting on a four-legged friend that is already too good for this world. What did any of us do to deserve a fluffy bundle of innocence willing to take on the terror of supernatural entities we can hardly see with the naked eye? It’s all well and good when a terrible person gets what’s coming to them, but this I can hardly bear.
At the same time, it’s now the horror movie I'm most desperate to see this year. Good Boy has the potential to bend the boundaries of the genre in a way we’ve not yet seen – where it has tried to tackle deep emotion in films such as Bring Her Back and Together, horror has arguably been missing the mark in a frustratingly subtle way. I’ve been on the fence about getting a Shudder subscription for the past few years, but to double check that Indy is left unscathed in the haunted farmhouse, I’m going to need one to find out.
Ad-free unlimited plans for Shudder are currently $6.99 per month for US and Australian (although in Australian dollars) subscribers, and £4.99 a month in the UK. The streaming service is also offering a seven-day free trial for new subscribers, and while there aren’t any seasonal deals on at the moment, it’s definitely worth keeping your eye out for them. Given Good Boy is a nifty 73 minutes long, I’m clearly going to whizz through the back catalog and be completely mentally sound at the end of it. Right, Shudder?
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