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The Shivering Truth

The Shivering Truth

2018–2020Ended2 seasons13 episodes~11 min/epTV-MAMidcredits score: 85th percentile of all shows

A miniature propulsive omnibus clusterbomb of painfully riotous daymares all dripping with the orange goo of dream logic. A series of loosely linked emotional parables about stories within tales that crawled out of the deepest caverns of your unconscious mind and became lovingly animated in breath-slapping stop motion - in other words, it is the truth.

Your rating, lists and review

Where to watch

Where can I watch The Shivering Truth?

As of October 24, 2026, MovieCove lists The Shivering Truth to rent or buy on Apple TV and Prime Video, and on no subscription service.

Rent / Buy

BuyBuy

Highlights

What stands out about The Shivering Truth?

The Shivering Truth earns 5 badges, led by One of a kind and Atmospheric.

  • Reception
  • Craft and mood
  • Content

Reception

Is The Shivering Truth worth watching?

The Shivering Truth's Midcredits score is the 85th percentile of all shows, from 3.5K ratings across 2 sources. 84% liked it (rated it 7 or higher out of 10).

Midcredits score

How well it was received

85th percentile

Better received than 85% of shows

87th percentile among Animation83rd percentile among 2010s
Acclaim (how much people like it)84th
Approval (how many liked it)81st

Acclaim

Crowd Pleaser: Rating-distribution shape vs the catalog

How much people like it

79 /100

84th percentile of all shows

86th percentile among Animation83rd percentile among 2010s

Rating distribution

Most people land high, with a thin tail of low scores from those it didn't reach.

Approval

How many liked it

84% liked it

81st percentile of all shows

86th percentile among Animation79th percentile among 2010s
84% rated it 7–1016% rated it 1–6

Reach

How many have seen it

73rd percentile

3.5K ratings across platforms

68th percentile among Animation75th percentile among 2010s
TMDB popularity, last 37 days to Oct 26Up 6% in 30 days

What reviewers say

Common ground

An aggressively weird, surreal, and creatively unhinged show that defies conventional narrative logic.

Fans praised

  • surreal dreamlike nightmare logic that is both disturbing and profound
  • unpredictable rapid-fire writing with dense symbolism and existential subtext
  • gorgeous stop-motion animation that realizes grotesque creative visions

Detractors panned

  • aimless incoherent nonsense with no humor and no point
  • pretentious stream-of-consciousness dreck that fails at its own ambitions

What stands out

OriginalityDivisive92

unlike anything else on TV; creatively daring and bizarre

AtmosphereDivisive85

fever-dream tone; unsettling yet immersive

CinematographyDivisive80

slick stop-motion with grotesque visual artistry

HumorDivisive70

dark absurdist comedy; divisive among viewers

Emotional impactDivisive65

evokes discomfort, awe, and dark introspection

PacingDivisive60

11-minute episodes pack dense content but some feel too long

CharactersDivisive45

more metaphorical than developed; not the focus

Plot and storyDivisive35

deliberately disjointed and nonlinear; dismissive of traditional structure

Preferred by

No notable difference between any of the groups: each pair ranks it within 10 percentile points.

  • US vs non-US 1 point apart

Episodes

2 seasons

Season 2 · 2020 · 6 episodes

  • S2E1

    The Burn Earner Spits

    May 11, 202011 min
  • S2E2

    Carrion My Son

    May 18, 202011 min
  • S2E3

    Nesslessness

    May 25, 202011 min
  • S2E4

    Beast of Both Worlds

    Jun 1, 202011 min
  • S2E5

    The Diff

    Jun 8, 202011 min
  • S2E6

    Holeways

    Jun 14, 202011 minFinale

Watch experience

What is The Shivering Truth like to watch?

Conclusions only — categories and positions, no plot detail.

Ironic, serious and intense — an even-paced watch that leaves you unsettled.

