For a year that seemingly kind of sucked across the board for a lot of people, in a lot of ways, it’s pretty remarkable that 2024 delivered so many incredible horror films as it did. While revisiting my Letterboxd list of movies that I caught, I was pleasantly surprised to see how many films I not only liked but loved.
Recurring themes of feminine power and reproductive rights served as a cathartic release to the infuriating realities surrounding us all, while a diverse roster of young filmmakers delivered many varied and vibrant worlds that were a joy to behold. Even the legacy sequels that 2024 gave us all felt worthy and welcome in a way that previous years did not. While this doesn’t mean there weren’t some stinkers, overall, I say goodbye to the horror films of 2024, one happy horror camper. Though tough to narrow down to just 10, here are my 2024 top 10 fave horror films.
10. SMILE 2
The pop girlies reigned supreme with the music of 2024, and seeing that throughline mirrored with movies like SMILE 2 and TRAP only solidifies this fact. Boasting one of the most incredible opening sequences of the year, Parker Finn’s SMILE 2 was the sequel I never really wanted but was so happy to get. Naomi Scott’s performance as the complicated pop star Skye Riley is electric, magnetic, and downright terrifying. Seamlessly transitioning from main-stage dance numbers to emotional breakdowns to taut horror scenes, Scott sells them all so well that it’s easy to forget that Skye Riley doesn’t actually exist. There’s also an unapologetic meanness about SMILE 2 that I admire and appreciate. It would have been easy for Finn to take SMILE, hit ctrl+c and ctrl+v, and call it a day, but he didn’t. Finn swung for the fences and, in my eyes, hit the ball out of the park.
9. ODDITY
Few films this year spooked me the way ODDITY did. Sure, many films had unsettling, uncomfortable or downright gross moments, but ODDITY scared me. And I’m pretty sure that was the point. First off, all the ingredients to pique my interest are present in ODDITY — a home invasion, psychic sisters, antiques, a remote country house, killer props, and folk horror elements. However, it is how director Damian McCarthy deploys these components that creates an incredibly unnerving atmosphere of dread and tension. Plus, that wooden man dummy thing? I mean, come on. Rarely has a horror prop physically done so little and been so creepy.
8. IMMACULATE
As an unashamed disciple of nunsploitation and religious horror movies, I was present and seated for IMMACULATE as soon as possible. Despite being pretty unfamiliar with star Sydney Sweeney’s prior filmography, I was aware of her it-girl status and intrigued by her open enthusiasm for this project. As Cecilia, an American nun newly transferred to an Italian countryside convent, Sweeney captivates. Along with Sweeney’s excellent performance, director Michael Mohan’s clear appreciation for nunsploitation tropes and classics had this convert thanking the cinematic gods for bestowing this blessing upon us. But it was ultimately IMMACULATE’s bold ending that sealed the deal for me and solidified the film’s place on this list.
Bonus: Check out my Dread Central interview with IMMACULATE composer Will Bates for an in-depth look at how he created the film’s beautiful score.
7. LONG LEGS
I’m a sucker for a good procedural thriller anytime, but add in Nic Cage and Maika Monroe, directed by Oz Perkins, and I am all in. Considering this information, it’s probably unsurprising that LONG LEGS ended up on this list. However, it was actually how LONG LEGS deviated from my expectations that secured its spot here. By infusing a familiar formula with unexpected supernatural elements, Perkins created a world where anything is possible, and everything is unsettling. Police procedurals are, by their very definition, predictable in a lot of ways, and Perkins pushes back against that idea to glorious effect. Plus, LONG LEGS gives us one of Cage’s most iconic characters ever, and that’s saying something, folks.
6. ALIEN: ROMULUS
After a full year of covering the ALIEN films over on Halloweenies, my hype level for Fede Álvarez’s new entry into the franchise was off the chart. While having high expectations typically seems to work against me when it comes to seeing a new film, Alvarez really beautifully created a world that felt simultaneously fresh and familiar. Cailee Spaney delivers a great Ripley stand-in performance as Rain and manages to make the role entirely her own (minus those Reebok’s, of course). David Jonsson continues the age-old ALIEN tradition of complicated android characters and keeps that particular conversation alive with Andy. And even while he delivers the most cringe line of the movie (iykyk), I couldn’t help but still be a fan of his at the end. On top of that, Alvarez delivers some unique and jaw-dropping moments, scenes and set pieces, and a powerful thematic undercurrent that proves he was an excellent choice to direct. And no, I will not be discussing the character of Rook or taking further questions on the matter.
