The Best Movies On Shudder: Memorial Day Weekend 2022

Memorial Day is the kickoff to the dog days of summer. The three-day weekend is a time for grilling or smoking something delicious, drinking beer, and enjoying friends and family. If you want something to do inside, Shudder has you covered. The long weekend means you can stay up late watching something scary with friends. Shudder has added a ton of new content just in time for Memorial Day. Whether you are looking for a psychological chiller, a gore-fest, or something unexplainable, this list has something for you. So fire up the Weber, stock the cooler with beer, hang the sheet in the backyard and prepare for a double feature on Shudder. Here are the best movies to watch this Memorial Day weekend 2022.

The Invitation

Will and Eden were once a loving couple. After a tragedy took their son, Eden disappeared. Two years later, out of the blue, she returns with a new husband… and as a different person, eerily changed and eager to reunite with her ex and those she left behind. Over the course of a dinner party in the house that was once his, the haunted Will is gripped by mounting evidence that Eden and her new friends have a mysterious and terrifying agenda. But can we trust Will’s hold on reality? Or will he be the unwitting catalyst of the doom he senses?

Cast: Logan Marshall-Green, Tammy Blanchard, Michiel Husiman, Emayatzy Corinealdi, Lindsay Burdge

One of my favorite movies of all time is Karyn Kusama’s tense thriller. It is perfectly paced and well-acted and will have you on edge the entire run time. I’m not a fan of accepting dinner party invitations, and this movie only proves me correct. So be careful who you RSVP to this weekend because not all gatherings will end well. Drinks copious quantities of wine and prepare a nice charcuterie board.

The Sadness

When a virus spontaneously mutates, it gives rise to a mind-altering plague. The streets erupt into violence and depravity as those infected are driven to enact the most cruel and ghastly things they can think of. Murder, torture, rape, and mutilation are only the beginning. A young couple is pushed to the limits of sanity as they try to reunite amid the chaos. The age of civility and order is no more. There is only “The Sadness.” Note: The Sadness contains graphic and extreme violence/gore, as well as brief strobe effects in the end credits.

Cast: Regina Lei, Berant Zhu, Tzu-Chiang Wang, Apple Chen, Wei-Hua Lan

Wild and gory, this zombie movie creates monsters unlike any you have ever seen. These brain-eaters don’t just need to eat your flesh. They also want to inflict as much pain as possible while doing it. It’s an inventive take on a familiar story that is not for the weak-stomached. If you are looking for something to watch while smoking ribs and butts this Memorial Day, you won’t find anything better. Make sure you finish the movie before loading up your plate, though.

Broadcast Signal Intrusion

For three years, James has been haunted by his wife’s sudden and inexplicable disappearance. His best distraction is work—specifically, archiving old videos. While watching decade-aged TV news footage one night, he sees a video interference that’s deeply disturbing. And it’s not the only interference he’ll see. As his obsession over these strange clips increases, and he submerges himself into their mysteries, James discovers troubling connections to his missing wife. Which will these broadcast intrusions bring him, though: long-desired answers or a never-ending nightmare?

Cast: Harry Shum, Jr, Kelley Mack, Chris Sullivan

Grilling, fireworks, and paying tribute to those who protected our country feel very nostalgic to me. Perhaps it’s the beginning of the lazy days of summer vacation as a child or the inevitable family get-together for the Memorial Day holiday that makes me think of the ’80s and ’90s. This trippy puzzle box is like watching someone slowly lose their mind or get sucked down into a hellish rabbit hole from which there can be no escape. You aren’t entirely sure even by the end, which is true. This one pairs well with tacos and tequila shots cause it will melt your brain either way.

Goodnight Mommy

In the heat of the summer lays a lonesome house in the countryside where nine-year-old twin brothers await their mother’s return. When she comes home, bandaged after cosmetic surgery, nothing is like before, and the children start to doubt whether this woman is actually who she says she is. What ensues is a terrifying observational struggle with fatal consequences on par with THE SHINING and DEAD RINGERS.

Cast: Susanne Wuest, Lukas Schwarz, Elias Schwarz, Hans Escher

If you are going to hang with your folks this Memorial Day weekend, watch a movie about your mom potentially becoming a dangerous stranger, and then remind her you could go all Children of the Corn her if she questions how many beers you have had. This is a slow burner that really gets under your skin. I’m not sure who is creepier than mommy imposter or the not-so-vulnerable kids. It’s a top-notch foreign film that should be enjoyed with baby back ribs for obvious reasons. Hot dogs are a solid choice because every kid likes Oscar Meyer Weiners, even the dangerous kind.

American Mary

Betrayed and brutalized by her professor, medical student Mary Mason’s life takes a surprising turn as she becomes a sawbones for the local mob after she stumbles into a seedy burlesque bar. Simultaneously ‘Bloody Mary’ becomes a hit in the body-modification underground after she helps a woman become the ultimate living doll. But, before long, Mary finds herself becoming increasingly unhinged as the operations pile up and the surgeries begin to leave more marks on her than clientele.

Cast: Katharine Isabelle, Tristan Risk, Antonio Cupo, David Lovgren

It’s in the title, right? You have to watch a body horror film about extreme plastic surgery featuring a medical student turned body-mod specialist named American Mary. This shocker from the Soska twins cemented Katharine Isabelle as a Scream Queen and will forever have me crossing my legs. It’s a lot to handle especially since most of the modifications shown are real. Maybe combine this with some Pigs in the Blanket or Twizzlers?

Memorial Day is a great time to reconnect with family and friends. It’s a time to eat great food and enjoy the beginning of summer. After you make that trek to the theater to see Top Gun: Maverick get your freak on. So stay up late, eat too much, and get a little too scared with some of these great movies Shudder offers. If you aren’t convinced, take advantage of their free seven-day trial to get you through the weekend. Shudder has so many hidden gems you are guaranteed to find something you like. If you are looking for something specific, use our lists and reviews to get you started.