Chilling App Offers Horror Fans the Ultimate Content Experience

Just in time for the Halloween season, we bring you some of the best horror content out there, all available on one deliciously scary and bone chilling app. Chilling, created and launched in 2021 by popular Being Scared YouTube channel creator Dane Petrali, tech entrepreneur Chris Graham, and Scream franchise actor and comic Jamie Kennedy, was created for horror fans, by horror fans and with horror fans.

From Chilling originals and Halloween-themed content to categories like Blood and Gore, Psychological Thrillers, Paranormal, Horror Classics, Terrifyingly True, Episodics, Vintage Horror Radio and more; Chilling is the ultimate content platform for the horror-genre fan community. Spooky ambient sound effects can be added to stories, setting the atmosphere for an authentic and visceral experience.

Even cooler, you can also contribute to the Chilling community. Have a personal scary story you want to share? There is an option on the app’s menu to submit your own story through their reddit page.

We had a chance to sit down with co-founders Chris and Dane to discuss Chilling, why the app has become so popular, so quickly (with 400,000 downloads and 200,000 unique user accounts created since its 2021 launch), and what’s coming in 2023 with Chilling 2.0.

As creators of the Chilling app, clearly both of you are horror fans. When did you each fall in love with the horror stories, movies, television genre?

Chris Graham: Dane and I have known each other for nearly 30 years, and for as long as I can remember watching scary movies and reading scary stories together was always something we did. For example, the book series Scary Stories to Tell in the Dark, Dane and I used to read those constantly as kids.

Dane Petrali: My love for the horror genre began when I was very young. There are a few home videos of me asking my Dad if I can watch Freddy Krueger (the main character in the Nightmare on Elm Street movie series) when I was three years old! Horror movies were definitely my introduction to the genre, and scary stories followed soon after. I wore out my copies of the Scary Stories To Tell In The Dark books and any other scary stories books I could get my hands on.

What does Chilling bring to the table for the horror fan community that traditional television and movies do not?

Chris: This is one of my favorite things about what we are building. Most streaming services treat the audience as passive consumers and serve whatever a small group of people determines is worthy. At Chilling, our audience is actively engaged with the ability for users to comment directly on the content they are viewing, and engage directly with the creators responsible for bringing it to life.

Dane: Our app provides a strong sense of community and the opportunity for our users to be directly involved with the production of our content.

Actor and comedian Jamie Kennedy has come on board as an advisor and investor. How did that relationship come about?

Dane: I met Jamie during an interview a few years back, and we stayed in contact through social media. He became aware of Chilling through my posts and promotions, and was interested in getting involved when I approached him one day. Chris and I recognized his experience with the horror genre, mainly from the Scream franchise, and we felt having a veteran with a ton of experience in the genre and with Hollywood would be advantageous for our growth.

What kind of content can people expect when they download the Chilling App?

Chris: Our current version of Chilling serves up scary stories. We have over 1,000 stories. Short stories, audio series, classic novels, and vintage horror radio programs. You can get lost for hours in what many call the “Calm of Horror.”

Dane: People can expect high quality horror content. We have a large team of expert storytellers which is growing larger consistently, as well as the most talented independent horror authors in the game. Very soon people can also expect amazing short horror films, podcasts, and even full-length feature horror films, including Chilling Originals. In addition to all of that, horror fans can expect a new home in Chilling. One where they can enjoy horror content while interacting with friends and family, while making new connections as well.

Since Halloween is upon us, what kind of Halloween-themed content does the app offer?

Chris: This year, for Halloween, we partnered with several authors to write original horror stories specific to the season. We also have many Halloween- theme submissions that have made it to the platform in October. You can find them in our “Halloween” playlist prominently displayed on the home screen.

Dane: We will always celebrate the spooky season with Halloween-themed scary stories, released all month long in October. When Chilling 2.0 launches, we will definitely be going hard on Halloween-themed films in the future as well.

You describe your app as being “for horror fans, by horror fans and with horror fans.” Can you explain?

Chris: We are building a unique community at Chilling. Unlike any other streaming platform available, we believe that the community should be in the driver’s seat when it comes to determining the content produced. At Chilling, the audience and the creators can collaborate to inform what we deliver.

Dane: Chilling was created as a love letter to horror fans by Chris and I, and we have been diehard horror fans since we were kids. “With horror fans” refers to all of our partners that contribute by creating content for Chilling. Our narrators, authors, and soon, film directors and producers as well. That’s what is so great and unique about Chilling. “With horror fans” refers to any user. They have the opportunity to have their stories or films featured by simply submitting their work for our review.

The Chilling app has a unique feature of ambient sound effects and music to go along with stories users can listen to. How does that work?

Chris: A story can take on a different meaning and invoke another emotion based on the environment in which it is told. Our users can customize their environment by choosing a background to fit their mood. We have environmental effects like thunderstorms or the roar of a campfire, to more instrumental melodies that strike a melancholy tone. Users pick their favorite ambient sound and can adjust the volume independently of the narration itself.

Dane: Users can enhance their listening experience by choosing a cool background sound to really set the mood. Whether it be relaxing rainfall, a classic campfire, or eerie music, users can switch between them seamlessly on a whim whenever they want, depending on their mood.

How are the scary stories, the episodic series, and other content created for the app?

Chris: There are several ways we get content. Many of our stories come directly from independent authors who have submitted for their works to be published on Chilling. Over the last couple of years, we have developed relationships with many of them and have started commissioning completely original works. We also take submissions directly from users. We review all stories, and those selected are assigned to one of our excellent narrators.

Dane: Users and independent authors write the stories and submit them to be reviewed and featured. And soon independent filmmakers will be able to do the same.

You are currently crowdfunding through the Republic platform and you have surpassed your original fundraising goal, congratulations! What is your next fundraising benchmark, and what do crowd investors get in return for their investment in the app?

Chris: Great question. Our next major fundraising milestone is $500,000 raised; with this, we will significantly increase the amount of content available on Chilling when we release video content in the Spring of 2023, specifically around original and independent horror films. Investors can get fantastic perks depending on their investment level, such as t-shirts and hats, private screenings, and producer credits. Of course, the most valuable thing they will receive is shares in a quickly growing company with tremendous upside potential.

Can you share what upcoming developments are coming to the app and when they will roll out?

Chris: We have so much coming in the next few months with what we are calling Chilling 2.0! This is a complete rebuilding of the Chilling platform with a sleeker and more intuitive interface that will improve the user experience. We are adding more novels, and more original and unique audio programming. We are adding video content with a minimum of 100 feature films, shows, and a ton of amazing short films from talented directors. The bow that ties it all together is our social components that will allow users to communicate directly with each other and the creators they love. Chilling 2.0 will also be making its way from being only available on iPhone and Android to having a website and being made available on many popular streaming-enabled devices.

Download the Chilling App in time for Halloween!