ToneFeelDemandexact position · filled zone: the category

What it asks of you

What it feels like

Moods
DreadAbsurd
Heaviest: throughout
Register
Absurdist · 6% of shows: Deliberately illogical; embraces nonsense.Deadpan · 1% of shows: Delivered flat and unsmiling, which is the joke.
Told as
Episodic · 11% of shows: Loosely connected incidents rather than one driving plot.Anthology episodes · 6% of showsAnthology seasons · 2% of shows
ToneThe show presents its grotesque, nightmarish content with a deadpan, absurdist sincerity, never winking at the audience.
The rideThe series maintains a uniformly high-pressure surreal dread from start to finish, with no relief from its nightmarish logic.
StructureEpisodes are self-contained, loosely linked parables with no overarching narrative structure.
Episode formatEach episode is a self-contained surreal horror vignette; some episodes have multiple segments, but each is independent.
Season formatWhile the show has a consistent surrealist style, each season functions as a collection of standalone episodes with no overarching narrative, effectively an anthology within an anthology.

How it leaves you

what you carry away
UnsettlingThought-provoking
Why it leaves you this wayViewers are left with a lingering unease and a sense of profound absurdity that invites contemplation of deeper meanings.
How it ends · evidence
Ambiguous endingTwist

Story archetype

where it sits among all shows
Monster — 18% of shows. A threat menaces the hero's world and must be defeated.Rags — 3% of shows. A rise from lowliness to fortune, status, or recognition.Quest — 6% of shows. A journey toward a defined objective, with companions and obstacles.Voyage — 2% of shows. Into a strange world and back again, changed.Comedy — 12% of shows. Confusion and cross-purposes resolved into harmony.Tragedy — 4% of shows. A flaw or fixation drives the protagonist to ruin.Rebirth — 7% of shows. A stalled or darkened life reopened and renewed.Mystery — 8% of shows. A question drives the story — who did it, what happened, what is real — until it is answered.No archetype — 40% of showsPredator — 7% of shows. A creature or killer hunts the protagonists (Jaws, Alien).Tyrant — 3% of shows. A human villain holds power over the hero's world (Die Hard).Invasion — 2% of shows. An external force attacks the home or world (Independence Day).Oppressive state — 3% of shows. A government, its agencies or a secret faction inside them is the monster (V for Vendetta).Corporate villainy — 1% of shows. A company or its bosses are the monster (Erin Brockovich).Institutional injustice — 1% of shows. A court, prison, police force, school or church is itself the enemy (Spotlight).Class system — under 1% of shows. The gap between rich and poor, or a rigid hierarchy, is the monster (Parasite).Technology turns — under 1% of shows. Technology people rely on becomes the threat (The Terminator).Inner demon — 1% of shows. The monster is within — addiction, illness, a dark double.Underdog triumph — 2% of shows. Rise through competition or contest (Rocky).Social ascent — 1% of shows. A climb in class or status (Pretty Woman).Fame and fortune — under 1% of shows. An artistic or showbiz rise (A Star Is Born).Rise and fall — under 1% of shows. Wealth or power gained, self lost (Scarface).Hidden worth revealed — under 1% of shows. The protagonist's true value finally recognized.Treasure hunt — 1% of shows. Retrieve an object of value (Raiders of the Lost Ark).Rescue — 2% of shows. Retrieve or save a person (Saving Private Ryan).Mission — 4% of shows. Accomplish or destroy a defined objective (Mission: Impossible).Journey home — under 1% of shows. The goal is getting back (Finding Nemo).Pilgrimage — under 1% of shows. The journey itself transforms; the destination is symbolic.Portal fantasy — under 1% of shows. Transported into another world (The Wizard of Oz).Fish out of water — 1% of shows. Displaced into an unfamiliar social world (Elf).Survival ordeal — under 1% of shows. Trapped in a hostile environment, fighting back (Cast Away).Time displacement — under 1% of shows. Unstuck in time (Back to the Future).Descent — under 1% of shows. A night-journey into an underworld or subculture (After Hours).Romantic comedy — 2% of shows. Lovers kept apart by confusion, united at last.Comedy of errors — 3% of shows. Mistaken identity or misunderstanding drives the plot.Farce — 2% of shows. Escalating absurd chaos and coincidence (The Hangover).Buddy comedy — 1% of shows. A mismatched pair forced together (Rush Hour).Comedy of manners — 2% of shows. Social codes and class satirized (Clueless).Hubris — 1% of shows. Pride or ambition invites the fall (There Will Be Blood).Obsession — under 1% of shows. A fixation consumes the protagonist (Black Swan).Corruption arc — 1% of shows. Step-by-step moral decay (The Godfather).Doomed love — 1% of shows. Love destroyed by circumstance (Brokeback Mountain).Crushed by fate — 1% of shows. Destroyed by forces beyond the protagonist's control.Redemption — 1% of shows. Moral reawakening of a hardened soul (A Christmas Carol).Healing — 3% of shows. Recovery from grief or trauma (Good Will Hunting).Liberation — 2% of shows. Breaking free of a confining life (Room).Second chance — 1% of shows. A stagnant life re-opened to love or purpose (Groundhog Day).Puzzle — 1% of shows. A clue-by-clue puzzle you can try to solve before the reveal (Knives Out, Clue).Investigation — 6% of shows. A long pursuit of the truth that may never be fully solved (Zodiac, Memories of Murder).Enigma — 1% of shows. The mystery is what is real, or what is actually happening (Mulholland Drive).
Every story archetype, clockwise from the top
  • Monster 18%: Predator 7% · Tyrant 3% · Invasion 2% · Oppressive state 3% · Corporate villainy 1% · Institutional injustice 1% · Class system under 1% · Technology turns under 1% · Inner demon 1%
  • Rags 3%: Underdog triumph 2% · Social ascent 1% · Fame and fortune under 1% · Rise and fall under 1% · Hidden worth revealed under 1%
  • Quest 6%: Treasure hunt 1% · Rescue 2% · Mission 4% · Journey home under 1% · Pilgrimage under 1%
  • Voyage 2%: Portal fantasy under 1% · Fish out of water 1% · Survival ordeal under 1% · Time displacement under 1% · Descent under 1%
  • Comedy 12%: Romantic comedy 2% · Comedy of errors 3% · Farce 2% · Buddy comedy 1% · Comedy of manners 2%
  • Tragedy 4%: Hubris 1% · Obsession under 1% · Corruption arc 1% · Doomed love 1% · Crushed by fate 1%
  • Rebirth 7%: Redemption 1% · Healing 3% · Liberation 2% · Second chance 1%
  • Mystery 8%: Puzzle 1% · Investigation 6% · Enigma 1%
  • No archetype 40% (this title)