5. THE FIRST OMEN
Unlike ALIEN: ROMULUS, I expected little from this prequel to the 1976 classic, THE OMEN. To be honest, my initial thought was, “Why?” And then, when I finally caught the movie, I realized, “Ahhh, this is why.” Directed by Arkasha Stevenson, THE FIRST OMEN stars Nell Tiger Free as Margaret, a novitiate sent to Rome to finish her nun journey. Not surprisingly, Margaret soon finds herself in a whole mess of trouble involving conspiracy theories and the Antichrist. Not only does THE FIRST OMEN efficiently connect the dots between films, but it also utilizes the story of THE OMEN to address issues around women’s reproductive rights in a way that feels appropriate and more important than ever. Shockingly gory and grotesque at times, Stevenson, in now way, had to go as hard as she did with this film, but thank god she did.
Bonus: Check out my Dread Central interview with composer Mark Korven for an in-depth look at how he created the film’s killer score.
4. EXHUMA
Directed by Jang Jae-hyun, EXHUMA is a South Korean horror movie that follows a couple of young shamans, a geomancer and a mortician, who take on a job that challenges them in every way possible. Featuring elements of folk horror, cultural trauma, the supernatural and real-world history, EXHUMA blends them all seamlessly into a truly excellent movie. Choi Min-sik of OLDBOY fame is wonderful as experienced geomancer Kim Sang-duk, while Kim Go-eun and Lee Do-hyun bring a refreshingly vibrant and modern energy as the young pair of shamans. EXHUMA is touching, funny, engrossing, and beautiful to watch. But most importantly, it is also effectively unsettling and scary enough to have you checking those window locks before settling in for the night.
3. CUCKOO
Since I wasn’t necessarily a huge fan of director Tilman Singer’s previous film LUZ, I went into my screening of CUCKOO with tempered expectations. However, when I left the theater, I knew few films could top my love for what I had just experienced. CUCKOO is so weird, in the best possible way. And even better, there’s no hidden agenda for that weirdness; it just is. In a lot of ways, it reminded me of some of the more absurd giallo offerings that exist.
Set at a German Alps resort, Hunter Schaefer is awesome as the disaffected young cool girl, while Dan Stevens forever secures his place in my heart as the ridiculously odd Herr Konig. The sound design is amazing, the creepiness effective, the story just bananas enough to keep you on your toes — I loved every second.
2. NOSFERATU
Easily my most anticipated film of the year, Robert Eggers’ long-awaited NOSFERATU did not disappoint. Deliciously rich and engrossing, I, too, succumbed to the darkness so expertly crafted and executed. Despite being a more literal telling of the NOSFERATU story than I perhaps expected from Eggers, the creative decision to do so didn’t bother me. There’s something truly beautiful about representing a classic tale to a modern audience and doing it so well.
In the film, Lily-Rose Depp captivates as Ellen Hutter and sells the physical and mental toll her connection with Orlock has taken incredibly well. As Orlock, Bill Skarsgård becomes unrecognizable in every way possible while crafting a version of Orlock that is both unexpected and singular. In fact, every single member of the cast (and crew, for that matter) came to play and brought something worthy to the table. I absolutely adore a film that allows me to disconnect and get lost in a world, and for me, NOSFERATU is just that.
1. THE SUBSTANCE
It’s hard to explain the thousands of thoughts that were racing through my brain while watching, nay, experiencing THE SUBSTANCE, but I’m pretty sure they all boil down to the general idea of, “Fuck yeah.” What Coralie Fargeat delivers with the film feels so intimate, so unabashedly and undeniably hers, while simultaneously tapping into an abstract thought process that feels equally prevalent and enigmatic. It’s vibrant, energetic, bold, beautiful, sexy, terrifying, and disgusting.
Every cast member, every outfit, every shot composition, piece of set design, and car on the street feels intentional and considered in a way that I’m honestly in awe of. I can’t even imagine the thousands of thought pieces and essays that will spawn from this movie, and I can’t wait to read every single one. At the same time, THE SUBSTANCE retains a vital element of fun and a sense of humor that will allow it to exist and thrive as a mere piece of entertainment successfully. More of this, Hollywood, please and thank you.
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