The Top 10 Horror Movies of 2024

In 2024 the Horror genre continues to prove that it's not defined by A24 or Blumhouse, Shudder brought some strong indie fare. Social Media certainly shapes the way horror is marketed to us now. However, there was more buzz than hype for most of these movies. Most of the years more hyped films like "I Saw the TV Glow" were not horror or live up to the hype, thus not making the list, There was less word of mouth with these movies, some I never hear being brought up. The key to horror is it has to somehow make me feel uneasy. Just gore is not enough, This year the things that went bump in the night included classics like vampires, werewolves, zombies, ghosts, and psycho killers., 

These might not be the movies that got the best Rotten Tomatoes score, though they all did pretty decent, nor are they the most popular as the most mass-marketed movies tend to be for the lower common denominator. If your favorite movie is not on the list, it is not because I did not see it as I saw most horror movies that graced small screens and the inner webs this year, it is because in some cases your favorite movie was unimpressive or trying too hard, in other's well it was not that scary. So, these are movies that proved to engage me in some way more than the other horror movies not on this list. Here are the top ten horror movies of 2024

10-Werewolves 

This movie takes the Purge and combines it with werewolves. It reminds me of the late 80s, sometimes this works better than other times when the werewolves look too much like puppets, I had to pretend this movie was from the 80s, but it was fun, despite its faults.

   

9-Oddity

Ireland has been busting out some decent horror in recent years, and this one is another notch in its belt. The Lovecraftian vibes are what earn its place here. It's a slow burn but maintains its eerie mood. Sure there are some plot holes, but suspension of disbelief is easy to maintain.

 

8-Terrifier 3 

With a bigger budget, comes a more fully fleshed-out story, that takes Art the Clown in a more Nightmare of Elm Street direction as supernatural elements continue to expand the mythos.  It's entertaining and works off the hype of having to make each film more extreme, but it also wanders away from what made the first film a classic. 

https://nastiferateau.blogspot.com/2024/10/film-review-terrifier-3.html

7-In a Violent Nature

I really enjoyed the "If Friday the 13th was an art film" feel of this movie. The pacing is very deliberate and not for everyone. Some of the gore scenes felt like they were from the 80's with Terrifier levels of absurdity which was an odd choice in its contrast, thus keeping it out of the top 6. 

https://nastiferateau.blogspot.com/2024/07/film-review-in-violent-nature.html

6-Nosferatu

I understand why this is a love-it-or-hate-it film. It really depends on how invested you are in the 1922 version. I think where they dropped the ball was not sticking to the classic Orlok look. Aside from that, the movie looked great, though Dafoe carries it when it comes to acting as Orlok keeps to the shadows. It is a feast for the eye, that entertained me. 

https://nastiferateau.blogspot.com/2024/12/film-review-nosferatu.html

5-the Substance

I like this movie's take on Hollywood and the ugly face of it. The cinematography was perhaps the year's best, but the writing did not have as much behind it, and the movie fell apart by the end, it ranked this high because it's such a good-looking horror movie with cool practical effects. 

 

https://nastiferateau.blogspot.com/2024/10/film-review-substance.html

4- Longlegs 

If David Lynch had directed "Silence of the Labs" then the results might have been similar.  It was creepy and carried a lingering bleakness, that might not have come across as scary as the movies that took the top three places, but its atmosphere solidified its place here. 

https://nastiferateau.blogspot.com/2024/07/film-review-longlegs.html

3-Abigail 

This movie was a lot of fun. Sure it worked off a familiar trope, but it did deviate from your typical vampire fare. It looked good but was creepy and tense. This tension gave classic horror fans more of what they wanted than, movies that were pretty to look at or more atmospheric in nature. 

2-Late Night With the Devil

Sure there were some campy elements when it came to some of the effects and overacting, but it did a great job capturing the stylistic mood it sought to capture, and carried a looming sense of dread., underneath the smile the host gave the camera. It beat out the other eight films on this list thanks to a more original concept, despite pulling from a few familiar horror motiffs. 

https://nastiferateau.blogspot.com/2024/06/film-review-late-night-with-devil.html

 

 1-Outside 

This Netflix movie from the Philippines takes the zombie genre and all its tropes and shapes them into something very bleak. It's as much about generational trauma as it is a s commentary on the end of the world.  Things never get better only worse. This is more effective than jump scares. It takes the building tension of a movie like the "Shining" and gives you nowhere to run. Well made and effective in the way to goes after your psyche. It took the number one spot as it had da better ending than the other movies, better effects, and acting that felt real. 

Film Review : "Longlegs"

 If the clever trailer had you looking forward to this movie you should not be disappointed as it deviates from the standard Hollywood horror formulas. The premise of a young female FBI agent is tracking a serial killer whose involvement in a series of murders spanning decades might seem like a riff off of "Silence of the Lambs' but aside from the investigative nature rather than being a slasher the similarities end there, and the movies has some twists and turn to keep it in it's own corner of the genre. It looks great, the acting is solid with Nicholas Cage being as bat-shit as the role calls for, and it's smart they kept him out of the trailer, as there is a mild similarity to Buffalo Bill. Though the makeup department has him almost unrecognizable makes him look more like a blond Marilyn Manson. 

One of the film's strengths is the atmosphere it creates, right from the jump. There is a lingering eerie feeling of unease that shows the protagonist's awkwardness with her job. She is almost depicted as being autistic. The creepiness is stronger as this is not a movie that tries to use jump scares, chase scenes, or gore to put you in the uneasy emotional spot that horror movies should. There is a bleakness to this film that is tangible, rather than shocking you into submission, or keeping you at the edge of your seat, though you do become invested in the labyrinth they lead you into. Director Osgood Perkins is the son of Anthony Perkins of "Psycho" fame, so horror is in his blood. I really like 'Gretel and Hansel" and while this film is not devoid of supernatural elements, it's more grounded in reality than his take on the folk story. 

I would not say Nic Cage steals the show, but he adds the perfect color of crazy this film needed, as well as immerses himself in the role in a way where you do not see him as Nic Cage, but as the character he portrays which might make this the best role of his career. But all of the acting his strong. Is this movie perfect, no but it is better than anything else that has come out this year so far, with "In a Violent Nature" being the next closest film in the running for the top spot. The more realistic manner of violence in this movie is what elevates it from 'In a Violent Nature" which was also visually interesting. If you are tired of Blumhouse dumbing things down to the younger audience they are aiming for, then this movie is refreshing, as it is a grim affair with an ending that leaves no one unscathed by darkness the ambiance casts around it.