2024 was an odd year for horror. We didn’t see many sequels and those that did come out were surprisingly good. We witnessed a lot of faux horror movies. Movies that claimed to be horror movies but were really some kind of drama, mostly of the family or relationship kind. There was also the continued rise of Goosebumps horror, movies really made for tweens not even teens.
Here at Binge News we made every attempt to check out, to screen every horror movie of note this year and rank them by grade. There are some exceptions though:
If the film wasn’t available in English, had no subtitles or dubbing we had to pass.
If the film was so low, low, low budget that the “filmmakers” couldn’t even get the simple things like editing, continuity or lighting right, we had to pass.
If the film was not widely released in 2024 and was only screened at the Monster Horror Mystery Fan Festival in Buckfuck, Montana, we don’t consider that RELEASED. Sorry, no.
Also, each grade installment is listed from best to worst. So, the last entry in F Grade is what we consider the worst Horror movie of the 2024 and in turn the first entry in A Grade is what we consider the best of 2024.
Here are the B Grades.
Synopsis: After a family tragedy, three generations of the Deetz family return home to Winter River. Still haunted by Beetlejuice, Lydia’s life is turned upside down when her teenage daughter, Astrid, accidentally opens the portal to the Afterlife.
Review: Far, far better than the original although I have no idea why two of the characters were in the movie as they weren’t given much screen time at all. It is better but not hugely memorable.
Synopsis: Six bloodcurdling tapes unleash horror in a sci-fi inspired hellscape, pushing the boundaries of fear and suspense.
Review: I am not, I repeat NOT, a fan of found footage films. I can count on one hand how many I actually would watch a second time. I have NOT been a fan of the VHS series. I find most entries to be sloppy and incohesive. Beyond though is not only held together by a clever riff on a documentary but the stories themselves have some of the creepiest horror moments in 2024. Even though you have to suspend your disbelief at times that these events are being recorded by someone, there are some unforgettable moments and tales here.
Synopsis: When the discovery of an ancient artifact unleashes an evil force, Ghostbusters new and old must join forces to protect their home and save the world from a second ice age.
Review: A great integration of the old and new generation of Ghostbusters. It is kind of just more of the same though. Besides the guest appearances there are no massive high points. Still, it is better than others in the series.
Synopsis: After a group of criminals kidnap the ballerina daughter of a powerful underworld figure, they retreat to an isolated mansion, unaware that they’re locked inside with no normal little girl.
Review: Abigail has some decent kills and performances from everyone involved. Its ending is just very draining when it didn’t have to be.
Full Review:
Synopsis: In 1980s Hollywood, adult film star and aspiring actress Maxine Minx finally gets her big break. But as a mysterious killer stalks the starlets of Hollywood, a trail of blood threatens to reveal her sinister past.
Review: As a tribute to Giallo films it works well. As a conclusion to the trilogy it is disappointing in every way except for Mia Goth’s performance and that road rage scene.
Synopsis: When a group of friends recklessly violates the sacred rule of Tarot readings, they unknowingly unleash an unspeakable evil trapped within the cursed cards. One by one, they come face to face with fate and end up in a race against death.
Review: Here is how you start a new franchise although it is a bit like Final Destination. You have got to love the grotesque Tarot Card creatures and their crazy powers. It would be higher on the list but it just takes a bit too long to get to all the good stuff. It deserved more praise.
Synopsis: A family trying to outrun the zombie outbreak by returning to the father’s childhood farmhouse, fortifying it to keep out “The Dead Ones”. Alas, there is just as much horror and trauma at the ancestral home as there is outside the gates.
Review: Although it has some decent zombie action, gore the human story is what will pull you in. The family dynamics spark all sorts of fireworks that really ramps things up as the movie unspools.
Synopsis: A psychic medium attempts to uncover the truth behind her sister’s murder at the site of the crime.
Review: Spooky and eerie the only thing that ruins some of the suspense is that you can foresee not only the solution to the grand mystery the film is built on but the very final scene as well. All in all though, a crafty tale from the creator of Caveat.
Synopsis: About to embark on a world tour, global pop sensation Skye Riley begins experiencing increasingly terrifying and inexplicable events. Overwhelmed by the escalating horrors and the pressures of fame, Skye is forced to face her past.
Review: Like The Grudge, One Missed Call, Pulse, The Eye, I thought the first film was a feeble, uninspired rip-off of better Asian horror movies. This follow-up is better than the original but that isn’t saying much. One thing is true though. Writer, director Parker Finn has Lady Gaga on the brain. The target of the curse this time around is a troubled pop star on the comeback trail. That is where the film took a nosedive for me. We have seen the overbearing manager, obsessed fans tropes many, many times before. When there weren’t any supernatural shenanigans going on, I was bored. There aren’t many kills and there aren’t many scares either. Like Jason Goes to Hell: The Final Friday, just take in the BIG reveal in the last 20 minutes or so and you are good. If you liked the first one this is more of the same.
Synopsis: A budding art restorer travels to a small Italian village to bring a medieval painting back to its former glory. Little does she know she is placing her life in danger from an evil curse and a monster born of myth and brutal pain.
Review: A throwback to those great Italian supernatural horror movies from the seventies and eighties. It hits all the right notes except the brutish guardian of the well. He is far too over the top, his character needed to be retooled.
Synopsis: A family that has been haunted by an evil spirit for years. Their safety and their surroundings come into question when one of the children questions if the evil is real.
Review: Although the ending is kind of cluttered and confusing this story will keep you guessing to the end. The two kids (Percy Daggs IV and Anthony B. Jenkins) are the real stars though. Their performances pull us in and keep us zoned in. There might be a sequel or prequel. Yes, please.
Synopsis: When a sinister threat from his childhood returns to haunt him, a father desperately struggles against his deepest inner fear. Only this time, the fight isn’t for himself; it’s for his family.
Review: I have to give the producers credit for trying to do something different. It takes a bit to get going in the sense of delivering the frights and the small twist at the end is predictable, still, it is a far cry from other supernatural, creature features.
Synopsis: Two young religious women are drawn into a game of cat-and-mouse in the house of a strange man.
Review: A thinking man’s gripping cat and mouse drama. Hugh Grant is absolutely diabolical. If you aren’t into heady religious or life discussions though you might find this very talky and the pacing too deliberate.
Synopsis: A young artist gets stranded in an extensive, immaculate forest in western Ireland, where, after finding shelter, she becomes trapped alongside three strangers, stalked by mysterious creatures each night.
Review: Must be really nice to have your dad – M. Night Shyamalan – produce your very first movie. That being said, just like her work on her dad’s The Servant, Ishana Night Shyamalan demonstrates her skill as a director here. The Watchers is definitely influenced by her dad’s work. Still, Ishana makes this film her own. It is an intriguing story that does sweep you, carry you along to the end even if it is quite bloated and overly convoluted especially the finale.
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