The horror genre has been thriving for years now, to the delight of fans like myself. Some of the best horror movies have been released during the current renaissance, while we're still able to look forward to upcoming horror movies. I personally saw 18 horror movies In 2024, and while 5 were great, 3 failed to thrill me.
While spooky season always brings some chilling titles, new horror flicks were released all year around in 2024. That includes titles that got a full theatrical release, as well as those which were brought to audiences through a Peacock subscription or other streaming services. Without further ado, here were the highs and lows of this year's horror for me personally.
High: Alien: Romulus
The Alien movies have had plenty of highs and lows over the years. And while some fans weren't fond of the Prometheus era of the sci-fi franchise, director Fede Álvarez it to its former glory with Alien: Romulus. The movie was a super sensory audience experience, which was further enhanced through 4DX screenings in certain locations.
Set between the first and second movies of the franchise, Romulus follows a group of space colonists who put themselves in extreme danger while trying to scavenge on the USCSS Nostromo. There are non-stop scares once they enter the station, including a new Alien creature called for the record books called The Offspring. Now give us a sequel!
Low: Night Swim
We probably should have seen this low point coming long before Night Swim actually hit theaters. After all, the crux of the movie is that a family just keeps going swimming in their haunted pool, despite all sorts of spooky things happening. While it worked a short film, trying to expand it into a full theatrical release was easier said than done.
While Night Swim's concept was tough enough to get into, the movie's actual execution also left something to be desired for me. I simply wasn't scared throughout its 98-minute runtime. Critical response to Night Swim was also brutal, so I wasn't alone in these criticisms.
High: Longlegs
Longlegs has definitely been one of the most viral horror movies of 2024. Nicolas Cage's title character was both deeply creepy and instantly iconic, and is still being turned into memes to this day. And that memorable performance was achieved with rather limited screen time in the movie itself.
Directed and written by Osgood Perkins, Longlegs follows Lee Harker (Maika Monroe) an FBI agent who is investigating the titular killer. There is both a very real and supernatural elements at play, and it is a thoroughly unsettling experience that's seemingly got staying power in the genre as a whole.
Low: Salem's Lot
Give the writer's long list of horrifying books, plenty of Stephen King movies have come and gone over the years. Salem's Lot is just one on that long list, but unfortunately I didn't enjoy the adaptation quite as much as I wanted to. And I'm a sucker (pun intended) for vampire projects.
On paper it seemed like this movie would be a home run, with a strong cast as well as writer/director Gary Dauberman at the helm, who had worked on acclaimed horror projects like Annabelle: Creation and IT. But for me the movie lacked an emotional impact, and I could have used some more scares along the way.
High: Smile 2
This one took me way too long to see, but it was totally worth the wait. While I missed it's theatrical run, I was able to watch Smile 2 with my Paramount+ subscription, and I think it's one of those rare cases where a sequel ends up surpassing the original. And I really liked the OG Smile.
Rather than focusing on a regular person, the sequel sees the smile curse passed on to a pop star Skye Riley (played by Naomi Scott). Her forward-facing career forces her to constantly be around people, allowing the demon to haunt her and slowly maker her lose her mind. There are some great scares in the film, and Scott's performance in particular is unbelievable... and that's without even considering her musical numbers.
Low: Tarot
Tarot was one of the fist horror movies of the year, and it unfortunately was also one of the weaker entries in my opinion. Directed and written by creative pair Spenser Cohen and Anna Halberg, the movie focuses on a group of students who use a Tarot deck, which brings all sorts of terror upon them. But it failed to reach the heights of other genre entries of 2024.
Tarot had some strong actors in its cast, including familiar faces like Spider-Man actor Jacob Batalon and Mean Girls standout Avantika. CinemaBlend's Tarot review went so far as to call the horror flick "cliche-ridden", and indeed the movie's writing seemed to be its biggest issue among most critics. At least the genre has nowhere to go but up from there.
High: Abigail
Not all horror movies need to be strictly scary. Adding comedy can often make projects doubly enjoyable, and that's the MO for Abigail directors Matt Bettinelli-Olpin and Tyler Gillett. After all, that's partly why their previous projects like Ready or Not and the last two Scream movies ended up being so successful.
Abigial continues this legacy, complete with Scream actress Melissa Barrera as the main character. A group of kidnappers are tasked with guarding a young girl overnight, but it soon becomes clear that she's actually a murderous vampire. There are great scares, as well as truly meme-able dialogue, like when Kathryn Newton's character doesn't know the difference between garlic and onions.
High: Trap
M. Night Shyamalan movies sometimes get flak, but I'm personally a big fan of the visionary and twisty director. As such, I went into Trap hoping for the best, and the project did not disappoint. Like Abigail, this movie has a number of comedic elements, and is arguably the funniest movie Shyamalan has ever made.
While fans worried that Trap's twist was spoiled in the trailer, the movie's action extended way past Lady Raven's concert. Josh Hartnett's performance is truly outstanding, especially as he pivoted between being a murderous killer and pretending to be an innocent father. And now I personally want to see Shyamalan add more comedy to his horror projects.
