Every Movie New to Shudder in May 2025; Highlights and Full Schedule

Two brand-new indie horror films highlight Shudder’s May movies.

The Ugly Stepsister streams on Shudder starting May 9th.

Table of Contents

Shudder’s lineup for May is a solid mix of exciting new movies, classic shockers, and a few underseen titles. Listed below are previews for the four movies we’re most looking forward to seeing on Shudder (and AMC+) during the month, and below that is the full release schedule for all the movies headed to Shudder in May 2025.

Top 4 Movies New to Shudder in May 2025

The Ugly Stepsister (2025)

Streaming May 9th.
The Ugly Stepsister was directed by Emilie Blichfeldt in her feature directing debut.

The Ugly Stepsister was recently in a limited number of theaters, but now those of us who couldn’t find anywhere local to see it can experience this 96% Fresh body horror Cinderella story. This grim fairy tale is about Elvira (Lea Myren), a woman who will endure a number of horrific cosmetic surgeries in a competition against her stepsister for the affections of a prince. The Ugly Stepsister looks brutal and uncomfortable, and it is easily the most exciting new movie on Shudder this month.

The Surrender (2025)

Streaming May 23rd.
The Surrender is from writer/director Julia Max.

When Robert (Vaughn Armstrong) dies, his wife Barbara (Kate Burton) is overcome with grief. Unwilling to let go, Barbara hires a man to bring her husband back from the dead, leading Barbara and her daughter Megan (Colby Minifie) into a bizarre and nightmarish experience. The Surrender looks weird and wild in the best of ways.

They Call Her Death (2024)

Streaming May 1st.
They Call Her Death was reportedly shot on 16mm film, using cameras from the 1960s.

What’s most striking about the trailer for They Call Her Death is how well it emulates the look and feel of a Spaghetti Western. It doesn’t quite look like a perfect recreation, but it’s admirable and seems like it will be a fun ride for fans of the genre. The story is about Molly Pray (Sheri Rippel) and her violent, gory quest for vengeance.

Pieces (1982)

Streaming May 5th.
Grindhouse Released put out a fantastic edition of Pieces on Blu-ray in 2016.

For a choice from the catalog of classics new on Shudder in May, I’m picking one of my all-time favorites. Pieces is a gory slasher from Spain, set at a college campus in Boston, Massachusetts. Female students are being brutally murdered, and pieces of each body are missing. Pieces is cheap and trashy, and that’s why it’s so good.

Full Shudder Release Schedule For May 2025

  • May 1
    • The Devil’s Business (2011)
    • Itim: The Rites of May (1976)
    • Jacob’s Ladder (1990)
    • Overlord (2018)
    • They Call Her Death (2024)
    • Tremors (1990)
  • May 3
    • The City of the Dead (1960)
  • May 5
    • Cannibal Ferox (1981)
    • Cannibal Holocaust (1980)
    • Contracted (2013)
    • A Night of Horror: Volume 1 (2015)
    • Pieces (1982)
    • Venom (1981)
  • May 9
    • The Ugly Stepsister (2025)
  • May 12
    • Blood on the Stars (1975)
    • Coda (1987)
    • Eyes of Fire (1983)
    • Lady, Stay Dead (1981)
    • Litan (1982)
    • Pontypool (2008)
    • Rust Creek (2018)
    • The White Reindeer (1952)
    • Woodlands Dark and Days Bewitched: A History of Folk Horror (2021)
  • May 19
    • Dead End Drive-In (1986)
    • Lady Vengeance (2005)
    • Sympathy for Mr. Vengeance (2002)
    • The Whip and the Body (1963)
  • May 23
    • The Surrender (2025)
  • May 30
    • Vampire Hunter D (1985)

Meet The Author

Chris has a degree in film studies at Temple University’s campus in Tokyo, Japan. He is a renowned expert on horror cinema.