A Creepshow Holiday Special – Shudder Review (3/5)

A CREEPSHOW HOLIDAY SPECIAL is out on Shudder now. It has the episode title Shapeshifters Anonymous and features all kinds of shapeshifters. Including a werewolf, of course. A fun little horror-comedy for the holidays. Read our A Creepshow Holiday Special episode review here!

A CREEPSHOW HOLIDAY SPECIAL with the episode title “Shapeshifters Anonymous” is out on Shudder now. Really, the fact that it’s a Creepshow episode should be enough to check it out. 

You might like: Our review of the two recent animated Creepshow stories here >

Also, the fact that it has a plot with shapeshifters is an added bonus. Finally, a cast lead by Anna Camp is all the reason I need to check it out immediately!

Continue reading our A Creepshow Holiday Special episode review below.

Shapeshifters, a furry, and Santa

While shapeshifters might not sound very “Christmassy”, the plot in this A Creepshow Holiday Special story definitely has a lot of Santa Claus. The one and only real Santa Claus makes an appearance, but you also get to see a lot of mall Santas.

I really don’t want to give away any details here, since you don’t want to get spoiled. This is just a short 45-minute horror-comedy story, so you’ll want to watch it for yourself.

I will say that this Holiday Special on Shudder features all kinds of shapeshifters (including a werewolf, of course) and a fantastic cast.

Anna Camp is perfect for horror-comedy

Few actors are as perfect for horror-comedy as Anna Camp. Whether it’s playing preacher’s wife on True Blood or a Shapeshifter here in the Creepshow Christmas episode, she always hits her marks perfectly. To me, Anna Camp is one of those actors that, if she is part of the cast for a horror-comedy, I have to watch it!

While all the actors in this “Shapeshifters Anonymous” episode are truly awesome, Anna Camp is still the one who sets the tone from the get-go. Especially opposite Adam Pally (Happy Endings), who portrays a Shapeshifter newbie, who is feeling very confused and pretty terrified. 

Please, don’t be confused by the other actors listed on the IMDb page for this episode. Actors such as True Blood’s Ryan Kwanten, Resident Evil‘s Ali Larter, The Walking Dead’s Josh McDermitt, singer Marilyn Manson, and horror icon Barbara Crampton are not in this Shapeshifters Anonymous episode.

Watch the A Creepshow Holiday Special episode on Shudder now!

The Creepshow Holiday Special is written and directed by Creepshow showrunner Greg Nicotero. It was based on a short story by J.A. Konrath (Last Call) and is a very unexpectedly fun Christmas episode. In fact, I was just enjoying the shapeshifting element so much that I forgot it was a holiday special.

Suddenly, Santa Claus became part of the story – in a very organic way – and then I remembered that this was, in fact, an actual Christmas episode. As horror fans, we are actually pretty fortunate, that there is quite a lot of awesome horror takes on the Holidays.

One of my very favorite Christmas horror movies is the Finnish Rare Exports (2010) which certainly features Santa Claus in a very prominent way! In any case, yes, this Creepshow Christmas episode is definitely worth checking out since it is a wonderful little horror-comedy gem. Perfect for the holidays if you like your quirky monsters with a side of comedy!

A Creepshow Holiday Special: Shapeshifters Anonymous is out on Shudder from December 18, 2020.

Details

Director: Greg Nicotero
Writer: Greg Nicotero, based on a short story by J.A. Konrath
Stars: Anna Camp, Adam Pally, Frank Nicotero, Derek Russo, Candy McLellan, Pete Burris