• Release year: 2024-2025
• Director: Kurt Sayenga.
• Screenplay by: Kurt Sayenga.
• Editing by: Joe LaMattina and Asako Ushio.
• Music by: Ceiri Torjussen.

Shotgun Commentary: must-watch show for any and all horror lovers.

Review

Horror’s Greatest is back for a second season of horror delights! Just in time for New Years, the series is back to make sure you enter 2025 with some extra horror knowledge and a bunch of great films added to your Letterboxd Watchlist.

In case you aren’t familiar with the show, each episode is focused on a particular area of horror. Last season was tropes, big monsters, Japanese horror, comedies, and Stephen King Adaptations; very popular themes that tend to tickle the fancy of most of the horror fandom. However, this second season is slightly more controversial, as it taps onto topics that not everyone is comfortable with. The season begins with a bang: animal attacks.

Testing the waters

This first episode covers ALL animals, creepy crawlies included. As such, many horror fans might have a hard time watching it if they happen to have a bit of a phobia. There is always this one insect that creeps us out, and for many, no matter how much you love horror, the TV is off the minute they appear.

The rest of the season keeps testing your limits with make or break genres like space horror, as well as shining well-deserved lights on ignored areas of cinema and films alike. It is wonderful to finally see horror scores receive the praise they deserve.

Much like any other department of a horror film, they are automatically ignored by mainstream critics, regardless of how beautiful and unique they are. And much like all scores in general, very few people give them any attention. As such, this episode is easily one of the best of the season.

The lack of emphasis on the auditory side of cinema in many film studies and cinema-related content, makes this theme one of the leas explored by mainstream audiences. Thus, this episode provides the perfect opportunity to learn something new and understand some classic horror scores infinitely better.

Hot topics

As for the other two episodes of the season, Killer Dates and Hidden Gems, they tap into really popular subjects. The dating scene in horror is easily one of the scariest, but also funniest, situation that this genre can present. Anyone who knows the slightest about horror, knows that nothing good comes out of dating in these films. As such, there is always a delightful anticipation during these moments. In the episode, you’ll get really awesome recommendations of dating films for your next movie nights.

As for Hidden Gems, the same applies, but for forgotten indie horror. A topic that never gets old due to the often chaotic distribution means of horror features.

Guiding you through all these topics, there is a group of experts and professionals of horror. Famous names like Kate Siegel, Brea Grant or David Dastmalchian join forces with scholars, composers, and other directors and actors, to give you the best recommendations, highlight details and share some fun facts about each film.

Additionally, the educational component of the show is made even stronger through the addition of definitions and clarifications to ensure the audience’s optimal understanding of everything that is discussed, regardless of their prior cinema knowledge.

All in all, Horror’s Greatest is an absolute blast. This second season absolutely kills it, much like the first did. As a horror fan, you’ll start watching wanting to get a taste, and before you know it, you’ve gone through the whole season like it’s nothing. HUGE recommend for all horror AND cinema lovers out there.

Thanks to SHUDDER for the early preview of the show! The second season of Horror’s Greatest will be released one episode per week, every Tuesday, starting the 31st of December.

Advice to take from this movie:

• There is always one more good indie horror film you have yet to discover.
• Horror serves as a way to prepare us for extreme conditions without needing to experience them first-hand.
• Covering your ears during a horror feature makes it way less scary.

What’s your take? Have you watched Horror’s Greatest? Don’t hesitate to let me know your thoughts in the comments section below, or leave a message in my contact page! For more reviews and cinema-related articles, check out the rest of my blog! 😀