2024 of Horror: Overview & Analysis of This Year's Titles
Welcome to 2024 of Horror!
This article post will overview and review 70 of the roughly 138 horror titles coming out this year. I started working on this during the summer but had to stop updating the list at some point and forewarn that things have and will change, from release dates to how the movie will be released, the industry is ever changing.
Depending on what list of 2024 movies is referenced the number of horror films coming out this year varies. I started with the Wikipedia page of horror movies coming out in 2024 which includes about 138 titles at the time of doing the research for this video. After removing ones that either weren’t coming out this year anymore or just simply not even arguably horror the list I have includes 131 titles.
To start I eliminated titles that were only horror vaguely but more adequately represented a different genre and that got to the list to 118. I then limited that list even further by removing titles that are international and/or in a first language other than English which left me with 70. So, in 2024 there are 70 English language horror movies coming out that fit the criteria for this video and will be covered.
Full List of 2024 Horror Releases
Scream Queens & Kings of the 2020's
Before jumping into each movie I want to overview the horror film industry at the moment and some events that contributed to trends in the film industry. Although not as prominent as decades like the 70’s and 80’s we still have identifiable Scream Queens & now even Kings that one can expect to see on their spooky season screens.
Some Scream Queens this decade include Jenna Ortega who’s stared in Beetlejuice Beetlejuice, Scream VI, American Carnage, X, Studio 666, Scream, and The Babysitter: Killer Queen, Mia Goth from Maxine, Infinity Pool, Pearl, and X, Kiernan Shipka from Longlegs, Totally Killer, and Treat, Melissa Barrera from Abigail, Your Monster, Scream VI, Bed Rest, and Scream, Samara Weaving from Azrael, Scream VI, and Babysitter: Killer Queen, Kathryn Newton from Lisa Frankenstein, Abigail, and Freaky, Maika Monroe from Longlegs, God is a Bullet, Significant Other, and Watcher, and Taissa Farmiga from The Nun II, John and the Hole, and The Conjuring: Last Rites.
Some Scream Kings are Bill Skarsgård from Nosferatu, Welcome to Derry, and Barbarian, Patrick Wilson from The Nun II, Insidious: The Red Door, and The Conjuring: The Devil Made Me Do It, Kyle Gallner from Strange Darling, Mother, May I?, Smile, Scream, and Ghosts of War, Justin Long from Spin the Bottle, Goosebumps, It’s a Wonderful Knife, Dear David, Barbarian, and House of Darkness, and Devon Sawa from Consumed, Black Friday, Death Rider in the House of Vampires, and Hunter Hunter.
Historical Context & Examination
The Impact of the 2023 Strikes
An overview of the film industry wouldn’t be complete without the mention of the 2023 Hollywood Strikes. The Writers Guild went on strike first, starting May 2nd and the Actor’s Guild followed suit on July 14th. Both strikes ended before the end of 2023 but not before weeks of industry standstill while union heads and studio execs negotiated new terms. Writers felt that they could no longer make a living off of just scriptwriting and many SAG actors made less than $26,000, meaning they did not qualify for healthcare. Due to the strikes reality TV saw a boost, which is another video for another day.
One way to measure the impact is looking to the numbers from reports that have been compiled since then. Some of those reports have indicated that losses of roughly $5-$6 billion and a California specific impact of $1.5 billion can be attributed to the shutdown. The historic strikes began with the 1st staged walkout in 15 years and first time that both unions, WAG and SAG, went on strike at the same time since 1960.
The change can also be measured by looking to the current industry environment, which is looking bleak right now. During the strikes LA employment alone dropped 17% and even past the strikes studios have restructured, particularly by laying off staff and having fewer jobs available. Unfortunately, new work isn’t swift either, some noting deals take longer to close and that there are less deals overall.
Despite the bleak outlook currently, the negotiations between the studios and both unions went well for each of them. Unions secured increased transparency around streaming numbers and residuals. In recent years this has become a point of contention, as private streaming platforms aren’t required to publicly share their streaming numbers despite touting record profits around $30 billion a year for the streaming industry that rakes in the CEOs a whopping salary of $1 billion total. Unions also ensured protections against the use of AI without informed consent in contracts. Studios are also required to hire a minimum number of writers, in particular if they intend to use AI writing to ensure jobs continue to exist in light of advances in artificial intelligence capabilities.
As of right now the main uses of AI in film are to make actors look younger, removing curse words, and in algorithms that generate recommendations to users. Although studios intend to save money with AI where they can most costs due to the new deals will likely be passed onto streaming platform users, see Netflix.
Number of Horror Movies Each Year
To better understand how this year of horror matched up to other years of horror I looked at number of movies each year. I didn’t have any idea how many movies got made each year let alone for just horror, and according to Statista between 1995 and 2023 in the US and Canada 775 horror movies have released. Comparatively to 5,664 Dramas and 1,269 Thriller/Suspense movies from the same data set.
Looking at Box Office Mojo # of movies released each year shows a spiked increase between 2017 and 2018 that then dropped in 2019 and then dramatically fell again in 2020, but that time due to pandemic.
Wikipedia also tracks how many horror movies have come out each year which I used to start generating a list of 2024 horror movies and also to see what this decade is looking like so far. According to that information there were 52 horror movies that came out in 2020, 147 movies in 2021, 172 movies in 2022, and 147 movies in 2023.
Things are looking fair as far as horror is concerned when looking at pre-strike numbers and 1 year out from the strike. Despite the strikes 147 horror movies still got made in 2023 and we’re on track for 138 this year.
Genre Trends (Favorites, Revenue, etc.)
With so many horror movies this decade it’s not hard to identify trends and patterns. Some of those trends SAE.edu has recognized are non-liner plots, social media platform marketing, an increased desire for diverse storytelling, the use of VR and AI, changes to release strategies, and more money being put towards original content from streaming platforms like Netflix, Amazon, and Disney. Those three spent $5.8 billion, $7 billion, and $10.5 billion respectively, all with the goal of gaining a competitive edge over the others.
Despite the money being poured into original content the highest grossing horror film last year, in 2023, according to a Statista report is Five Nights at Freddy’s grossing $137.28 million. Second highest last year, Scream VI, grossed $108.39 million, and the third highest, M3GAN, grossed $95.16 million.
In 2024 so far A Quiet Place: Day One grossed $138.93, second highest is Alien: Romulus grossing $105 million, and the third highest, Longlegs, grossing $74 million. Things are slightly worse but still fine this year compared to last year thus far but some of the biggest drops haven’t happened yet like Smile 2 and Nosferatu which could shake up the top 3.
Backgrounds & Reviews
Spoiler and Content Warning
Almost all of the reviews are spoiler light with comments kept semi-vague. If a review will have actual spoilers I’ll give you a heads up before then. For the full list with links visit my website linked in the description or by typing www.redrosehorror.com into your browser. Fair warning that triggering topics will be covered–if you don’t like horror related subject matter you won’t like this and that’s alright.
I decided that due to the number of movies and the variety of quality I would not force myself to finish a movie if I disliked it or think it sucked. With that being said you might love those movies, and while I may not agree I’m sure your arguments for why you liked it are valid and I’d most likely just respond, “fair enough” to those endorsements.
I tried to go into each watch as blind as possible, even avoiding watching trailers, so reviews on the ones that I have watched are from that perspective. For movies that I didn’t watch I’ll be talking about the trailers and what the general sentiment is from those who have seen the film.
If you want to skip ahead to a movie click the below list
Starting with the first big title of 2024 and then continuing in chronological order…
Night Swim released January 5th in theaters directed by Bryce McGuire and also written by him and Rod Blackhurst. Night Swim was produced by big names Blumhouse Productions and Atomic Monster and distributed by Universal Pictures. Starring Wyatt Russell from Black Mirror and Kerry Condon from Better Call Saul did not dazzle audiences in theaters and hasn’t seen much change since hitting streaming platforms for rent.
I’ll give credit where credit is due, I did not think they’d be able to pull off an entire movie centered around a pool. Myself and many others thought to ourselves, “just don’t go into the pool,” but they managed to at least try to overcome those limitations. Wyatt Russell is a gem that is the reason this movie isn’t a total flop. The concept has the legs of a short story but Russell’s performance gives it some much needed gas.
Jack in the Box Rises released January 11 directly to VOD and is directed by Lawrence Fowler, written by him and Geoff (Jeff) Fowler and starring Nicholas Anscombe, Isabella Colby Browne, and Leona Clarke. The film was produced by Fowler Media and I couldn’t find a solid source for distribution.
This is the first on the list that I didn’t fully watch, which is now part of my critique. I have the attention span of a lab mouse after succumbing to TikTok algorithms so I reserve high praise and credit to movies that make it impossible to pick up my phone or laptop. Unfortunately this isn’t one of those but in it’s defense it’s like the 3rd or 4th installment in a franchise that I’ve never watched. The start is a bit corny, an older un-introduced man assigns a teen girl to infiltrate a private boarding school in order to acquire the relic which contains the Jack in the Box demon.
All in all it’s a helluva lot less awful than I thought it’d be from acting to special effects and I didn’t turn it off but rather just tuned in and out. It’s a good background horror movie that you don’t intend to be fully immersed within but that opinion could swiftly change if I watched the other installments.
The Shudder original, Destroy All Neighbors released January 12th directed by Josh Forbes. The film is written by Mike Benner, Jared Logan, and Charles A. Pieper and starring Jonah Ray, Randee Heller, Pete Ploszek, and Kiran Deol (Keer-an Dee-ohl). As mentioned this is a Shudder production in association with RLJE Films whom also distributed it and Counterpart Pictures.
Fair warning this one might include spoilers and that this type of humor and gore is not my cup of tea. I found the film foul–but I think that was meant to be part of the charm and would appeal to some. Josh Forbes is giving Ryan Reynolds in Voices and it’s a less serious rendition of the same concept. I found Forbes’ character extremely less endearing however and his overall goal and driving force pissed me off.
I couldn’t tell if it was trying to say that the guy is a shitty serial killer who thinks he’s always the victim despite being a murderer and that those dead bodies re-animate or if it’s in his head. Granted I tuned out frequently from this one, mostly due to disgust. This is for the Anchorman comedy crowd that like a touch of Terrifier gore without as much blatant misogyny.
Sunrise released January 19th in limited theaters and on VOD. It is directed by Andrew Baird and written by Ronan Blaney and stars Alex Pettyfer, Crystal Yu, William Gao, Kurt Yaeger, Olwen Fouéré, and Guy Pearce. Lots of companies produced including Grindstone Entertainment Group, 23ten, Source Management + Production, and Northern Ireland Screen. The film was distributed by Lionsgate in the US and UK.
If I had to describe Sunrise in one word it would be slow. It’s a perfectly fine horror movie, it’s just really…really slow. Alex Pettyfer gives the character Fallon a brooding teen Bat Man like silence. Unfortunately this intense silence is more action-movie than scary-movie in the case of Sunrise.
The juxtaposition of Pettyfer and the Guy Pearce as Reynolds, the town’s unelected patriarch that reigns more terror than assistance, pushes things close to cringe territory. It felt like two different movies occurring at the same time, a western and a midwestern tale both fighting for center stage, a new approach and an older approach despite Pearce not being old.
