With Halloween right around the corner, there’s no better time to get on some of the best and most talked-about horror movies of the year (so far).
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Horror movies were doing their thing this 2024 with a lot of scary stories that transcended the typical haunted house. From the horrors of space to demons from different realms, horror fans have been eating good this year, and we still have a couple of months left. So, as we’re on the eve of Halloween, why not spend the spooky celebration by catching up on some of the best horror movies of the year? We still have a few more projects coming our way (such as Nadine Lustre’s next horror movie Nokturno dropping on October 31 on Prime Video), but these movies have made their mark for the right reasons.
SMILE 2 – IF YOU’RE IN THE MOOD FOR JUMPSCARES AND GORE
Smile was a competent and unexpected no-holds-bar horror movie. The sequel ups the ante to gruesome levels, and it makes for an even wilder ride. The movie centers on global pop sensation Skye Riley, played by an exceptional Naomi Scott, who begins to experience increasingly terrifying and inexplicable events, just as she’s about to embark on a new world tour.
Overwhelmed by the escalating horrors and the pressures of fame, Skye is forced to face her dark past to regain control of her life before it spirals out of control. If you loved the first movie, Smile 2 should be up your alley that doesn’t skimp on the jumpscares and violence, while still finding the time to provide commentary on how we treat public figures.
THE SUBSTANCE – IF YOU’RE LOOKING FOR YASSIFIED BODY HORROR
One of the most talked about movies of the year stars Demi Moore and Margaret Qualley in a joint slay (literally and figuratively) for the ages. It follows an aging celebrity named Elisabeth who is fired from her show on her 50th birthday. Desperate to get her fame back, she agrees to take The Substance, a self-induced procedure that can spawn a younger and more beautiful version of you for seven days at a time. The process births Sue, and she recaptures the glory Elisabeth had during her younger years. But as Sue begins to take over more of Elisabeth’s life, the two struggle to respect the balance as their desires lead them down a disturbing road.
With bold direction, *chef’s kiss* acting, nasty practical effects that will have you squirming, and unapologetic commentary, the movie is one of the best body horror films in years that doesn’t pull its punches. No spoilers but the last thirty minutes will stick with you long after the credits roll.
ALIEN: ROMULUS – IF HORROR ACTION IS WHAT YOU DESIRE
Appealing to both fans of the long-running franchise and casual viewers, Alien: Romulus is what a horror-themed roller coaster would feel like if it was turned into a movie. The story of Rain and her synthetic brother Andy trying to survive a derelict space station filled with Xenomorphs quickly gets to 60 and doesn’t let up until the end. Bringing the movie back to the franchise’s horror roots worked, and the addition of practical effects makes Romulus a real crowd-pleaser. This is a thrilling ride from start to finish that’s both visually stunning and emotionally resonant with its lead protagonists.
LONGLEGS – IF PROCEDURAL SATANIC HORROR IS UP YOUR ALLEY
This movie’s marketing campaign was one of the best in horror this year, and the film itself is quite good, too. This psychological horror movie akin to The Silence of the Lambs and Se7en stars one of the new generation’s scream queens Maika Monroe as Agent Lee Harket. She’s assigned to investigate the case of a serial killer only known as Longlegs (played to creepy perfection by Nicolas Cage) and the occult nature of his killings.
But as she digs deeper into the case, her past soon comes back to haunt her in more ways than one. Dread is what Longlegs does best as the noticeably bleak atmosphere will keep you on the edge of your toes for much of its run.
ABIGAIL – IF YOU WANT COMPETENT MAJOR STUDIO HORROR FAIR
It’s kinda sad this movie didn’t do so well at the box office considering it kicks ass. A group of criminals are brought together for a seemingly simple task of kidnapping the daughter of a powerful figure and collecting the ransom money. But once the team arrives at the location to keep the girl, they soon realize that they’re the prey when it’s revealed that the little girl is actually a vampire looking for her next meal.
The movie gives the vampire trope an adrenaline shot to the arm for a frenetic and bloody good time, and with a dash of black comedy for good measure. And as always, Melissa Barrera owns the screen as the former addict turned criminal Joey. If you think you know where Abigail is going, it zigs to effective results.
LATE NIGHT WITH THE DEVIL – IF YOU WANT TO KNOW WHAT FOUND FOOTAGE HORROR DONE RIGHT LOOKS LIKE
One of the best horror movies of the year is both an independent movie and in the found footage genre? We love to see it. Starring the ever-underrated David Dastmalchian, the movie follows a talk show host named Jack Delroy during a telecast of his late-night talk show on Halloween night in the 70s that went horribly wrong for, among other reasons, holding a live exorcism on camera. This well-executed gem takes no prisoners and turns a talk show set into a house of horrors as it builds the tension before reaching its terrifying crescendo. Use of AI in a few scenes aside, the movie creeply gets under your skin.
EXHUMA – IF YOU’RE A FAN OF ASIAN-CENTRIC HORROR
Nothing like Asian supernatural horror to show the girls how it’s done. South Korea’s biggest movie of the year so far tells the story of two talented shamans, a geomancer, and a mortician tasked to find a mysterious grave after a wealthy family living in LA summons them to save the newborn of the family. But in their efforts, they unknowingly unleash a malevolent force buried underneath that leads to grave consequences for everyone involved. This haunting movie may start slow, but it consistently keeps the drumbeat going as the supernatural horror at the movie’s center becomes one of the most consuming and visceral presence in cinema this year.
OUTSIDE – IF SLOW-BURN PSYCHOLOGICAL HORROR THROUGH A PINOY LENS SPEAKS TO YOU
Zombie apocalypse, but set in the Philippines and have it focus on the family is the basic premise of this psychological horror from Netflix. During the onset of a zombie apocalypse, a family decides to seek shelter at the father’s family home in the province, only for the house to unleash an evil even more dangerous than the zombies outside. What it lacks in overt zombie gore, it makes up for it in a growing eerie feeling that something is wrong with the family at the center of the story.
The film is very Pinoy in the sense that, instead of the main character trying to find a cure, it’s about a father trying to protect his family and the general sense of family checking up on each other during a crisis. But more than just about a family trying to survive a zombie outbreak, Outside focuses on how this desire to help family can be hobbled by childhood trauma and issues, which can lead to grave consequences when left unchecked. Outside’s final act swings for the fences, and it’s aided by darkly successful performances from Sid Lucero and Beauty Gonzales.
Honorable Mentions: Don’t Move, It’s What’s Inside, Immaculate, A Quiet Place: Day One, Strange Darling, Speak No Evil, Oddity, Infested, The First Omen
Also, as a special Halloween treat, Ayala Malls Cinemas will be screening three horror movies from October 30 to November 5 as part of their annual Thrill Fest. This will be your chance to catch The Lost Boys, Tim Burton’s Corpse Bride, and Trick ’r Treat (which was never screened theatrically in the Philippines until now) in cinemas in this limited run.
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