The 24 Best Horror Movies of 2024

a woman with her back to the camera stands in front of a wall of papers and cryptic drawings

(Image credit: A24)

last updated 13 September 2024

Many of today's most innovative, heart-racing stories are being told in the horror genre, and, so far, 2024's terror slate has been full of the most anticipated serial killer films, slasher flicks, and creature features in recent years. There's something for everyone, from scary psychological thrillers that will keep viewers on the edge of their seats, to campy monster stories set to give M3GAN a run for her money. From the return of beloved franchises like Beetlejuice and A Quiet Place, to the debuts of festival darlings like I Saw the TV Glow, here are the best horror movies of 2024 to add to your watchlist. (If you're looking for more scares, check out the best horror movies of 2023 to watch now on streaming.)

'Out of Darkness'

a man wearing a fur jacket holds a long carved stick which ends at a point

Release Date: February 9, 2024

Starring: Kit Young, Chuku Modu, and Iola Evans.

This acclaimed horror indie, set 45,000 years ago, follows a community of prehistoric humans searching for a new home in an inhospitable tundra. When night falls, the group is stalked by a terrifying enemy.

Trailer: HERE

'Immaculate'

a woman (sydney sweeney) in a nun's habit walks through a hall

Release Date: March 22, 2024

Starring: Sydney Sweeney, Simona Tabasco, Álvaro Morte, and Benedetta Porcaroli.

This chilling horror film follows a devout American nun (Sweeney) who joins a remote convent in the picturesque Italian countryside. Per the film's description, "Cecilia's warm welcome quickly devolves into a nightmare as it becomes clear her new home harbors a sinister secret and unspeakable horrors."

Trailer: HERE

'Late Night with the Devil'

Release Date: March 22, 2024

Starring: David Dastmalchian, Laura Gordon, Ian Bliss, Fayssal Bazzi, Ingrid Torelli, Rhys Auteri, Georgina Haig, and Josh Quong Tart.

Jack Delroy (David Dastmalchian) hosts Night Owls, a syndicated '70s late-night show struggling to get its ratings up. To entice crowds, he stages a Halloween episode featuring a girl (Torelli) who claims to be possessed by Satan. The terrifying evening is documented in this unpredictable film, which uses documentary-style elements to follow what's happening both in front of and behind the Night Owls cameras.

Trailer: HERE

'Exhuma'

a man (choi min-sik) splattered with blood looks down into a hole

Release Date: March 22, 2024

Starring: Choi Min-shik, Kim Go-eun, Lee Do-hyun, and Yoo Hae-jin.

This Korean horror movie is a supernatural thrill ride based on the practices of Korean shamanism. When the newborn child of a wealthy family contracts a mysterious illness, they hire a renowned shaman (Kim), who traces the source to an ancestor's long-hidden grave. She brings on a geomancer (Choi) and a mortician (Yoo) to exhume and relocate the remains, not knowing that the grave holds a centuries-old evil.

Trailer: HERE

'The First Omen'

a woman wearing a black church outfit stands with her hands clasped in front of candles

Release Date: April 5, 2024

Starring: Nell Tiger Free, Tawkeef Barhom, Sonia Braga, Ralph Ineson, and Bill Nighy.

The latest film in the supernatural horror franchise The Omen is its first prequel story. "When a young American woman is sent to Rome to begin a life of service to the church, she encounters a darkness that causes her to question her own faith and uncovers a terrifying conspiracy that hopes to bring about the birth of evil incarnate," per the film's description.

Trailer: HERE

'Abigail'

a girl in a white dress stained with blood, as a circular tutu fans around her

Release Date: April 19, 2024

Starring: Melissa Barrera, Dan Stevens, Kevin Durand, Kathryn Newton, Angus Cloud, William Catlett, Alisha Weir, and Giancarlo Esposito

The directors of 2019's horror-comedy Ready or Not are back with a new terrifyingly funny tale, following a group of kidnappers who take the 12-year-old daughter (Weir) of a crime boss. "In an isolated mansion, the captors start to dwindle, one by one, and they discover, to their mounting horror, that they’re locked inside with no normal little girl," per the film's description.

Trailer: HERE

'Humane'

Release Date: April 26, 2024

Starring: Jay Baruchel, Emily Hampshire, Peter Gallagher, and Enrico Colantoni

Caitlin Cronenberg's (daughter of David Cronenberg) feature-length debut takes place soon after "a global ecological collapse has forced world leaders to take extreme measures to reduce the earth’s population," per the film's description. "In a wealthy enclave, a recently retired newsman has invited his grown children to dinner to announce his intentions to enlist in the nation’s new euthanasia program. But when the father’s plan goes horribly awry, tensions flare and chaos erupts among his children."

