REVIEW: Shudder’s The Core

I thought finally getting a replacement for Fearnet and Chiller à la the Shudder streaming service was the pinnacle of horror entertainment in the 21st century. Then Shudder gave us The Core.

The Core is the late-night horror talk show we’ve all dreamt of. Host Mickey Keating, special effects maestro James Ojala, and video rental renegade Sam Zimmerman invite guests known throughout the genre to talk shop: horror. In 30 minutes, they get down to the core of the scares we love to see.

From the very start, The Core gives us the content we’re craving. We’re given an opener driving us straight into the madness that is horror. Hangings, jumpscares, blood and guts, all right at the start of the show. And to seal the deal, the opener leads right into the intro credits from our dreams (or nightmares).

This has to be one of my favorite title sequences ever. It’s like a highlight reel of all our favorite movies: The Exorcist, A Nightmare on Elm Street, Jaws, Alien, Suspiria, everything! It’s an animated, high-energy, fun-as-fuck time, and I’m pumped every time I hear that music start.

But the real meat of the show is the actual meat. We don’t just get Keating, we get guests like The Soska sisters, Leigh Whannell, Glenn Danzig, and many more people who breathe the same spooky air as we do, talking about how they made horror history, their favorite scares, and giving tribute to those before them.

And if that wasn’t enough, we’re so spoiled as an audience to learn how the greats do their gore. Ojala walks us step-by-step through a special effect. We learn how to make vomit, spurting blood fountains, rotting flesh, and all the disgusting things you can think of.

Everything comes to an end though… except on The Core. If you wanted more of what you saw in the episode, Sam Zimmerman, The Core’s resident movie encyclopedia, has loads of movies that fit the theme of the episode so you can continue your quest towards horror greatness. He’s a living, breathing embodiment of YouTube and Netflix’s “Recommended” sections.

The Core is a gem in the world of horror because it takes a genre hellbent on death and destruction and shows it the love it deserves. It not only celebrates the genre, but it gives insight to the minds of its creators — something I think we’re missing in this big wide world of scares. The Core is an absolute treat and an easy way for someone to get into the genre without totally destroying their psyche. It’s well-executed. Well-filmed. Well-cast. Well-everything! Even the gore is movie-quality (which it should be, considering it’s a show about movies).

Shudder has an amazing idea with The Core, and I sincerely hope that it renews for another 100 seasons because it has become a staple, and favorite, on my Love List — both on and off the streaming service. If you’re in the neighborhood of horror without wanting to spend 2 hours on a movie you might not even like, I strongly encourage you to try The Core. It’s a wild ride you’ll learn something on, and one you’ll be sure to keep coming back to.

The Core is currently streaming on Shudder.