Shudder’s ‘Creepshow’ is back yet again this year with another treat for fans. After the surprise animated special for Halloween, fans are being gifted with ‘A Creepshow Holiday Special‘, entitled ‘Shapeshifters Anonymous’. Written and directed by ‘Creepshow’ showrunner Greg Nicatero, the special holiday episode is an hour long, a departure from typical ‘Creepshow’ fare.
The episode follows a man, played by Adam Polly, who suspects he is killing people in the night without his knowledge on full moon, as he attends a support group for other folks who are of a similar diagnosis. The group is led by Irena, played by Anna Camp, a school teacher and were-cheetah in a clear reference to producer Val Lewton‘s 1942 masterpiece ‘Cat People’. Other attendees include a were-tortoise, were-pig, and one woman who really wants to be a hippo.
As can be inferred from the cast alone, ‘Shapeshifters Anonymous’ is on the comedic side of the ‘Creepshow’ template, more so than any entry into the series so far. Ironically enough, tonally it feels most similar to ‘Tales from the Crypt: Demon Knight‘. And on that comedic promise it delivers. There are multiple laugh out loud moments, from the reveal as to why this is a holiday episode to a cameo so sudden and strange I recommend looking away during the opening credits so it will come as even more of a surprise.
Credit: ShudderThe concept may be a bit too silly for some and not all the jokes land, but the sense of fun the cast and crew seem to be having carry over for the audience. That plus the better than expected monster makeups, which strike the perfect balance of camp and horror, make this a Christmas special not to be missed.
The episode is based on a short story of the same title by writer J.A. Konrath and Nicetero leans into the absurdity of the concept, leading to a camp filled hour jam packed with references to every acclaimed were-film you can think of, from ‘An American Werewolf in London‘ to ‘The Howling‘. Camp and Pally bring their best as their typecasts, a type A social butterfly and charming slacker respectively, but it’s newcomer Candy McLellan that earns the biggest laughs as a furry who’s found her people amongst the therianthropes.
All in all, ‘Shapeshifters Anonymous’ makes a hilarious holiday watch that plays nicely into the anti-Christmas spirit of all the best Yuletide horrors. The special premieres on Shudder on Friday, December 18th. You can check out the trailer below!
