Horror Movies That Will Blow Fans Away In 2024
Horror movies in 2023 ran the gamut. From much-awaited sequels ("Scream VI," "Evil Dead Rise," "The Exorcist: Believer") to new takes on old stories ("The Last Voyage of the Demeter," "The Boogeyman") to Russell Crowe riding around town on his little Vespa, in "The Pope's Exorcist," there was something for everyone. We began the year with the viral sensation "M3GAN" and wrapped up with a bloody holiday meal in "Thanksgiving."
But not to worry, horror fans have plenty to look forward to throughout 2024. We've got evil spirits, ruthless aliens, vampires, serial killers, and even some laughs with the return of a certain bio-exorcist from the mind of Tim Burton. If you're already feeling hungry for your next horror snack, here are some sneak peeks to whet your appetite even further. Get ready to mark your creepy calendars!
In a Violent Nature
Have you ever heard the phrase "ambient slasher" before? We hadn't either, until we discovered the upcoming Shudder film "In a Violent Nature," described as an ambient slasher by director Chris Nash. Inspired by filmmakers like Terrence Malick and Gus Van Sant, Nash told Entertainment Weekly, "For years, I've thought of applying their form and aesthetic to the horror genre, and a slasher seemed like the best fit since many of them have flirted with that stylistic approach but rarely commit to it beyond a set piece or two."
The result is "In a Violent Nature," a slasher that takes place in northern Ontario. Shot primarily from the perspective of the killer, the film tracks the silent monster as he brutally kills a group of teenagers in the wilderness. We never see the killer's face in the trailer, but the gnarly-looking back of his head is enough to give you the chills. As one of the characters warns in the trailer, "Animals don't get too hung up on reason, they just keep killing." Will the first offering in this new genre deliver thrills, or be a snooze-fest? We'll soon find out, but you can read our review of "In a Violent Nature" in the meantime.
Premiere: May 31, 2024
The Watchers
This year marks the debut of a director with quite the legacy to live up to. Ishana Night Shyamalan, the daughter of M. Night Shyamalan, will get a chance to show everyone what she's made of with her first film, "The Watchers." Dakota Fanning plays Mina, an artist who finds herself lost in a vast forest in Ireland. She locates a safe place to hide, but she's not alone. Mysterious creatures stalk Mina and her three companions every night, trapping them in the wilderness.
Based on A.M. Shine's horror novel of the same name, Shyamalan Sr. is a producer on the movie under the Blinding Edge Pictures and Inimitable Pictures banners, with New Line Cinema as a distributor. "We couldn't be more excited to make Ishana's first film with 'The Watchers.' Equal parts visual, immersive, and terrifying, the script grips you from the first page and never lets go," according to Richard Brener (via Deadline), president and chief creative officer at New Line Cinema.
The trailer for "The Watchers" doesn't offer up much in the way of a plot — this is a Shyamalan production, after all. We watch Mina as she travels to a remote cabin carrying a yellow bird, but why she's there and what the titular watchers want from her and her companions remains a mystery. We also got a sneak peek of more footage at CinemaCon, which was rather promising. The question many viewers will surely have on their minds is if M. Night Shyamalan's daughter loves twists as much as her old man. Place your bets now.
Premiere: June 7, 2024
A Quite Place: Day One
"A Quiet Place," the biggest horror film of 2018, out-grossed the indie hit "Hereditary" and legacy sequel "Halloween." Not long after, "A Quiet Place Part II" proved almost as successful, and the franchise doesn't stop there. In 2022, writer/director John Krasinski announced a spin-off film, "A Quiet Place: Day One," which takes place in the same universe but follows all-new characters. Directed by Michael Sarnoski, the film goes back to the very beginning of the alien invasion and unfolds in "the loudest city in the world, New York." Lupita Nyong'o plays the lead character, and the rest of the cast includes Joseph Quinn, Alex Wolff, Djimon Hounsou, and Denis O'Hare.
The first trailer for the film begins by reminding us of the events of "A Quiet Place" before setting the clock back 471 days earlier, to the titular day one. We see Nyong'o walking the streets of New York holding a cat when white streaks appear in the sky above and explosions rain down on the city. This marks the first appearance of the long-legged, sound-sensitive aliens we first encountered alongside Krasinski and his family, though the carnage in "Day One" looks more brutal than anything we saw in the previous films. Will Nyong'o and her furry feline friend survive the devastation? Find out this summer.
