After seeing what the best horror movies of 2023 had to offer, horror fans knew 2024 had its work cut out for it. Fortunately for audiences, the follow-up year delivered in surprising ways, whether through never-before-seen premises, stunning performances, extreme gore, hilarity, and some of the best kills on the big (or small) screen. Prequels to established franchises and narratives that took big swings paid off for the most part, and indie horror continued to prove itself as important to the genre as mainstream movies.

With the taste in the genre different for every viewer, these horror movies span all kinds of flavors, ensuring there is something for everyone to enjoy. It’s too early to determine whether these films will ever be among the best horror movies of all time, but they certainly made the cut for must-see horror in 2024.

10

In A Violent Nature

The indie horror was a hit for IFC Films

In a Violent Nature brilliantly subverts horror expectations by not only centering most of the film’s perspective from the killer’s point of view, but doing so in a way audiences have never really seen before. Horror movies like American Psycho and The House That Jack Built are among a select few where viewers follow the killer acting as the film’s main character. What sets In a Violent Nature apart is that this is a silent slasher taking the reins of the story; viewers have no choice but to follow his steady footsteps and relentless brutality without monologues or justifications.

The result is a raw, increasingly suspenseful, and smart narrative. Johnny, the undead killer, only wants one thing in the movie: to retrieve his dead mother’s necklace that was stolen from his grave and wreak bloody vengeance on those who stole it. The premise is simple and effective, working well within classic slasher tropes specifically inspired by Jason Voorhees in Friday the 13th. The moments the camera focuses instead on Johnny’s victims only increase the tension as the audience never forgets that Johnny is mere feet away, watching and waiting.

Every kill from In a Violent Nature is a satisfying masterclass in the use of prosthetics and ingenuity. One of the most interesting aspects of the movie’s violence is not only the gore, but that these scenes are not gruesome just for the sake of being over-the-top violent. Johnny is a furious, vengeful spirit who still has a few child-like qualities. For the most part, the gore is not about shock and awe but instead makes the viewers experience the pure rage driving the slasher. In a Violent Nature’s ending is the cherry on top of this memorable, haunting film.

9

Sting

The year’s best creepy-crawly adventure

Horror audiences who have arachnophobia or prefer not watching spiders crawling along people’s faces and tearing them apart may want to avoid this year’s alien creature feature, Sting. The movie walks a thin line between horror and comedy as viewers are introduced to an eclectic mix of tenants living in an apartment building in New York. Many of them are related to Charlotte (Alyla Browne), who finds a new spider she names Sting and keeps secretly as a pet, unaware that the little monster crash-landed through a window as a meteorite from space.

One by one, people are gruesomely killed or snatched up and webbed in the creature’s lair inside the vents to feast on later, including Charlotte’s family members. It’s up to the young girl to save the day despite navigating complex and difficult family dynamics, financial stresses, and her biological father abandoning her. As heavy as that sounds, Sting is effective in its humor as much as its chilling tone. The movie’s predictability doesn’t hurt its entertainment value or how it plays on the nostalgia of classic monster movies and cult scary comedies like Arachnophobia.

8

Tarot

The movie stars Spider-Man’s Jacob Batalon

Tarot was 2024’s reminder to not mess around with scary-looking objects that do not belong to you. Despite multiple warnings from the home’s owner, a group of friends renting the place for the night ignore the literal warning signs and snoop around. Eventually coming across a foreboding deck of tarot cards, they ask experienced tarot reader Haley (Harriet Slater) to give them each a reading. Ignoring the rule regarding not using someone else’s deck, Haley gives everyone in the room a tarot reading, including herself, sealing their fates.

What follows is a fun, popcorn-style horror movie made strong by the authentic creature designs of the manifestations of the cards that come to life to kill based on each friend’s destiny established by Haley’s readings. Tarot follows familiar tropes that make the plot and the loopholes predictable, but there are surprises and effective scares throughout that keep the film interesting. Jacob Batalon is perfect as Tarot’s comic relief, and Slater adequately leads a cast who are convincing as friends in over their heads and facing their nightmarish ends.

7

Immaculate

Sydney Sweeney led and produced the film

Immaculate is arguably Sydney Sweeney’s best role yet. She plays the devout Sister Cecilia, who travels to an Italian convent she will now call home. Unfortunately for her, Cecilia does not know about the nun who attempts to escape at the beginning of the film and has her leg viciously snapped or Father Sal Tedeschi’s (Álvaro Morte) sinister plans. Within time, Cecilia finds herself pregnant by immaculate conception and supposedly carrying the new Savior. She quickly realizes the convent is not holy and becomes trapped inside its insidious walls before taking extreme measures to escape.

The film smartly ties the big reveal about how Cecilia was impregnated to science and man’s hubris instead of a supernatural explanation. The true horror of Immaculate lies in so-called devout people twisting their religious faith in horrifying and harmful ways; an actual demon is not needed for this story to terrify audiences. Some viewers might hesitate to admit that Immaculate’s shocking ending is also the most appropriate one to close out Cecilia’s on-screen journey. She begins the story in a peaceful and hopeful place, only to be forced to end it bloody, violent, and wrathful.

6

Arcadian

The monsters help this apocalyptic tale stand out

Arcadian takes the family drama set in an apocalyptic premise to a fresh place, largely thanks to powerful performances and unforgettable monsters unlike anything seen on-screen before. Nicolas Cage plays a father in a world where most of humanity has been seemingly wiped out. Those left behind do their best to survive, which includes securing themselves inside at night in hopes that the unnamed creatures don’t kill them. The monsters in Arcadian are a bizarre, multi-species threat that ostensibly mutated over time into the nightmares that haunt the woods. Their unique designs are crucial to the movie’s success.