Trailer: HERE

'I Saw the TV Glow'

a boy and a girl sit on a couch illuminated by the tv's glow, with a fish tank behind them

Release Date: May 17, 2024

Starring: Justice Smith, Brigette Lundy-Paine, Danielle Deadwyler, Phoebe Bridgers, Helena Howard, Fred Durst, Amber Benson, and Conner O’Malley.

Another buzzy hit out of Sundance, Jane Schoenbrun's acclaimed film follows teenagers Owen (Smith) and Maddy (Lundy-Paine) as they bond over their love of a television series. After the show is mysteriously canceled, their reality begins to blur.

Trailer: HERE

'In a Violent Nature'

Release Date: May 31, 2024

Starring: Ry Barrett, Andrea Pavlovic, Cameron Love, Reece Presley, Liam Leone, Charlotte Creaghan, Lea Rose Sebastianis, Sam Roulston, Alexander Oliver, and Lauren Taylor

This brutal, stomach-turning slasher follows an undead serial killer through his point of view. Per the official description, "When a locket is removed from a collapsed fire tower in the woods that entombs the rotting corpse of Johnny, a vengeful spirit spurred on by a horrific 60-year-old crime, his body is resurrected and becomes hellbent on retrieving it. The undead golem hones in on the group of vacationing teens responsible for the theft and proceeds to methodically slaughter them one by one in his mission to get it back—along with anyone in his way."

Trailer: HERE

'Handling the Undead'

a woman holds a baby while standing in a marsh near a rowboat

Release Date: May 31, 2024

Starring: Renate Reinsve, Bjørn Sundquist, Bente Børsum, Anders Danielsen Lie, Bahar Pars, and Inesa Dauksta.

This Norwegian zombie horror hit theaters nationwide this year after earning rave reviews at Sundance. "On a hot summer day in Oslo, the newly dead awaken. Three families faced with loss try to figure out what this resurrection means and if their loved ones really are back," per the film's description.

Trailer: HERE

'A Quiet Place: Day One'

Release Date: June 28, 2024

Starring: Lupita Nyong'o, Joseph Quinn, and Djimon Hounsou.

This prequel spin-off to the hit horror-thriller franchise by John Krasinski brings the initial chaos of the society-ending alien invasion to the big screen, showing a group of strangers banding together as the sound-sensitive monsters touch down in N.Y.C.

Trailer: HERE

'Longlegs'

a woman stands in front of a wall covered with papers and cryptic drawings

Release Date: July 12, 2024

Starring: Nicholas Cage, Maika Monroe, Alicia Witt, and Blair Underwood

A young FBI agent (Monroe) investigates a serial killer (Nicholas Cage) who's roamed the Pacific Northwest for decades, murdering families with a daughter whose birthday falls on the 14th. As she follows the killer's trail of chilling, Satanic ciphers, the case approaches a truly terrifying ending.

Trailer: HERE

'Trap'

Release Date: August 2, 2024

Starring: Josh Hartnett, Ariel Donoghue, Saleka Night Shyamalan, Hayley Mills, and Alison Pill.

In M. Night Shyamalan's psychological thriller, mild-mannered dad Cooper (Hartnett) takes his teen daughter Riley (Donoghue) to a concert thrown by her favorite artist (played by Saleka Shyamalan, the director's daughter). However, in this Shyamalan flick, the twists come at the start: The concert is a trap for the FBI to catch a serial killer, and the killer is Cooper!

Trailer: HERE

'Cuckoo'

a woman with a white head bandage and an arm brace hides from another woman

Release Date: August 9, 2024

Starring: Hunter Schafer, Jessica Henwick, and Dan Stevens

This long-awaited indie flick follows Gretchen (Schafer), a 17-year-old who moves to the German Alps with her father and her new step-family. "Something doesn't seem right in this tranquil vacation paradise, [as] Gretchen is plagued by strange noises and bloody visions until she discovers a shocking secret that also concerns her own family," per the film's description.

Trailer: HERE

'Alien: Romulus'

Release Date: August 16, 2024

Starring: Cailee Spaeny, David Jonsson, Archie Renaux, Isabela Merced, Spike Fearn, and Aileen Wu

Fede Álvarez's installment in the Alien franchise is a standalone story set in the timeframe between the franchise's first and second films. It centers on “a group of young people on a distant world, who find themselves in a confrontation with the most terrifying life form in the universe," per Variety, and you can expect it to bring on the gore.

Trailer: HERE

'Strange Darling'

Release Date: August 23, 2024

Starring: Willa Fitzgerald, Kyle Gallner, Barbara Hershey, and Ed Begley Jr.

You should go into Strange Darling knowing absolutely nothing... besides the fact that this little-marketed horror flick—which takes inspiration from '70s and '80s serial killer B-movies—became an immediate word-of-mouth sensation upon its release. For anyone who needs more of a hint, know that the film is told out of order and centers a one-night stand turned into a hunt to the death.

Trailer: HERE

'Beetlejuice Beetlejuice'

Catherine O'Hara, Jenna Ortega, Winona Ryder and Justin Theroux in a scene from "Beetlejuice 2."

