The 16 Best Horror Movies Of 2024 You Haven't Seen Yet, Ranked

Horror fans, we’re eatin’ good (with our eyes). It’s been a splendid 2024 already, and we’re not even at the Halloween rush yet. Indie darlings like Shudder’s “Exhuma” or “Infested” have stunned the platform’s subscribers, Neon mesmerized theatergoers with “Immaculate” and “Longlegs,” and studio releases like “The First Omen” or “Alien: Romulus” brought the thunder. Can we not bother with the obligatory “Horror’s back, baby!” articles this October? Horror never left, horror’s always en vogue, and horror’s been having one heck of a year.

Like I said, Halloween still two months away. We’re still staring at a whole dang slate of spooky season releases on the horizon. With titles like “Speak No Evil” or “Terrifier 3” patiently waiting, the best horror watches this year might still be on the way. Even better, we’ve seen some of those releases yet to come and can confirm that 2024 still has some tricks up its sleeve. Why don’t we cut the fluff and jump right into a list of the best horror movies of 2024 you haven’t seen, past or present?

“WolfCop” and “WolfCop 2” director Lowell Dean returns with “Dark Match,” a horror flick for professional wrestling fans. Chris Jericho executive produces and stars as The Prophet, the organizer of a “Dark Match” tournament for shuttled-in wrestlers. Costumed talents played by Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu world champion Ayisha Issa, Sara Canning, and Steven Ogg face off in the ring for another payday, but find out The Prophet has grisly challenges in store. 

It’s a wild concept that can only deliver so much due to budgetary restraints. Still, Dean marries an appreciation for indie wrestling with cult-like and demonic elements that sell on-screen despicableness. As far as “Wrestling Horror” flicks like “Wrestlemassacre” or “Monster Brawl” go, “Dark Match” is a cut above — but it’s still not without its blemishes. A hearty appetite for do-it-yourself gumption and a Canadian ensemble featuring genre veterans like Jonathan Cherry and Michael Eklund goes a long way. Keep an eye out for this Fantasia Film Festival premiere, which is currently without a release date.

There haven’t been many Tubi Originals to get excited about until “Slay.” Jem Garrard’s drag queen horror-comedy is basically “From Tuck Till Dawn,” as feisty queens fight off vampires who interrupt their latest roadside stage performance. A cast of former “RuPaul’s Drag Race” contestants face off against small-town bigotry and bloodsucking monsters, which blends bedazzled representation with vamp-hunting humor. A lower budget handcuffs Garrard’s effects teams, but the filmmaker perseveres by making the production’s limitations bend to their will. The costumes are extravagant, the messages pointed, and the vibes glamorous. Consider this one next time you’re eating pizza with friends and searching for an entertaining genre romp that isn’t afraid to be different.

“Lowlifes,” Tesh Guttikonda and Mitch Oliver’s backwoodsy horror flick, values the power of subversion, so there will be minimal explanations here. An RV’ing family must stay the night in a remote homestead with questionable inhabitants, but looks are always deceiving. What “Lowlifes” accomplishes by rewriting the blueprint of a “wrong turn, wrong town” format is worth the watch, especially with some resourceful gore effects. It won’t blow your mind, yet it’s sneakily successful at throwing horror lovers for a loop. I didn’t expect much from a random Tubi watch, but here I am, imploring you to give this one your attention.

“Kill Your Lover” takes the “Keep It Simple, Stupid” approach to horror filmmaking. Alix Austin and Keir Siewert represent a toxic relationship using overt horror visuals. The relationship is an infection; raven-black veins stain flesh like roadmaps. Paige Gilmour and Shane Quigley-Murphy play lovers on the outs, except one of them doesn’t want the other to leave. We watch as their domestic disagreement turns into something unearthly, yet obvious symbolism never gets insulting. Gilmour and Quigley-Murphy are giving it their everything, drawing from the poisonous depths of one-sided relationships and the ugly truths about who wins in breakups. What endures is the authenticity behind Axel’s and Dakota’s behaviors, the motivations and consequences underneath layers of dangerous goop. That’s where I’ll leave my adoration of “Kill Your Lover,” which you can watch on digital today.