Premiere: June 28, 2024
MaXXXine
Ti West is one of the most inventive horror directors working today, and there's no doubt his upcoming film "MaXXXine" will be another project for horror fans to discuss and dissect ad nauseam. The final film in West's "X" trilogy, "MaXXXine," stars Mia Goth as the titular character, a young woman who moves to Los Angeles to pursue her dream of becoming a famous actress. The film takes place following the events of "X," which saw Maxine survive a serial killer in Texas. Maxine isn't safe in Los Angeles either, where the fearsome Night Stalker (a real-life serial killer in the 1980s) hunts the city's residents.
The movie's stacked cast includes Elizabeth Debicki (doing her best Greta Gerwig impression as a director), musicians Moses Sumney and Halsey, Michelle Monaghan, Bobby Cannavale, Lily Collins, Giancarlo Esposito, and Kevin Bacon. If the trailer for "MaXXXine" is any indication, we're in for a blood-soaked, neon-tinted treat.
West assures fans that MaXXXine will be "'different From X" and "nothing like Pearl," though all three films have characters and themes in common. Goth, who stars in every film in the trilogy, has rave things to say about the picture. "It's the best script of the three by far," she told Variety. "It's going [to] be the best movie of the three." Color us intrigued.
Premiere: July 5, 2024
Longlegs
A new horror movie starring Nicolas Cage and Maika Monroe? You can sign us up now. From director Oz Perkins, "Longlegs" is a serial killer story set in 1974. Monroe plays Lee Harper, a young FBI agent. Assigned to an unsolved serial killer case connected to the occult, Harper discovers she may be closer to the killer than she thinks. Nicolas Cage plays said killer, who remains a mystery to us at this point.
The film's haunting trailer gives almost nothing away about the film's plot, which only piques our interest further. If nothing else, it will be exciting to see Monroe, a beloved screen queen in her own right, on screen with Cage, an actor many know to be more talented than he gets credit for. Cage is also a producer on the film, and we imagine he won't be covered in bees this time like he was in his most (in)famous horror movie.
Premiere: July 12, 2024
Trap
This year will actually see the release of two films directed by a member of the Shyamalan family. Following his daughter's feature film debut, M. Night Shyamalan returns with his latest thriller. Earlier in the year, Shyamalan signed a multi-year first-look deal with Warner Bros., and "Trap" represents the first product of that deal.
Shyamalan fans know the director abhors spoilers, so the trailer for "Trap" may come as a surprise at first glance. Josh Hartnett plays a dad who takes his daughter to a concert for a pop star (Saleka Shyamalan, also one of the filmmaker's daughters). Everything seems normal until Hartnett leaves to go to the bathroom and notices an unusually dense police presence at the venue. A worker confides in him that the event is a trap to catch a fearsome serial killer known as The Butcher, who loves to chop people up.
The twist, it seems, is that Hartnett's character is the very same Butcher, which means he must find a way out of the venue before the police can stop him. It might seem like the trailer gives too much away, but we're certain Shyamalan isn't showing us all his cards here. In fact, Shyamalan once said he sees his movies' marketing as "part of the storytelling." No doubt there's another twist (if not multiple twists) to look forward to in this serpentine thriller.
Premiere: August 9, 2024
Cuckoo
Zendaya may be the biggest name in HBO's "Euphoria," but her on-screen love interest Hunter Schafer is a rising star in her own right. This year, Schafer takes a stab at becoming a scream queen with "Cuckoo," a new film from German director Tilman Singer. Schafer plays Gretchen, a 17-year-old girl dragged to the German Alps with her father and his new family. It quickly becomes clear something is not right in this mountain town. Gretchen gets a job at the local resort, where people are constantly throwing up and she keeps getting injured in mysterious circumstances. Her neighbors are quite creepy, to put it mildly, and no one believes her when she insists something sinister is going on.
"Cuckoo" premiered at the Berlin Film Festival in February, and luckily, we won't have to wait long to see it for ourselves. SlashFilm's BJ Colangelo got a chance to see it early, and she calls it a "screeching ride of repulsive sci-fi body horror" and "a bonkers, bloody rollercoaster of terrorizing sound design and dynamic performances that feels like it could fall off the rails at any moment." Colangelo also applauds Schafer's strong performance in the film, which shouldn't surprise anyone who's ever watched an episode of "Euphoria." You can watch the "Cuckoo" trailer to get a taste of the movie yourself.
