Reality shows and horror are two things that rarely go well together. Sure, there are a variety of cooking shows that feature one-off Halloween-themed episodes showing off creepy baked goods to the delight of a gang of esteemed judges. I’m not talking about that.
What I’m suggesting is a series that mixes the challenge-focused sensibilities of Survivor with the tactile terror of The Blair Witch Project. Well, good news: I found a show that is exactly that.
I am talking about Shudder‘s first-ever competition series, Guts & Glory (which premiered on Oct. 14 and airs new episodes each Tuesday on Shudder and AMC Plus), and the creator/host is Greg Nicotero, special effects makeup artist, TV producer and filmmaker.
This is a series that operates under the familiar reality show rules where contestants are pit against each other to complete tasks and solve puzzles, all with the goal of outlasting everyone else to be the last one standing. And it does all this in a perceived reality of a horror movie. Each episode explores a different horror trope and subgenre, upping the ante as it progresses, with a collection of unsettling challenges.
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Greg Nicotero hosts Guts & Glory on Shudder and AMC Plus.
Nicotero’s film credits span a wide range, from Evil Dead II to Aliens. Then there’s AMC’s The Walking Dead, where he has orchestrated the zombie apocalypse on TV for over a decade. Now, he’s putting his mark on reality TV.
While I’m not one to watch shows of this ilk, his involvement piqued my curiosity. I decided to give the episodes a spin (I was sent advanced screeners of the season), and, once the credits rolled on the pilot episode, I was hooked.
First and foremost, we’re introduced to a group of contestants that, after a while, felt like playable character types you’d find in a survival horror video game. I’m not sure if that’s by design, but the casting lent a peculiar vibe to the proceedings, making everything feel slightly off-kilter.
When people started to die, I really leaned in.
Guts & Glory is now streaming on Shudder and AMC Plus.
Yes, people die in Guts & Glory, and this narrative detail makes things feel unpredictable. Because of that, the stakes remain high.
There’s also a definitive undercurrent of mystery that fuels the series. It’s there at the very beginning, as we’re introduced to our band of heroes, each of whom gives up their phone and rides a covered bus to an undisclosed location that is eventually revealed as the middle of Alabama’s swampland.
Even at this point in the first episode, no one knows what they’re doing or why they’re there. This is a strong choice, considering how, in most opening episodes of a reality competition show, the host shows up and explains the rules of the road. None of that happens here.
After a simple enough, unscary challenge, an inciting incident occurs that flips the contestants’ reality on its head. With the competitors and crew in a panic, the site is packed up and they drive off, only to barrel directly into an even bloodier, horrific scenario.
This, as the group begins to realize, is the show they signed up for. Nicotero eventually reveals himself as the mastermind behind this terror gauntlet and fills the role quite well. He’s like the horror equivalent of Jeff Probst.
Greg Nicotero hosts Guts & Glory on Shudder and AMC Plus.
Each challenge leans gleefully into gory territory. When the possibility that anyone can die is introduced in the series, the show takes on an unpredictable nature, which drags the contestants even deeper into this immersive horror experience.
Shudder sent a strict spoiler list which bars me from describing the array of viscera featured in the show. But I can assure you that Guts & Glory doesn’t pull its punches. This isn’t found footage horror, but there are elements in the narrative that harken back to the fan-favorite subgenre.
Guts & Glory is inventive and absorbing. It’s a fun show that doesn’t take itself too seriously. Will they continue the series next year? I have no idea, but I’m hopeful. Shudder has a gory little gem on its hands, and I’m ready for more.