Legendary Japanese filmmaker Kiyoshi Kurosawa released a new horror movie this year called “Chime” that you probably didn’t even know exists. It’s only available as an NFT, but is easily rentable in this format (click the link for instructions). The premise is ominous — people are infected by a piercing noise that causes them to do unspeakable things. At only 45 minutes long, “Chime” feels like the early evidence of an apocalypse Kurosawa doesn’t care to explore. That might be a struggle for some who want more (like me). But, what’s presented is still a capsule-sized showing of horror that stays lean and mean. I don’t want to reveal much more because there’s so little available. Everything’s a spoiler, so I’ll end with “Chime” having solid “Pontypool” vibes. Give it a try.

Elric Kane’s “The Dead Thing” highlights the nightmare of dating in Los Angeles, but not how you’d expect. Ghosting takes on a new, more literal meaning. It’s an intriguing rumination on partner-seeking with intention versus today’s more common hookup culture, and how social media apps have become this soul-sucking vacuum where it’s difficult to build an actual relationship. Alex (Blu Hunt) cycles through one-night stands left on read until Kyle (Ben Smith-Petersen), the man of her dreams, returns the silent-treatment favor. Kane analyzes all the discomfort and paranoia that afflicts daters in these scenarios but pushes further into the waters about letting go of those trying to hold us behind. As far as modern romance commentaries go, “The Dead Thing” is depressingly poignant — plus, there’s the whole paranormal element like a cherry on top. Maybe everything hits harder because I’m a single guy in LA navigating the same behaviors? No matter, you should be looking for “The Dead Thing” to hit your screens in the future.

Oscar-nominated documentarian Pedro Kos made an incognito horror flick with “In Our Blood.” I say incognito because, at first, it’s a faux documentary about director Emily Wyland (Brittany O’Grady) and cinematographer Danny Martinez (E.J. Bonilla) confronting Emily’s recovering addict mother, Sam (Alanna Ubach). Kos’ instincts as a doc’er illuminate genuine societal issues plaguing Las Cruces, New Mexico, before the film pivots hard into genre territory. It’s gorgeously shot, and the performances are strong across the board, but some viewers might struggle with the truncated nature of [redacted] horrors. The film’s balance is slightly askew, but ultimately, “In Our Blood” is a humanitarian horror tale that is too well crafted to ignore. When it gets a release announcement, make sure you mark that date.

Benjamin Finkel’s debut “Family” bangs the drum for an exciting new filmmaking voice. Traumatic experiences translate into a household horror story that reflects anything from “His House” to “Hereditary;” “Baskin” to “A Dark Song.” Child actress Cameron Dawson Gray anchors Finkel’s tale as a daughter who’s struggling with her family’s abrupt relocation due to her father Harry’s (Ben Chaplin) life-threatening illness. Johanna (Dawson Gray) tries a ceremonial “spirit call” in hopes it’ll cure daddy, but instead welcomes an entity into their lives with malevolent intentions. Every day becomes a waking nightmare as her father’s condition worsens, leaving mother Naomi (Ruth Wilson) an absolute wreck as she attempts to juggle caretaking and parental duties on top of Johanna’s fears about supernatural demons.

That all might sound like generic “Trauma Horror” archetypes, and you’re partly right. Harry’s sickness is distorted in horrifying ways; the monster doubles as a metaphor for Johanna’s grief — you know the drill. What elevates “Family” is Finkel’s eye for frightening visuals and the ferociousness Johanna faces, nailing that capital-H horror vibe. There’s a sequence involving an unharmed dog that’s one of my favorite scares of the years still to this point. Surrealism blends with an adolescent’s attempt to accept the worst kind of news with exuberance and confidence from behind the camera. It doesn’t have a release scheduled yet, so keep those peepers peeled.

“The Texas Chain Saw Massacre” meets Dead & Breakfast” isn’t something I ever thought I’d type, but here we are. “Chainsaws Were Singing” should be on every horror musical fan’s radar. It’s not the most polished and produced affair, but gets by on kooky “Hundreds of Beavers” vibes. “Repo! The Genetic Opera” probably has a bigger catering budget than “Chainsaws Were Singing” got for special effects, yet that’s the charm of this satirical slasher singalong.

