2024 is nearly over and while we have seen some brilliant horror films come out this year I don’t think it has been such a great year for the genre. With most horror films flopping at the box office and the dreaded Winnie-the-Pooh: Blood and Honey sequel coming out it all felt wrong. But don’t worry because I have picked out the 18 best horror films that have come out this year. I haven’t ranked the films in the article and I will update the list as more films come out.
Terrifier 3 (In Theaters)
Terrifier 3 is a Christmas supernatural slasher horror film written and directed by Damien Leone. The 2024 film is the third entry into the fan-favorite slasher franchise. It is set during the holidays and it follows Sienna and her brother as they try to rebuild their lives after surviving Art the Clown’s Halloween massacre but just when they think they are safe they are once again hunted by Art the Clown and his new ally a possessed Victoria Heyes.
Strange Darling (Rent on Prime Video)
Strange Darling is a horror thriller film written and directed by JT Mollner. The 2024 film is set in rural Oregon and follows a woman who has a one-night stand with a man, who is a serial killer. Her night of pleasure quickly turns into a deadly chase as she runs, hides, and tries to survive any way she can. Strange Darling stars Willa Fitzgerald, Kyle Gallner, Barbara Hershey, and Ed Begley Jr.
Oddity (AMC+ & Rent on Prime Video)
Oddity is an Irish horror thriller film written and directed by Damian McCarthy. The 2024 film follows a blind medium and curio shopkeeper who is still grieving the loss of her twin sister. She uses haunted items to exact revenge against the people who brutally killed her sister. Oddity stars Gwilym Lee, Carolyn Bracken, Tadhg Murphy, Caroline Menton, Jonathan French, and Steve Wall.
The Substance (Mubi & Rent on Prime Video)
The Substance is a satirical psychological body horror film written and directed by Coralie Fargeat. The 2024 film follows an aging celebrity who has lost her fame and to get it back she turns to a black market drug that creates a much younger version of herself, but that miracle doesn’t without its own horrifying side effects. The Substance stars Demi Moore, Margaret Qualley, Dennis Quaid, Edward Hamilton Clark, and Gore Abrams.
Longlegs (Rent on Prime Video)
Longlegs is a psychological mystery horror thriller film written and directed by Osgood Perkins. The 2024 film is set in the 1990s and it follows a young FBI agent tasked with catching an occultist serial killer, who has killed several families in Oregon. Longlegs stars Maika Monroe, Blair Underwood, Alicia Witt, and Nicolas Cage.
Heretic (In Theaters)
Heretic is a psychological horror thriller drama film written and directed by Scott Beck and Bryan Woods. The 2024 film follows two young missionaries who knock on the door of the diabolical Mr. Reed. He invites them in and traps them in a deadly game of cat and mouse with the only way of making it out alive being faith. Heretic stars Hugh Grant, Sophie Thatcher, and Chloe East.
Smile 2 (Pre-Order on Prime Video)
Smile 2 is a psychological supernatural horror thriller film written and directed by Parker Finn. The 2024 sequel film follows Skye Riley, a popular pop star who begins to experience terrifying experiences and starts to lose all sense of reality. Soon things spiral out of control as the only way back to normalcy leads her to confront her dark past. Smile 2 stars Naomi Scott, Rosemarie DeWitt, Lukas Gage, Miles Gutierrez-Riley, Peter Jacobson, Ray Nicholson, Dylan Gelula, and Kyle Gallner.
Speak No Evil (Rent on Prime Video)
Speak No Evil is a psychological horror thriller film written and directed by James Watkins. Based on the 2022 Danish-Dutch film of the same name by Christian and Mads Tafdrup, the 2024 film follows an American couple on a dream holiday with their daughter but it all goes off the rails when they decide to spend a weekend at a British family’s idyllic country estate. Speak No Evil stars James McAvoy, Mackenzie Davis, Aisling Franciosi, Scoot McNairy, Dan Hough, and Alix West Lefler.
Late Night with the Devil (Hulu, AMC+ & Rent on Prime Video)
Late Night with the Devil is a supernatural horror film written and directed by Colin and Cameron Cairnes. The 2024 film is set in 1977 and it follows the story of Jack Delroy, a talk show host on Night Owl which was watched by the insomniacs all around the country. But ever since Jack’s wife died the ratings have plummeted and to turn his fortunes around Jack plans a Halloween special for October 31, 1977, but what he doesn’t know is that he is about to unleash a great evil in the living rooms of America. Late Night with the Devil stars David Dastmalchian in the lead role with Ingrid Torelli, Laura Gordon, Georgina Haig, Ian Bliss, Fayssal Bazzi, Rhys Auteri, and Michael Ironside starring in supporting roles.
The First Omen (Rent on Prime Video & Hulu)
The First Omen is a supernatural horror film directed by Arkasha Stevenson from a screenplay by Tim Smith, Stevenson, and Keith Thomas. The 2024 film is set in 1971 as it serves as prequel to The Omen (1976), and it follows the story of a young woman who begins to question her own faith when she finds out about a conspiracy to bring about the birth of evil incarnate in Rome. The First Omen stars Nell Tiger Free, Sônia Braga, Maria Caballero, Ralph Ineson, Bill Nighy, Nicole Sorace, Charles Dance, Andrea Arcangeli, and Eugenia Delbue.
