I love horror films throughout the year. But every October, I am a pig rolling around in mud watching as many as I can throughout the month. 2024 marks the 13th year I’ve watched #31HorrorFilms31Days.
Now maybe I’m getting better at picking them. Or maybe the current crop better suit my sensibilities. But this has to be one of my favorite years to date, and it will be hard to even put together a top 10. And that’s the beauty of the horror genre – I can lump things like Alligator and Longlegs together in the same breath when talking about a solid crop of first time watches. These films have horror that ranges between physical gags where a dead person’s intestines are used as a rope to soul crushing, dreamlike realizations that you are dying a slow death by not living as the person you were meant to be. Fun stuff!
Here are the movies I watched in the order I watched them:
- Saw X
- Trilogy of Terror
- Longlegs
- Satanic Hispanics
- Infested
- MaXXXine
- The First Omen
- The Strangers: Chapter 1
- Horror Noire
- In a Violent Nature
- Livescreamers
- I Saw the TV Glow
- Alligator
- A Quiet Place: Day One
- #MissingCouple
- V/H/S/Beyond
- Skull: The Mask
- Under the Shadow
- Demons 2
- Terrifier 3
- Abigail
- Possession
- Faces of Death
- Oddity
- Late Night with the Devil
- Mr. Crocket
- Campfire Tales
- Master
- The Last Broadcast
- Smile 2
- Time Cut
My Wife’s Rankings
My wife is not a horror fan, but thanks to proximity and Stockholm Syndrome she does end up watching some horror movies every year (including voluntarily seeing Smile 2 in the theater with me!). Here are the ones she enjoyed:
3. A Quiet Place: Day One
2. Smile 2
1. Abigail
She also saw Jennifer’s Body for the first time which she thoroughly enjoyed.
My Rankings
Before I get to a very arbitrary top ten since there were so many notable first watches this year, here are some “Also Ran” movies that didn’t quite make the top of the list but I wanted to mention. These are roughly in order from least surprising it didn’t make my top ten to most surprising. Hopefully that adds a little suspense
Time Cut
Time Cut is…not a great movie. But it definitely cut the deepest when I realized the main character time traveled back to the faraway time that was my sophomore year in high school aka 2003. The whole movie felt like a big “feel old yet?” complete with peak nostalgic music like Hilary Duff’s “So Yesterday” and Avril’s “Complicated”.
The conclusion of the movie features one of the most deranged resolutions I’ve ever seen presented as completely earnest and logical, so there’s that if you are so inclined. Otherwise, besides the Millennial nostalgia it offers I’d suggest everyone stick to the far superior Totally Killer aka one of my favorite watches last year.
Demons 2/Alligator
If you like 80s cheese, these are both must watch films imho.
For some reason, I’ve put off Demons 2 but I’m so glad I finally watched it. It isn’t quite as disgusting as the original Demons, but still chockful of disgusting demonic transformations and goopy cheesy 80s fun. A highlight is the random flock of fitness enthusiasts working their brains as hard as their sweat-sheened muscles to try and defend themselves against the mob of demons.
I’m not usually a monster movie gal, but Alligator was a cheesy fun time that made me laugh out loud far more than it intended to. My “skeet” of it summed up its perfection: Pure 80s creature/B movie magic – a worthy watch for any connoisseur of schlocky Jaws derivatives, people who wondered what would have happened if Chance the Snapper had gone on a killing spree, and/or people who love the alligator scene from Resident Evil 2.
Livescreamers
You had me at “screen horror by way of a diverse group of Twitch streamers playing a mysterious new horror game.” And much like the terribly delightful Stay Alive…you are never going to believe this…if you die in the game you die in real life! Muhahaha!
Mr. Crocket
Some sinister shenanigans that are greatly elevated Elvis Nolasco’s zany performance as the titular Mr. Rogers-like character who escapes the confines of VHS tapes of his old TV show. Once in our world, he takes his commitment to protecting children from irresponsible parents a bit too seriously.