No archetype fits — true of 40% of shows: ensemble pieces, satire, slice-of-life.

Why this archetypeThe series is an anthology of surreal, dreamlike sketches unconnected by a central plot, defying any single narrative archetype.

What it's about

7 groups · 53 themes
Bonds — 31% of showsSelf — 27% of showsPower — 7% of showsMorality — 11% of showsSurvival — 9% of showsSociety — 10% of showsIdeas — 5% of showsRomantic love — 10% of showsMarriage — 2% of showsFamily bonds — 22% of showsParenthood — 1% of showsFriendship — 18% of showsLoyalty — 7% of showsIdentity — 20% of showsComing of age — 9% of showsAging — under 1% of showsSelf-worth — 7% of showsAmbition — 14% of showsPurpose — 16% of showsMemory — 3% of showsObsession — 2% of shows. A fixation consumes the protagonist (Black Swan).Power — 5% of showsCorruption — 3% of showsGreed — 2% of showsClass — 4% of showsOppression — 2% of showsFreedom — 4% of showsJustice — 14% of showsDuty — 2% of showsRevenge — 1% of showsGuilt — 1% of showsRedemption — 3% of shows. Moral reawakening of a hardened soul (A Christmas Carol).Forgiveness — under 1% of showsSacrifice — 2% of showsBetrayal — 3% of showsDeception — 6% of showsSurvival — 12% of showsWar — 1% of showsViolence — 2% of showsMortality — 2% of showsGrief — 4% of showsTrauma — 5% of showsMental illness — under 1% of showsAddiction — under 1% of showsIllness and disability — under 1% of showsCommunity — 25% of shows. Consequences reach a town, institution or group.Isolation — 3% of showsPrejudice — 2% of showsDisplacement — 1% of showsFaith — 1% of showsTradition vs change — 3% of showsFame — 5% of showsLegacy — 3% of showsFate — 1% of showsFree will — under 1% of showsTruth — 6% of showsHope — 4% of showsNature — 3% of showsArt — 2% of showsTechnology — 1% of showsSelfIdentitySelf
Every theme, clockwise from the top
  • Bonds 31%: Romantic love 10% · Marriage 2% · Family bonds 22% · Parenthood 1% · Friendship 18% · Loyalty 7%
  • Self 27% (this title): Identity 20% (this title) · Coming of age 9% · Aging under 1% · Self-worth 7% · Ambition 14% · Purpose 16% · Memory 3% (this title) · Obsession 2% (this title)
  • Power 7%: Power 5% · Corruption 3% · Greed 2% · Class 4% · Oppression 2% · Freedom 4%
  • Morality 11%: Justice 14% · Duty 2% · Revenge 1% · Guilt 1% · Redemption 3% · Forgiveness under 1% · Sacrifice 2% · Betrayal 3% · Deception 6%
  • Survival 9%: Survival 12% · War 1% · Violence 2% · Mortality 2% · Grief 4% · Trauma 5% · Mental illness under 1% · Addiction under 1% · Illness and disability under 1%
  • Society 10%: Community 25% · Isolation 3% · Prejudice 2% · Displacement 1% · Faith 1% · Tradition vs change 3% · Fame 5% · Legacy 3%
  • Ideas 5%: Fate 1% · Free will under 1% · Truth 6% · Hope 4% · Nature 3% · Art 2% · Technology 1%

