I’ve already officially ranked my Top 10 WWE matches of the year and handed out my awards for the 2024 NFL season (so if you haven’t checked either of them out and that sounds of interest to you go give them a read) but now it’s time to look back on the year that was in horror. All of our big horror studios had their fair share of projects this year and threw their hat in the ring for the best of, from Blumhouse to A24 to Shudder. We even got a movie from a few legendary directors in the horror genre this year as well as some more promising projects from young upstart directors involved in the genre, so without further ado let us get into it and take a look at my picks for the Top 5 Horror Movies of 2024. Remember once again, this is my personal list. That doesn’t mean it’s definitive or it aligns with yours, this is just my picks as a big horror fan, from the films I got a chance to witness this year for myself.
#5: Oddity- Oddity was directed by Damian McCarthy, and stars Carolyn Bracken, Gwilym Lee, Steve Wall, and Caroline Menton. This was a Shudder original movie that I think wasn’t on anyone’s radar until it dropped and then it sort of blew up in the horror community once people started to see it. The story follows a blind psychic medium as she attempts to unveil the truth behind her sister’s murder using haunted items from her oddities and curiosities shop as tools of revenge and windows into the truth. This movie had a small cast and a relatively simple plot that ramped up the tension and escalated into a thriller that had you on the edge of your seat awaiting the outcome by the end. The wooden golem man was an awesome and a terrifying visual element, there were some solid jump scares throughout, and this was a movie that just leaves you feeling creeped out and thinking of the heavier elements involved throughout it long after the credits roll. Available to watch on AMC+ and Shudder with a subscription, and available to rent on Prime Video so go give it a watch if it sounds of interest to you.
#4: Lisa Frankenstein- Lisa Frankenstein was written by Diablo Cody, directed by Zelda Williams (Robin’s daughter), and stars Kathryn Newton, Cole Sprouse, Liza Soberano, Joe Chrest, and Carla Gugino. This was a pitch-black comedy film that played with horror elements more so than it was a straight up horror movie, but it was undeniably a great time for me at the theaters this year and worthy of making the list. The plot reads, a misunderstood teenage girl and a reanimated corpse embark on a murderous journey to find love, happiness, and a few missing body parts. This is basically a twisted coming of age story set in the 1980s about a goth girl who doesn’t fit in with her peers and finds more in common with a heartbroken, zombified Victorian era hunk…and it’s pretty great. The stark contrast in cinematography throughout the movie between the 80s teenage girl look of bright and vibrant pastel colors mixed with the dark Victorian gothic monster look of blacks and greys, was very original and the visual elements were a lot of fun. Although this movie took delight in being strange and silly for the most part, there were some real elements added in as well from the all-female writing and directing crew to examine and stew over. Mainly about what it’s like to be a teenage girl and even more so what it’s like to be a teenage girl who doesn’t fit in with her peers. Available to watch currently on Prime Video with a subscription so go show it some love y’all.
#3: Heretic- Heretic was an A24 release written and directed by Scott Beck and Bryan Woods, and starring Hugh Grant, Sophie Thatcher, and Chloe East. This was another simple story and setting that just pulled me right into it. The plot reads, 2 young missionaries get wrapped up in a deadly game of cat and mouse when they knock on the door of a Mr. Reed, trapped in his home they must turn to their faith if they want to make it out alive. The film primarily takes place inside 1 house and the 3 lead actors are mainly the only 3 characters we see all movie. But, the acting chops of Hugh Grant were on full display here, this is easily the most impressive performance as an actor that I’ve personally seen out of him, and Thatcher and East were great in their roles as well. Grant’s ability to pull you into what he was saying and leave you hanging on his every word during his monologues, while simultaneously creeping you out and omitting bad vibes to you as the viewer was impressive. He was clearly intelligent, but he was off, and you didn’t know what you could and couldn’t trust coming out of his mouth. This was just a very well-acted movie from all parties involved that again ramped up the tension and uneasiness more and more as the film progressed and our main protagonists found out more information about this mysterious man and his home. This was like a part religious debate/part thriller piece that ramped up into full on horror in the final act of the movie. This movie just left theaters semi recently so it’s not available on streaming yet (aside from a $20 rental) but keep your eyes peeled for when it does drop on a service because I feel like this one kind of flew under the radar and it’s definitely worth a watch.
