In recent years, it’s become clear that horror movies are not just a Halloween event. Our idea of horror has grown beyond cult B-rated films or big franchises filled with jump scares—even if they still hold a place in our hearts. While horror has always been one of the best genres through which to explore social issues and societal anxieties thanks to the visceral feelings it evokes, this has become increasingly evident in the key releases we’ve seen over the past few years. Think Get Out, for instance, which incisively examined race relations in America, or Hereditary, which explored the expressions of grief and trauma in a family.
It seems like horror film line-ups have only grown stronger every year, and 2024’s is proving to be exceptional. Blending genres and subverting conventional tropes, this year’s horror movies push the boundaries of the genre. There’s Longlegs, for starters, which combines the suspense of an investigation film with the sinister chill of supernatural horror. The result: an unsettling watch that has already been named by critics to be one of the scariest films of the decade. Late Night with the Devil is another fascinating example, incorporating elements of documentary filmmaking and found footage to create a film that unfolds in real time. Below, we round up the best horror movies of 2024 to add to your watchlist—films that don’t just scare, but also haunt you long after you leave the theatres.
1 / 7
Longlegs
FBI agent Lee Harker might be new, but she’s also absolutely excelling at her job thanks to her unique psychic abilities. When she is assigned to an unsolved case involving the Satanic serial killer known as Longlegs, however, occult evidence is discovered and a personal link to the killer is found. Combining the suspense of an investigation film with the sinister chill of supernatural horror, this unsettling watch will get under your skin and stay with you long after.
2 / 7
MaXXXine
Following X and Pearl, the final chapter of Ti West’s slasher trilogy is here at last. In MaXXXine, adult film star and aspiring actress Maxine Minx finally gets her big break—but amid her newfound success, a string of murders puts the starlets of Hollywood in peril, and a trail of blood threatens to uncover her own troubled past.
3 / 7
Nosferatu
It is hard to overstate the importance of the original Nosferatu in film. Released in 1992, it is highly regarded as one of the most influential pieces of cinema, becoming the template for horror movies that followed. Three decades later, Robert Eggers’s remake of the iconic film arrives—bringing to life, once again, the gothic tale of obsession between a young woman and the monstrous vampire infatuated with her.
4 / 7
Late Night with the Devil
It is the night of Halloween in 1977, and talk show host Jack Delroy has a special episode planned—unaware that he is about to unleash evil into the living rooms of America. Incorporating elements of documentary filmmaking and found footage, Late Night with the Devil unfolds nearly in real time, slowly shifting from amusingly bizarre to terrifyingly insidious.
5 / 7
Immaculate
In Immaculate, Sydney Sweeney is Cecilia, an American nun of devout faith. Embarking on a new beginning in the picture-perfect Italian countryside, she is warmly welcomed to an illustrious convent where she takes on a new role. But within the convent’s walls lie hidden malevolence and unimaginable horrors—and as Cecilia’s hopeful journey becomes a harrowing nightmare, this gruesome film will leave you shaken to the core.
6 / 7
Exhuma
The highest-grossing Korean film of 2024, Exhuma follows a team of paranormal experts enlisted to help a wealthy family plagued by paranormal occurrences. Tracing the origin of the supernatural affliction to the family’s ancestral gravesite, they exhume the body—only to uncover the perilous fate that awaits those who mess with the wrong tomb.
7 / 7
Abigail
What begins as a straightforward hostage movie becomes a genre-crossing horror film that is equal parts thrilling and hilarious in Abigail. The plan is simple for this gang of criminals: kidnap the daughter of a prominent underworld figure, and demand ransom. Their scheme begins to unravel, however, when they realise that the girl they have taken hostage is more than what she appears to be—not just a young ballerina, but a vicious vampire.
