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Loring is a Los Angeles-based writer, director, and creative producer. His work has been commissioned by a diverse range of clients- from Havas Worldwide to Wisecrack, inc.- and has been screened around the world. Through a background that blends project development with physical production across multiple formats, Loring has developed a uniquely eclectic skillset as a visual storyteller.
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Days shrink, and darkness grows. A chill settles into the wind and rattles your bones. It's October, and for Shudder, the premier streaming destination for horror cinema, Halloween is basically Christmas.
For genre filmmakers, the season raises a practical question: what is Shudder buying these dreadful nights? The frights the streamer has recently summoned into its collection say a lot about where your own project might fit.
Scroll down if you dare and descend into the halls of our forbidden(-ish) knowledge.
AMC Networks launched Shudder in 2015 with a simple promise: a one-stop shop for horror fans. More than a decade later, the platform has outgrown that pitch, thanks in part to the taste of horror hound programmers like Sam Zimmerman and Colin Geddes.
Shudder built its reputation on exclusivity and niche prestige. Its team secured windows in which Shudder was the only place to stream certain classic films and high-profile new releases. That strategy spoke directly to horror fans as a community and earned the platform early street cred, which it has kept compounding ever since.
Established titles could only carry Shudder so far, though. To become an industry leader, the platform had to take an active role in the genre community and champion new work as it emerged. That's why Shudder keeps filling its library with fresh acquisitions and original programming, which is good news for filmmakers with a project to sell.
Shudder has never shied away from bold swings. Horror Noire and Skinamarink are very different films, but both reflect the same willingness to take chances on projects other platforms might pass on. The six recent acquisitions below follow that pattern. Some are already streaming and some are still on the way. Together, they're a useful snapshot of what the platform is buying right now.
In partnership with Independent Film Company, Shudder acquired Natalie Erika James’ Saccharine ahead of its world premiere at this year’s Sundance Film Festival. The supernatural body horror follows “a lovelorn medical student who is terrorized by a sinister force after taking part in an obscure weight-loss craze: eating human ashes.”
Saccharine is the third feature from writer-director Natalie Erika James. The film stars Midori Francis, Danielle Macdonald, and Madeleine Madden. Saccharine enjoyed a limited theatrical run in mid-2026 and is currently streaming on Shudder.
Shudder picked up The Voices of Our Mother ahead of its North American premiere at Panic Fest in Kansas City. The logline alone is enough to send chills down your spine:
“When a family matriarch falls seriously ill, her four estranged children return home to determine whether she has dementia or is possessed by evil forces.”
The film is directed by multi-hyphenate Mark O’Brien, who also penned the script and rounds out the cast. If you need a strong dose of supernatural horror, check out The Voices of Our Mother on Shudder today.
Parasomnia is the first of a trio of Shudder acquisitions made ahead of this year’s Overlook Horror Festival in New Orleans. Check out the film’s festival synopsis:
“When one of her closest friends goes missing, Riley, a young woman haunted by a lifelong battle with debilitating night terrors, must come to terms with the fact that the demonic entity that’s been stalking her dreams since childhood may have followed her home into the real world.”
Parasomnia is the feature debut of writer-director James Ross II. You can give it a watch on Shudder tonight, ideally right before going to bed.
New Group was also picked up in advance of the 2026 Overlook Horror Festival. The Japanese film sounds like it takes the terror of high school to limb-twisting new extremes:
“High school student Ai sees her world collapse when a strange cult-like mentality gradually turns people around her into mindless followers who can transform simple gymnastics routines into a nightmarish dance of death.”
New Group is the second film from Yûta Shimotsu. New Group is not yet streaming, but horror fans can expect a release date to be announced by Shudder in the near future.
Goody Goody was Shudder’s third acquisition ahead of the Overlook Horror Festival. Per Variety, here’s the film’s official logline:
“Lulled into a necessary sense of comfort during a long home birth process, expecting parents and their midwife begin to realize something may be horribly wrong. A blizzard rages outside, trapping the family in their home as increasingly sinister complications arise.”
Goody Goody is the first feature from writer-director Raymond Creamer. Per the same Variety article, Creamer suggests a unique approach for audiences checking out his contained nightmare: “I really hope horror fans get cozy and maybe light a couple candles when they give it a watch.”
You can stream Goody Goody on Shudder now, candles optional.
A fan favorite from last year’s Fantastic Fest in Austin, The Holy Boy is an Italian folk horror fable from filmmaker-on-the-rise Paolo Strippoli. Check out this summary via Deadline:
“The story follows Sergio (Michele Riondino), a teacher tormented by his past who is transferred to Remis, a secluded village known as the happiest town in Italy. But Sergio soon discovers that behind the town’s joyful facade lies a disturbing secret: Each week, the villagers gather to hug Matteo (newcomer Giulio Feltri), an introverted 15-year-old whose embrace can free one of all pain and sorrow. As Sergio uncovers that the village’s devotion to Matteo is far from benevolent, his attempt to rescue the boy known as the Angel of Remis ignites the community’s vengeful nature.”
Despite its late-2025 acquisition, The Holy Boy has yet to make its Shudder debut. Mark your calendars for its platform premiere on November 27, 2026, just before the [other] holiday season.
Six films are only a small slice of Shudder's catalog, but they say a lot about the platform's current appetite. Three trends stand out, and each one offers a clue for filmmakers hoping to land on Shudder's radar.
High-concept films have always been an easy sell, and Shudder sticks with what works. Every movie on this list can be pitched in a single sentence: a medical student eats human ashes to lose weight, or a home birth turns sinister during a blizzard.
That clarity matters even more on a streaming platform built around one genre. A strong premise helps a film stand out in a crowded library and lets viewers decide quickly what they want to watch. For filmmakers, the takeaway is simple: if your logline can't hook someone in one sentence, it probably won't hook Shudder either.
Horror has always rewarded imagination, and Shudder's audience actively seeks out the strange.
From diet-craze body horror to death by human pyramid to the dangers of Alpine hugs, Shudder's acquisitions consistently let their freak flags fly. That appetite for the unusual is a big part of the platform's appeal. Horror fans hunger for something they haven't seen before, and Shudder is happy to help them feast. If your project feels too strange for other buyers, Shudder may be exactly where it belongs.
Many distributors are cautious about promoting international films outside their home region. The thinking is that audiences won't connect with a movie if they miss its cultural touchstones. That assumption is worth debating, but horror tends to be the exception.
Audiences who want to be scared often embrace the unfamiliar, which may explain why Shudder is so willing to acquire international titles like New Group and The Holy Boy. For Shudder, a film's specificity seems to matter far more than its country of origin. That's encouraging news for filmmakers working outside the U.S., or for anyone whose story is rooted in a particular place or culture.
Shudder's lineup is always evolving, and the industry's leading scream streamer is sure to have more surprises in store. For now, its recent acquisitions point in a clear direction: strong concepts, unapologetically weird ideas, and stories from anywhere in the world. For indie horror filmmakers, Shudder is one of the most important buyers in the genre. Producers would do well to keep an eye on what it picks up next.
If you're still in the Halloween spirit, find out how to usher in the spooky season with Wrapbook. For more on the indie world, check out our four ways to fund your independent film or our producer's guide to film distributors.
