It’s not just studio horror films that are dominating the box office this year.
In addition to the well-known and much-discussed hits such as Smile 2, the sequel to one of 2022’s highest-grossing films, the year’s most compelling box office story, is about how independent horror breaks into the mainstream.
The headlines started in March 2024 when both IFC/Shudder’s Late Night with the Devil and Neons Spotless were unexpected hits. They each broke records during their shared opening weekend, earning $10 million and $15 million domestically, respectively, from their theatrical runs.
It didn’t take long for Neon to outdo itself with a viral marketing campaign that transformed the summer horror film starring Nicolas Cage Long legs after debuting in July to a $74 million domestic hit, $108 million if you include worldwide grosses.
Back to October, and the unclassified and extremely gory Scarer 3 clowned Joker: Folie à Deux in its second weekend to take the No. 1 box office spot in America.
You may have already seen some of those films. But if you’re looking for more cinematic scares, here are 10 killer movies that may have sneaked past your radar but are worth shouting, ahem, currentin time for Halloween.
In a violent nature
Watch if you want: More frighteningPractical effects at a level that suits you More frighteningHigh-quality, inventive murders, slasher films, arthouse affair
The premise is simple: what if during a slasher film, let’s say Friday the 13thFor example, did the camera never leave Jason Voorhees? Instead of focusing on his victims, the camera sees him trudging through the woods. It’s a daring experiment in form that is sure to alienate some viewers and reward others.
If you’re a fan of the genre, it’s a joy to see horror conventions subverted and commented on, and this fresh perspective breathes new life into a potentially tired subgenre.
It also happens to feature the most disgusting (and impressive, if you’re mean) horror movie murder of the year; Trust me, you’ll know it when you see it.
In a violent nature is streaming on Shudder
MadS
Watch if you want: 28 days laterzombie films, French filmmaker Gaspar Noé
MadS has a gimmick at its heart: the entire film unfolds in a single continuous shot. That framing, which could easily play as a cheap trick, pays huge dividends as the film features 90 minutes of pure adrenaline and non-stop action.
The less you know, the better. But if you need more, there’s an added wrinkle: the main character is on drugs while all hell breaks loose. It’s like Gaspar Noé directing a George Romero film, and I haven’t been this excited about a genre film in a long time. A stunner that grabs you from the jump and doesn’t let go.
MadS is streaming on Shudder
It’s what’s inside
Watch if you want: Bodies Bodies Bodies, talk to me or any other high-concept, low-budget genre film
Do you want to know the secret to distinguishing the good Netflix Originals from the bad Netflix Originals? Those it acquires are generally good.
Enter It’s what’s insidea Sundance festival breakout that Netflix paid a whopping $17 million for, and it’s easy to understand why once you watch it. When a group of old friends reunite for a wedding, one of them shows up with a mysterious suitcase device, and it turns out the machine allows you to switch bodies with someone else.
Imagine it has become a parlor game with a bunch of twentysomethings, seething with jealousy and possibly contempt for each other, fighting for the body they want most. It’s twisted, darkly funny and extremely fun to watch as it unfolds.
It’s what’s inside is streaming on Netflix
Red Rooms
Watch if you want: The girl with the dragon tattoo series, psychological thrillers, true crime serial killers
One of the first major horror films about the dangers of living largely on the Internet, Red Rooms is a disturbing and very realistic film for the people who grew up watching messed up things online.
The film follows a young woman’s obsession with a serial killer as she attends his murder trial and follows a rabbit hole to investigate what he did to his victims. This one isn’t for the faint of heart, but it has more on its mind than a typical gross horror movie. It comes with a strong recommendation, if you can handle it.
Red Rooms is for rent or for sale
Come out, the wolves
Watch if you like: Adam MacDonald’s Hinterlandsurvival horror films
If you haven’t seen it yet Hinterlandstop reading this list and check that out first.
I’m not going to say what it’s about, but I will say what Come out, the wolvesanother forest-based thriller directed by MacDonald, is that it is a riveting survival thriller that has a lot in common with Hinterland but tells its own story. It’s not just the impending demise of the titular wolves that creates tension here, but also the character dynamics and their relationships. An absolute indie gem!
Come out, the wolves is for rent or for sale
Caddo Lake
Check it out if you like: Twisty Head Trips, M. Night Shyamalan
This is a weird but rewarding watch that’s sure to be divisive, but I’m including it because it’s so cuckoo bananas that the studio was obliged to send out press notes to film critics to clarify key details of the reveal. That’s a crazy ambition that I support.
If you like head trips or the work of M. Night Shyamalan (who produced Caddo Lake), this movie is for you. It’s about the disappearance of a young girl on a lake and how that intersects with another character who lost something at the lake. If I said anything more, you probably wouldn’t even believe me.
Caddo Lake streams on Max
Dad’s head
Watch if you like: Metaphor-horror (meta-horror, if you like) movies like The Babadookfilms about sadness
The metaphor-as-horror subgenre has been working overtime ever since The Babadookand some are better than others at getting across the point that “it’s really about sadness” or what lies underneath.
Dad’s head proves that metaphor can still work, provided the basics are in place first and the audience isn’t hit over the head with an allegory.
The focus on atmosphere and fear is masterful at times here, and the initial shock is so unexpected that I warn you against it and have faith that you will encounter it regardless. Watch late at night only when you want to panic.
Dad’s head is streaming on Shudder
What you wish
Watch if you want: The menu, the bear but only if you can handle tension
This is more of a suspense thriller than a straight horror movie, but the subject matter is certainly dark enough that I recommend it.
Nick Stahl (Terminator 3) stars as a talented chef who flees the country due to gambling debts and ends up staying with a friend who seems to be living his dream life. Something strange happens that gives Stahl a taste of the good life. Without spoiling anything, it’s not all it’s cracked up to be.
This move is what I thought The Menu would be. It does a great job of ramping up the tension and putting you in the main character’s shoes.
What you wish is for rent or for sale
infected
Watch if you want: creature features, movies about killer bugs
If you’re afraid of spiders, this movie will ruin your life. It’s a creature feature (technically a creature feature) about an apartment building that becomes infested with creepy spiders, and the spiders kill people in gross ways.
It’s smart, well filmed and simply effective. You feel the intensity everywhere and the special effects, both practical and digital, are impressive.
infected is streaming on Shudder
Oddity
Watch if you want: an old-fashioned spooky story, folk horror, Stories from the Crypt
The appropriate title Oddity is a strange one, but you’ll be hooked by the chilling opening scene. It’s reminiscent of a specific kind of horror story that needs to be seen to be understood, but a good comparison is that it plays like a Stories from the Crypt-style morality play.
It’s an Irish folk horror film with so much going on that it might be hard to follow the first time, but I found it compelling enough to give it another try quite soon after. It has a palpable sense of dread that most horror films would kill for.
Oddity is streaming on Shudder