Think “Cannibal: The Musical.” Think early Troma. That’s what filmmaker Sander Maran exudes throughout pitchy songs and glimpses of fake-as-hell but still appealing gore. “Chainsaws Were Singing” frames itself like a typical slasher, but musical interludes between kills — or even during slaughter sprees — allow characters to truthfully speak their minds. Lyrics roast slasher tropes while maniacs rev their chainsaws like an instrumental solo, delivering on the title’s promise. Those who love schlock cinema should not miss Maran’s outlandish indie darling once it gets a release date, unless you’re at Fantastic Fest this September for its United States premiere.

From the director of “Psycho Goreman” comes something completely different. Steven Kostanski’s “Frankie Freako” is a silly homage to “Ghoulies,” “Puppet Master,” and goofball practical monsters. It’s caught between “Critters” and “Drop Dead Fred,” playing like an ’80s sitcom that oversells its corny-as-heck humor. Conor Sweeney plays an unadventurous square who finds a 1-900 number for a party-loving goblin named Frankie. He calls the number, Frankie appears, and all hell breaks loose.

“Frankie Freako” plays like some super-cheesy midnighter you’d watch with your friends on a sleepover. Kostanski’s practical effects devotion is evident in the rubbery puppets of purple-haired Frankie, cowgirl Dottie, and oafish techie Boink. Mileage will vary depending on your tolerance for budget-friendly visuals and lame-on-purpose comedy, but anyone who considers “Ghoulies III: Ghoulies Go to College” required viewing should prioritize “Frankie Freako.” It’s lighthearted, good-natured fun from the guy who brought oddball Astron-6 productions like “Manborg” to life. If you can pick up what the Freakos are laying down, you’re in for a throwback hoot when the film releases on October 4, 2024.

Nick Stahl is a hotel chef turned freelance cook on the wrong private island in “What You Wish For.” Nicholas Tomnay’s latest is a “whodunit with sharp teeth and precise knife skills,” as I wrote in my review out of last year’s Fantastic Fest. There’s a delicious level of suspense as Stahl’s culinary artist works with the ingredients he’s provided, learning all the wrong things about his well-paying clients. Tomnay’s storytelling is crisp and visuals meticulous, giving plenty of attention to the dishes that come out of Stahl’s kitchen. The mystery remains the film’s main course, going places that may or may not involve manipulative survival obstacles and high-intensity heat sources. Check it out on digital now, and bite into this oven-fresh take on how the monkey’s paw always demands more than it gifts.

Samara Weaving — need I say more? Alright. Samara Weaving as a cultist-killing badass who doesn’t speak? That’s the beauty of E.L. Katz’s “Azrael,” which pits a muted Weaving against pursuing foes in this backwoods post-rapture survival thriller. That’s all there is to “Azrael” outside explicit religious ideologies playing into the cultists’ actions, and there’s power to the film’s no-frills approach. Katz challenges himself to make a wordless predator-prey flick into something engaging and tense, which he accomplishes.

“Azrael” works because of Weaving, given how she can project tell-all expressions without verbalization. Writer Simon Barrett takes a massive risk on such a limited screenplay, but Weaving runs with the concept. As I wrote in my review, the flick is a “cutthroat minimalist action-thriller that utters barely any dialogue as Weaving goes appropriately berserk.” The actress’ usage is that of a silent scream queen, an aura she dons with ferocity. If you like the sound of watching Samara Weaving murder foes in a bite-sized apocalypse story that tells us nothing but shows us everything, be sure to check out “Azrael” in theaters starting September 27, 2024.

