Horror is one of the most reliable genres in film, one that has, time and time again, provided box office success when the rest of the industry struggles. As Hollywood recovers from the pandemic and a double strike, there’s still plenty to be excited about as a moviegoer. From the return of franchises old and new to festival darlings and all sorts of nightmare-inducing thrills, here are the horror movies we’re most looking forward to in 2024.
Stopmotion (2023)
The art of stop-motion is inherently creepy, so a stop-motion horror film is already a recipe for nightmares. This British live-action/animated horror film gained a lot of buzz after its premiere at Fantastic Fest and follows a stop-motion animator who sees her life spiral out of control while working on her latest film after a neighbor suggests a new and horrific character.
Late Night with the Devil (2023)
Found footage never dies, but the audience at the taping of a ’70s late night talk show in Colin and Cameron Cairnes’ horror film probably will once they realize that the surprise guest may come from the very fires of hell. This film has gained acclaim at festivals since its debut last year, particularly for David Dastmalchian’s electrifying performance.
Immaculate (2024)
Sydney Sweeney makes her triumphant return to horror with a new nun horror movie that hides a devilish secret. Sweeney stars as a devoutly religious woman who joins an Italian convent that hides plenty of dark secrets. When she miraculously gets pregnant, blood starts to flow and bodies begin to drop.
The First Omen (2024)
The franchise about the son of the devil being born on earth and wreaking bloody havoc is back. Now, we’re going back in time to explore exactly how the antichrist Damien Thorn came to exist. The answer seems to involve a terrifying and vast conspiracy, and also Bill Nighy as a priest — just what you’d expect from the most evil child.
Abigail (2024)
The duo behind Ready Or Not is ready to tackle a Universal Classic monster, and they’ve got an all-star cast to do it. Giancarlo Esposito hires a group of kidnappers who capture a 12-year-old ballerina named Abigail, and oh, how quickly they start to die off when they discover she is a vampire child. That’s right! The film is a reimagining of the 1936 film Dracula’s Daughter, and this time she dances, too.
(Photo by Shudder)
Directed by: Sébastien Vaniček
Starring: Théo Christine, Sofia Lesaffre, Jérôme Niel
Premiering on: April 26, 2024 (Shudder)
Shudder is releasing this festival darling that terrified audiences at the Venice Film Festival, a feature directorial debut that follows the residents of a French suburban building facing a horrific spider infestation. What starts as a single venomous spider becomes pure nightmare fuel driven by fantastic practical effects and great use of creepy crawlers.
Cuckoo (2024)
Director Tilman Singer follows up his 2018 feature debut Luz with this thriller starring Euphoria’s Hunter Schafer as rebellious teen Gretchen, who moves with her father’s new family to live in a German mountain resort run by mysterious caretaker who takes an unusual interest in Gretchen’s mute half sister. This is just the set-up for a blood-soaked mind-bender that ratchets things up to 11 and never looks back.
The Strangers: Chapter 1 (2024)
(Photo by Lionsgate)
Directed by: Renny Harlin
Starring: Madelaine Petsch, Froy Gutierrez, Ema Horvath
Opening on: May 17, 2024
Everyone’s favorite masked killer trio is back with a reboot trilogy. Chapter 1 is said to be something of a remake of the 2008 film about a trio of masked killers who terrorize a quiet house in the woods. This time, we follow a girl and her boyfriend forced to spend the night in an isolated rental home when their car breaks down and the horrors they experience when unexpected visitors arrive.
The Watchers (2024)
Ishana Night Shyamalan makes her feature directorial debut with a movie that sounds fittingly mysterious and creepy for the filmmaker who previously helmed episodes of the scary Servant (and, of course, is the daughter of M. Night Shyamalan). The movie, based on the novel of the same name, stars Dakota Fanning as a young artist trapped with three strangers deep in an Irish forest as they are stalked by mysterious creatures every night.
A Quiet Place: Day One (2024)
The first A Quiet Place took a very simple premise and turned it into a global hit. Now, we’re going to discover how the world first went quiet. Just as Aliens dramatically diverged from the tone of Alien, so does Day One tease a very different kind of movie than its predecessors, delivering a proper alien invasion film where no one knows what they’re facing or how to fight back. Add a stellar cast and you’ve got a horror blockbuster in the making.
Longlegs (2024)
The latest chiller from Oz Perkins (The Blackcoat’s Daughter, Gretel & Hansel) takes place in 1974, following a young FBI agent (Maika Monroe) tasked with trying to crack an unsolved serial killer case who begins to uncover evidence of occult practices and a personal link to the murders.