#2: Terrifier 3- Terrifier 3 was written and directed by Damian Leone, and stars Lauren LaVera, David Howard Thorton, Antonella Rose, and Elliot Fullam. Ah yes, the Terrifier movies, they aren’t for everyone. That being said, regardless of if you’re a fan of the horror genre or not basically everyone has heard about the Terrifier franchise in 2024. The films live in infamy and if you’re trying to break through in the horror genre, living in infamy certainly isn’t a bad place to live. These movies are like a nod to the gut wrenching, head turning, gut em up, slasher flicks of old and I think that’s wonderful. All horror fans love Jason and Freddy and Michael and all, sure, but all those characters have been run through the ringer by now and slasher films as a whole subgenre felt kind of dead in the water for years before Terrifier broke through the threshold and in a way revived them. Now you’re beginning to see some more slasher films being sprinkled into the genre again, like in the 80s and 90s, and I’m here for it. The plot this time reads, Sienna and Jonathan attempt to rebuild their shattered lives and embrace the Christmas spirit with family as the holiday approaches. However, when they think they’re safe, Art returns determined to turn their holiday cheer into a nightmare. For a bloody slasher film I did feel like this movie ran a bit long (same with Terrifier 2), but both movies were good enough and held my attention enough that it didn’t bother me as a horror fan. Someone not as big on the genre may be burnt out after 2 hours of blood and guts though, but I’m not the one to make that decision for you either. This was my favorite Terrifier thus far and I think the holiday vibes are what sold me. I love slashers and I love Christmas, mix those 2 together and don’t make it too cheesy or dumb and I’m likely sold. This movie is on the newer side as well so it’s only available to rent right now on Prime Video or Fandango, but I’m sure it will drop onto a service sometime shortly.
#1: Late Night with the Devil- Late Night with the Devil was written and directed by Cameron & Colin Cairnes and stars David Dastmalchian, Laura Gordon, Ingrid Torelli, Rhys Auteri, and Ian Bliss. I had a hard time honestly deciding what would round out this Top 5 list, I debated putting all 5 of these movies in the 1 spot at one point or another when compounding this collection so that just goes to show you how highly I thought about all 5 of these films this past year. Late Night with the Devil follows the story of Jack Delroy, a late-night television host in the 70s that wants to air proof of a demonic possession on his show on Halloween night in an attempt to boost ratings and beat his competition, but things go array. The plot reads, a live television broadcast in 1977 goes horribly wrong, unleashing evil into the studio and into the nation’s living rooms. The cinematography in this movie was very well done and a big selling point for me. It was like we were watching the TV broadcast in real time when the show was on air, and then the film switched to black and white when the show went on commercial break and Jack and his crew were having conversations backstage, letting us get a real-life peek behind the curtain and into the minds of the crew. The 70s late night show vibes were definitely vibing here as well and the film did a good job with the setting of fully placing you into the era and making you feel like you were actually watching a late-night show from 1977. This was technically a found footage movie, but it was done in an entirely new way that I’ve never seen found footage done before and I dug that originality. I’m not a huge found footage guy in general honestly, so this may be my favorite found footage horror film of all time. While being scary and tense and keeping you on the edge of your seat, this movie was also a firm lesson in greed and what it looks like to lose yourself and your humanity for the promise of fame and fortune. Available to watch on Hulu, Shudder, or AMC+ with a subscription and available to rent on Prime Video so go check it out!
I hope everyone had a good 2024 and an even better 2025 ahead of us! This was a good year in horror for the most part I think and 2025 looks like another promising year ahead. Starting with Leigh Wannell’s ‘Wolf Man’ dropping in theaters next week! I’m excited to continue to discuss horror, pro wrestling, new released movies, and football throughout this 2025 ahead and hope to bring in even more of an audience and produce more exciting content for everyone. If anyone has anything they’d like to hear me discuss involving the topics listed above you can always contact me and leave suggestions, and I’ll try to get to them as I am able to! Thank you and until next time, be good to one another out there.
