The Substance – Demi Moore, Margaret Qualley, Dennis Quaid

This year was fantastic for movies, especially the horror genre. Horror dominated the box office, turned out big crowds and were critically praised with outstanding reviews from film critics and fans alike. Horror movies don’t usually receive such raving reviews and are not usually recognized by the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences. In 2024 though, we witnessed incredible horror cinema with performances that stayed with you for weeks upon the first viewing. Demi Moore’s acting in The Substance is simply revolutionary. Not only is this a huge comeback for Demi, but she’s being nominated for awards left and right, not to mention the films accolades for best picture, director, screenplay and supporting actress at the 2025 Golden Globes. This is a body horror film that almost everyone who saw it, absolutely loved the film, calling it “utterly insane.” It’s the movie of the year in my opinion, if not the best of the last twenty four years. The Substance is such a wild, entertaining, scary and satirical film that you cannot take your eyes off of. The score, cinematography and a big fuck you from Demi and the director, Coralie Fargeat to Hollywood, is some of the best entertainment we have seen from a cinematic experience in quite some time.

Longlegs – Nicholas Cage, Maika Monroe, Blair Underwood

I went into Longlegs not knowing anything really except Nicholas Cage was in it and it was being compared to Silence of the Lambs. That alone and the reviews made me check this flick out, home and alone. I was numb for the entire experience. The opening scene was so eerie and terrifying, that I was gasping at how genuinely crazy this film began. From the creepy music, tight editing and an overall dark atmosphere, Longlegs is extremely realistic and truly frightening. I didn’t even know it was Nicholas Cage who played Longlegs, the serial killer, until half way through the movie. He is unrecognizable and plays a lunatic fabulously as I was screaming out loud (literally) at a bunch of the scenes. The premise is also “demented as hell” and probably does happen in this fucked up world we live in sometimes. Not only is this film some of best horror I have ever seen, but ranks high in one of the best movies I have seen, period. Maika Monroe’s acting is top notch as you can literally feel her fear and we hyperventilate with her when her character does the same throughout the entire movie. Longlegs is a cinematic masterpiece that’s deserved to be talked about and viewed for decades.

Speak No Evil – James McAvoy, Mackenzie Davis

Like Longlegs, I had no idea what Speak No Evil was about, except it had one of my favorite actors James McAvoy from Split and The Italian Job in it. The premise may be a tad familiar, but the evilness that McAvoy embodies and his ability to charm the American family they lure to the countryside, is truly disturbing. Fabricating his entire life to the naïve couple, the movie demonstrates how easy some people can be talked into anything, especially when it’s coming from a white, good looking and smart Dutch man, with a killer accent to boot. The movie’s main message: Thou shalt not take thy family into the countryside after an invitation from strangers. Speak No Evil is one of the best modern day horror films of the past decade, putting the fear and consequences of befriending people who you don’t know anything about, which shoots straight down your spine. You won’t believe it when you see how psychotic James McAvoy’s character is and what he does to the families that “meet by accident.”

Blink Twice – Channing Tatum, Haley Joel Osment, Christian Slater, Geena Davis

Blink Twice is a wildly tepid take on Epstein Island, showing glimpses of the horrific crimes that took place throughout many years with high profile celebrities and influencers. Channing Tatum plays Slater King, a self made billionaire in the world of technology who has turned a new leaf from exhibiting some erratic, dangerous behavior in his past. While at a black tie party recognizing King’s transformation into a better human being and as a hugely successful entrepreneur, he meets Frida, a young cocktail waitress at the shindig. After a night of partying, Slater invites Frida and her best friend to his island for a weekend of psychedelic debauchery and blacked out mayhem. What begins as a relaxing, sexy vacation, turns sinister when the women start to remember some of the things the men did to them the night before. For the first half, they have no idea they are being raped and taken advantage of the previous night, waking up feeling happy and refreshed, with no recollection of the horrible scenarios they went through. They completely black out, caused by a mysterious perfume given to all of the ladies, but when they discover that by consuming snake venom is how the memories from their nighttime shenanigan’s return, the ladies must bound together and fight for their lives in this entertaining, intense and scary thriller.

Heretic – Hugh Grant, Sophie Thatcher, Topher Grace

If you would have told me that Hugh Grant (Love Actually, Notting Hill, Four Weddings and a Funeral) would star in a horror movie twenty years ago, I would have said absolutely not. In Heretic, Grant plays Mr. Reed, a diabolical, religion obsessed monster. He traps two young missionaries in his maze of a house and the girls must rely on their faith to make it out alive. Hugh Grant gives the best performance of his career with his terrifying behavior. The dialogue is so well written with each scene as Grant unravels inhumane behavior, as if everyone should think like him. He’s charming and smart, too, making this hypnotic thriller the best psychological horror film in years. Hugh is also nominated for Best Actor at The Golden Globes, another rarity for the horror genre. I was glued to my couch and didn’t even look at my phone except to take a video of me commenting on a scene, ha. It’s fantastic.

Smile 2 – Naomi Scott, Kyle Gallner, Lukas Gage

Smile 2 is completely different from the original Smile that scared viewers across the globe and made serious money at the box office. Smile 2 did the same thing, but the plot and direction this film goes into is so much more entertaining, petrifying and gives us a glimpse of pop superstardom, mirroring what Britney Spears obviously went through. Not only do we have this breathtaking actress Skye Riley (Scott) preparing for her comeback tour dealing with mental illness and addiction (scary in itself) but the disastrous entity that smiles at her throughout the entire movie makes for an explosive climax and an ending that has to be seen to believe how insane it is. Smile 2 is definitely in the ranks of superior sequels like Scream 2 and Terminator 2: Judgement Day.

Terrifier 3 – Lauren LaVera, David Howard Thornton, Chris Jericho

Terrifier 3 now holds the record for the highest box office ever (for an unrated film) and has grossed over 89 million worldwide. This is one of the nastiest, most disgusting, yet entertaining and funny horror movies of all time. Art the Clown, played by David Howard Thornton, is demonic and repulsive, yet hilarious and sweet. He doesn’t speak ever, but his facial expressions and mime like exaggerations are incredible. The gore in this movie is pretty hardcore, so Terrifier 3 is not for the faint of heart. It’s pretty amazing that a low-budget, no name film that just started out streaming in 2017 (the original Terrifier) has now turned into an extremely successful franchise and is the grossest movie one will ever see in their lives, while breaking records with each new release.

It’s clear that horror movies dominated the box office in 2024, spitting out highly reviewed horror gems that are also some of my favorite movies in general of all time. Horror is a genre I love, starting when I was watching all the Friday the 13th’s, Child’s Play and of course the original Scream series with my pops. It’s not about the gore or that icky stuff, it’s the portrayal of someone so disturbed that makes you think like, “holy shit, this happens in real life, too.”

Honorable mentions: Cuckoo, Trap & Strange Darling

Blink Twice (2024)