Trap (2024)
(Photo by Angela Weiss/Getty Images)
Directed by: M. Night Shyamalan
Starring: Josh Hartnett, Saleka Shyamalan
Opening on: August 2, 2024
M. Night Shyamalan is back with a brand new horror movie, this time not based on any established story — as far as we know. Though next to nothing is known about the upcoming thriller, we do know that Shyamalan’s sixteenth feature film is a psychological thriller set at a concert. That alone is enough to make this movie intriguing.
Speak No Evil (2024)
(Photo by ©Shudder)
Directed by: James Watkins
Starring: James McAvoy, Mackenzie Davis, Scoot McNairy
Opening on: August 9, 2024
James Watkins (Eden Lake, The Woman in Black) helms this remake of the disturbing 2022 Danish psychological thriller (seen in the photo above) about a family on vacation who befriend another family and accept an invitation to visit them at their home, only to discover their hosts may not be as gracious as they seem.
Alien: Romulus (2024)
(Photo by ©20th Century Fox Film Corporation)
Directed by: Fede Alvarez
Starring: Cailee Spaeny, Isabela Merced, David Jonsson, Archie Renaux
Opening on: August 16, 2024
The iconic xenomorph returns. Director Fede Alvarez takes on another classic horror franchise with a brand new entry in the Alien franchise, which — although standalone — is set to take place between the original and the second film in the franchise. Romulus also brought back the team from Aliens to build the new xenomorphs, which should make fans of practical effects very happy.
Beetlejuice Beetlejuice (2024)
(Photo by Warner Bros.)
Directed by: Tim Burton
Starring: Michael Keaton, Winona Ryder, Jenna Ortega, Willem Dafoe, Justin Theroux
Opening on: September 6, 2024
It’s been over 35 years, but everyone’s favorite Bio-Exorcist is finally back. Tim Burton returns to his beloved ’80s classic with a movie that has the perfect title and a fantastic cast. Very little is known regarding the plot of the sequel, but we do know that it will serve as a big reunion, with Danny Elfman returning to compose the score and Winona Ryder, Michael Keaton, and Catherine O’Hara all set to return.
Saw XI (2024)
(Photo by Alexandro Bolanos Escamilla/©Lionsgate)
Directed by: Kevin Greutert
Starring: TBA
Opening on: September 27, 2024
In 2023, longtime Saw franchise stalwart Kevin Greutert breathed new life into the series with Saw X, which surprised everyone when it earned glowing reviews en route to a Certified Fresh designation. We know pretty much nothing about the planned follow-up to that film, Saw XI, except that it’s scheduled for release on September 27 and that Greutert is returning to direct it, but the positive reception to the last entry is enough to generate a lot of excitement for this one.
Smile 2 (2024)
(Photo by ©Paramount Pictures)
Directed by: Parker Finn
Starring: Naomi Scott, Lukas Cage
Opening on: October 18, 2024
The surprise horror hit of 2022 is back for more smiles. Parker Finn returns to write and direct a sequel to the first film, which followed a psychiatrist who becomes convinced she is haunted by an evil supernatural entity after the bizarre suicide of a patient. We don’t yet know what the sequel will be about, but expect plenty of creepy smiles.
Terrifier 3 (2024)
Art the Clown is back for another horrifying and bloody round of colorful kills. This film is set to bring back Victoria Heyes, the heroine-turned-possessed villainess of the franchise, while Art unleashes chaos on a town preparing for the holidays. That’s right, Terrifier 3 is a Christmas movie, but you better expect the same kind of fun and ultra-violence of its predecessors.
Wolf Man (2025)
(Photo by Universal Pictures courtesy Everett Collection)
Directed by: Leigh Whannell
Starring: Christopher Abbott, Julia Garner
Opening on: October 25, 2024
Leigh Whannell already proved he could successfully reinvent a Universal Classic Monster to modern times with 2020’s The Invisible Man, and he’s about to do it again. This time he brings aboard Christopher Abbott and Julia Garner to reinvent the 1941 classic werewolf tale The Wolf Man. The film will follow a man whose family is terrorized by a lethal predator — and he’d better find some silver before it’s too late.
Nosferatu (2024)
(Photo by Focus Features)
Directed by: Robert Eggers
Starring: Bill Skarsgård, Nicholas Hoult, Lily-Rose Depp, Aaron Taylor-Johnson, Emma Corrin, Willem Dafoe
Opening on: December 25, 2024
Robert Eggers’ fourth film is years in the making, but audiences will finally get to experience this reimagining of Nosferatu come Christmas time. For this gothic tale of obsession between a woman and the terrifying vampire haunting her, Eggers’ has tapped an all-star cast to bring his horrific vision to life. Come for Eggers’ eye for dark period pieces, stay for Bill Skarsgård playing another immortal monster.
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