Premiere: August 9, 2024
Alien: Romulus
Like those bloodthirsty xenomorphs, the "Alien" franchise just won't die. The upcoming "Alien: Romulus," directed by "Don't Breathe" filmmaker Fede Álvarez, is the first movie in the "Alien" series since Ridley Scott's controversial prequels, "Prometheus" and "Alien: Covenant." This new film isn't a prequel, exactly, but it does take place between the first and second "Alien" films. The cast of the film includes "Priscilla" and "Civil War" star Cailee Spaeny along with David Jonsson ("Industry"), Archie Renaux ("Shadow and Bone"), Isabela Merced ("Rosaline"), Spike Fearn ("The Batman") and Aileen Wu ("Away from Home").
We don't know much about the plot yet, but fans of the series can probably guess the gist of things. Per 20th Century Studios, the film will follow "a group of young people on a distant world, who find themselves in a confrontation with the most terrifying life form in the universe." You don't say! The "Alien: Romulus" trailer doesn't give much away either, but that's usually a good thing when it comes to horror. We see the blood-soaked walls of a spaceship, a slimy alien appendage being pulled out of someone's mouth, and spider-like xenomorphs (or their brethren) scuttling around the halls.
Álvarez did an admirable job re-vamping an iconic horror series with his 2013 "Evil Dead" movie and he revealed that he worked with both Ridley Scott and James Cameron to maintain franchise continuity, so our expectations are pretty high with this one.
Premiere: August 16, 2024
Beetlejuice Beetlejuice
Legacy sequels have become more and more common lately, as studios continue to capitalize on our longing for the classics. Next up on the nostalgia train? A "Beetlejuice" sequel, which pulls up more than 35 years after the original. The 1988 film follows a family (Catherine O'Hara, Jeffrey Jones, Winona Ryder) who move into a home haunted by its previous residents (Geena Davis, Alec Baldwin). When a shifty spirit (Michael Keaton) becomes involved, things get whacky.
O'Hara, Ryder, and Keaton reprise their roles in the sequel alongside some new faces. In a brilliant casting move, Jenna Ortega portrays Ryder's daughter, Astrid. If anyone can breathe new life into this beloved universe it's Ortega, who proved her goth girl cred in "Wednesday" and scream queen skills in "Scream" and "X." Joining Ortega are Willem Dafoe, Justin Theroux, and Monica Bellucci, who plays Beetlejuice's wife.
As seen in the "Beetlejuice Beetlejuice" trailer, Lydia (Ryder) returns to the house featured in the first film alongside her mother (O'Hara) and daughter. It appears they've returned to attend a funeral — perhaps for Mr. Deetz, who doesn't seem to appear in the film (probably because of Jeffrey Jones' controversy) Astrid ventures into the attic of the old house, where she finds a miniature replica of the town. It's there that she accidentally awakens Beetlejuice, who's thrilled to escape his undead realm. Will Ortega and Ryder's collective goth power be enough to stop him? Or, as Lydia asks in the footage shown at CinemaCon, "The living. The dead. Can they co-exist?" Only Tim Burton knows the answer.
Premiere: September 6, 2024
Speak No Evil
One of 2022's most shocking horror movies, the Danish film "Speak No Evil," premiered in the U.S. on Shudder. In typical Hollywood form, the film is getting the American remake just two years after the original. The 2022 movie centers on two families – one Danish, one Dutch – who become friends while on vacation. When the Dutch family invites the Danish family to their house for the weekend, chaos ensues. The Dutch family is much more free-wheeling than their new Danish friends, and as misunderstandings and culture clashes pile up, things come to a horrific head.
The plot of the remake appears similar to the original, at least in the trailer, though it's likely the social context will shift considering the new setting. The Danish film hinges on the long-standing rivalry between the Danish and the Dutch, a specific history that may be hard to replicate. The original also serves as a satire about middle-class decorum, a theme this version will likely tackle as well.
Perhaps a great cast will save the film from forgettable remake territory. The remake stars Mackenzie Davis and Scoot McNairy — reuniting after their time together on "Halt and Catch Fire" – as a couple who visit their new friends' house while on vacation. James McAvoy and Aisling Franciosi ("The Nightingale" and "The Fall") play the other couple, who may be hiding something sinister beneath their veneer of friendliness. James Watkins, best known for "Eden Lake" and "The Woman in Black," directed and co-wrote the movie, which is set to hit theaters this September.
Premiere: September 13, 2024
Never Let Go
Her first foray into the horror genre since the early 2010s, Halle Berry's new film "Never Let Go" arrives in theaters in September, replacing "Saw XI" in the Lionsgate lineup. The film follows "a mother (Berry) and her fraternal twin sons (Percy Daggs IV and Anthony B. Jenkins) who have been tormented by an evil spirit for years and are convinced to never let go of their family's protective bond. But when one of the boys questions if the evil is real, their connection is severed, triggering a terrifying fight for survival."