Possession
This has got to be one of the most unhinged movies I’ve ever seen. Parts were so gross and/or unsettling, and other parts were some of the funniest (basically every interaction between Sam Neill and his wife’s new boy toy). It doesn’t give you much room to breathe and process – just like the ill-fated couple at the heart of the story you are swung wildly from emotion to emotion and moment to moment. I’m really glad I finally crossed this one off my list after all these years.
Late Night with the Devil
I’m also a little surprised this isn’t in my top ten. I think this was hampered by getting a little bit overhyped in my mind as well as me having a fair sense of what tricks it was going to pull. Still, major points for creative style and commitment to capturing a certain time period and type of live television show. This is another movie that has a Silent Hill 2 vibe that you see coming but still can have some good old “psychological torment sorta fun” with.
A Quiet Place: Day One
I honestly liked A Quiet Place: Day One more than the originals (I can accept a service cat who runs a muck but is also loyal as hell despite torrential rain and aliens, but I draw the line at getting pregnant again knowing damn well the world you are now living in!), even if it didn’t crack my top ten. I also love that Lupita Nyong’o is so game to take horror roles and take them seriously at that. This movie has all the big budget apocalypse-movie porn you could want if you enjoyed movies like The Day After Tomorrow and Independence Day, while grounding the spectacle in a really compelling story of two people and a cat connecting amidst the disaster.
Abigail
It doesn’t matter if you know what is going on with the girl in Abigail – it is still a really fun mystery/suspense movie. I’m so glad to see Radio Silence and Melissa Barrera working together again and forever be annoyed we are not getting a Scream VII continuing her storyline. This and A Quiet Place: Day One are just straight up good movies that would be good crowd pleasers even for people who aren’t generally fans of horror.
I Saw the TV Glow
Much like when the credits of Hereditary ran the first time I watched it, I sat in my seat after watching this being like “yes…I definitely understood all of that…” and started frantically searching the Internet for analysis to help me properly digest what I just watched.
Most horror films deal with acute horror. There’s a build up and then a jump scare. There’s a creepy visual or two. There’s a masked killer who kills a bunch of babysitters or camp counselors and is defeated or at least subdued. I would dare say while most hint at evil never really dying, most feature an extreme day or two of trauma and then the incident itself is effectively over and the survivors are left to try and pick up the pieces of their lives. Not to say that would be easy, but just that it happens quickly and then stops.
I Saw the TV Glow is chronic horror. And it pokes at a fear I’m not sure I’ve ever seen any other horror film address. It is that bubbling bit of doubt that sometimes feels mild enough to suppress for days, weeks, months, and eventually even years at a time. It shows that some can sleepwalk through most of their life knowing something is profoundly wrong and just…go through the motions of existence anyway. Stopping every now and then when the universe pokes at the pain and says, “Something is wrong. This is not the life you were meant to live.” Unlike a masked man actively trying to murder you, this feeling can be suppressed and ignored. But its long term damage while it gestates means something truly horrific: a life stripped of self-actualization and authenticity. A life that dances on the outskirts of actually living.
This isn’t to say this film is for everyone. It has a haunting, uncanny, and slow vibe that is not going to work for all viewers. I did roll my eyes at one particularly overwrought monologue, and one of the visual effects of a very serious scene really took me out of the moment. But I think some of the themes and ideas it is tapping into with are worth an open-minded watch. And I love what this movie means for a lot of queer and particularly trans people I’ve seen singing its praises.
Longlegs
It is a little hard to place this movie – I’ve seriously gone from having it in the middle of the top ten to dropping it just outside the numbered list. It was definitely very tense in moments, but also very A24 in combining a movie that grounds itself firmly into reality and then decides to be…not so grounded in reality but not really give satisfying explanation to how things work in its universe. Am I dumb for wanting someone to properly explain how the brain balls work?
As someone who watches movies in spite of Nicholas Cage as opposed to because of Nicholas Cage, I didn’t mind him at all in this. Longlegs himself is not really in a ton of the movie, and I think what they were doing with the character was very effective when they do feature him as a result.
But enough of the Also Rans, here is the actual top ten:
10. Under the Shadow
From Google: After Shideh’s building is hit by a missile during the Iran-Iraq War, a superstitious neighbor suggests that the missile was cursed and might be carrying malevolent Middle-Eastern spirits.
