You could say that 2024 straight up sucked for the whole entertainment industry, but let’s try framing it in a more positive way, shall we? 2024 isn’t a bad year, it’s just a very good year for bad people.
That includes real-life villains, sure, but also the more honest and down to earth villains of horror movies. If the current state of the world isn’t spooky enough as is, you should look for your fix of horror in theaters and/or streaming. Let me help with the best horror picks for your Halloween this year.
Smile 2
The originalSmileproved an incredibly welcome surprise. It plays like a simpler version ofThe Ring. Story is important, butSmileproves just how much you can achieve with top notch acting, pro-level directing from a first-time director, and some of the best jump scares of all time.
Just don’t watch the trailer if you haven’t yet, as it spoils the best jump scare in the movie – and one of the best of all times.
With all that being said, and without getting into spoiler territory,Smile 2is everything the first one is, and more. Though the two films are very similar, everything here is justbetter.Also, I trust anyone who’s seenSmile 2will agree that Naomi Scott’s performance as protagonist Skye Riley will go down as one of the best in the history of the genre.
Immaculate
Immaculatestars Sydney Sweeney as she joins a catholic convent that, you guessed it, seems like it could be hiding some shady business. Spoilers: your intuition was correct, but I bet you won’t be able to guess just how weird it gets.Immaculateis a great catholic horror tale where Satan takes a step back to let the spotlight shine on something much spookier.
Whether you still get a kick out of them, or you’re already bored out of your mind with church horror films, you should giveImmaculatea chance.
Late Night With The Devil
Who doesn’t like to watch clips of late night TV shows where something goes wrong?Late Night With The Devilinvites you to witness the found footage recording of the most cursed episode of Late Night tv that doesn’t feature Jay Leno.
It’s fresh, eerie, and features a great performance by David Dastmalchian as the host. The only thing not to like aboutLate Night With The Devilwas the dumb choice to feature AI-made art in a couple of shots, but I’m willing to forgive itthis time.
The Substance
Do you miss the great body-horror films of David Cronenberg?The Substanceis that with, well, even more substance.
It tells the story of a miraculous new drug, one capable of making you young again, but only if you’re able to follow its terms of use correctly.
It’s a tale about aging, as a woman, specifically. It’s violent, sad, thought provoking, and also somehow one hell of a lot of fun, if you can imagine that. Just be warned that it gets very visceral during the third act.
Terrifier 3
TheTerrifierseries is like the miracle that monsters pray for. A non-studio movie that began small and is now out grossing many of Hollywood’s movies. This one is not for the faint of heart, as it is, and I do mean it, as gruesome as it gets.
Terrifier 3pulls no punches when it comes to gore, and studios have already forbidden theaters to show it to anyone below the age of 18 in France, a ban that it should wear as an absolute badge of honor. Personally, I think it’s better thanTerrifier 2, as it keeps the same level of violence, but with a much better pacing. Check this one out if you’re looking forward to a marvelous gore fest, but steer clear if you believe there arelines horror movies shouldn’t cross.
Longlegs
Longlegs is one of the most popular horror outings of the year, and it’s easy to get why. It plays out like a long-lost movie-length episode ofThe X-Files. Whether you’re a diehard fan of the series, or a newcomer who doesn’t even know whatThe X-Fileseven is, there’s an irresistible charm to it.
While I’m not crazy about the satanic panic stuff, Nicolas Cage does a great job as the titular Longlegs, and you just can’t help but get sucked into this very moody experience.
Abigail
Though I don’t think it’ll lose its appeal, I’d urge you not to watch the trailer, or even to google “Abigail”, as the Internet is rife with unnecessary spoilers.
What you should know aboutAbigailis a bloody fun, and funny, twist on an old formula. It’s well directed, features a great ensemble cast, and never stops going in surprising and inventive directions — if you haven’t been spoiled yet.
Speak No Evil
Speak No Eviltells a horror story that doesn’t get any less scary for featuring only mundane elements in place of any sort of supernatural peril. The true horror here is other people, a horror that will stay with you and remind you of its existence whenever you meet new people going forward.
Speak No Evilis a remake of a movie of the same name from 2022. The original film is superior, but, should you only have the new version at hand, it’s quite a good pick. Sure, it takes on a more Hollywood audience-friendly approach than the more Euro-Dark original, but both iterations actually diverge in ways that make both movies more complimentary of each other than adversarial.
Oddity
Movies featuring a creepy anthropomorphic object that shouldn’t be alive but probably are tend to be hit and miss, butOddityworks because it’s more about an actual mystery than it is about the obvious elephant in the room. It’s eerie, it’s smart, and it’ll likely surprise you in a positive manner.
If you want to see a movie about a creepy doll that’s original and way less gimmicky than you’d expect, than this is the Oddity you’re looking for.
I Saw The TV Glow
Whenever a movie defies categorization, you know you’re in for a treat. The easiest way for me to describeI Saw The TV Glowis by telling you it’sThe Matrixbut with eerie moody ambiance instead of the kung fu, but that would be doing it a disservice. This story about personal acceptance under the guise of a horror movie is so much more than anything anyone can put into words, so please check it out.
I Saw The TV Glowis more than just a horror movie, it’s a riveting and ethereal voyage to a world that feels every bit as nostalgic as it feels wrong, and it will all (hopefully) make sense in your head — while there’s still time.
