Halfway to Halloween Month is going strong over on Shudder!  Once again this week, we’re calling Shudder curator Sam Zimmerman and asking for some personalized recommendations!

It’s a truly unique service unlike anything offered by every other streaming service, and we’re incredibly grateful to Shudder, and to Sam for providing it.

Since it’s Easter weekend, we asked Sam for a few good movies that involved people coming back from the dead.  Not necessarily all zombie movies, but with one or two thrown in there for good measure.  Intrigued by the concept, Sam delivered with a truly unique variety:

The Dark (2018)
Directed by Justin P. Lange and Klemens Hufnagl, Written by Justin P. Lange
Set in a haunted forest, The Dark features a ghost story that’s more poignant than it is scary.  The vengeful ghost of a wronged teenage girls brings terror upon those who deserve, but befriends a boy who is in need of a friend.

In a movie that deals with supernatural horror, the real terror here is the abuse the characters faced that unfortunately happens in real life.  It’s a beautiful tragedy of a movie, but reminds us that there is light and hope even in the darkest of times and circumstances.

The Last Thing Mary Saw (2022)
Written and Directed by Edoardo Vitaletti
Featuring a stellar cast that includes Isabelle Furhman (Orphan), Stefanie Scott (Insidious: Chapter 3), and Rory Culkin (Scream 4), The Last Thing Mary Saw is one part period drama, one part cautionary tale against religious fanaticism, and one part intense thriller.

At its core, the movie is a bleak look at how lawful evil can exploit and oppress innocent people who are just trying to live their lives.  The period dialogue makes it feel like The Witch or The Crucible, but its character drama and emotion resonate no matter what time period you’re watching.

Check out our full review here!

The Whip and the Body (1963)
Directed by Mario Bava, Story and Screenplay by Ernesto Gastaldi, Ugo Guerra, and Luciano Martino
After two admittedly subversive choices, Sam went back to the basics with a 1963 Mario Bava classic starring the one and only Christopher Lee.  Fans of old school gothic horror will eat this one up as it features creepy castles, elegant everything, and a suave and sinister villain.

Essentially. Christopher Lee is an abusive dick while he’s alive and even after death, he can’t resist but terrorize the same people again.  Using the film’s titular whip as both an instrument of pain, but also pleasure, this movie is far more sensual and almost erotic than you’d expect it to be.  It’s dark, twisted, and brutal, yet you find yourself drawn to it in ways that you know you shouldn’t be.

Zombie for Sale (2019)
Directed by Lee Min-jae, Written by Lee Min-jae and Jung Seo-in
Given that the other three movies are all pretty heavy and intense in their own ways, Sam wanted to end things with something a bit more lighthearted.  The resulting movie was a Korean zombie comedy that’s not quite a parody, but it does get downright slapstick at times.

However, beneath the brilliant practical zombie gore, goofy sense of humor and fun ride is a family dynamic that’s both interesting and relatable.  Come for the zombies, stay for the humor, stay longer for the character growth!

We’ll be back next week with one more set of awesome recommendations from Shudder Curator Sam Zimmerman!  Until then, enjoy Halfway to Halloween Month, and watch tons of horror movies!

The Dark, The Last Thing Mary Saw, The Whip and the Body and Zombie for Sale are all streaming on Shudder

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