The Best Horror Movies of 2024 So Far, Ranked: ‘Immaculate,’ ‘Late Night With the Devil,’ ‘In a Violent Nature’ and More (2024)

Universal Pictures

Directors Matt Bettinelli-Olpin and Tyler Gillett have perfected their mix of scares and comedy with “Scream VI” and “Ready or Not,” and “Abigail” is no exception. When a gang of crooks kidnaps a vampire who appears to be a little girl, they’re quickly in over their heads in this gory caper, elevated by inspired performances by Melissa Barrera and Dan Stevens.

20th Century Studios

Director Arkasha Stevenson and star Nell Tiger Free make the most of this moody prequel to the nearly 50-year-old franchise. Deft camerawork and creepy sets build a haunting backdrop for Sister Margaret’s investigation into her unwanted conception. And Free’s increasingly feral performance echoes cinematic triumphs like 1981’s “Possession.”

Shudder

The creature feature of the year is this French spider bonanza, in which director and co-writer Sébastien Vanicek brings a tidal wave of lethal arachnids to a run-down apartment building. Audiences will jump, flinch and itch as the body count rises and the spiders run amok across every wall and surface.

IFC Films / Shudder

Robert Morgan’s dour look at artistic obsession blurs the lines between reality and nightmare as a stop-motion animator (Aisling Franciosi) is freed from her controlling mother but finds untold darkness while fashioning her own story. A punishing mixture of psychological, surreal and body horror, Morgan’s vision is hopeless yet gorgeous.

Neon

All hail Sydney Sweeney’s coronation as a scream queen, as she leads this deliciously lurid chronicle of a young nun who finds herself pregnant. Helmed by Michael Mohan, the handsomely shot saga cranks up the creepiness until Andrew Lobel’s script flies into B-movie madness, ratcheting up the gore and giving Sweeney an indelible final shot.

A24

This touching, surreal drama about lonely teens forever bonded through a cult TV series is equal parts hypnotic and poignant. Writer-director Jane Schoenbrun has created a bold story exploring the dysphoria of the closeted trans experience, where the unease of alienation becomes more disturbing than any monster could be.

IFC Films / Shudder

Director Caitlin Cronenberg’s feature debut is set in a future where Earth’s resources are limited and citizens are urged to get euthanized for cash to reduce the population. Michael Sparaga’s funny, fleet script focuses on a rich family that can’t buy its way out of trouble this time. A delightfully nasty indie that examines how badly we treat the ones we love.

Cinephobia Releasing

Not for the faint of heart, this supremely sinister domestic drama has a hook it’s best not to spoil. Director Caye Casas turns a new father’s purchase of a tacky coffee table into a fable that spins out of control, with a horrific twist of fate so nauseating it will leave viewers drenched in nervous sweat. Go in blind, if you dare.

IFC Films / Shudder

David Dastmalchian (“Dune,” “Ant-Man”) is commanding as a second-rate talk show host determined to juice his ratings, so he dreams up a Halloween episode featuring a girl who might be possessed by Satan. The cleverly constructed tale moves in real time and keeps the proceedings erratic right up to an off-the-wall final act.

IFC Films / Shudder

Director Chris Nash’s innovative take on ’80s slashers is catnip for VHS-era fans. The deliberately paced film follows a supernatural killer named Johnny, with a camera over his shoulder keeping the viewpoint tightly controlled. Amid the outrageous kills and crisp camerawork lies a sharp satire laced with empathy, beauty and genuine fear.