Alexandre Aja ("Crawl," "The Hills Have Eyes,") helms the project, while Berry serves as an executive producer alongside 21 Laps' Shawn Levy, Dan Cohen and Dan Levine ("Arrival," "Stranger Things"). Little is known about the film right now, as a trailer has yet to be released, and the minimalist poster doesn't reveal much either. We're crossing our fingers that "Never Let Go" finds more success than Berry's previous horror projects, such as the critically panned shark movie "Dark Tide."
Premiere: September 27, 2024
Terrifier 3
Who doesn't love a killer clown? If you're one of the few who doesn't, you should probably steer clear of the "Terrifier" franchise, which continues with "Terrifier 3" this fall. The series centers on Art the Clown (David Howard Thornton), a serial killer who wears a horrifying clown getup. The first film follows Art the Clown as he torments two sisters, Tara (Jenna Kanell) and Victoria (Samantha Scaffidi), on Halloween. The second film also takes place on Halloween and introduces two new siblings, Sienna (Lauren LaVera) and Jonathan (Elliot Fullman) as potential victims.
"Terrifier 3" sees both Victoria and Sienna return in prominent roles, and this time, the film takes place during a much cheerier holiday: Christmas. Writer-director Damien Leone isn't letting up on the gore this time around, and he revealed that one scene they shot even made Art the Clown sick. Leone tweeted: "Can honestly say we just filmed one of the most insanely horrific scenes of the Terrifier franchise and you'll never believe who couldn't handle it on set," and a fan seemingly confirmed Thornton was the actor in question.
"Terrifier" fans can rejoice, because "Terrifier 3" isn't the last project up Leone's sleeve. He told Insider "I definitely want to make at least one more. There may be two to tell this story and tackle all the ideas that I have in my head." What's more, you'll be able to see "Terrifier 3" sooner than expected, as Cineverse pushed the film's release date a full two weeks, giving fans plenty of time to celebrate this Halloween season.
Premiere: October 11, 2024
Smile 2
The 2022 film "Smile" doesn't exactly break the mold when it comes to horror movies. Our very own Chris Evangelista described it as "a frequently creepy fright flick that doesn't have an original thought in it's head." To be fair, it has plenty of entertainment value, which is why Jacob Hall called it "the best kind of pretty good horror movie." Considering its box office success, it's not surprising that Paramount went ahead and ordered another one where that came from, a sequel creatively titled "Smile 2" (at least for now).
In case you missed it the first time around, "Smile" follows Rose (Sosie Bacon), a therapist who starts having supernatural experiences after witnessing a patient's suicide. Basically, she keeps encountering a demonic presence who can take the form of anyone she knows, and get this – the entity really loves to smile.
"Smile 2" serves as a direct sequel to the first film, and Kyle Gallner reprises his role as Rose's ex-boyfriend, Joel. The new cast includes Naomi Scott, Lukas Gage, Rosemarie DeWitt, Dylan Gelula, and Raúl Castillo. Scott will likely play the main character, though her relationship with Joel or any of the characters in the previous film is yet to be determined. Until a trailer is released, we'll just have to imagine the frights that are in store for us.
Premiere: October 18, 2024
Nosferatu
Nothing says Christmas like a disturbing, obsessive vampire, right? Horror fans will get their very own gift from Santa this year with the release of Robert Eggers' "Nosferatu" film, his take on the spooky silent movie that made the horror genre what it is today. Per distributor Focus Features, "Robert Eggers' Nosferatu is a gothic tale of obsession between a haunted young woman and the terrifying vampire infatuated with her, causing untold horror in its wake."
Bill Skarsgård, who has made a name for himself portraying villains like Pennywise in the "It" series, plays Count Orlok, the ghoulish vampire in question. The rest of the cast includes Lily-Rose Depp as Ellen, the woman Count Orlok is obsessed with, Nicholas Hoult as her husband, Aaron Taylor-Johnson, Emma Corrin, Willem Dafoe, Simon McBurney, and Ralph Ineson.
In a sneak peek shared with EW, we see Dafoe as vampire hunter Professor Albin Eberhart Von Franz in a scene that involved "real flames" and 2,000 real rats," says Eggers. As for Skarsgård, Eggers revealed that he "totally transforms into something that is very unique," while Hoult's character plays the role of the damsel in distress. Consider our attention grabbed. If you want to know more, check out our "Nosferatu" footage reaction from CinemaCon.
Premiere: December 25, 2024