Funnyman Kyle Mooney imagines a world where technology tried to take over the world in “Y2K.” Its Millennial-coded brand of horror-comedy is loaded with references from the late ’90s that had this early ’00s teen howling with delight, including a cameo on par with Bill Murray in “Zombieland.” The cast — including Jaeden Martell, Julian Dennison, Rachel Zegler, and Mason Gooding — flee from electronics that go all Skynet on humanity, always favoring stereotypes from the era. As I said in my review out of SXSW, “Y2K is a hilarious rewriting of history set to a soundtrack of Korn and awkward teenage rebellion,” and /Film’s Jacob Hall seems to agree. Mooney showcases a love for practical effects, reusing everything from bubble-domed iMacs and outdated physical media formats to create deadly ranks of cyber-controlled killers. I can’t wait for you all to see “Y2K” when A24 unleashes its creation on December 6, 2024.

Robert Morgan’s debut is a diabolical take on creative obsessions ruining an artist’s life. In this case, Aisling Franciosi stars as aspiring stop-motion filmmaker Ella Blake — a creator under duress who succumbs to self-imposed pressures. The film is ultimately about what success means and how it violates our minds, especially when you’re in the shadow of famous parents. Franciosi breaks down with the best of ’em as Ella spirals into a depressive mania, trying to achieve perfection while posing miniatures across her tabletop in a way that will garner her professional praise.

“Stopmotion” would be a splendid triple-bill alongside “Berberian Sound Studio” and “Censor,” three films about how the filmmaking industry can drive those inside and outside the industry insane. Morgan’s use of stop-motion as a medium is impressive, starting more traditionally before horror aspects influence how Ella crafts her figures (which begin jumping off the table). It’s one of those fever-dream movies where reality and fantasy blur — we must rely on Ella’s unreliable narrator. Her works transform from undefinably disturbing to outright horrific, as Morgan uses stop-motion’s uncanny appearance to mirror the uncanniness of Ella’s everyday life. It’s a brilliant little thriller about the toxic mindsets of maybe too-driven artists, available right now on Shudder.

I wouldn’t say I like spiders. Every time I write about “Infested,” I can feel a nervous tingle up my spine — but it deserves to be highlighted whenever possible. Sébastien Vaniček’s feature debut is the best arachnid horror flick since “Arachnophobia.” It’s claustrophobic, obscenely vicious, and feeds off the population’s eight-legged fears. Vaniček unleashes a horde of rapidly growing spiders inside an impoverished French apartment complex, reflecting the film’s first title, “Vermin” — a commentary about how the spiders and lower-class residents are treated like vermin.

Wittier writers than myself have dubbed the film “Arach the Block” because, heck yeah, “Infested” shares similarities with “Attack the Block.” I’d also mention the Spanish found-footage masterpiece “[REC]” because that’s the quarantine intensity level Vaniček achieves. A reported 200 giant huntsman spiders were used on set, and there’s no relief when spiders go digital. Vaniček’s special effects artists execute A+ recreations of the critters that grow big enough to tackle human adults like linebackers — sorry, arachnophobes. Whether you listen to me or /Film’s glowing review, catch “Infested” on Shudder as soon as possible.

“Writer/director Jang Jae-hyun’s ‘Exhuma’ bobs and weaves in ways American exorcism stories couldn’t fathom.” That’s me on “Exhuma,” which still stands as my favorite horror release of 2024 (so far). It’s eerie and elegant, wretched and culturally representative. Jae-hyun distinctly separates the film’s three acts into a melting pot of subgenre influences like flavorful courses on a brilliantly curated tasting menu. What starts with a shaman trying to cure a family of their curse ends in an unexpectedly “Blood Beat” manner, evolving from haunted chills to creature-feature thrills with tremendous composure.

It’s the film’s fluid movement between each chapter that achieves exquisite cohesion, not unlike “The Wailing.” Jae-hyun keeps things grounded in South Korean traditions, from exhumation practices to shamanistic ritual dances to ward away evils. The way “Exhuma” doesn’t over-explain anything, aligning with South Korea’s appreciation of the afterlife, offers a simplicity that American horror scripts often over-explain. It’s a film that keeps you guessing as horror elements transform scene by scene, and Jae-hyun displays immaculate control as a storyteller. It’s wound tight, richly developed, and stands dominant above the competition. Fire it up on Shudder this instant — trust me.