Abigail (Peacock & Rent on Prime Video)
Abigail is one of the most refreshing vampire horror films I have seen in a long time. Directed by Scream’s Tyler Gillett and Matt Bettinelli-Olpin, the 2024 film follows the story of a group of low-level criminals as they kidnap the young daughter of a very powerful underworld figure. They are given orders to hold the girl in an isolated mansion but all their dreams of getting the ransom money go out the window when they find out that the cute little girl they kidnapped is actually a bloodthirsty vampire. Abigail stars Melissa Barrera, Angus Cloud, Dan Stevens, Alisha Weir, Kathryn Newton, Kevin Durand, Matthew Goode, Giancarlo Esposito, and William Catlett.
Immaculate (Rent on Prime Video)
Immaculate is a psychological horror film directed by Michael Mohan from a screenplay by Andrew Lobel. The Sydney Sweeney horror film was always going to be a big draw for horror and Sweeney fans and while there are some kinks in the storytelling the ending of the film makes up for every shortcoming. The 2024 film follows the story of a young American nun as she joins a remote convent in the Italian countryside. However, her quiet life at the convent quickly turns into a horror show when she discovers the sinister secret that is buried in her new home. Immaculate stars Sweeney in the lead role with Álvaro Morte, Dora Romano, Benedetta Porcaroli, Giorgio Colangeli, Simona Tabasco, Giulia Heathfield, Giampiero Judica, and Giuseppe Lo Piccolo starring in supporting roles.
I Saw the TV Glow (Max & Rent on Prime Video)
I Saw the TV Glow is a psychological horror-drama film written and directed by Jane Schoenbrun. The 2024 film is a weird and oftentimes trippy experience as it follows the story of Owen, a teenager whose classmate introduces him to a mysterious late-night TV series that introduces a vision of a supernatural world beneath their own. Showered in all the neon lights and trippy visions, Owen’s concept of reality begins to crack. I Saw The TV Glow stars Justice Smith in the lead role with Brigette Lundy-Paine, Phoebe Bridgers, Fred Durst, Emma Portner, Helena Howard, Ian Foreman, Amber Benson, and Danielle Deadwyler starring in supporting roles.
Sting (Hulu & Rent on Prime Video)
Sting is a survival horror film written and directed by Kiah Roache-Turner. While the 2024 film feels like it should have come out at least 20 years ago it’s still pretty entertaining. Sting follows the story of Charlotte, a rebellious young girl who finds a tiny spider in her rundown apartment building. She keeps the spider in a glass jar but it starts to grow at a monstrous rate and develops a taste for human flesh and blood. When her neighbors begin to disappear, Charlotte and her family suddenly find themselves in a fight for their survival against a giant spider. The cast of the film includes Alyla Browne, Ryan Corr, Penelope Mitchell, Jermaine Flower, Silvia Colloca, Robyn Nevin, and Noni Hazlehurst.
Exhuma (AMC+ & Rent on Prime Video)
Exhuma is a South Korean supernatural horror film written and directed by Jang Jae-hyun. The 2024 film is certain to impress horror fans with its great characters and striking visuals. Exhuma follows a group of characters who excavate an ominous grave and unwittingly release long-buried secrets that will have far-reaching consequences. The talented cast of the film includes Lee Do-hyun, Kim Go-eun, Choi Min-sik, Yoo Hai-Jin, Jung Yun-ha, Kim Ji-An, Jeon Jin-ki, Kim Jae-chul, Yeong-ran Lee, and Park Jeong-ja.
Arcadian (AMC+ & Rent on Prime Video)
Arcadian is a post-apocalyptic action horror film directed by Ben Brewer from a screenplay by Michael Nilon. The biggest reason to watch this film is in front and center on its poster and the film is also great. The 2024 film is set in the near future in a decimated Earth and it follows the story of Paul and his twin sons as they live peacefully by day and are terrorized every night because of the dangerous creatures who devour every living soul in sight. When Paul is attacked his sons must come up with a way to survive using everything he taught them to save their father’s life. Arcadian stars Nicolas Cage, Jaeden Martell, Maxwell Jenkins, and Sadie Soverall.
Double Blind (Tubi, Pluto TV & Rent on Prime Video)
Double Blind is a survival horror film directed by Ian Hunt-Duffy from a screenplay by Darach McGarrigle. The 2024 film follows the story of a group of test subjects after an experiment goes horribly wrong. Trapped in an isolated facility they must fight off each other and sleep to survive. Double Blind stars Millie Brady, Akshay Kumar, Pollyanna McIntosh, Diarmuid Noyes, Brenock O’Connor, Abby Fitz, Shonagh Marie, and Frank Blake.
In A Violent Nature (AMC+ & Rent on Prime Video)
In A Violent Nature is a Canadian slasher horror film written and directed by Chris Nash. I have to say that this is a very peaceful violent film and I know that doesn’t make any sense but first watch the film when it comes out. The 2024 slasher film follows and is seen mostly through the eyes of the killer as he mows down a group of teenagers in the Ontario wilderness. In A Violent Nature stars Ry Barrett, Andrea Pavlovic, Cameron Love, Reece Presley, Liam Leone, Charlotte Creaghan, and Sam Roulston.