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A Collection of Contortions: The Top 10 Horror Movies of 2024

By Lindsay Traves | Film | December 30, 2024 |

nosferatu.jpeg
Header Image Source: Focus Features

I’ve catalogued the “Best Horror” of the year for Pajiba for a few years now, and this year’s installment has me reflecting on the practice. I line up for the assignment, eager to take it on at this publication, one where the film critics and other writers alike sprint to horror films, us sharing our likes, dislikes, delights, and terrors. If you know me, you know I love “best of” lists but loathe “rankings” and for the same reason: they’re subjective. If there was one definitive answer, there’d only need to be one list (one film critic, one judge, etc.) So perhaps to the chagrin of my colleagues (not for real, we revel in our distinct tastes), to the detriment of a comments section, and to the cheers and jeers from internet users as a whole, I have cracked my knuckles, ordered my peppermint mocha, and am pleased to present the best horror films of 2024. This year saw a pivot from the pandemic era home invasions but wasn’t immediately ready for the zombie films we expect from 2025. Fun horror remained on the menu, and terrors of the pressures of womanhood took center stage. Performances were killer (particularly for women who emotionally and physically contorted themselves), creativity was ablaze while living firmly in homage, and in a year of box office giants and flops, horror was always in the conversation. In no particular order (except for the top spot, you’ll see), here they are.

Abigail

In his review, Seth quipped that “M3GAN walked so Abigail could run,” and he was certainly onto something in how fun horror continued from 2023 into 2024. Directing duo Matt Bettinelli-Olpin and Tyler Gillett returned from their work on the Scream franchise to remind us why Ready or Not was the hit that made them. Collecting an ensemble cast of horror faves like Dan Stevens and Kathryn Newton, they built a twisted story somewhere between Dracula’s Daughter, Home Alone, and Reservoir Dogs. The genre mashup starts out looking like a heist before twirling headfirst into becoming a bloody buffet for a tiny demon. It’s silly, funny, gory, and maybe not the most imaginative nor memorable tale but it made for a delightful time at the movies early into this year.

In a Violent Nature

Oh buddy, the smile this movie left on my face. This gorgeous slasher from the north (Ca-Na-Da Ca-Na-Da) snuck up on horror audiences like a masked killer in the woods. Flipping the script on the beloved slasher, In a Violent Nature is shot from the killer’s point of view. The POV shot in horror might not be a revelation (see reflections on Peeping Tom and Black Christmas), but this flick used it to gently retell one of our favorite horror stories with a twist. I’ve no doubt this one will be plastered over “best kill” lists and will be the horror cinephile’s go-to recommendation for the next few years, this film being a pinnacle of visual storytelling that favors scares and gore. By keeping the actions of the “victims” in the periphery, audiences are left to use their background horror knowledge and the film’s breadcrumbs to cobble together the plot while giving them a front row seat to the horror action. I left the theater with sore cheeks from smiling so hard the entire runtime while hoping it would instigate a resurgence in interest for “Friday the 13th The Game.”

Late Night with the Devil

Found footage and faux-documentaries have always been a great place for terror, leaning into the audience’s suspension of disbelief to give horror an extra sense of reality. It’s also been exploited for zany horror and horror comedy in features like WNUF Halloween Special and more recently, Deadstream. On the heels of those delights is Late Night with the Devil, a 70s set spooky romp that drops David Dasmalchian into the late-night wars. In the vein of Hell House LLC (you knew I’d find a way to mention it), this plays like a recap of old footage of something that happened in the past, a voice introducing us to the terror we are about to see that was captured on the ill-fated talk show set. Meta-gags and knowing period style horror hold this one together and make it “catnip” for horror fans playing “gotcha” with the decade’s horror iconography.

The First Omen

What an absolute surprise this horror prequel ended up being. Building off of the lore of The Omen (in the same year where Apartment 7A attempted something similar), The First Omen flexed itself (like Nell Tiger Free in the role, ammiright?) around the story of the original canon to craft a prequel that stands up on its own. I’ve discussed the way a prequel can live or die here before, being previously stunned by Orphan: First Kill breaking the “prologue” mold to do something different. While this one didn’t craft zany fun around a wild story, it, instead, remained true to a story we already know but made enough room to fill in blanks in a terrifying and rewarding way. It was a big year for religious horror and this rehashing of a classic was a worthy attempt at grasping the spotlight. The First Omen does the magic of standing on its own as a horror film while clutching to enough lore to tie it to its expanded franchise. With the killer performance of its lead and gorgeous sets, this is the one we’ll forget to revisit then be delighted when the time comes.