Self

IdentityMemory · 3% of showsObsession · 2% of shows: A fixation consumes the protagonist (Black Swan).
Interrogates its theme: Questions its theme without settling the answer.Intimate stakes: Consequences reach a person or a household.Ensemble lead
How it treats its themeThe show interrogates the fractured and unstable nature of selfhood through surreal, nightmarish transformations and recurring motifs of bodily and psychological disintegration.
StanceThe show uses surreal horror to interrogate the fragility and mutability of identity, often with a fatalistic, bleak perspective.

The world

ContemporaryDomesticInstitutionalRuralHorror supernatural
AmbientExperimentalSupportive music · original score · Heather Christian
SettingA dreamlike, decaying American landscape where the ordinary gives way to the grotesque.
MusicThe unsettling, off-kilter score enhances the dreamlike horror.

Content guide

Is The Shivering Truth okay for kids?

TV-MA

The Shivering Truth is rated TV-MA. As of August 29, 2026, Midcredits content scores put its violence at severe (89/100), sexual content at intense (63/100), language at moderate (40/100), drug and alcohol content at moderate (36/100) and frightening material at severe (94/100). Overall it is heavier than 77% of TV-MA shows.

Ratings in 12 other countries
  • Canada18+
  • Germany12
  • France18
  • Brazil14
  • Austria12
  • FinlandK16
  • MexicoC
  • Norway12
  • Spain18
  • SwedenFrån 15 år
  • Switzerland12
  • Türkiye18+
Overall
Intense · all five categories
Heavier than 88% of all showsHeavier than 77% of TV-MA shows
Violence & Gore
Severe
heavy for a TV-MA show
heavier than 86%
Sex & Nudity
Intense
typical for a TV-MA show
heavier than 68%
Profanity
Moderate
light for a TV-MA show
heavier than 8%
Alcohol & Drugs
Moderate
light for a TV-MA show
heavier than 19%
Frightening / Intense
Severe
heavy for a TV-MA show
heavier than 98%

Point along a line to see a well-known title at that level.

The reason to think twice is frightening material, violence, and sexual content. Everything else sits at or below what TV-MA shows usually carry.

Source: Midcredits content scores, 0 (none) to 100 (severe) per category, with each standing ranked against other shows that have them.

What content warnings does The Shivering Truth have?

Not screened for content warnings yet.

Cast and crew

Who is in The Shivering Truth?

Cast

Vernon Chatman
as Narrator
Janeane Garofalo
as 911 Operator
Zadie
as Pauly
Rachel Butera
as Friend
Trey Parker
as Doctor
Zack Pearlman
as Benny's Wound
Robert Kelly
as Eban Dylfyl
Miriam Tolan
as Insecurity System Machine
Michael Cera
as Delmer Gibbons
Maria Bamford
as Elderly Woman

Crew

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