The slowness and need to be watching every scene in order to get the bulk of the story makes this not a movie I’d recommend for most. If you like a lot of nature shots and slow B-roll between short scenes with little to no dialogue then this is your movie. If you’re looking for a vampire tale steeped in bloody tension this isn’t that.
Next up, There is a Monster became available on VOD January 30th and can be watched on Prime now. Directed and written by Mike Taylor the film stars Joey Collins and Ena O’Rourke and distributed by Gravitas Ventures, which is a red flag for me.
The combination of makeup/costume, acting, audio, filming quality, and transitions pissed me off from jump. I highly disliked watching this and even decided to restart it because I’d gotten so annoyed and felt the reason must be that I missed something. The story was unfollowable for me with the aforementioned issues, everything is choppy and weird with a tinny quality to the audio that takes you out of any world building that the film attempts.
The whole thing is a movie made paint-by-numbers style with generic scene setups and very you-speak, pause, then you-speak, then you-laugh, then you-speak style dialogue that distracts from the substance of the conversation meant to drive the plot further. It distracts from any quality that could be derived from it.
I probably wouldn’t have watched this if not for this project and I’m glad I didn’t spend money to rent or go see this film. If you have Prime it’s available to watch for free and if this style is your thing then have at it. I however get annoyed when I watch movies of this quality that money got put into projects like it when stunning stories languish in the bottom of a pile on someone’s desk. This is the second film that I decided to shut off fairly early on. I don’t want to give it a 0% but it’s got a super low one from me.
The next movie I did watch the trailer for and went in having watched some of the PR interviews from the cast. Lisa Frankenstein released February 7 into theaters starring Kathryn Newton, Cole Sprouse, and Liza Soberano. The story is written by Diablo Cody, who also wrote Juno and Jennifer’s Body, and directed by Zelda Williams, director of Kappa Kappa Die and a plethora of acting credits in both film and TV. Produced by MXN Entertainment and distributed by Focus Features in the US and Universal Pictures internationally.
This is the first 2024 horror movie that I saw in theaters and I personally went in ecstatic due to Cody having written the script. The following will most likely include some spoilers for this film.To compound on my excitement I’ve loved seeing Cole Sprouse in acting roles beyond The Suite Life. Some of the things from the trailer that I worried would be cringey turned out to be on a sliding scale of silly to hilarious but all endearing. The story features often clever tactical ways to keep the on-screen gore at a minimum while still adding that gore as a main story cornerstone for the 2 evolving characters, Lisa and Taffy.
The choices in set design, costumes, how shots are framed, and the special effect details with the monster keeps the mood lighter and quirky despite the gruesome things occurring. This reinforces the teen-like mindset and perspective of the events in the plot exceptionally well. I found myself chuckling about easter eggs that reminded me of teen experiences like Pabst Blue Ribbon beer showing up in her subconscious.
Releasing directly to Shudder on February 9th, Skeletons in the Closet is directed by Asif Akbar and story by Al Bravo but written by Joshua A. Cohen and Koji Steven Sakai. Terrence Howard starts in the movie alongside Cuba Gooding Jr., and Udo Kier. Produced by Al Bravo Films, Beno Films, and One Dollar Studios and distributed by Allblk I really wanted to like this film. Upon going to watch it however it became apparent that it felt rushed and cheap in a cutting corners kind of way. They clearly had money for some things like wardrobe and hair but skimped on things like CGI and special effects that completely take a viewer out of the film upon appearing on screen.
The film feels like a student project with the lack of attention to detail that if included would draw you into the film more and make the horror impactful. I’m convinced it’s a project made by friends who wanted to make a movie together but not sure if anyone took the actual movie portion seriously. This is another movie of the 84 that I just flat out turned off and refused to watch due to the frequency of physical cringe I sustained before even getting to the meat of the story.
The review of the next one, History of Evil, will be full of spoilers, it’s available now to watch on Shudder and is excellent but it would be hard to explain why without at least some spoilers. Releasing February 23rd the film was directed and written by Bo Mirhosseni and stars Jackie Cruz, Paul Wesley, and Rhonda Johnson Dents. Wesley’s ability to be the knight and shining armor as well as the most unhinged Dexter-like demeanor in the same character is alive and well.
Similarly to the Stefan versus Silas and humanity-turned-off-Stefan in The Vampire Diaries, the Ron at the start of the film is slowly eroded away by the racist and vengeful spirit of the house they seek refuge in. I enjoyed the story elements that provided insight into the fictional 2040’s version of America and The Resistance to that dystopia through people like Alegre and Trudy.
Ron Dyer, her husband, becomes seduced and infected with Cain’s, played by Thomas Francis Murphy, worldview. They sound like bottom feeding right-wing grifters trying to convince one another there’s nothing wrong with just wanting to be back on some imaginary top. A KKK robe hangs in a dedicated-to-racism bomb shelter in Cain’s backyard and a tree stands on the property adorned with strings of film blowing in the wind.
Rope is in the cellar, presumably used to lynch people in said tree on the property. It’s mentioned earlier in the film that the property is a good hiding spot due to the fear surrounding it, which becomes apparent and obvious as the film continues. The melding of post-apocalyptic Handmaid’s Tale America style of horror with supernatural slash possession horror works really well and creates a compelling tale that’s horrifying in the usual ways but also in a way that is truly American.
On February 27 Camp Pleasant Lake released in some theaters and directly to platforms via Starz. Written and directed by Thomas Walton the film features a plethora of actors in various roles including Jonathan Lipnicki, Bonnie Aarons, and Andrew Divoff. I haven’t watched this one yet so my slight review is based on just the trailer. I truly cannot tell what the vibe of this movie is supposed to be from the trailer, it simultaneously seemed like a joke but also that they were taking it seriously. It’s a terror show at a camp with a dark history, fairly standard seeming, and during the trailer we literally see someone with the slasher’s mask pulled above his head like he’s the killer, which could be a spoiler or a misdirect.
The next big horror film of the year, Imaginary, released in theaters March 8, and the trailer left audiences wary initially. Directed and written by Jeff Wadlow and also written by Greg Erb, and Jason Oremland the film does not have a good reputation. Starring DeWanda Wise as the lead Jessica, Tom Payne as Max, Taegan Burns as Taylor, and Pyper Braun as Alice. It was produced by big name studio Blumhouse Productions and Tower of Babble Entertainment, and then distributed by Lionsgate. The following review will contain spoilers.
What seems fairly straightforward, a scary imaginary friend, is given much more depth in Imaginary. I really enjoyed the unique perspective of a step mother who wants to become integrated with her family. In addition to that a reluctant teen daughter and a happy but hurt young daughter have a complicated relationship with their mother. Their father, a musician named Max, is Jessica’s husband and he quickly departs for a tour with his band which is insane because of the current circumstances with his daughters openly struggling in the recent life changes, including the move to Jessica’s childhood home, and he leaves the new stepmother to deal with those challenges on her own.
After moving back to her childhood home Jessica’s nightmares intensify and the youngest daughter, Alice, and finds an old teddy bear she calls Chauncey. That old bear is actually a conduit for a spirit type demon thing that pretends to be an imaginary friend while actually trying to consume the imagination of Alice like it tried to with Jessica. We discover that Jessica’s own father sacrificed his sanity and eyesight to save her from Chauncey.
Despite the bad ratings and reviews I enjoyed watching this movie. I loved the layer that is added to the concept of an imaginary friend to create a whole separate universe with it’s own rules and challenges. I want to see more of the universe created around the portal to the this other realm and Chauncey’s seeming connection to a multitude of children’s imaginations—particularly keen on Jessica’s due to it’s expansiveness.
I wanted to know more about the reality which Chauncey can create to trap others in this other realm. I’d recommend this one, there aren’t huge shocks or surprises from a standard horror movie but I really enjoyed the visual effects, characters and actors who portrayed them, and the story of the blended family.
Next up is a lesser known title, Dead Mail, that released on March 9 and I haven’t watched it yet. Some of the movies in this video I didn’t go out of my way to watch due to lack of interest but this one I really hoped would become available sooner rather than later. Directed and written by both Joe DeBoer and Kyle McConaghy the film was produced by Alarmist Entertainment and Contact Light Films. The film stars Sterling Macer Jr., John Fleck, and Tomas Boykin and is a project with lots of big endorsements from publications like Variety.
From the trailer the concept is really interesting—a man is being held hostage but manages to momentarily break free and shove a letter into a mailbox. Once the letter is inside it ends up getting mailed, blood and all. The letter is a desperate request for help which ends up as a case given to a savant of a detective. Without anything but the letter informing that there’s a captive in an unspecified location the detective is on the case. I will be watching it when it’s available to rent and am excited to see it but anticipating a possible slow burn.
On March 22nd Immaculate released in theaters and is more liked than disliked but not really loved. It’s directed by Michael Mohan and written by Andrew Lobel; produced by Black Bear Pictures, Fifty-Fifty Films, and Lupin Films and distributed by Neon, an indie leader in film distribution. Starring Sydney Sweeney as Sister Cecilia and other church figures played by Álvaro Morte, Dora Romano, Benedetta Porcaroli, Girogio Colangeli, and Simona Tabasco all serving at a Catholic convent in Italy that assists dying nuns. This review will contain spoilers to discuss some of the best elements of the movie in more detail.
Sister Cecilia arrives at the convent only to begin noticing things are a little off there, like more intense versions of rituals and everyone being normal while extremely bizarre things are happening, like they’re in on a secret she doesn’t know. The viewer also doesn’t know the secret and this creates some kinship between audiences and character but is annoying in her approach or rather lack of approach to the weird behavior and occurrences for most of the movie.
After falling pregnant despite claiming to be a virgin Cecilia is lauded as a Holy figure in the convent, the next Virgin Mary. The child is considered a blessing to the religion and they begin to restrict her and look past her personhood in favor of bringing the next Jesus into the world. Cecilia works tirelessly to free herself from the circumstances, even pretending the baby is in danger so that she’s taken to the hospital.
We learn that the convent is a little more organized in their approach to this “blessing” than they had let on. The father is a former geneticist that has been experimenting with the nuns to try and manufacture a new messiah. After being branded with the very crucifix mark that she’d seen scarred on nun’s soles of their feet around the convent, she fights her way out of captivity. While she’s fighting, her water breaks and she manages to get into the catacombs beneath the convent to try and escape. She lights the geneticist man on fire and struggles with him until she’s able to kill him with an important relic.
Cecilia breaks out of the catacombs into daylight and gives birth. After that she bites the umbilical cord and after seeing the baby and hearing strange noises coming from it—harkening back to alluded to monsters in the catacombs. She crushes the baby with a rock after this and Sweeney gives such a good performance that I actually ended up on the edge of my seat, uncomfortable, but riveted with the emotional display and the ability to story tell with just acting and sound effects.
Story points like the lack of consent around impregnation, religious zeal surrounding pregnancy and childbirth, and robbing expecting mothers of their personhood mirror issues surrounding reproductive health rights in the USA. It also mirrors the inherent struggle between science and religion when it comes to literally everything about fetuses.