The Substance

I’m perhaps more surprised than you are that this one became the word-of-mouth hit that it did. Eager and ecstatic to check it out at a festival, I spent the first two thirds thinking that this movie was a pretty okay tale of the pressures of womanhood and the chase for endless youth and beauty. Then that third act showed up and I was ready to feast. The Substance is sparkly, glossy, and boasts iconic leads which was just the sort of alchemy required to drag people into the theater seats. Mixing body horror with the statement on beauty then painting it in pink glitter made for a pretty viewing experience that captures the wandering eyes of modern movie audiences. For Cronenberg fans looking for something as grotesque as The Fly but with a dash of the pink ribbons we love on modern pop stars, they have certainly fished their wish.

Smile 2

What can I tell you? Apparently I am lined up for pop-star glittery versions of horror I already know and like. So comes Smile 2, the sparkly and brightly-lit follow up to 2022’s ruthless horror feature that made me barf in an alley. Reflecting on the pressures of super stardom, this fright takes the contagious (mental illness as) horror to new places, specifically, a concert stage. Naomi Scott gives the kind of leading lady performance we should be discussing the way we did Toni Collette’s, though this one involves combining a different sort of skills like singing, dancing, close-up reactions, and even more contorting. I’d venture this is one of the scariest flicks of the year and the uber driver who heard me yelp at street noise on the way home can vouch for me.

Trap

And if we want more frights at pop concerts, M. Night Shyamalan is not going to leave us high and dry. The king of comedy dusted off his monitor and ballcap to bring us the knowing horror that places a beefy Josh Hartnett into the role of psycho suburban dad. In what we can guess is a metaphor for the life of a horror director and father, Trap places Hartnett into the role of “The Butcher,” a serial killer who has to pause his activities to take his daughter to a pop concert. It’s silly and unbelievable and leads to an overlong showdown in an unexpected back half, but having the magnetic Hartnett clunking around a concert venue is a joy. Shyamalan knows as well as we all do that this concert sting didn’t make perfect sense, but it was the right way to get a brooding heartthrob into an apron and doing a fake smile while lusting for sharp weapons and isn’t that what we want and deserve?

It’s What’s Inside

I’ll admit, my stance has softened since I first consumed this Netflix horror mystery. I stand by my assessment that it is the mashup of Bodies Bodies Bodies and Coherence that a night on the couch craves, but I wondered so much why I hadn’t craved a rewatch. Sparing the full assessment for another article, I think it’s because much of the mystery in this flick is spelled out for us, so we’re always on track. And that’s not necessarily a bad thing. For those overwhelmed by the idea of taking notes in a movie, not wanting to dive too far into reddit and blog posts explaining the twists and turns, It’s What’s Inside manages to deliver a body swap horror feature that gives you time to blink and relax. Performances of an up-and-coming generation of stars makes this one even more interesting as you race to solve who is in which body and settle comfortably into thoughts of the self, the mind and body, and free will and consent.

MaXXXine

I refuse to let you all forget about the trilogy finale that graced our summer screens. Wrapping up the tale of X’s Maxine (Mia Goth) which was supported by Pearl is the love-letter to 80s sleaze that Ti West insisted on giving audiences. Goth shines in this deranged and sparkly role, essentially providing three (or maybe four if you count X’s Pearl) distinct performances, separating the first look at Maxine from this one. Where her original turn in the franchise is of a spooky social climber, here we get to learn more about who the extra-confident and ambitious actress really is. In a meta-horror narrative that finally throws away the need to call everyone “Nancy,” MaXXXine is another sparkly horror flick that’s as much homage as it is an original tale.

Nosferatu

*holds hands together in a prayer stance, presses them against my lips, and deeply inhales* Cinema. Making it right at the finish line is Robert Eggers’ latest visual opus. Specifically choosing to remake the 1922 horror icon instead of a fresh adaptation of “Dracula”, Eggers crafted a gothic vampire tale wherein the female heroine takes center frame. Lily-Rose Depp stars as Ellen, a slightly ill young newlywed who struggles with horrific nightmares and an indiscernible mutual lust and terror with a ghoul. Eggers’ gothic horror story is beautiful and haunting, it magically feeling true to a film from over a hundred years ago that had no audible dialogue. In his review, Jason described Court Orlock (Bill Skarsgard) as feeling “incorporeal,” and that’s truly the word to capture it. Not just because of his haunting voice and stunning costuming that leaned into the iconography of a rotting corpse, but in how Eggers framed and cut shots of the Count to make him feel like an otherworldly ghost instead of having him seen darting, hovering, or flying. I have mentioned contorting here previously, but Depp truly bends her back in inhuman ways begging to be remembered. Her full body performance is what makes Nosferatu feel so tactile and grounded, pulling the audience deep into this gothic horror-romance. There isn’t enough space for me to sufficiently gush about this special film and I lust for the opportunity to recapture the feeling of it by watching it in a room draped in candlelight.