A near-perfect five-part horror movie series is now available for fans to binge in one place. Horror has become one of the most popular genres in movie history. In 2026 alone, films like Obsession and Backrooms have been dominating the box office because of how much they appeal to moviegoers.
If there's a decade that has appealed to horror fans most, though, is the 1980s. The 80s introduced viewers to countless iconic heroes and monsters. From slashers like Jason Voorhees and Freddy Krueger to aliens like the Thing and the Killer Klowns, there have been so many iconic faces that have emerged from this time in horror history.
What's fascinating about the horror community, though, is that they find the making of these classics just as interesting as the films themselves. Getting a glimpse behind the scenes at how these nightmares were brought to life is fascinating, as filmmakers divulge the origins and the effects work that went into how some of the scariest scenes in movies were created.
With this in mind, a new type of documentary was created in 2019 by writer and director David A. Weiner. This passion project would comprise various creatives in the horror industry to deliver the ultimate deep dive into 80s horror.
The film was eventually released with the name In Search of Darkness, and it was such a success that it spawned four additional films. Two of these sequels would even go further and look at horror in the 1990s. Now, fans can check out this incredible series for themselves now that every entry is available to stream on Shudder.
The In Search of Darkness franchise has become one of the most acclaimed horror documentary series since it premiered in 2019. Each film ranges from four to six hours long, taking total advantage of its length with deep dives at not just how horror impacted cinema in the 1980s, but also individual films.
The first movie focuses mainly on mainstream 80s films that most fans have likely heard of or seen at least once in their lives. However, the following two entries, In Search of Darkness: Part II and In Search of Darkness: Part III, look at the more obscure 80s horror films from the B-movie scene. This gives fans plenty of information about their favorite films, while also providing new movies they can check out in the future.
After covering the 1980s, In Search of Darkness released two new documentaries covering the 1990s, which are both also streaming on Shudder. Each film, titled In Search of Darkness: 1990-1994 and In Search of Darkness: 1995-1999, covers one half of the decade, allowing more room for longer discussions on mainstream and obscure films in each entry.
What makes the In Search of Darkness series so appealing is how many famous faces are featured to talk about the different films. The original documentary alone includes John Carpenter, Greg Nicotero, Kane Hodder, Brian Yuzna, Larry Cohen, Jeffrey Combs, Nick Castle, Doug Bradley, and many more. This is only expanded upon with each new documentary as the films covered become more obscure.
The franchise also features various YouTubers that specialize in film discussion and criticism. The most famous faces to appear in the original documentary include James A. Janisse from Dead Meat, James Rolfe from The Angry Video Game Nerd series, and Cecil Trachtenberg from Good Bad Flicks.
In Search of Darkness is the perfect watch for horror fans. There are so many incredible stories behind the films that shaped fans' love for the genre while also providing an outlet to share their appreciation. Now that it's all streaming on Shudder, it's the perfect place to binge this phenomenal horror series while also opening the doors to new films that some fans never knew existed.