The Best Horror Films of 2024 So Far & How to Stream Them

A24’s Late Night With The Devil is a found-footage flick that chronicles a late-night TV segment with a seance that becomes all too real and boasts a 97 percent on Rotten Tomatoes. That said, the movie received controversy for using AI-created images. Fans also noted that the concept seemed a bit derivative of GhostWatch (1997) and WNUF Halloween Special (2013). It’s streaming on Shudder.

The third installment in A24’s Pearl universe (but second chronologically), MaXXXine follows Mia Goth’s character smack-dab into 1980s Hollywood. Aspiring movie star Maxine Minx finally gets her big break, but a mysterious killer looms. Given the show-stopping nature of the 2022 predecessor, some fans were let down by the surrealist sendup, but if you get it, you get it. Now available on Max(XX).

Improving on the original in nearly every way, Smile 2 follows a pop star ready to make a comeback after a horrific accident when she gets the Smile curse. Another worth-it splurge, it’s available to rent or purchase on on-demand platforms.

In The Wasp, two estranged friends unveil a dangerous and deceptive plot that forever changes their lives. Based on a stage play of the same name, the performances are stunning and the plot twists truly sting. It’s also available to rent or purchase on on-demand platforms.

Nicolas Cage’s casting director needs a raise. Longlegs, which had a perhaps too-promising rollout from NEON, sees Cage star as a singing, makeup-laden serial killer who’s not doing the job alone. It’s available for rental or purchase.

Who knew Anna Kendrick had it in her? In Woman of the Hour, Kendrick stars as a young woman aspiring to become an actress who crosses paths with a serial killer during an episode of a dating show. Also directed by Kendrick, the film portrays the real-life events of Rodney James Alcala but is told from the point of view of the women who outsmart him (and those that devastatingly did not). It is now streaming on Netflix.

Blink Twice was one of the most topical horror movies of the year. A tech billionaire played by Channing Tatum meets Frida (Zoe Kravitz), and invites her to join him and his friends on his private island. As you may expect, the words “private island” these days combined with “billionaire” are a match made in hell, and the vacation turns into just that. Available to rent or purchase on on-demand platforms.

It’s What’s Inside follows a group of college friends at a pre-wedding reunion that descends into chaos via the form of a mysterious suitcase. The pleasant surprise from Netflix (where it’s currently streaming) with a 78 percent on Rotten Tomatoes toys with the “body swap” trope to great effect. Think Invasion of the Body Snatchers (1978) mixed with Bodies Bodies Bodies.

Horror lovers were trepidatious about the U.S. Blumhouse remake of the extremely dark 2022 Danish film of the same name. However, Speak No Evil (2024), starring the idiosyncratic James McAvoy, may have even improved on the original. It has an 83 percent on Rotten Tomatoes and an ending that’s a little less evil. It is available for rental or purchase.

Alien: Romulus revived the cryogenically frozen Alien franchise with huge box office numbers and fan praise. Making the savvy decision to focus on a gang of teenagers, it still paid homage to everything that made the OG’s great. It holds an 80 percent on Rotten Tomatoes and is available to rent or purchase for those looking for a Halloween splurge (worth it!)

Talk about exceeding expectations. The First Omen (the first Omen sequel to actually be good) was another pleasant surprise. With stunning visuals and all of that nunnery goodness from the 1970s original, it was a pure, demonic epic. Now available on Hulu.

After the brutal murder of her twin sister, a clairvoyant named Darcy goes after those responsible by using haunted items as her tools for revenge. In an era where everyone’s trying to reinvent the wheel, Oddity is pure Edgar Allen Poe-level classic horror. It’s now available on Shudder.

This Tubi original (do not sleep on Tubi) is a must-watch. LowLifes involves a road-tripping family put to the test when they have no choice but to stay the night at a remote homestead. As is the case with the best wrong turn-style horror movies, nothing is as it seems.

What is there to say about The Substance, 2024’s true horror magnum opus? The riotous body horror masterpiece spanning 2 hours and 20 minutes (the last 20 minutes perhaps the most shocking on-screen event all year) caused endless internet buzz and lived up to it. As long as you’re prepared. The David Cronenberg-meets-Ozempic era-meets Death Becomes Her smash is an instant classic. We love you, Elizabeth Sparkle!

And finally, I Saw the TV Glow. Jane Schoenbrun’s cautionary tale of gender dysphoria through the lens of a nostalgic fictional kids’ TV show was not only the best horror movie of the year but ascended above the genre and became a cultural moment. An emotional gut punch, a wake-up call, and a true masterpiece, the pic will be discussed for years to come.