Shortly it will be clear that Tubi is crushing the game and doing it for free, the next title the first one I liked but not the last. Slay released on Tubi March 22nd, both written and directed by Jem Garrard. I normally don’t watch comedy horror outside of projects but I am glad that this project exposed me to this movie and all of the drag horror on Tubi. Produced by Blue Ice Pictures the plot centers around a 4 queen drag family whom travel around performing gigs, like the one that brings them to the Dusk Till Dawn like bar in the middle of the desert.
Starring Trinity the Tuck, Heidi N Closet, Crystal Methyd, and Cara Melle the camped out journey begins with stunning performances from the queens and a cast of characters, figuratively and literally, who occupy the bar. Things go south when vampires descend upon the bar and the group plus other patrons have to hide out inside.
There isn’t a ton to spoil, this is more comedy than outright horror and even features some interesting and complicated relationships between the characters. While battling the vampires the audience is treated to one-line quips and downright filthy reads.
When I heard a second Winnie-the-Pooh horror movie being made I shuddered in disbelief. How could something so horrendous get a sequel? A…sequel? Less than a year after the first monstrosity with the corniest of corny masks for the main villain, Pooh Bear, Blood and Honey 2, the sequel with an updated Pooh mask became available on VOD March 26. As part of The Twisted Childhood Universe the movie is intended to be a horror version of the books.
Blood and Honey 2 is directed and written by Rhys Frake-Waterfield and stars Scott Chambers, Tallulah Evans, and Ryan Oliva. I will admit that the production quality is increased from the first film, this one being produced by ITN Distribution and Jagged Edge Productions. Some aspects are redeeming, I liked the other Pooh-universe characters like Owl and Tigger, even with the cheesy one liners. The story is more coherent in this one compared to the first one.
Similarly to Terrifier 3 I can imagine that this has its audience but the overly grotesque, the edgy to be edgy kills, and hyper sexualized horror films. The constant joking coupled with attempts to have something deeper happen is stiff and clunky, feeling like dad jokes but in murder font. The two main actors are genuinely talented and the scenes that centered around their story and characters were the best parts.
Obviously they are making a third film and I imagine that they will continue to make them as long as someone pays and someone else wants to watch it—which seems to be the case. At the end Owl proclaims that he’ll bring everyone back to exact revenge against their vanquishers.
The second Catholic nun movie of 2024, The First Omen released in theaters on April 3rd. As a prequel to the movie, The Omen, that came out in 1976 the film is set 5 years earlier in 1971 Rome, Italy and the review will contain light spoilers. Directed by Arkasha Stevenson and written by Nell Tiger Free, Tawfeek Barhom, Sônia Braga, Ralph Ineson, and Bill Nighy the plot is focused around a woman, Margaret, who arrives at an orphanage as a hopeful nun. Produced by Phantom Four Films and distributed by 20th Century Fox, is a well received prequel, receiving an 82% on Rotten Tomatoes tomatometer and 70% from the audience, 2 favorable scores especially when considering it’s a prequel.
Carlita, a troubled orphan, has awful visions and after Margaret befriends her the Father warns her. Carlita shows a drawing of a restrained pregnant woman to a nun, Anjelica, at the orphanage. Right after Anjelica commits suicide in a gruesome way which leads into the revelation that some within the church aspire to bring the Antichrist into the world. In a small man kind of way the church hopes that by bringing the antichrist to Earth people will become fearful and turn to Christianity for salvation.
Margaret continues to uncover information about the orphanage, the church, and the radicals within it. She believes that she’s helping potential victims and taking down an evil cohort of rouge Catholics but things aren’t as they seem. I won’t spoil further but I recommend watching but would also note that I don’t remember anything about the original movies to compare this one to.
Set in the aftermath of the Night of the Living Dead universe, Festival of the Living Dead became available on Tubi starting April 5th. Directed by Jen and Sylvia Soska the reimagining of the universe picks up years after the zombie apocalypse, so long after that the grandchildren of Ben from the first film know legends and tales of those times but no personal experiences. Starring Ashley Moore, Andre Anthony, and Cameron Bicondova the Enlighten Content produced film centers around a festival that Ash, played by Moore, wants to sneak out and attend with a group of peers.
Written by Miriam Lyapin and Helen Marsh, Festival of the Living Dead is fairly corny and plays into most teen-horror movie tropes. Despite being corny it did make me chuckle and I loved the details that called back to the original 1960s film, even the shotgun that Ben uses makes an appearance in the story. This movie isn’t one I’d go into looking for a reinvention of the wheel but it is interesting enough to maintain watching and lands enough to not need to turn it off.
Yet another Tubi original, Lowlifes, came out April 11th directly to the platform. Tesh Guttikonda and Mitch Oliver both directed it and it’s written by Al Kaplan. I don’t want to say too much about this because I think going in blind made it 10X cooler and more clever. Ranked really well on average around 70% approval the plot opens with a family, Amanda Fix, Matthew MacCaull, Elyse Levesque, and Josh Zaharia, on vacation in their RV.
Produced by Front Street Pictures and Lowlifes Productions the twisty had me questioning my own judgement and constantly changing my outlook. Highly, highly recommend if you add any of these to your list to add it—it’s literally free.
Back to the theaters real quick with Sting, directed and written by Kiah Roache-Turner the monster flic released on April 12th. A variety of studios are involved in the production of this film: Screen Australia, Align, Screen NSW, Cumulus VFX, Spectrum Entertainment, See Pictures, and Pictures in Paradise. There’s less mystery surrounding this one than the former title and when broken down it’s extremely straightforward—a young girl, Alyla Browne, raises a spider that is actually a monster intent on destroying anyone who dare get too close to his metaphorical web.
Ryan Corr, the young girl’s father, is forced into dealing with Sting the spider when multiple residents in their apartment building and an exterminator are attacked by the creature. This is another one that didn’t need to re-invent the wheel and by not getting weird or fancy with it that just works. The exterminator, played by Jermaine Fowler, is hilarious and endearing alongside a host of other characters that the girl and her spider regularly come into contact with.
Another theater release, Arcadian, came out on April 12th and ended up on Shudder and AMC+ since. Arcadian was directed by Benjamin Brewer and written by Mike Nilon but the big draws of the film are Nicolas Cage (who also stars in Longlegs, a movie that’ll be covered soon) and Stranger Thing’s Jaeden Martell. Alongside them Maxwell Jenkins plays Cage’s other son as the three of them navigate a post-apocalyptic world. Produced by Saturn Films, Redline Entertainment, and Highland Film Group all produced the movie and RLJE Films distributed it.
The family hides every night from creatures following a mass event that wiped out vast numbers of people. The brothers start to diverge in personality as they grow in this new world, one favoring being rational and putting survival above all else as opposed to the other wanting to take more risks in the hopes that they push past just survival and can thrive.
This seemed like a good movie and it started to get a little spooky once we saw what the family feared so much—which is a really slow build. Action is not my vibe and I found this to be more action dystopian YA novel vibe but for boys than horror movie. The monsters give horror but the actual movie itself doesn’t so much, and it’s entirely possible that it didn’t intend to be a horror movie when putting the plot and focal points together. I would recommend this to dudes that I know but it wasn’t for me so I turned it off about 1/3 of the way through.
The star studded cast and seemingly full reveal in the trailer of Abigail made me suspect this would suck. I felt like it might be a cash grab at the upcoming vampire and monster craze. On April 19 Abigail released in the US and I regret not going to see it in the theater. It’s directed by Matt Battinelli-Olpin and Tyler Gillett and produced Project X Entertainment, Vinson Films, and Radio Silence Productions, and distributed by…UNIVERSAL PICTURES. That’s right—we’re back baby. The cast includes Scream Queens Melissa Barrera and Kathryn Newton, Dan Stevens, Will Catlett, Kevin Durand, Angus Cloud (Rest in Peace—Abigail was filmed prior to his tragic passing July 31, 2023), Alisha Weird, and Giancarlo Esposito.
Abigail kept me interested despite seeming to be the most revealed plot ever based on the trailers. I went in wondering how they could stretch the story to 90 minutes when we knew that Abigail was a vampire and that the band of criminals hired to abduct her had actually been set up in a cage of sorts for Abigail to consume–yes, they actually gave all of that away in the trailer. I loved the ending and discovering that not only is Abigail not what she seemed (though she is a vampire) but that there might be more to explore with the characters and universe they have created around them.
This is another that I don’t want to give much spoiler to other than what is already known from the trailer because I think going in not knowing some details makes the viewing experience more enjoyable. More than pleasantly surprised by Abigail, and wanted to give a standing ovation for Barrera, Stevens, and Weir’s performances. Barrera and Stevens are 2 members of the hit squad hired to abduct a little girl and watch her for one night while her parents are extorted for ransom. It’s an easy enough job for the criminals and they all come in not knowing anyone else or any details about their new co-workers.
Quickly it becomes obvious that rather than the little girl needing protection from them that they need protection from her—she’s a vampire and she likes to play with her food, which is currently the hit squad. The house they’ve been instructed to stay in becomes their fortress and for some of them it also becomes their tomb. Again, this pleasantly surprised me despite being knee deep in old Universal Monster movies most of this year.
With a limited theatrical debut mostly focused on VOD release, the next movie: Bloodline Killer became available April 26th. The movie is directed by Ante Novakovic and written by Anthony Gaudioso and James Gaudioso. It’s billed as starring Bruce Dern, Tyrese Gibson, Shawnee Smith, and Taryn Manning. I’d argue however that Bloodline Killer is mostly about Smith and her family’s storyline which is a more than welcome circumstance. Multiple production studios made the film: Gaudioso Twins Films, Twelve 83 Entertainment, Jars Media Group, and Novakovic Brothers Productions and is distributed by Vertical Entertainment.
The plot is very TV show format with story A being the main through thread story, about the serial killer terrorizing the community around Halloween, and then stories B and C running consecutively sort of in the background then converging. It truly feels like a seasons worth of stuff happens during the movie. Despite this it’s another that pleasantly surprised me and wasn’t nearly as bad as I had thought upon learning of it’s existence.
Just want to appreciate Tubi and PlutoTV for a moment, they provide free access to channels upon channels of TV and film in exchange for watching ads while the costs of streaming services, cable, and cable alternatives like YouTube and Apple TV are all the same at this point price-wise.
Next on the list, Humane also released April 26 but in a very limited way and then became available in July to stream. Directed by Caitlin Cronenberg and written by Michael Sparaga I am so thankful I went in blind to this movie. Production companies Victory Man Productions, Prospero Pictures, Telefilm Canada, Red Jar Capital, XYZ Films, and Crave it’s distributed by IFC Films in the US. In a dystopian not-so-distant future where the environment has reached it’s limit society has resorted to unique ways to maintain order and relative peace.
All of the starring cast Jay Baruchel, Emily Hampshire, Sebastian Chacon, Alanna Bale, Sirena Gulamgaus, Uni Park, Enrico Colantoni, and Peter Gallagher bring their A-game. The writers have built a world that you learn about seamlessly as the plot drives forward, you solving the mystery of the circumstances as you go. It feels natural and well timed to discover the depraved vision of the future that doesn’t feel that radical now that Project 2025 is a possible reality.