So many horror films try to marry themes of trauma and real life horror with the supernatural, but this one really succeeds in exploring both simultaneously. It is also the kind of movie that excels at showing and not telling – you can just see the impact of the Islamic Revolution and the Iran-Iraq War on our protagonist Shideh as moves through the world. The movie provides no easy answers or resolutions, capturing the persistent horrors of being attacked and uprooted by war. After a while, much like Shideh you don’t know what to trust. Is that your own child or a mysterious and evil Djinn?
This also has the most harrowing toaster smash jump scare ever committed to cinema. I love this movie, but it is on sight if I ever meet the director over that one.
9. V/H/S/Beyond
From Google: Six bloodcurdling tapes unleash horror in a sci-fi-inspired hellscape, pushing the boundaries of fear and suspense.
A Bollywood number in a V/H/S was not on my bingo card, but I’m so glad it exists. (But also, when is this banger gonna get dropped on Spotify?!).
I wasn’t sure how I would feel about a science fiction-inspired V/H/S, but in this case a franchise going to infinity and beyond was the right call to freshen up the vibe while still playing around with the found footage formula.
And as a huge Resident Evil fan, “Stork” was a dream come true at yet another glimpse at how good a more faithful, live-action Resident Evil film could look.
The last segment is the kind that sticks in your guts after they’ve recombobulated again. Such an utterly existential and horrifying thing to imagine.
9. In a Violent Nature
From Google: When a group of teens takes a locket from a collapsed fire tower in the woods, they unwittingly resurrect the rotting corpse of Johnny. The undead killer soon embarks on a bloody rampage to retrieve the stolen locket, methodically slaughtering anyone who gets in his way.
This is not going to be everyone’s cup of tea, but it has the most insane kill I’ve seen in a newer horror film outside of the Terrifier movies. My wife heard my reaction to the “yoga” death from the other room and asked what was happening. I responded “I’m not quite sure how to explain what just happened in words.”
But the thing I absolutely love the most of this movie is seeing a Final Girl respond the way I would in this particular situation. Kris knew this was not a game of Pretty Pretty Princess worth playing, and I respect her for that.
8. Saw X
Hoping an experimental treatment can cure his terminal cancer, John Kramer aka Jigsaw aka “I never murdered nobody no sir” travels to Mexico to get treatment only to discover a new batch of morally dubious victims people to test.
This movie made me feel what I believe Marvel fans feel when they watch the billionth Marvel movie that does the same thing it always does with some self-referential jokes topped off by an appearance by random unexpected character or two. In order words, Marvel fans: I see why this gets you hyped every time and I appreciate you.
Despite being set between the first and second Saw movies chronologically, Saw X ties together a bunch of the things you’ve come to love and expect from the series in a satisfying way. That includes a certain fan favorite character making an appearance that feels Brat-coded before that was a thing. And that other character? He’s in here too in a Marvel-like cameo in a mid-credits scene.
The movie also pokes fun at itself while poking at actual dismembered organs – an absolute favorite moment is when John Kramer sees a man about to rob a hospital patient’s room, and we are treated to an extended fantasy sequence of the man being trapped in an eyeball vacuum trap. I don’t know what they are teaching at the civil engineering school John Kramer went to, but like wondering about the places he purchases his torture equipment from or how he acquires so much isolated industrial buildings I guess I won’t ask too many questions.
There is a scene in this movie where a character pulls out a deceased woman’s intestines, calmly says “we have a rope now”, and starts swinging it around to try and get at a cell phone to contact help to escape Jigsaw’s game. This is the kind of scene that absolutely disgusts or delights you, and it was a perfect start to my #31HorrorFilms31Days adventure this year.
7. Horror Noire
From IMDb: Presents together six horror stories from Black directors and screenwriters
This is one of the more consistently good anthologies I have ever seen. Other than gorehounds, I think there is a segment for virtually any horror fan type in here. You want period pieces? This has it. Need a thoughtful meditation on what it means to be a good father? Done. Need a lake monster? Come on down and take a swim! No need to listen too carefully to your neighbor who just warned you not to go swimming down there.
