My year in horror

It’s Halloween, folks! So I’m putting on the ol’ film geek hat and nerding out to the best and less-than-best horror films of 2024. Let’s dive in.

My two towers: sci-fi and horror

For as long as I can remember, my favorite film genre has been science fiction. I was a Star Wars/Star Trek/Planet of the Apes kid and loved pretty much anything that was set in space. I even loved pure trash like The Black Hole, Buck Rogers in the 25th Century, and the original Battlestar Galactica. Without even a wisp of irony in my eight-year-old soul, I loved the James Bond Star Wars cash-in, Moonraker.

In more recent times, films like Children of Men, Ex Machina, Under the Skin, and the massively underrated Aniara rank high among my favorites. (Aniara, by the way, is way darker than almost all the horror films I’m going to mention.)

My other great love, though, was always horror. As a teen, I loved Friday the 13th, Halloween, The Evil Dead, The Exorcist, The Fly, Nightmare on Elm Street, Dawn of the Dead, The Return of the Living Dead, The Shining, The Thing, and of course, Alien, the best of both genre worlds. 

Now, I can’t say that I love horror films quite like I love sci-fi films. Horror is mostly just entertainment for me. It’s a guilty pleasure, it appeals more to my gut than my mind or soul. 

But still, it’s love. I’m a sucker for a good horror flick… or sometimes, even a bad one. Over the last couple months, after everybody is tucked away in bed and my brain is toast, I’ve kept up with the latest horror films. Here’s what I discovered.

The overlooked horror masterpiece of 2024…

The overlooked horror masterpiece of 2024 is Red Rooms, a French-Canadian psychological thriller. Although really, it’s not a horror film. It’s about horror–and I mean, real horror. The murders in the film are not exciting or dramatic or fun. They feel real and existentially sad.

Most horror films don’t stick with me, but this will be an exception. Red Rooms is an instant classic.

Sidenote: the film also features some of the very best “internet detective” scenes. I’ll be rewatching those.

Start with Shudder

The most bang for the buck for the horror aficionado is a Shudder subscription. Shudder has built a strong library of excellent indies. Here’s some of the best.

In a Violent Nature

This is Friday the 13th as directed by Gus Van Zant. If you understand what I just said, this movie is for you. If not, I’m guessing you’ll hate it.

Oddity

A gorgeous and elegantly executed film, in the A24 mold of upscale horror. The opening scene is a stunner.

Late Night with the Devil

This one was a big success for Shudder. I enjoyed it, though I won’t go so far as to say I think it’s good. Watch the trailer. If that looks fun to you, you should watch it.

Speak No Evil

There are now two versions of this film: the 2022 Danish original and a 2024 American remake. I enjoyed both, but the original is a strong and disturbing statement. Watch the original if you want the uncompromised vision. Watch the remake if you prefer horror that doesn’t go too hard.

The Shudder back catalog is also loaded with classics like Ring, Audition, Halloween, Friday the 13th, and the cult classic Exorcist 3.

The best and the rest

Beyond the Shudder platform, here are some of the best or most noteworthy horror films of 2024.

The First Omen

A prequel to the original The Omen, this is a prime example of IP done right. The goofy B-movie tone of the original film is expanded into something far more compelling.

Longlegs

Much like Midsommar is a semi-reboot of The Wicker Man, Longlegs is a semi-reboot of The Silence of the Lambs. It’s a good movie, but a great mood piece.

And a couple tentative comments on a pair of movies I’ve not seen yet.

Terrifier 3

I’ve not yet seen Terrifier 3, but its hype inspired me to watch Terrifier 1 and 2. The ultra-low-budget first movie is unremarkable aside from the character design, but the Terrifier 2 displays some imagination and skill. I know what to expect from Terrifier 3 – 80s-style slasher shlock. Beware of the extreme gore and sadism of these films, even though it’s all pretty campy. The charm–if I can use that word–of this franchise is that it’s so oddball, but the coming copycats will likely spoil the fun.

Smile 2

I’ve also not seen Smile 2, but I really enjoyed the first film and this sequel looks promising.

Talk To Me

If missed it, the best horror film of 2023 was Talk to Me.

Skippable

Cuckoo and MaXXXine are both decent enough for serious genre fans but skippable for everybody else.

Happy Halloween everybody!!!

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