Throughout the film depending on which character’s point-of-view you’re getting insight into it’s easy to see how that character could see themselves to be in the right. If you take each characters world view and apply it in a vacuum devoid of emotion and guilt they don’t sound as crazy. I think Humane is a good challenge to one’s morality and how harshly judgement is passed onto society while also absolving oneself of involvement…even when involved.
I loved this movie and I can’t recommend it enough, especially if you already have a Shudder/AMC+ subscription. Humane is a film on this list that had me putting my phone away, taking my constant AirPod out, and closing my laptop to watch. Regardless of watching Humane if you’re in the USA and can still register to vote for the upcoming Presidential election—please register to vote. Start by visiting Vote-dot-Gov and even if it’s too late for this election be prepared for your local elections and midterms; so basically it can’t hurt and tis our civic duty.
May started off with Tarot releasing on May 3rd, a Spenser Cohen directed film written by himself, Anna Halberg, and Nicholas Adams. It’s release was moved up from an original late June release date planned. The production companies Screen Gems, Alloy Entertainment, and Ground Control all produced the film and Sony Pictures Releasing distributes it. The main plot follows Haley, played by Harriet Slater, and a group of her friends including her recent ex-boyfriend Grant, played by Adain Bradley. She uses a spooky deck of tarot cards to read each person’s fortune while celebrating their friend’s birthday at a mansion.
The group’s sun signs are also incorporated into the lore surrounding the tarot deck and haunting. After having their fortunes read they start to die in ways associated with the fortunes they’d been told. Once they realize this it’s a game against time as the entity attached to the deck comes to fulfill their fortunes. Despite a critical and negative response to the film from moviegoers it is considered a box office success, making over 6 times as much as the budget for the film. I think in large part due to a lull during April and May of large scale theatrical horror releases despite that untapped market of moviegoers existing.
Next title — Silence of the Prey released May 14th in the US. Directed by Karyn Kudzina and Michael Vaynberg and written by Karyn Kudzina and Saro Varjabedian and I’m pretty certain it went straight to VOD. The film is produced by Savant Artists and now distributed by Tubi and other streaming platforms. We enter to a high key illegal and suspicious operation of providing undocumented maids to rich clients.
Despite the man whom the woman has brought the main character, Mary, played by Lorianna Izrailova, to work for not wanting children he eventually agrees to let Mary and her daughter stay with him while Mary is in his employment. A desperate Mary looks beyond red flags the old man is waving in her face and can’t blame her.
I liked the start of the film but started feeling lost in the plot and unsure what even happened. I started tuning out past that initial start that piqued my intrigue. The seemingly too good to be true employment set up ends up being just that and soon enough Mary and her daughter have to fight psychologically, emotionally, and physically to regain freedom.
By mid-May the horror roster picked up and I Saw the TV Glow dropped on May 17th in a limited theater release that quickly rolled into it’s streaming release by June. Both written and directed by Jane Schoenbrun the Lovecratian feeling horror is stunning. It’s stunning visually, how the story is told, and the superb acting that the leads Justice Smith and Brigette Lundy-Paine lend to the main characters’ journeys. The 1996 set story is told from the perspective of 2 teens struggling with their identities as they discover who they are. They bond over their shared love of a TV show called, The Pink Opaque.
I’m eternally grateful I went into this only knowing the above details and started getting teary eyed early on. I am not transgender but the effective story telling and silent, unspoken tension between the character’s and themselves is palpable. I related to the characters raw emotions and how they communicated their struggles through their show fandom, being reminded of my when I’ve felt those feelings and relating in ways only art makes possible. The two characters find solace in their similarities and in the show which mirrors the culture around Buffy the Vampire Slayer, a show that many teens enjoyed and featured a lesbian main character who had on screen relationships.
Produced by Fruit Tree, Smudge Films, Hypnic Jerk, and Access Entertainment distributed by the indie juggernaut A24, Schoenbrun has said in interviews that Emma Stone and her husband fell in love with the script immediately which started the process of getting the film made. I’m so tragically happy and thankful that movies like this are made and that stories like this can become an expansive representation of the commonalities in the human experience.
The much anticipated The Strangers new installment The Strangers: Chapter 1 released widely in theaters May 17th. Directed by Renny Harlin the first part of a trilogy of movies intended to be a relaunch of the franchise starring Madelaine Petsch from Riverdale and Froy Guiterrez from Teen Wolf. The pair play a young couple who stop in Venus, Oregon on their way to Portland only to be hunted by a 3 person group wearing masks. I’m loving the Oregon and Pacific Northwest love the last 5 years in horror, with movies like Longlegs and Antlers tapping into the spooky, foggy region full of supernatural lore, particularly that of Indigenous peoples from the area.
Produced by a list of companies: Lionsgate, Fifth Element Productions, Stream Media, Sherborne Media, and LipSync the movies are being distributed by Lionsgate. I’m not fully sure what the intentions of the reboot are in the sense that not much new information is learned about the trio, which is what I mistakenly thought it would be about. I didn’t go in blind to this one due to being a fan of the first movie and anticipating this release like many others.
Chapter 1 is widely not loved, getting below an average of 50% by large collections of reviews. Despite being relatively lackluster it still delivered enough on it’s promise to make almost 6x the budget during the theatrical release. I love Petsch and will still be watching the other 2 installments in the franchise, one slated to drop before the end of this year that will be included later in this list and the 3rd to come out in 2025.
Finishing off the month with a May 31 theatrical release, In a Violent Nature was written and directed by Chris Nash. The out of the box film was produced by Shudder Films, Zygote Pictures, and Low Sky Productions and is distributed by IFC Films in theaters, it’s largest release yet and on the Shudder streaming platform following that. Starring Ry Barrett as Johnny, a serial killer slasher who reanimates in search of a locket that had been hanging on a fire tower at the start of the film. This drew critical acclaim for it’s unique story telling through the POV of the slasher, with limited dialogue and a lot of slow walking in the forest.
Many of the murders Johnny subjects his victims to are absolutely gruesome and gnarly, with the added point that he goes after the entire friend group with equal venom over the locket—something they believed to be innocuous. I think basis is clever and often have seen forum posts or been part of conversations mulling over a horror movie from the slashers perspective.
The narrative is told in a way to make neither Johnny or the friend group well known to the audience, so the draw is more about seeing how the circumstances we see in slasher films play out from the POV of the killer. The killer deciding to go after one victim rather than another, or slowly approaching while they have slightly off screen conversations that are normally the focal point in horror films. I think it’s great for what it is but is one that isn’t my cup of tea.
Something that I thought would be my cup of tea, the highly anticipated movie, The Watchers, released via a wide theatrical release on June 7. The Ishana Shyamalan directed film kicked off summer horror releases is her directorial debut. Written by Ishana Shyamalan based on the acclaimed A.M. Shine novel of the same title. The large production garnered attention from the start, in part due to the cast that includes my girl, Dakota Fanning (happy as hell to have her back on my screen and been a fan of her acting since Uptown Girls).
The cast also includes Georgina Campbell from Black Mirror and Barbarian, Olwen Fouéré from Sunrise and Tarot just this year alone, and the most recent Sally Hardesty from the 2022 Texas Chainsaw Massacre, and Oliver Finnegan from Outlander but fairly newer actor on the scene. Produced by New Line Cinema, Blinding Edge Pictures, and Inimitable Pictures then distributed by Warner Bros. Pictures the film barely cleared it’s $30 million budget with a $33 million box office result. The initial trailers had many intrigued, including myself, but I definitely planned off rip to wait until this hit streaming to watch.
This is available on Max currently and I tuned out working on other stuff because the plot never picked up steam for me. I felt confused while fully tuned in and then couldn’t tell you the gist after that. I honestly don’t know if this is great or not because I got bored—which could just be a me thing but I feel slightly less bad about that due to the low ratings that fans and critics alike have given to the film.
The next up, All My Friends Are Dead released at Tribecca Film Festival on June 8 then later on demand in August. The thing that I knew about this movie going in was that JoJo Siwa was in it to some capacity. Directed by Marcus Dunstan and written by Josh Sims, Jessica Sarah Flaum, and John Baldecchi I thought it would be way worse than it turned out to be. Produced by Roundtable Entertainment and Film Mode Entertainment then distributed by Cineverse it’s performed as expected, not an instant classic or anything but not the worst thing I’ve seen or even close to the worst on this list. Jade Pettyjohn is the star of the movie who is attending a festival that is a revamp of a previous festival that ended in a serial killer committing murders based on 7 deadly sins.
There’s another story going on simultaneously with the current friend group, whom are all influencers, that lost a friend to suicide not long ago. Upon arriving where they’ll be staying they receive a text from someone claiming to be that friend, Collette, Siwa’s character. This starts off another version of the 7 deadly sins killings with each of them representing a sin. I don’t want to say too-too much because the twists are the most interesting thing but it’s truly 2-3 movies smashed into one. It makes it a little hoaky but it also works in making the overall story at the end better which makes the movie not so bad after all.
A break in one’s I’ve seen, Latency came out June 14 and was originally titled Hana’s Game. Directed and written by James Croke the movie stars Sasha Luss as Hana, an agoraphobic game tester. Produced by Grindstone Entertainment Group and Kaos Entertainment the film is an example of an increase of VR and/or AI being incorporated in horror trend during this decade. Hana receives her next assignment to review a game, which is a VR simulator and helper called Omnia. It claims to analyze the users brain in order to improve their lives like an AI assistant of sorts. The device quickly causes some horrifying side effects like uncontrollable realistic hallucinations and spasms.
You might be wondering why I didn’t give a spoiler warning and that would be because all of the aforementioned was in the trailer for the film. Latency is definitely a film I worry that too much is given away from the trailer to make the viewing experience enjoyable. I don’t know this however so this critique is only based on my limited knowledge from the trailer.
A movie about exorcism movies simply titled The Exorcism had a theatrical release on June 21. Directed by Joshua John Miller and written by Miller and M.A. Fortin, it was produced by Miramax and Outerbanks Entertainment and distributed by Vertical. With a big name like Russell Crowe and a good trailer it’s not surprising why it made $9.5 million at the box office despite being broadly disliked. The film also stars Ryan Simpkins as Crowe’s character’s daughter, and Chloe Bailey as a TV actress that the daughter befriends.
From just the trailer without having seen the movie myself I felt that it was an interesting concept, a cursed movie starts impacting the new lead and his family. Rather than just acting in a possession film he actually starts showing signs of possession while his troubled daughter acts as his personal assistant on set. The trailer confirms that an exorcism will occur but whether that is within the movie within the movie, nightmares, or apparitions is unclear. Unfortunately that might be the only thing unclear from the trailer which could lend to the critiques that it plays too heavily into cliches.
Blackwater Lane is a movie that was released both in theaters and onto VOD on the same day, June 21. The tandem technique to hit both markets of audience members while still offering a limited release is becoming an increasingly popular trend in horror as mention in the introduction. Directed by Jeff Celentano and written by Elizabeth Fowler and based on the book by B.A. Paris, Blackwater Lane is a supernatural horror film. Starring some recognizable faces Minka Kelly, Maggie Grace and Dermot Mulroney star in the film. The books that the story is based on came out in 2017 and is titled The Breakdown. The film was produced by Grindstone Entertainment Group, Clear Pictures Entertainment and distributed by Lionsgate Films. This release quietly came and went, not even detectable to me when starting this project earlier in the year.
