If the horror selection on Netflix keeps letting you down, fear not: AMC is working on its own scary-movie streaming service, called Shudder, which promises to offer “Screams on Demand.” AMC’s Fearfest marathon is already an annual institution, so it’s not shocking that the network is embracing the horror genre. The only remaining question is whether the service will draw in enough people who actually want year-round screams.
The service is in beta now, and will cost $4.99 per month, or $49.99 for a year, according to Variety. For now, it’s Web-only, but Variety reports AMC eventually wants to launch Shudder on some TV streaming devices.
From Variety:
Shudder currently offers access to more than 200 movies, including titles like the Korean horror movie “A Tale of Two Sisters,” cult classic “Nosferatu” and Swedish cult vampire movie “Let the Right One In.” The site also features curated collections for topics like “urban decay” or “romantic bloodsuckers.”
So basically, this’ll be a lot more fun than Fearfest, which in recent years has felt like a constant loop of two or three well-worn franchises. In addition to the library of on-demand titles, the service will offer users access to Shudder.tv, which will constantly run a preprogrammed lineup of its own—in other words, an online nonstop horror channel. (Or, in other, other words, an expanded year-round Fearfest.)
It’s obviously a niche idea, but considering that Netflix’s horror selection relies heavy on low-budget found footage flicks dotted with only a few real classics, the idea of a streaming service geared toward horror fans certainly has potential. And the “curated collections” could allow fans of modern hits to delve into older, more obscure territory. There’s no hard launch date yet, but it’ll be interesting to see Shudder’s full library when it comes screaming onto our screens.