There is some comedy and cheese purposefully sprinkled in, but I really liked that the stories weren’t afraid to be serious, scary, and sad during certain segments. Also, a big shoutout to whoever said “you know what? We can just string these stories together sans a wraparound.” I thank that person for their service.
One of the more disturbing segments involves watching a loved one get radicalized, and even with an obvious goof where you can see the film crew in a reflection it was still really heartbreaking. Especially in light of the exhausting past 8 years of American politics. Half the stories felt timeless, and the other half were right on the pulse of contemporary fears and concerns.
The last segment is worth the price of admission alone and has the most earned “hell no” I’ve heard in any film.
6. Terrifier 3
From Google: After surviving Art the Clown’s Halloween massacre, Sienna and her brother struggle to rebuild their shattered lives. As the holiday season approaches, they try to embrace the Christmas spirit and leave the horrors of the past behind. However, just when they think they’re safe, Art returns, determined to turn their holiday cheer into a new nightmare.
I owe Terrifier 3 its own post just to discuss how it compares to Terrifier and Terrifier 2 in my mind.
The TL;DR is that I think this is the most approachable out of the trilogy and a perfectly gross and entertaining slasher movie, but it falls short of Terrifier 2 imho despite my issues with Terrifier 2 (once again reiterating I also really liked it despite how it made me feel in certain scenes! I even just wrote a follow up of sorts saying it was the first horror movie I turned to for catharsis after November 6th!).
I doubt Damien Leone would ever admit it, but like Eli Roth with Hostel II I think he secretly took a lot of his criticism to heart when putting this movie together. The ratio of prolonged, male deaths is much better than the previous films, and the deaths of women don’t feel as exceptionally cruel in comparison as a result. The movie spends large sections focusing on Sienna and her attempts to recover from the brutal trauma she experienced at the hands of Art the Clown. Even Victoria’s expanded role and…disturbing behavior is explained in a way that retroactively makes the nasty stinger of a post-credits scene in Terrifier 2 make much more sense.
My main criticisms with Terrifier 3 is that it isn’t a complete story. For all my issues with Terrifier 2, it at least can be watched as a satisfying story in and of itself. Terrifier 3 is just buildup for Terrifier 4 and it shows with a third act that is strangely paced and unsatisfying (likely from cuts Leone made). It is probably going for an Empire Strikes Back vibe, but it just left me a little frustrated.
It also might have suffered the same way Smile 2 suffered a bit for me in knowing what kind of tricks to generally expect.
Still, you bet I’ll be seeing the next one in theaters as soon as it comes out. And seeing Terrifier 3 hit number one for the box office is a win for horror as a genre. Despite my own mixed feelings about these movies, I appreciate how they manage to feel simultaneously nostalgic and fresh, dangerous and increasingly mainstream.
5. MaXXXine
From Google: In 1980s Hollywood, adult film star and aspiring actress Maxine Minx finally gets her big break. However, as a mysterious killer stalks the starlets of Los Angeles, a trail of blood threatens to reveal her sinister past.
I feel like a bit of a goof putting this so high, but it was like catnip for me! A messy modern take on a gritty 80s giallo that only works if you are okay with style over substance. Each scene is interesting even if the overall narrative and especially the third act may feel like a letdown if you need a more cohesive story. But this really had an advantage in planting Mia Goth in exactly the type of movie I enjoy. It was also icing on the cake having Lily Collins aka THE Emily Cooper from Emily in Paris in a small role as well. And the kill scenes and body reveals are especially gnarly. As someone who didn’t care for X that much but really vibed with Pearl, this one ended the trilogy on a high note for me. It’s fun to see a truly “take no shit” type of Final Girl.
4. Smile 2
From Google: About to embark on a new world tour, global pop sensation Skye Riley begins to experience increasingly terrifying and inexplicable events. Overwhelmed by the escalating horrors and pressures of fame, she must face her dark past to regain control of her life before it spirals out of control.
Some of the most fun I’ve had squinting through almost an entire movie I paid to see on the big screen!