The trailer jumps right into action displaying that jump scare horror elements will be alive and well. It also alerts to the questioning of the lead’s mental health and whether what she’s experiencing is in her head or she’s actually in danger and being haunted. Now that I see it’s available on Peacock Premium I’ll most likely watch this between recording and posting this video—it looks like the perfect mix of horror and thriller for a fall afternoon.
The much anticipated blockbuster horror movie, A Quiet Place: Day 1 hit theaters on June 28th and is now available to watch on Paramount+ streaming. The 3rd film in the Quiet Place franchise that’s intended to be a prequel and spinoff is directed and written by Michael Sarnoski with the story also by John Krasinski. Produced by Platinum Dunes and Sunday Night Productions and then distributed by Paramount Pictures, not a ton about the characters is known from the trailer and I think that is a superb way to watch.
To basically go into watching it knowing at most that it stars award winning actress Lupita Nyong’o as the lead alongside actors Joseph Quinn from Stranger Things, Alex Wolff from Hereditary and Oppenheimer, and Djimon Hounsou from A Quiet Place Part II, Black Adam, and Guardians of the Galaxy. This movie is another example of a stunning movie including the special effects, the truly phenomenal acting, the smaller details woven throughout coupled with mad symbolism, and the somehow uplifting spirit in light of the apocalyptic circumstances.
I loved that characters don’t start off the way that you think they would, that you see the hope, pain, and confusion surrounding the start of the silent universe from A Quiet Place. I loved the setting of New York and all of the interesting expansions on the lore for the creatures that became possible with the change in setting. It’s brilliantly put together and felt like a roller coaster ride despite knowing the outcome of the world and the invasion of these creatures.
We are truly spoiled this year, the Ti West directed and written trilogy came to a heart racing end with MaXXXine that hit theaters July 5th. We finally get to see more of Mia Goth as Maxine Minx from X the 2022 film that kicked off the trilogy before the sequel, Pearl, that time jumped back to 1918 Texas and also came out in 2022. Maxine isn’t the only interesting character however, Leon played Moses Sumney, and Elizabeth Debicki playing a British director who casts Maxine in The Puritan II, a sequel horror film that Maxine hopes will put her on the map and take her out of porn.
No idea what to expect when I went into the Motel Mojave and Access Entertainment produced film not knowing what to expect other than an 80’s LA set slasher film—which is what they delivered and then some. Michelle Monaghan, Bobby Cannavale, Halsey, Lily Collins, Giancarlo Esposito, and Kevin Bacon also star in the film. I liked this more than I anticipated I would and found myself sad when it ended, wanting to keep following the characters as they navigate the fallout from the movie’s rising action and climax. A24 strikes lightning again with MaXXXine and created an interesting and surprising film that embodies the excess, glamour, and grittiness of LA eighties horror tropes.
The next big theatrical release of the summer, Longlegs, employed unique tactics I haven’t seen in a long time to encourage ticket sales for the July 12th released movie. Aside from the first trailer the villain, monster man is mostly hidden which is an effective way to create fear, at least it was for me. In addition to this they employed heart rate monitor in the trailer and Nicolas Cage character reveal to heighten the anticipatory fear. Directed and written by Osgood Perkins this weird film has garnered a cult following online—my partner being one of those followers. Staring a 20’s Scream Queen Maika Monroe and household name Nicolas Cage
The 1974 set movie stars Maika Monroe, Nicolas Cage, and Blair Underwood from a number of huge movie and TV shows like Quantico, City of Angels, and Rules of Engagement. As mentioned during The Strangers: Chapter 1 review earlier in the video this is another film that takes advantage of the spooky PNW setting, taking place in Oregon. Starting with a small girl in a wide, clear, snow filled side yard of a suburban home, the film puts viewers at unease from the opening scene
From the opening scene the tenseness builds, causing shoulders to raise and confused fear to spread. Produced by C2 Motion Picture Group, Traffic., Range, Oddfellows, and Saturn Films the Neon distributed film cost under $10 million to create and made over 10x that in the box office generating revenue of $108.9 million. Receiving mostly favorable reviews around 70%-ish in general there are definitely some who did not appreciate the risks that the film takes.
Originally slated to drop on Netflix pre-2023 The Inheritance ended up releasing July 12 of this year and is distributed by Vertical whom acquired the rights. The movie was directed by Alejandro Brugués and written by Chris LaMont and Joe Russo. Produced by Paul Schiff Productions the movie’s plot sounds kinda wild. A billionaire, played by Bob Gunton, invites his family (including actors Peyton List, Briana Middleton, Rachel Nichols, Austin Stowell, and David Walton) to his estate and inform them he’s sent the staff and security home in light of an expected attempt on his life at midnight.
After assuring the group that he is hated enough to have evil entities coming after him. The trailer reveals that one of the sisters dies in a swimming accident and seemingly becomes possessed according to the trailer. If the group can keep the patriarch alive he’ll give them his $2 billion fortune. It’s a concept that could have legs and variety considering the diverse group of upper class snobs that make up the group. According to reviews however it doesn’t seem like it became more than a low or mid tier horror movie available to rent, receiving ratings generally less than 40%.
I still intend to watch this one however because I do like the premise and trailer as well as Knives Out like circumstances and settings. I like the mystery portion and that it has the family turned against it rather than one another. I do worry though that that would make it more sad than it needs to be if they make the family too endearing and likable only for the mysterious entity to kill them off one by one.
The Beast Within came out on July 26th and is called a quote-unquote “box office dud” raking in $51.8k at it’s opening week. Directed by Alexander J. Farrell and written by him and Greer Ellison, the mystery horror movie has finally released on VOD to rent but I have yet to watch it. The movie stars the man who played the man who knows nothing, Kit Harrington, Ashleigh Cummings, James Cosmo, and Martina McClements. They play family members who live in an isolated compound located in England. Despite having a seemingly happy childhood the daughter witnesses Harrington transform which opens her up to her family’s lifestyle. With a rating of 4.1 out of 10 on IMDb I’ll most likely wait until this is on a platform for free in order to watch it.
M. Night Shyamalan followed his daughter’s earlier horror release with a release of his own horror movie, Trap on August 2nd as a theatrical release. Both written and directed by him the movie plays with the concept of contained horror that is full of limitations to the plot and filming. The fact that it works so well is a testament to M. Night Shyamalan’s talent and how well it is coupled with Josh Hartnett’s talents. Hartnett’s portrayal of a serial killer trapped at a concert with his young daughter while a manhunt ensues to capture him is different than what I’d normally expect from him.
The movie was produced by Blinding Edge Pictures and is distributed by Warner Bros. Pictures and it cleverly keeps interesting and high paced throughout despite the limitations of concept and environment. Hartnett is able to convey a wide range of emotions with exquisite authenticity and a very Dexter aptitude about himself. I loved watching him figure out his next moves just as much as having oddly toned conversations with other concert goers as he navigates trying to escape without his daughter becoming aware of his serial killing.
The fact that we know from the trailer that he is the serial killer they are after, and even that he has a victim in captivity during this whole escapade intrigued me. I wanted to know how a concert’s worth of shenanigans could occur without everyone realizing something is amiss but it still be high stakes enough to be engaging. The movie has tricks up it’s sleeve left and right to keep the high intensity and put you on the edge of your seat determining if they are close to nabbing him or rather that he’s close to his escape. The film made a little under 3x at the box office what it cost to make the film, $82.7 million compared to $30 million respectively.
Less big screen and more meme-screen, The Mouse Trap released on August 6th straight to VOD by Gravitas Ventures after a previously scheduled theatrical release of the film got cancelled for reasons unknown. Directed by Jamie Bailey and written by Simon Phillips the movie was originally titled Mickey’s Mouse Trap after the subject matter, Mickey Mouse. Following the copyright for the 1928 Steamboat Willie animation went to public domain at the start of the year this horror adaptation got revealed to the public. Produced by Into Frame Productions and Bailey Phillips Productions it’s better than it should be.
The basis for The Mouse Trap being a man, Tim Collins played by Simon Phillips, becoming entranced when watching Steamboat Willie and then donning a mask he has in a glass case that he hears talking to him. A group of young adults throw a surprise birthday party that same night that provides a plethora of potential victims to the trance controlled Mickey Mouse mask wearing murderer. The film is a slasher and it’s not too bad in comparison to the 2 horror adaptations of Winnie-the-Pooh and the sometimes silly lore associated with it.
This could’ve been so much worse but it’s rather a decent B-horror film that just makes sense when watching. I don’t hate it and it’s definitely worth a watch on a streaming platform if you don’t mind a little less polish to your horror films. There is a sequel scheduled to come out in 2025, similarly to the other modern horror versions of Disney characters if there is an audience they will make them now.
Around the August 9th release of Cuckoo I had started going to the theaters more and had been seeing trailers like that for this movie. The second the trailer finished the first time I saw it I knew I’d be back in theaters to see it when it dropped—and I did. The movie is directed and written by Tilman Singer and stars Hunter Schafer from The Hunger Games: The Ballad of Songbirds & Snakes, Jan Bluthardt, Martin Csokas, Jessica Henwick, and Dan Stevens. It’s received mixed reviews that are mostly positive. It’s an acquired taste and I have that taste cause this movie was great. Produced by Neon, Fiction Park, and Waypoint Entertainment while being distributed by Neon the film is a joy to watch.
The plot transports watchers to the German alps where the resort that the blended family is moving to. The environment is eerie from their arrival but Schafer’s character, the family’s teen daughter, begins having bizarre and scary encounters with resort guests after accepting a job at the reception desk there. Schafer’s performance is absolutely magnetic and I both cried and got frustrated alongside her. Every time I thought I knew what would happen next they pulled a “yes…and” with things taking a turn. Highly recommend this weird one, it’s captivating and scary at the same time.
Milk and Serial is next up and quite an interesting horror movie that released August 9th onto YouTube. Directed and written by Curry Barker he also produced the film himself for $800 and released it for free onto YouTube—where this video also is so think about giving this movie a watch after you watch this. Starring Curry Barker, Cooper Tomlinson, and Adith Alvarado it is a found footage style film around a birthday prank that becomes more horror movie than comedy movie between social media influencers. This really does feel like found footage put together by internet sleuths posthumously of YouTubers involved with a crime.
Since YouTube’s inception in 2005 it’s grown to be the largest video hosting platform on the internet connected to Google, the popular search engine. This movie is a perfect example of the vast use of the platform including as a movie publishing and distributing method. The fact that such a great movie could be made with less than $1,000 makes me raise an eyebrow to every multi-million dollar production that flopped horribly. In a weird way it felt like the close future, lower budget but higher quality films published in nonconventional ways.
The plot reminded me of the real life Sam Pepper and Sam Colby “KILLING BEST FRIEND PRANK” video posted to Pepper’s YouTube channel as a supposed prank gone wrong that ended up being a hoax on all fronts. The plot of Milk and Serial feels like the dramatization adjacent version but way more intelligent and layered than a bad and dark internet prank. While watching I didn’t realize the budget or that it had only released to YouTube, I just assumed that it was a smaller production that didn’t have restrictive copyright and got uploaded.