Release Date: September 6, 2024

Starring: Michael Keaton, Jenna Ortega, Monica Bellucci, Justin Theroux, Willem Dafoe, Winona Ryder, and Catherine O'Hara.

This highly-anticipated revival brings back the titular ghoul (Keaton) and the Deetzes for another twisted comedy-horror adventure. In 2024, the now-adult Lydia Deetz (Ryder) reunites with her stepmother Delia (O'Hara) and her estranged teen daughter Astrid (new addition Ortega) in the wake of a tragedy. We'll leave spoilers to a minimum, but things get spooky.

Trailer: HERE

'Speak No Evil'

Release Date: September 13, 2024

Starring: James McAvoy, Mackenzie Davis , Scoot McNairy , and Alix West Lefler.

As most film fans who've stepped into a theater over the last few months are aware, this remake of the acclaimed Danish horror film Gæsterne, per Deadline, follows "a family invited for a weekend at an idyllic country house—a dream holiday that warps into a snarled psychological nightmare."

Trailer: HERE

'The Substance'

Release Date: September 20, 2024

Starring: Demi Moore, Margaret Qualley, and Dennis Quaid.

Elisabeth Sparkle (Moore), a former fitness star facing the end of her career, gets a second chance at stardom when she learns about a mysterious drug that splits her into two forms: her current body, and a gorgeous 20-something double alled Sue (Qualley). Per the body-horror film's description, "The only rule? Time needs to be split: exactly one week in one body, then one week in the other. No exceptions. A perfect balance. What could go wrong?"

Trailer: HERE

'Never Let Go'

Release Date: September 20, 2024

Starring: Halle Berry, Percy Daggs IV, Anthony B. Jenkins, Matthew Kevin Anderson, Christin Park, and Stephanie Lavigne.

This psychological survival thriller is set when the world is in ruins after a mysterious, unspeakable evil has taken over. A mother (Berry) and her two sons (Daggs and Jenkins) have survived by staying connected (literally, by ropes) to each other and their house at all times. However, when one of the boys begins to doubt that the evil force exists, the bond that's kept them alive is severed.

Trailer: HERE

'Smile 2'

Release Date: October 18, 2024

Starring: Naomi Scott and Lukas Gage

Smile was one of the biggest box-office horror hits of 2022, and a sequel was quickly greenlit. This installment stars Scott as Riley, a global pop star set to embark on a huge world tour. While on the road, her life unravels as she faces her dark past due to "increasingly terrifying and unexplainable events," per the film's description.

Trailer: HERE

'Nosferatu'

a woman (Lily-Rose Depp as Ellen Hutter) has a scared expression on her face as the shadow of a clawed hand washes over her

Release Date: December 25, 2024

Starring: Aaron Taylor-Johnson, Bill Skarsgård, Nicholas Hoult, Lily-Rose Depp, Emma Corrin, Willem Dafoe, Simon McBurney, and Ralph Ineson.

The Witch and The Lighthouse director Robert Eggers helms this "gothic tale of obsession between a haunted young woman and the terrifying vampire infatuated with her, causing untold horror in its wake," per the film's description.

Trailer: HERE

'Wolf Man'

Christopher Abbott attends "The Forgiven" premiere during the 2022 Tribeca Festival at BMCC Tribeca PAC on June 14, 2022 in New York City

Release Date: moved to January 17, 2025

Starring: Christopher Abbott and Julia Garner

Invisible Man director Leigh Whannell will put his own spin on the titular classic movie monster, starring Abbott as "a man whose family is being terrorized by a lethal predator," per The Hollywood Reporter.

Trailer: HERE

'Saw XI'

Release Date: moved to 2025

Starring: TBA

The long-running horror franchise isn't stopping any time soon. We'll be on the lookout for cast and plot details throughout the year.

Trailer: TBA

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Quinci is a Culture Writer who covers all aspects of pop culture, including TV, movies, music, books, and theater. She contributes interviews with talent, as well as SEO content, features, and trend stories. She fell in love with storytelling at a young age, and eventually discovered her love for cultural criticism and amplifying awareness for underrepresented storytellers across the arts. She previously served as a weekend editor for Harper’s Bazaar, where she covered breaking news and live events for the brand’s website, and helped run the brand’s social media platforms, including Instagram, Facebook, and Twitter. Her freelance writing has also appeared in outlets including HuffPost, The A.V. Club, Elle, Vulture, Salon, Teen Vogue, and others. Quinci earned her degree in English and Psychology from The University of New Mexico. She was a 2021 Eugene O’Neill Critics Institute fellow, and she is a member of the Television Critics Association. She is currently based in her hometown of Los Angeles. When she isn't writing or checking Twitter way too often, you can find her studying Korean while watching the latest K-drama, recommending her favorite shows and films to family and friends, or giving a concert performance while sitting in L.A. traffic.