Beyond the freaky, broad-mouthed monsters and sufficient storyline, what makes Arcadian engaging are the performances by Cage, Jaeden Martell, and Maxwell Jenkins. Cage’s Paul is desperate to protect his teenage sons, Joseph (Martell) and Thomas (Jenkins), and ensure they are prepared to survive in this world without him one day. Cage has starred in a long list of films of varying quality, but he is as reliable an actor as they come. Martell stands out in his own right, stealing every scene in one of his most powerful showings, as Jenkins thrives in Arcadian’s heavier emotional moments and action sequences.

5

Night Swim

Swimming pools become scary in this horror thriller

Night Swim is the least scary film on this list. Still, what the movie brings to the table are believable characters, interesting mythology, a few decent tension-filled scenes, and Wyatt Russell. Russell stars as Ray Waller, a former pro baseball player who was forced to retire early due to multiple sclerosis (MS). When his family moves into a new home with a swimming pool, Ray’s symptoms begin to disappear the more time he spends in the water. The family learns the hard way that the pool’s waters have a dark history and require sacrifices in return for its gifts.

The cast plays the Waller family sincerely, making their plight all the more sympathetic. Even Ray, who makes decisions that unwittingly put his family in danger, has understandable motivations for not wanting to give up the pool. Having so much ripped away due to an illness and then suddenly being healthy again with a new, bright future ahead would make many people blind to the very clear signs of a haunted swimming pool. Night Swim’s ending provides a satisfactory conclusion to a story that could easily fall short but maintains an emotional throughline that makes viewers care about the characters.

4

Abigail

Alisha Weir is a convincing ballerina vampire

Abigail is the most entertaining horror movie of 2024 overall. It features a strong ensemble led by Melissa Barrera, Dan Stevens, and Alisha Weir, with every cast member executing their roles perfectly. A group of criminals believe they’re in for a big payday after kidnapping a young girl, but their easy babysitting gig turns into a nightmare when it’s revealed that the titularly named Abigail is actually a vampire. The night becomes an all-out battle for survival as the group desperately tries to live long enough for the sun to rise; even then, escape is unlikely.

Loosely inspired by 1936’s Dracula’s Daughter, the film offers multiple twists, plenty of scares, bloody kills, and laugh-out-loud moments. Even the Abigail soundtrack provides a thrilling atmosphere in addition to the movie’s mostly one-location setting in the vampire’s gorgeous but creepy mansion. Kevin Durand lights up the screen as Peter, the crew’s muscle and the movie’s pitch-perfect comic relief, followed closely by Kathryn Newton. Abigail is endlessly rewatchable and remains a strong contender for the most fun viewers will have watching a horror movie.

3

The First Omen

The Omen prequel explores Damien’s birth

The First Omen is a great example of a prequel to a classic horror franchise done right. Set immediately before the beginning of 1976’s The Omen, the movie tells the story of Margaret (Nell Tiger Free), who finds herself in Rome ready to take the veil in service of the Catholic Church. After meeting a troubled girl named Carlita (Nicole Sorace), Margaret is contacted by Father Brennan (Ralph Ineson) telling her of a dark conspiracy by this particular religious sect. As insidious events and horrific hallucinations plague Margaret, she discovers the truth behind the church’s evil plans.

The prequel stays firmly within the tone established by the rest of The Omen franchise. Additionally, there are fun Easter eggs in The First Omen beyond the presence of Father Brennan, such as a callback to the “It’s all for you” scene in the original film. In telling a story that directly leads into The Omen, the filmmakers smartly ensured the movie respected continuity as much as possible. That said, they play a little loose in a couple of aspects, but the most important is cleverly explained in a way that doesn’t destroy what audiences know about Damien’s origin story.

2

I Saw the TV Glow

A surreal coming-of-age tale

I Saw the TV Glow is the most surreal horror drama of 2024 and possibly the most important. Written and directed by Jane Schoenbrun, previously best-known for We’re All Going to the World’s Fair, the movie centers on Owen (Justice Smith) and his friend Maddy (Brigette Lundy-Paine). After Maddy introduces Owen to a horror-mystery series called The Pink Opaque, he becomes increasingly obsessed with the show, and his reality starts to blur. The cancelation of The Pink Opaque threatens to shatter Owen’s reality completely, and that’s only the beginning of the movie’s coming-of-age story.

As I Saw the TV Glow explores the film’s deeper meanings of identity, escapism, childhood obsessions, and the queer experience, Smith shines in a raw, emotional performance. As Owen’s journey plays out, the theme of self-discovery and acceptance as a young adult burrows itself into the narrative, and Smith executes Owen’s experience skillfully. The ending of the movie promises the potential closing of one chapter and a hopeful opening of another; messages told in surreal environments Schoenbrun excels at.

1

Late Night with the Devil

The found footage style gets an update in this original film

Late Night with the Devil earned the metaphorical award for 2024’s most ingenious premise. The film is set up as a found-footage documentary of sorts, only it happens to be a recorded taping of a 1970s late-night talk show hosted by Jack Delroy (David Dastmalchian). This particular episode finds Jack desperately attempting to earn high enough viewership to keep his show on the air. His idea is to dedicate the hour to an all-Halloween-themed episode, including communicating with the Devil, who could be possessing a young girl. To say this plan blows up in Jack’s face is putting it lightly.

Dastmalchian’s performance proved him a leading actor, especially in the horror genre. All eyes are on him almost constantly, and he carries the weight effortlessly. As the movie ramps up and the tension builds, Late Night with the Devil takes its time to explore the timeless argument of skepticism vs. belief, grounding the story in a sense of reality. Jack’s history, the loss of his wife, and the background of the possessed girl, Lilly (Ingrid Torelli), gives the movie substance as the story heads into a brutal third act that ends in the only way it should have.