Creepshow on Shudder is always a highlight of the Halloween season. Whether that’s a Holiday special or an animated special made during the height of the COVID-19 pandemic. The series from Greg Nicotero and Co. on Shudder takes the spirit of Stephen King and George Romero‘s Creepshow and expands upon it for six double features a season. This season ups the ante with better effects, better stories, and stories that even tap into the emotional side of humanity.

The previous seasons have always been frightening or going for the classic anthology tale of “be careful what you wish for.” This season leans into emotion and family far more. For the first time on Shudder, all six episodes of Creepshow release on October 13th. You’ll be able to binge all the stories of terror. For people who want to get into horror or want something that’s a bit on the lighter side, this season of Creepshow has it all. It’s got vampires, werewolves, monsters, tooth fairy, evil video games, and more. The power of the anthology format means you don’t need to see any of the previous seasons or the movie. It’s just throwing on an episode and enjoying it as a standalone.

However, that anthology format also leads to some stories that needed more work. In particular, the opening episode featuring “Twenty Minutes With Cassandra” is a nice idea, with a great creature, but the idea drags. It also feels like the two actors in the segment thought they were going with different tones. Ruth Codd goes way over the top with her performance. A more muted performance would have aided the material more.

The best segments of the season are “Something Burrowed, Something Blue” and “To Grandmother’s House We Go”. The first features Creepshow alum and horror legend Tom Atkins as a jaded and dying father. What ends up as a sad story about a family ends up with Atkins absolutely chewing up scenery and material. He’s menacing and frightening. As someone who loves Atkins as a hero, he is right at home in this role as a horrific villain.

“To Grandmother’s House We Go” tells the story of an orphaned girl and her stepmother. The girl wants a mother so badly, but her stepmom isn’t up for the task. When they get an offer to go to her rich grandma’s house, they jump at the chance. What follows is a bit of a study into the family dynamics of children and their step-parents. Of course, being an episode of Creepshow, there has to be some monsters and horror. William Butler wrote a sharp and witty script for the segment that gets that Creepshow vibe but also adds a bit to the formula. This version of Little Red Riding Hood works.

Outside of those stories, they range from good to great, with none of them being outright unwatchable. There are comic versions of George Romero, a look into the career of Stephen King, and others that capture elements of modern life. That’s really where Creepshow shines. The series comments on our lives but smashes it with monsters and creatures that’ll make any horror hound blush.

If you’re in the mood for some new twists on classic horror vibes, this fourth season of Creepshow will satisfy most horror fans. The monsters are plentiful, the frights are there, and it’s a chilling time on Shudder.

All six episodes of Creepshow premieres on Shudder on October 13th.

For more on Horror, make sure to check out THS Fright-A-Thon, the Halloween content marathon.

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