Many killer movies have been released this year, but ten stand out above all others, and we’ve got a list. In HorrorFuel’s opinion, these are the ten best horror films of 2024.
Our list does not judge films by box-office numbers or Rotten Tomatoes scores. It features films our staff loved this year. To qualify, the movie must have been released in theaters, on streaming, or on Blu-ray between January 1, 2024, and December 30, 2024. Tell us on social media if you see your favorite movie on our list.
10. Salem’s Lot (review)
Salem’s Lot is set in 1975, the same year King’s original novel was published. It follows author Ben Mears, who returns to his hometown of Jerusalem’s Lot. Haunted by a childhood incident, Mears seeks inspiration for his next book. However, Ben soon discovers that the town is being terrorized by a bloodthirsty vampire and its loyal servant.
The film’s impressive ensemble cast includes Lewis Pullman, Makenzie Leigh, Alfre Woodard, Bill Camp, and Spencer Treat Clark—all of whom we interviewed about the film. Pilou Asbaek, William Sadler, John Benjamin Hickey, Nicholas Crovetti, and Debra Christofferson round out the cast.
9. Exhuma (review)
The film follows a team of paranormal experts brought together to investigate a mysterious illness plaguing a family’s firstborn children. Led by a renowned shaman and her protégé, the team includes a mortician and the country’s most respected geomancer. Their investigation leads them to a long-forgotten family grave on sacred ground and a chilling realization – disturbing the wrong burial site can unleash unimaginable consequences.
8. Oddity (review)
The story begins with a tragic event. Suspicion falls on a patient from the nearby mental health facility where Ted works as a doctor. Dani’s twin sister, Darcy, enters the scene one year later. Blind but brimming with a self-proclaimed psychic connection to the unseen, Darcy is also a collector of cursed artifacts. Her arrival at Ted’s doorstep, accompanied by his new girlfriend, Yana, is far from coincidental. Darcy is convinced there’s more to her sister’s demise than meets the eye.
7. A Quiet Place: Day One
The film follows Samira (Nyong’o) returning home to New York City. Her seemingly ordinary trip takes a terrifying turn when mysterious creatures that hunt by sound attack the city. Accompanied by her cat, Frodo, and an unexpected ally, Eric (Quinn), Samira must navigate the now-silent city to survive.
6. Beetlejuice Beeteljuice (review)
In Beetlejuice Beetlejuice, Lydia Deetz is reluctantly reunited with the demonic trickster Beetlejuice in this highly anticipated sequel. Lydia’s daughter, Astrid, is kidnapped by unknown otherworldly forces. The Deetz family, grappling with an unexpected tragedy, returns to their ancestral home in Winter River, where a mysterious model of the town holds the key to a portal between the living and the dead. With trouble brewing in both worlds, it’s up to Beetlejuice to save the day – or at least cause maximum chaos. Watch the extended 10-minute preview here.
5. The First Omen
The First Omen sees a young American woman sent to Rome to begin a life of service to the church. However, she encounters darkness that causes her to question her faith as she uncovers a terrifying conspiracy that hopes to bring about the birth of evil incarnate.
Check out our interview with the filmmakers behind this great film!
4. Longlegs (review)
The movie centers on Harker, a talented rookie agent pursuing a relentless investigation into a series of terrifying murders. As she delves deeper, the case takes a shocking turn. A horrifying truth is revealed that connects Harker to the killer in a way she never could have predicted.
3. Speak No Evil (review)
In the film starring James McAvoy, Ben (Scoot McNairy) and Louise (Mackenzie Davis) befriend a British couple and accept an invitation to a weekend at their country estate. Once they arrive, they begin to realize their hosts hide sinister motives. Soon, the couple and their daughter are locked in a fight for survival.
2. Late Night with the Devil (review)
The film takes us back to 1977, on a seemingly innocent Halloween night. Jack Delroy (played by the captivating David Dastmalchian), a late-night talk show host known for his program “Night Owls,” decides to make his Halloween special unforgettable. Little does he know his decision will unleash unimaginable horror.
Jack welcomes several guests before introducing a parapsychologist and the subject of her latest book – a young teenager, the sole survivor of a mass suicide in a Satanic church. As the interview begins, evil is unleashed, transforming the lighthearted atmosphere into a terrifying spectacle.
1. Nosferatu (review)
Lily-Rose Depp, Bill Skarsgård, Willem Dafoe, and Nicholas Hoult star in this gothic tale of obsession between a haunted young woman and the terrifying vampire infatuated with her, causing untold horror in its wake.