On the furthest away, opposite end of the 2024 horror movie spectrum Alien: Romulus officially released on August 16th in theaters around the US. With a whopping budget of $80 million I came into this with an eye roll, having seen the action-sequence-packed trailers when going to see other movies this summer. In my defense the IMDb page has it’s own custom red color scheme, which is just…a lot if you’re being a hater. My occasional cynicism tugged me to believe this was a cash grab without much care about the quality aside from the space action—I knew a little bit about Prometheus and most of what I’d heard wasn’t exactly good. You might be wondering why I’m saying all of this and that would be so I can eat my own words and then glaze this movie without feeling like as much of a hypocrite. Directed and written by Fede Alvarez it is also written by Rodo Sayagues, and based on the characters created by Dan O’Bannon.
The production companies Scott Free Productions, Brandywine Productions, TSG Entertainment did their big one in my humble opinion. Distributed by 20th Century Studios the marketing for this film was intense and flashy. Starring Cailee Spaeny from Priscilla and The Craft: Legacy, David Jonsson from Industry, Archie Renaux from Shadow and Bone, Isabela Merced from Transformers: The Last Knight, Spike Fearn from Tell Me Everything, and newer actress Aileen Wu all delivered stellar performances. This coupled with the interesting backdrop of the people suffering on the colonies in the future dystopian Alien universe are in hindsight obvious reasons this would pop off.
Regardless of the writing on the wall I reluctantly went to see Alien: Romulus in theaters–I shit you not I had planned once the trailers ended to gauge when it would be acceptable to go to the bathroom. Once in the bathroom I planned to put a show on YouTube or Netflix to listen to via one AirPod while I sat through a space alien movie—2 things I am genuinely afraid of and don’t enjoy watching. Less than 5 minutes into the opening however I suddenly realized that it had the same vibe as the original Alien movies but filmed on high-tech equipment which is my absolute favorite combo.
Romulus gives Stranger Things and Fear Street while serving a heartfelt tale of resilience that truly displays the desperation of these colonists and adds context to the original movies. On the one hand it’s retro while being futuristic but it’s following stories we wish we had from the time period following Alien. The installment takes place between the events of the first and second movie in the universe, so colonists aren’t aware of the Xenomorph yet but it’s destined on a collision course of fate that the viewer knows about and can dread despite on screen celebrations.
Immediately I wanted to know more about Rain and Andy, the Android and human sibling pair played by Spaeny and Jonsson respectively. The plot comes together seamlessly, making each of their often teenage brained decisions make sense despite the viewer knowing the outcomes and potential risk-reward analysis that would stop someone from doing what they’re doing.
Watchers go into watching Romulus with no secrets about the Xenomorph or face huggers, we know about the implantation of eggs as well as the birth of the creature from within the chest cavity of it’s victim. Even that however gets a clever rejuvenation that elevates the story while making the universe even richer. Wu’s character, Navarro, gives a stunning performance coupled with creative special effects that make even that iconic sequence more horrifying than ever.
More than a few times I had my jaw hung open and my hand covering my agape mouth in absolute shock of what I was seeing in the best and worst ways. I started Team Andy and won’t say where I ended up–but even Fearn’s character, Bjorn, became endearing at points, his misguided rage understandable and relatable once we learn about his past. I’m not a huge Alien franchise fan and have barely watched the movies so take this with a grain of salt but I loved the references and almost homage to things that happened in the original movies. I enjoyed this watch and became truly terrified of whatever the hell that is–and if you’ve seen this you know what I mean. Actually jumped and gasped in the theater. This is now one of my new favorite movies and I can’t recommend it enough, even if you’re not a huge Alien fan.
Stream released theatrically to much less fanfare on August 21. The movie is directed by Michael Leavy and written by himself, Robert Privitera, Jason Leavy, and Steven Della Salla. Produced by Fuzz on the Lens Productions and distributed by Iconic Events the movie is Tim Curry’s return to the big screen. The film also stars Jeffrey Combs, Charles Edwin Powell, Tim Reid, David Howard Thornton, Dee Wallace, Danielle Harris, and the iconic Tony Todd.
Focused on a family who are seeking to reconnect and spend time together decide to stay somewhere that turns into a nightmare for them. They must survive what is a murder game competition put on by a deranged man, whom is Combs’ character. It looks like it’s mid-tier and I’d expect it’s more than a little unpolished, probably something I’d put on in the background rather than set time aside to watch in a dedicated way.
Afraid released into theaters on August 30 and is directed and written by Chris Weitz. Starring John Cho as the father character, Katherine Waterson as the mother, Lukita Maxwell as their teenage daughter, and Wyatt Linder and Isaac Bae playing the family’s 2 sons. This is an example of AI making an impact on media, the plot is about an AI assistant that opens the door to seemingly supernatural forces and coercive control of susceptible family members.
The movie was produced by Columbia Pictures, Blumhouse Productions, and Depth of Field and is distributed by Sony Pictures Releasing. The combination of supernatural and science fiction is one I really enjoy and I would’ve gone to see in theaters if life had been a little less busy at the time. I’m looking forward to watching it when it comes to streaming, which could be soon due to the film costing $12 million and only making $12.6 million—which is admittedly a lot if you haven’t already spent $12 million.
The Deliverance released onto Netflix on August 30 and I honestly don’t want to spend much time talking about it. Directed by Lee Daniels and written by David Coggeshall and Elijah Bynum it’s just pretty odd. It simultaneously attempts to recognize the harm of tropes while playing so heavily into them that the original intention is obscured. Starring Andra Day and Glenn Close the biggest takeaway is the viral clip that I can’t believe they kept in the movie.
The Deliverance wasn’t too bad up until about half way, granted the mother was abhorrent but it is horror after all. It got weird however when the solution was blind belief in religion without any action to back it up in order to stop possession. I probably won’t watch this again due to the last half of the film and the permanent what-the-fuck expression that overcame my face during it.
The response to The Front Room that released into theaters on September 6th, has me nervous for Brandy. I’ve seen many a trailer for this movie as it’s also an end of summer release that got a decently large promotional campaign. The Max Eggers and Sam Eggers written and directed movie is considered a psychological horror and is based on a short story of the same title by Susan Hill. Produced by Two & Two Pictures and 2AM and then distributed by A24 the film stars Brandy, Andrew Burnap, Neal Huff, and Kathryn Hunter. Making only $3.6 million at the box office I cannot imagine that covered a national social media ad campaign coupled with salaries for people like Brandy.
It’s unclear if the source material even focuses on race but the movie certainly hones in on it and the challenges of an interracial marriage. Which by the way if you didn’t know there are legislators who sit in Congress right now that have openly stated this year that they believe the Supreme Court decision Loving v. Virginia that legalized interracial marriage in the USA should not have been decided the way it was. They have claimed they want to send the decision back to the states the similarly with how abortion rights. As we’ve seen with the issue of reproductive healthcare access states can complicate the lives of and punish their own constituents in the pursuit of winning a culture war only they are fighting. All of that to say please go vote, even if you don’t want to watch this movie that I also haven’t seen, at least register to vote.
Beetlejuice Beetlejuice is another theatrical horror release but this one is for most of the family. The sequel hit theaters as one of the biggest horror blockbusters on September 6th. Of course it will never be able to beat the original I will say that for a sequel that is 36 years after the original it was stellar. The real seller, draw, and high point are the actors that came back from the original, Michael Keaton, Wynona Ryder, and Catherine O’Hara to reprise their roles as Beetlejuice, Lydia Deetz, and Delia Deetz. 2020’s Scream Queen Jenna Ortega joins them as Astrid, Lydia’s teen daughter.
The family, extremely successful and wealthy, come back to the iconic house in Winter River on the hill. This go around we get out of the house more and experience more of the world around it as well as the underworld that it sometimes serves as a portal to. I loved the traversing through dimensions and space that the plot follows, as well as all of the lore we got to learn that was missing from the first one. Back in the 80’s the lore of something wasn’t as big a deal but now it can be a seller or detriment to a piece of media.
For the most part I liked the lore that this movie added to the universe, expanding it with more characters, settings, and abilities of the recently deceased. A couple of scenes made me go, “seriously…?,” because they felt out of place and a touch too far in particular around the baby Beetlejuice thing. I also didn’t love the Soul Train of stuck 1970’s black folk dancing for all eternity to usher you to the train to the beyond but never going themselves. It exceeds expectations aside from those things and the extra long song sequence in the chapel.
Speak No Evil came out September 13 via theatrical release and is still in some theaters upon recording this. I haven’t gone to see this and am waiting for the streaming release and/or for it to be available to rent rather than just buy. Based on the 2022 film of the same title this version is directed and written by James Watkins. Starring James McAvoy, Mackenzie Davis, Aisling Franciosi, Alix West Leflet, Dan Hough, and Scoot McNairy the story is a psychological horror movie. A family from the US stays with a British couple who is also vacationing in Italy but the patriarch of that family, played by McAvoy, starts to push boundaries and behave in odd ways that cause discomfort and discontent to the family staying with them.
The trailer reveals that the young boy that is McAvoy’s son has had his tongue cut out. That tracks with what appears like abuse towards him from McAvoy right in front of the family in the same trailer. It seems obvious and clear that it will be a “how far will he actually go?,” plot that escalates with intermittent releases of energy and lulling back into a false sense of safety or brushing aside concerns.
The body horror movie, The Substance, released into theaters September 20 and was met with disgusted walkout. That of course just made me more interested in seeing this, albeit from the comfort of my home to audibly express disgust and to pause-slash-fast forward if needed. Written and directed by Coralie Fargeat the movie stars horror icon Demi Moore, Margaret Qualley from Maid, Poor Things, and Kinds of Kindness, and the uber famous Dennis Quaid who’s career spans back to 1975.
I want to go in as spoiler free as possible so the most I know is: the movie is about a mysterious substance that provides youth and vibrance of some sort to people grappling with aging called The Substance. I’ve seen some review headlines and starts of TikTok’s about the film that mention the commentary on the standards that women face and the lengths that some will go to to keep their grasp on the limelight despite grave consequences.
Bagman released in theaters September 27 and stars Sam Claflin from Hunger Games: Catching Fire. Directed by Colm McCarthy and written by Josh Hulme the movie is about a childhood threat returning. Something that previously tormented Claflin’s character in his childhood is now coming for his family, forcing him to not only confront it but defeat it and/or protect his family from it. Currently there is no release date for when this movie will be available by VOD or streaming platform but I am really hoping it’s before Halloween.
Never Let Go also hit theaters on September 27th but is now available to buy which leads me to believe it will be available to rent soon. The film is directed by Alexandre Aja and it’s written by Kevin Coughlin and Ryan Grassby. Starring Halley Berry as a woman who must keep herself and her 2 children alive in a remote forest cabin. They are running from something called The Evil that has forced the world to end and them being the only survivors.
The one thing I’ll remember about this movie is Halle Berry doing promo with Rob from this summer’s Love Island, which doesn’t make much sense to me. I don’t care much for this style of survival horror especially with
kids involved so I probably will skip this one unless my partner puts it on or something.
