This Shudder original slipped under the radar for too many horror fans—but as loyal Shudder die-hards, I hit play and never looked back. It exceeded expectations with ease. This film is a perfect blend of quiet dread, unsettling witchcraft, and haunting imagery. It never leans on jump scares or gore, though it does feature one extremely gnarly snow blower death. (Consider that your warning to look away if you’re squeamish—otherwise, you’re in safe hands.) The story follows an elderly couple, grieving the tragic death of their grandson, who turn to a Satanic ritual in hopes of bringing him back—by implanting his soul into an unborn baby. What starts as a calculated (and horrifying) plan unravels quickly into a nightmare of escalating hauntings and unintended consequences. What makes Anything for Jackson truly stand out—beyond its chilling occult premise—is its cast. We rarely get to see older protagonists at the center of modern horror, and Julian Richings and Sheila McCarthy crush it. Their performances are full of heartache, desperation, and devotion. The “grandparent energy” adds a layer of sadness that makes everything more disturbing. It’s not just about fear—it’s about loss, loneliness, and the pain of aging.

I hate seeing sad or isolated older characters in horror, and this one hit especially close to home. The version of Satanic magic here is deeply ritualistic—sharing a kind of procedural dread with The House of the Devil—but it’s layered with ghostly imagery and nightmare logic that elevate it to something uniquely terrifying. There are ghost characters that only appear for a few moments but leave lasting impressions—like the sheet ghost trick-or-treater and that teeth scene, which is absolute nightmare fuel. And of course, we get the dreaded crab-crawl from one of the spirits, which always gives me full-body chills. Josh Cruddas is fantastic and deeply unnerving as the couple’s occult guide, and Konstantina Mantelos gives such a grounded, sympathetic performance. You hurt for her and fear with her. She brings a sense of realism to a plot that could easily tip into absurdity, and instead it stays anchored in dread. This is a slow burn with a sinister heart—and the kind of film that lingers long after the credits roll. If you’ve overlooked it, now’s your chance to fix that. You won’t regret it… and you will be haunted.