I really enjoyed Smile and Smile 2 is more of the same twisted, gory tricks. It lost a bit of its power just because you will know some of what to expect (the entity disguised as people, vicious and pervasive jump scares), but the formula is too fun to fault it for that. And some of the twisted scene transitions are so needlessly but skillfully done, the film is a feast for the eyes when you aren’t squinting.
What really works for Smile 2 is Naomi Scott’s performance as the traumatized but still edgy and strong fictional pop star Skye Riley. She is a fun character to follow and it is a seriously great performance. The character was definitely giving me strong Demi Lovato vibes. And it is such a fun idea to center a pop star in a horror film.
Also the ending of this one is unforgettable. Sick, shocking, and handled with proper horror as the end credits devolve into a disturbing experimental track that is one of the more unnerving pieces of music I’ve heard in a horror film. This year, I realized I have a small pet peeve or ick when a movie transitions to end credits with a song that doesn’t fit the tone of the ending (I’m looking right at Longlegs). It is my personal conspiracy theory that movies do this to change your mood a bit and dispel the dark tone they created, but I want to bask in the atmosphere you set up. Smile 2 lets you bask in the finale to the point it is uncanny and uncomfortable and I love that it just went there.
3. Infested
From Google: Passionate about exotic animals, Kaleb brings a venomous spider home, but it accidentally slips away. Soon, residents of the apartment building are battling an army of deadly, rapidly reproducing spiders.
This is such a treat if you can stomach the amount of spiders in this movie (but it is probably a terrible idea to actually try and eat them – don’t do that). Infested manages to combine some interesting social commentary with scares without letting the commentary override the horror. It also allows its characters to be truly likeable and therefore make it more of a gut punch when they don’t make it. And this is definitely a movie that doesn’t mind killing characters who would typically be safe in a studio release.
I also loved the random blasts of catchy French rap music. At points it felt like we were all connected despite our differences – the characters were bobbing their heads…I was bobbing my head…and if you panned over, the spiders were bobbing their heads to some of this.
2. Oddity
From Google: After the brutal murder of her twin sister, Darcy goes after those responsible by using haunted items as her tools for revenge.
Do you want to tense your muscles for over 90 minutes as a form of “fun”? Do you enjoy cursing at your TV screen to feel alive? This is the movie for you! Hitchcock suspense with supernatural jolts to absolutely cook your nerves.
For real, this might be the most continuously tense I felt throughout a movie this year (although Smile 2 predictably won the award for the most squinting throughout a movie). I love the combination of different creepy elements. A lone woman in a spooky stone house is told by an escaped patient from her husband’s mental institution that a man is hiding in her house and she is left to choose going outside with the escaped patient or staying inside but risking that he is right. A sister with seemingly supernatural abilities including her insanely creepy wooden statue.
Sure some of it is predictable, some of it is frustrating, but those moments don’t take away from how successful the movie is at completely wrecking your nervous system. This definitely takes the cake for the most times I repeatedly said “don’t do that” or some variation of the F word. I loved every second of the anxiety this movie caused in me.
1. The First Omen
From IMDb: A young American woman is sent to Rome to begin a life of service to the church, but encounters a darkness that causes her to question her faith
Loving horror movies can often lead to wading through the rough to find those rare gems that blow you away. As a result, I go into most viewings with low expectations. With The First Omen being a modern prequel of a classic horror film, my expectations were low enough to be in hell where Damien’s real father lives. I knew people (including ones I trust) were saying this is actually good. But I couldn’t shake the belief it would be just another cheap cash grab banking on name brand recognition.
I was so, so wrong.
By about the 30 minute mark, I paused the movie to check who the hell was directing it because it was that skillfully done. Imagine my delight when I saw it was a woman named Arkasha Stevenson who helmed such a breath of fresh air.
This movie easily stands on its own merits and is a hypnotizing and truly scary experience that feels like a visceral response from the horror genre to our new post-Roe v. Wade reality. It plays around with homages to the original The Omen while also riffing on some other classic horror films like Jacob’s Ladder and Possession. There’s another notable one but mentioning it would give too much away. It is certainly worth a watch and easily my favorite from this year’s crop of already outstanding films.
A Huffle of Horror 