Halloween time is finally here and what’s a better way to celebrate than gathering up your friends and watching some good old horror films? Sometimes it feels like years trying to find something on Netflix or Hulu but don’t worry I got you covered with my top 3 horror movie picks for 2024. Keep in mind all of these are horror films so they will be naturally scary.
- Skinnamarink (2022)
Probably the most left-field horror movie to come out in recent times is Kyle Edward Ball’s psychological horror film Skinnamarink. This movie has polarizing reviews often calling it the scariest movie of all time or plain boring. This film takes inspiration from the recent “analog horror” trend taking YouTube by storm. Its use of long unsettling shots, lack of information, and creepy story build up to what’s in my opinion one of the most unsettling horror movies I’ve ever seen. While in some scenes you can’t tell what’s going on, having your brain picture what it is, can lead to these scenes being very creepy and unsettling for the viewer. To classic horror movie fans, this could be a huge letdown but if a creepy atmosphere and long-standing tension are your thing, this is a must-watch movie.
- Hereditary (2018)
One of the best horror movies recently released, said by critics and fans alike, is Hereditary by director Ari Aster. One of the best displays of a horror movie in world-building, with subtle hints and foreshadowing, a creepy atmosphere, and a great score to wrap it all up. Where would one begin with this movie? This movie presents itself as a drama in the first act and a half with obvious dark undertones, the subtle occult imagery and dialogue are a perfect setup for the last act of the film. The acting here is top-tier, award-worthy. Toni Collette’s acting throughout the film is perfect, showing a mom watching her family get torn apart while learning the dark secrets of her mother, her acting brings up the whole movie, making every single scene better. Despite it being released in 2018 this movie still holds up as one of A24’s best and one of the best horror movies of all time.
- Talk To Me (2023)
My Personal favorite horror and overall movie is Danny and Micheal Phillipou’s masterpiece of Talk To Me. The movie does not hold back at all, not in a gory or super over-the-top scary, but as a film and creative vision. What started as two brothers making YouTube videos into a full feature-length film I was blown away when I first saw this movie. The pacing is incredible with never a dull moment, acting that feels realistic and propels the movie forward, an amazing ending, a great soundtrack, and great scary moments. The whole premise of this movie is around a ceramic hand that is a gateway between real life and the spiritual realm, what seems like a fun party game quickly takes a dark turn. I genuinely believe during 2023 this was my best movie out of that year and honestly one of my favorites of all time. I wholeheartedly recommend this to any horror fan as it caters to everyone, with no jumpscares but still scary and disturbing scenes, all of the best parts of horror movies wrapped into one. This is another great pickup from A24 and my favorite A24 movie ever.