Perusing the list of horror movies released in a given year always makes me realize how few new titles I actually saw in comparison to how many were available.
Still, 16 is a pretty healthy number, counting films released in 2024 only and not my countless rewatches, franchise marathons, and rabbit holes.
Here’s what I was able to take on in 2024, ranked lowest to highest:
Night Swim: 4 out of 10
What a disappointment for a killer-pool flick. There’s so much potential in skimmers and chemical balancing treatments.
It’s What’s Inside: 5
Another interesting take that could’ve been executed better, but it has some great comedic moments and a good set up for a sequel.
V/H/S Beyond: 5
The latest from a great franchise of anthology movies with wrap-around stories. This is one of the weaker installments, but like most anthology films, there are high points to be had: in this case, probably Justin Long’s contribution Fur Babies.
Tarot: 5
An astrological take on the Final Destination model, this is a slightly uneven foray with some good kills, and potential to be seen in the screenwriter/director and the young cast.
Hold Your Breath: 6
A Sarah Paulson joint set in the Dust Bowl years, it’s a thoughtful slow burn; just a little too slow of a smolder at times.
A Quiet Place: Day One: 6
I’m a big fan of the original two films and the concept they’re built on, but this prequel was largely a disappointment because it didn’t offer a lot of backstory to add to the canon. It’s more of a shoot-em-up action flick with aliens than a study of humanity. With aliens.
Smile 2: 7
My final entry for 2024, this was a good sequel with a surprisingly great original soundtrack for a horror flick (cue: the comments of disagreement). It gets a little slow and a little silly in spots, but still kept me interested and sufficiently grossed out.
Don’t Move: 7
This is a tenuous entry on a list of horror; it’s really more of a serial-killer thriller, but the argument can be made that genre belongs right there with slashers and ambiguous spectral forces. It features Kelsey Asbille (Yellowstone) and Finn Wittrock (American Horror Story), an actor I work with occasionally through his connections to theater. He’s a nice guy, but that has not influenced my ranking beyond reinforcing he plays a mean-ass villain.
Beetlejuice Beetlejuice: 7
Sure, it’s a comedy, but it’s Beetlejuice. Where else would he reside? I saw this in the theater with JaxKid, having seen the original in the theater when I was about the same age. It was a blast, the theater was full, and we were served a sufficient amount of nostalgic nods. It did what it came here to do.
Heretic: 7
This movie made me all sorts of nostalgic for Hugh Grant and his relatable romcom wackiness of my teens and twenties. He kills it (ha), as do Sophie Thatcher (Yellowjackets) and Chloe East (The Fablemans) as missionaries.
Terrifier 3: 7.5
Sure, the hype might have added some heft to the ranking, but did y’all see this movie positively trounce that other clown-centric flick and basically every other film of 2024? It was indeed the most profitable movie of the year, making 45 times its budget. I saw it in the theater on an otherwise bucolic trip to Vermont; it added some charm to the rat scene.
MaXXXine: 8
The long-awaited third installment of Mia Goth and Ti West’s X series (including X and Pearl, both released in 2022), MaXXXine isn’t the best of the bunch, but it’s a strong bronze. Goth is one of the most undersung actors and screenwriters in the biz today; hoping the horror-at-awards-level trend continues and she gets her due soon.
Longlegs: 8
This polarizing film is seen as revolutionary by some and as dreck by others. I lean toward the former, though I wouldn’t go so far as to say Longlegs broke down cinematic barriers. It’s all about Nick Cage for me on this one; you can’t even see him, and that’s no easy feat for a Cage, a Hanks, or a Clooney.
Oddity: 8.5
What a cool movie! I actually found myself wanting more of its core concept of curiosities used for revenge to be stuffed in. Carolyn Bracken plays two roles, twins Darcy and Dani, and the half-modern, half-rustic country house setting adds a nice ambient layer.
The First Omen: 8.75
Easily one of the best prequels I’ve seen in any genre, The First Omen gives us a lot of new things to chew on while matching up with the original timeline fairly seamlessly.
The Substance: 9
Speaking of horror during awards season, I’m psyched to see Demi Moore and Margaret Qualley (but especially Demi, if I’m honest) with nominations. What a freak show of body horror this is, earning my top spot. The saturated, intentionally over-the-top cinematography is gorgeous and the hair-and-makeup team deserves all the awards and all the raises. And I’ll never see shrimp — or chicken — the same again.
