Shudder’s new horror series Hell Motel is raising chills—and eyebrows—for all the right reasons. It premiered on Shudder and AMC+, and this limited series from Slasher creators Aaron Martin and Ian Carpenter is already making noise in the LGBTQ+ world. That is thanks to its proudly lesbian leads, unapologetic queer identity, and buckets of blood.
The eight-episode series follows Ruby and Portia—played by Brynn Godenir and Michelle Nolden—who buy the infamous Cold River Motel, the site of a decades-old satanic mass murder. Their goal? Turn it into a true-crime-themed curio museum. But the grand opening takes a terrifying turn when a masked killer named Baphomet crashes the party. Ruby and Portia’s relationship is at the core of Hell Motel.
Together, they’re messy, real, and refreshingly complex—far from the horror genre’s usual sidelining of queer women. Helping seal the deal on the motel is a scene-stealing realtor played by Canadian drag superstar Icesis Couture. More than just blood and guts, Hell Motel satirizes the true-crime obsession of modern influencer culture. Ten social media personalities are lured to the motel’s launch, only to find themselves picked off one by one. Critics are calling it a smart, savage look at how tragedy is monetized for entertainment. Hell Motel is proof that queer horror is ready to slay. Can’t you just hear Gay Christmas… Halloween, approaching soon?