Azrael originally released in theaters on September 27, distributed by IFC Films and it’s set to be available to stream on Shudder later this year. Directed by E.L. Katz and written by Simon Barrett, the action horror movie takes place after the Rapture. Survivors left have to now deal with humanoid demons that prefer to eat humans. Samara Weaving from, Ready or Not?, Is the lead character who is part of a cult focused on not speaking to the extent of having their vocal cords surgically removed.
When things fall apart they are ousted from the cult which kicks off the events of film, of which I have little idea. Produced by Traffic. and C2 Motion Picture Group the film made around $554k at the box office. I will watch any survival anything with Weaving and the likelihood of it being available on Shudder within the next few months is something I’m looking forward to.
Going into watching the Paramount Pictures created film Apartment 7A after it’s September 27 release onto the Paramount+ platform I knew very little. I only knew that it took place in NY sometime in the past and followed an aspiring creative played by Julia Garner, who is exceptionally good in a variety of roles like those in The Assistant, Ozark, and Sin City: A Dame to Kill For. If I saw her ankle roll and/or snap one more time however I don’t know if I could’ve finished the meal I was eating, because ouch.
Garner does an amazing job delivering the quiet desperation and naivety that lead the main character to take up the too-good-to-be-true hospitality from a wealthy elderly couple played by Dianne Weist and Kevin McNally. A broadway producer played by Jim Sturgess lives in the same building as the couple.His character, who Garner follows to the building serves as a fluid segue way into all 3 being involved in the main characters life despite her being extremely down on her luck and about to give up her dreams.
I had no idea this was a Rosemary’s Baby prequel and I know very little about that film but this made me want to watch that one. I love period pieces especially in cities like New York City and especially especially around entertainers like the dancer at the center of this movie. I liked how the danger that this new life poses is obvious if you read between the lines but can feel like a jump scare shock if you aren’t paying close enough attention. I think it was well paced towards the end of the movie but it definitely felt like it was missing something, maybe a little more meat to the story arc of the main character. I recommend giving this a watch, especially if you have a Paramount+ subscription already.
Oddity released initially in theaters on July 19 in the US but became available on Shudder September 27th. Directed and written by Damian McCarthy this film is a slow burner mystery with a medium at the center of it. Following her twin sister’s murder Carolyn Bracken’s character, Darcy Odello, goes to see Johnny French’s character, Ted, her sisters husband, in order to glean more about the unsettling death of her sister. A former patient of Ted’s is blamed for the murder after he came to the country house when Darcy’s sister was there seemingly alone. He warns her that someone with nefarious intentions is near and Darcy’s abilities have led her to believe there is more to the story than Ted or the authorities have let on.
Using a wooden mannequin from her oddity collection Darcy visits Ted’s country home, the setting of her sister’s murder, to better utilize her abilities to solve the case. Ted’s new girlfriend is horrified by the whole situation and serves as the first person to notice supernatural and odd things occurring particularly around the weird mannequin. I think I need to watch this like 2 more times to truly appreciate the attention to detail with the story telling and building fear.
Now going back to the original content with House of Spoils that released on Amazon Prime on October 3rd. Directed and written by Bridget Savage Cole and Danielle Krudy the movie was produced by Blumhouse Television, Divide/Conquer, and Secret Engine. Distribution is of course Amazon MGM Studios as it’s an example of original content that came out this year.
The first half struck me as horror, the rotten food, super mold, and rampant bug infestation coupled with our protagonist starting to lose it. The lines between supernatural, reality, and psychological are heavily blurred early on but with more clarity the horror elements subsided for me. I enjoyed the characters a lot and loved the portrayals by all 3 main characters.
The outcome isn’t necessarily what I expected and it did leave me wanting more, to close up literally any storyline. I’m not sure if it even has a horror ending or just…well..it’s free with subscription if you have Amazon Prime, and I would recommend a watch.
The new Salem’s Lot finally released onto Max on October 3rd and if you have been following along it’s been years of pushing back for this release. It’s been so long that the main characters went from young boys to whole teenagers. After fears it would be shelved entirely Stephen King, one of the writers, publicly commented on the delays which is believed to have made the final push to get the film released directly to streaming. I had figured it sucked because Warner Bros. Pictures, one of the production companies alongside New Line Cinema, Atomic Monster, Vertigo Entertainment, and Wopler Organization didn’t seem to want people to watch it. I was very, very wrong.
This movie is so good? Questionably good in fact. Directed by Gary Dauberman with a screenplay also written by him the film is well written, well cast, and the effects fit within the realm of possibility while still being intensely effective. It reminded me a lot of Doctor Sleep in the best ways and carried that eerie Northeastern aura that many of King’s projects possess. I don’t want to spoil this much as I don’t know how popular the original is and I managed to go almost totally blind into this which made learning about the universe more fascinating while I watched. This is a great movie for Halloween season and I’m glad that it got released in time to be enjoyed this year.
The newest V/H/S installment, V/H/S/Beyond dropped on Shudder October 4th. This one is 5 segments that exist within another narrative—similar to other V/H/S movies with this one having a particular lean towards extraterrestrials and alien encounters. The segment tapes for this movie are provided by a Redditor who claims they purchased the set of tapes at a market and that they prove an alien encounter.
The mockumentary is the interlude narrative between segments and I thought the idea was interesting and fresh for the franchise, it made it more believable for today’s found footage culture as opposed to thieves recording themselves or someone live streaming something dangerous. The newest anthology movie was produced by Shudder Original Films, Bloody Disgusting, Cinepocalypse, and Studio71 that is now available to watch on Shudder.
The first segment, “Stork,” is directed and written by Jordan Downey and also written by Kevin Stewart, the second segment is titled “Dream Girl” and is directed and written by Virat Pal and written also by Evan Dickson, the third is “Live and Let Dive” directed by Justin Martinez and written by both Ben Turner and Martinez, the fourth titled “Fur Babies” is directed and written by Christian and Justin Long, and the fifth is “Stowaway” that is directed by Kate Siegel and written by Mike Flanagan.
Not going to say much because half the fun of watching these is figuring out what the hell is going on in the snippet of tape included. What I will say however is that I like the segments “Stork” and “Fur Babies” the most. I didn’t care much for “Live and Let Die” or “Stowaway” but again, that is a me not loving aliens thing I think. I think that “Dream Girl” is mid but I do like the commentary on celebrity and paparazzi that it provides even if the story didn’t hit for me.
A short theater release has transitioned into a streaming run for Little Bites, starting with an initial release of October 4th. Written and directed by Spider One the RLJE Films and Shudder project is about a mother who decides to offer a demon in her basement victims that she procures instead of said demon taking her daughter. I haven’t watched this one yet but based on the trailer I will be watching it this spooky season. I like the focal point of motherhood and usually love horror movies that expertly delve into the subject matter. I will caution it does look on the grosser side.
Things Will Be Different released October 4th in theaters and at the same time on streaming by Magnet Releasing. Directed and written by Michael Felker it is about estranged siblings played by Adam David Thompson and Riley Dandy, who come back together after a failed robbery that successfully acquired them $7 million and a high likelihood of being caught.
The home they intend to hide in is said to have a closet that transports people which ends up working for the duo.A well rated release so far, Things Will Be Different is a reality bending space time continuum focused film that I can’t wait to watch.
Terrifier 3 came out recently on October 11, we all know what Terrifier is at this point. Art the Clown gruesomely murders a skewed female plethora of victims just because he comes into contact with them. I didn’t make it through the 1st movie and I have not put another on since because it is the exact opposite of most of what I look for in a horror movie. I think if you like these movies have at it but I’m not forcing myself to watch something I know I’ll strongly dislike.
Smile 2 is set to hit theaters October 18 and has been virtually impossible to not see a trailer for. I will say however that the trailer looks really good and I like the continuation of it with 2020’s Scream King Kyle Gallner reprising his role in the franchise. Naomi Scott plays the lead who is a pop star, opening up the possibilities for the Smile demon exponentially while also being the 2nd film that includes stadium shows this year. I don’t know much about the story yet but this will likely be my Halloween time theater visit.
The Radleys is set to release in theaters and on VOD via Sky Cinema on October 18 and is based on the 2010 novel of the same title by Matt Haig. Directed by Euros Lyn and screenplay by Talitha Stevenson this British horror comedy is the tale of a family of vampires that abstinent until their teens blood thirst becomes no longer hide-able.
Starring Damian Lewis, Kelly Macdonald, Harry Baxendale, Bo Bragason, Jay Lycurgo, Siân Phillips, and Shaun Parkes I am not in a personal rush to see this film. I love vampires and have noticed the recent trend of talking about the connection between vampires and the recession—which is fascinating. Despite this love I am just not as inclined to watch movies with strong comedy elements over other subgenres of horror.
Your Monster is coming out on October 25 via theatrical release. The film is both directed and written by Caroline Lindy and follows Melissa Barrera’s character Laura, an actress who discovers a monster that charms her in her time of need. Tommy Dewey is the monster and actors Kayla Foster, Edmund Donovan, and Meghan Fahy also star in the film. Produced by Bombo Sports and Entertainment and Merman the Vertical Entertainment distributed film is already being reviewed favorably. This is on my list to go see in theaters once it releases, especially as a romantic-y Halloween horror movie.
Releasing on Netflix the same day, October 25, Don’t Move is directed by Adam Schindler and Brian Netto and written by T.J. Cimfel and David White. Starring Kelsey Asbille, Finn Wittrock, and Daniel Francis it follows a killer who used a drug to paralyze his victims. It particularly focuses on one of his victims, played by Asbille, who quote, “run, fight, and hide,” before she’s physically unable to. I have a Netflix subscription so I think I’ll watch this at some point but I’m not rushing to put it on my list or itching to see it. I am interested in seeing Wittrock from American Horror Story as the killer however which will be the driving force behind my decision to watch.
Time Cut is also coming out on Netflix but 5 days later on October 30. Hannah MacPherson directed and wrote the screenplay alongside Michael Kennedy who is also credited with the story. Produced by ACE Entertainment it will only release to Netflix. Starring Madison Bailey, Antonia Gentry, and Griffin Gluck not much was known about it until very recently to recording this video.
The premise of Time Cut really sounds like Amazon Prime’s Totally Killer movie that came out in 2023 except instead of a mother-daughter pair it’s a sister duo and the younger sister travels back to 2003 instead of the 80’s. I’m in my late 20’s and remember 2003 so it feels weird as hell that we’re already time traveling back there in media and that’s just normal sounding. I, of course like many of the other Netflix releases, I’ll watch this movie heading into Halloween and am cringe-excited to see 2003.
Heretic is a blockbuster horror film set to hit theaters on November 8. Starring award winning actor Hugh Grant, Sophie Thatcher from Yellowjackets, Chloe East from Generation, and the Topher Grace from a household favorite, Spider Man 3. The plot seems straightforward: 2 Mormon missionaries visit a home to proselytize to the seemingly open owner who actually has nefarious intentions.
What is completely mind bending is that the man’s home is actually a labyrinth that challenges the 2 women in more ways than one. Both directed and written by Scott Beck and Bryan Woods it was produced by A24, Beck/Woods, and Shiney Penny and being distributed by A24. I’ll be going to see this in theaters and I have high hopes and expectations.
Following the theme of motherhood horror this year, Nightbitch is expected to release December 6 in theaters after previously being set to release onto Hulu. The film is directed by Marielle Heller who also wrote the screenplay based on the book by Rachel Yoder with the same title. Production companies Annapurna Pictures, Archer Gray, Defiant by Nature, and Bond Group Entertainment produced the film that is being distributed by Searchlight Pictures.
Starring Amy Adams and Scoot McNairy the plot follows a stay at home mom with the propensity to turn into a dog. The trailer highlights her Adam’s characters challenges with being a stay at hoe mom and shows the transformation into dog beast as a way to let loose and be free and in control, a metaphor.
Werewolves is set to release December 6th but not much is known about it and no trailer has released. What is known is that it’s directed by Steven C. Miller, written by Matthew Kennedy and stars Katrina Law, Frank Grillo, and Lou Diamond Phillips. The plot is said to be 2 scientists stopping people from mutating into werewolves after being touched by a super moon the year prior.
Get Away is also set for a theatrical release on December 6, produced by Wayward Entertainment, Resolute Films, Film Service Finland, and XYZ Films. The film stars Nick Frost, Aisling Bea, Sebastian Croft, and Maisie Ayres who all go on a vacation to a Swedish island. Once they get to said island they are downtrodden to discover that a serial killer is doing his killing there. The film is set to release on Shudder in 2025 for those that miss the IFC Films theatrical release this winter.
The big and much anticipated Nosferatu remake is slated to hit theaters on Christmas Day, December 25. From my Universal Monsters project I know that Nosferatu is based on the Dracula novel by Bram Stoker and had to be renamed due to copyright issues with Universal Pictures in the 30’s. It’s really cool to see the story coming to life again this year and this film is what inspired me to re-look at the Universal Monsters project. I personally think that watching some of the older Dracula movies and Nosferatu will make viewing the new movie even better.
I love knowing the details that they are and aren’t including and the artistic interpretations that are easily comparatively analyzed against similar pieces from the past. I’m super excited but I tend not to go to the movies on Christmas out of principle that I don’t think theaters should be open on a holiday, especially when everything else is closed. I will however see this immediately after Christmas and am hoping to avoid reviews until then so I can go into it with just my perspective coloring my viewing.
Several movies are slated to come out this year but the closer we get to the end of the year with no news the less likely that becomes. Those movies are:
Return to Silent Hill – 2024
The Strangers: Chapter 2 – 2024
Witchboard – 2024
Conclusion
That is all 70 of the ones I’ll be going into detail about. So, what do I think so far of the movies that I’ve seen in 2024 and what I know about the upcoming ones? One word I’d use to describe this year of horror is “refreshing” especially in regard to the creative chances that are being taken across the board. Alongside risks are tried and true reboots and remakes of famous franchises or titles that draw large audiences to the theater, “butts in seats,” as they say.
More than 140 horror films will probably come out this year barring major changes in the release lineup. The average caliber is way higher than I would’ve guessed for that many movies of the same genre coupled with some studios and producers taking on multiple horror projects of varying size. Despite not being able to cover every movie I am excited about the plethora of options both domestic and internationally for the genre. I have the desire to watch as many of this year’s movies as possible as a personal goal which I might post about on Instagram.
Examples of Genre & Audience Trends
As mentioned earlier in the video some of this decade’s film trends are: an increase in non-linear plots, film marketing on social media, audience desire for more diverse storytelling, the use of AI and VR, release strategies with streaming as a forethought rather than an afterthought, more money being spent on original content by streaming juggernauts, and the favorite subgenre amongst young adults in the USA being psychological horror.
Examples of non-linear story telling from 2024 are All My Friends Are Dead, The Watchers, and Milk and Serial. All 3 incorporate timelines that assist in story telling by obscuring details about the plot while also revealing everything due to the order in which the action is viewed and what information the viewer has as that action occurs. I think this is effective because the lack of context can heighten the fear around innocuous things and cause fears to subside about things that you shouldn’t let your guard down around.
Social media marketing has become so normalized it’s easy to forget that not too long ago. During my own marketing education even knowing how to effectively use each platform was a highly coveted skill as opposed to something that populates a search query with pages upon pages of AI articles explaining the industry from top to bottom and back again. Most theatrical releases are coupled with some degree of social media marketing now. Great examples are Trap, Longlegs, Smile 2, Never Let Go, and MaXXXine, that all preceded their releases with large ad campaigns and press tours.
A growing desire for diverse storytelling has also provided guidance to the industry. Examples of diverse storytelling in 2024 horror alone are Your Monster about a cancer patient, Oddity about a blind psychic medium using a mannequin to solve her sisters murder, The Substance about a Hollywood queen struggling with aging and suffer grotesque things to turn back the clock, The Deliverance a mixed family religious film, and I Saw the TV Glow a stunning and relatable portrayal of the inner struggle to be oneself despite society’s urging for you not to.
In no surprise to anyone the incorporation of virtual reality and artificial intelligence is on the rise in the film industry. As we make advancements in the real world it’s no wonder that that has bled into media and that the fears surrounding those advancements have inspired horror concepts. Movies like Latency, Stream Afraid, and It’s What’s Inside (which isn’t covered in detail but is seriously so enjoyable to watch and sort of horror adjacent).
Another trend, release strategies can be identified when looking to how studios have approach releases based on past successes and failures. I’m particularly highlighting films that released in theatre but with the intention of a quick turnaround to releasing on VOD or streaming platforms. Movies from 2024 of Horror lists that fit that criteria are Sunrise, I Saw the TV Glow, Humane, Oddity, Blackwater Lane, and Things Will Be Different.
In the case of Sunrise, Blackwater Lane, and Things Will Be Different didn’t seem to benefit from this release strategy. On the other hand I think the strategy lent to the virality and potential for virality that the movies I Saw the Tv Glow, Humane, and Oddity have using the same strategy.
The streaming platforms have poured more money into creating original content for a variety of reasons including the ownership of the copyright and the added loyalty it can provide to users paying subscriptions in order to maintain access to that media. Some streaming originals from 2024 are Festival of the Living Dead and Slay both Tubi originals, History of Evil and V/H/S/Beyond that are Shudder releases, Apartment 7A is a Paramount+ original and House of Spoils is an Amazon original movie.
With psychological horror being the most liked and least likely to be disliked by surveyed movie watchers it makes sense that there will continue to be a high number of psychological horror films. The high interest in horrors of the mind matches the trends we’re seeing of increase mental illness and lack of resources for mental illness treatment in the US.
I like the current trends and want to see more of what I’m seeing but I’m sure there’s many a fan that can’t wait for the pendulum to swing back to slow-mo running scenes, silent art films, or PG-13 cash grabs.
Final Thoughts
I’ve noticed and enjoyed the reboots of famous franchises and staple films like Alien: Romulus, Beetlejuice Beetlejuice, The Strangers: Chapter 1, Salem’s Lot, Apartment 7A, and Festival of the Living Dead already coming out and Faces of Death and Return to Silent Hill anticipated soon.
Owned intellectual properties that have built in audiences and recognition being (for lack of a better word) recycled is a smart and easy way to ensure you’ll make at least some money back as a studio. In light of the strikes that followed the Global Pandemic it would be weird if Hollywood studios weren’t turning to tried and true, fan loved works to remake
In addition to the reboots, revivals, and new installments in older franchises sequels are also big this year. Titles like Smile 2, Terrifier 3, The Platform 2, V/H/S/Beyond, and Winnie-the-Pooh: Blood and Honey 2.
Complicated leading ladies have taken center screen this year also, Maika Monroe in Longlegs, Hunter Schafer in Cuckoo, Kathryn Newton in Lisa Frankenstein, Glenn Close in The Deliverance, and Mia Goth in MaXXXine are examples and I think it paid off for almost all of them. These titles stick out in my mind as some of the creative risks mentioned earlier.
In addition to complications some things have gotten easier, like coveted copyrights expiring on big Disney characters like Bambi, Mickey Mouse, and Winnie-the-Pooh. All of the aforementioned have horror movie franchises being built around them with titles coming out this year and more slated for 2025. It’s within reason to figure that whenever another character’s copyright expires the horror movie adaptations with universes built around them will start to be made.
Sort of in the same spirit I’ve noticed more experimentation like the slasher POV from In a Violent Nature, a self made and self published film Milk and Serial, a big stakes and high intensity escape film Trap, a dystopian family drama that commentates on where some of the cultural subsets would end up in this dystopian universe, represented by a family and employees we follow in Humane, a transgender coming-of-age partial homage to Buffy I Saw the TV Glow, a film that is confined to a backyard pool Night Swim, and a reimagining of Lisa Frankenstein from the most unsuspecting creator—a teenage girl in the 80’s.
I’d wager the most common story themes center around dystopian, alternate realities following calamitous and disastrous events. The vibe directly relates to the real world right now and how many are feeling especially in light of natural disasters like Hurricane Helene and Milton or the wildfires that ravage swaths of forest at an alarmingly increased rate. It makes sense to me that we’d find comfort in pretend dystopian realities while fearing possible real versions of dystopian realities.
Thank You!
On that note, make sure you register to vote and take a look at your local politics goings-ons. The dystopian realities are a little easier to enjoy watching when the possibility of a Kamala Harris presidency is right around the corner. Regardless of what genre or movie or studio you think is the real highlight of 2024 thank you for watching this 2024 of Horror video. I don’t even want to know how many hours I spent on this project and the burnout is definitely real. Last month my intention was to post the full iZombie video but life happened instead.
So, this video is being posted obviously after you’re listening and then sometime before the end of the year I’ll be posting the iZombie video (fingers crossed) and at least part 2 of the Universal Monsters series if not part 3 depending on how well I can bounce back from the other projects.
What is RRH?
Red Rose Horror started as a hobby passion project. Following my official completion of my degree in 2020 (ha…ha) I felt that I wasn’t prepared with the types of skills the jobs I wanted required me to have. I couldn’t figure out how my peers seemed to be showing up just full of knowledge, experience, and cool things like portfolio websites. Anyways, I started RRH as a way to try and have those things myself, especially the ability to use different tools and platforms that jobs expect. About three years deep this past August I am really glad I started the website and putting myself into something just because I wanted to.
Where to Follow
If you can relate to that or are interested in horror reviews give this YouTube a follow. I intend to make my videos more of a blend between serious overview and more of my own thoughts, another skill I’m now working on, starting with this video. If you’ve made it this far you’re probably my partner, which if you are thank you for always supporting me! If not, then thank you, seriously I appreciate it and would love to know what you think in the comments, even if it’s negative feedback. Selfishly because posting online can be like shouting into a void wondering if it’s just bots “shouting” back at you.
My Instagram used to be more personal but I transitioned to more content focused which has in a lot of ways zapped the fun out of it, so with that being said I’m most likely going to transition back to more personal posts and using it as a dual account that’s my personal account in combination with Red Rose Horror.
If you are interested in more horror there are 3 part AHS series, a Midsommar review, a 2 part Coming-of-Rage series, and part 1 of Universal Monsters videos posted to this YouTube channel now. Article versions of this video and others are up on this website now.
