There were so many incredible horror movies released in 2024 that it was impossible to see them all, and many may have fallen under viewers’ radars. While releases like Longlegs, The Substance, and The First Omen were hard to miss, plenty of streaming exclusives horrors or smaller-scale releases were highly underrepresented and did not get enough credit for the quality of the work. As a year filled with strange and unusual scary movies, 2024 had plenty to offer beyond the biggest box office successes.
There were several horror movies in 2024 that could become future cult classics as more viewers discover them and catch up on this year’s releases. Those who have been paying close attention will have been following the hype of beloved releases like I Saw the TV Glow, but not everyone has been tuned in to these kinds of word-of-mouth successes. From franchise releases to standalone triumphs, there are plenty of great horror movies for viewers to sink their teeth into from 2024.
10 Daddy’s Head (2024)
The horror streaming service Shudder has been quietly building up an impressive catalog of underappreciated scary movies in recent years. One of the best from 2024 was Daddy’s Head, a thoughtful exploration of grief that brought to mind the extraordinary power of the modern classic The Babadook from years before. Daddy’s Head tells the story of a recently widowed stepmother left to look after her husband’s child after he died in a car crash, but this difficult situation then turns sinister as a strange creature begins haunting them.
While Daddy’s Head addressed familiar themes of grief, heartache, and despair, it did so with stylish cinematography and high production values that helped it stand out. As the monster at the heart of the story represents the manifestation of real trauma and buried feelings, this supernatural tale was all the more effective due to the emotions at the center of its narrative. While this clever British psychological horror didn’t break any new ground thematically, it still made for engaging and unnerving viewing.
9 Strange Darling (2024)
Directed by JT Mollner
From the producer of Barbarian and Late Night with the Devil, Strange Darling was a jaw-dropping serial killer story that defies expectations. What starts as a one-night stand soon turns into a thrilling game of cat and mouse as a man pursues a woman in rural Oregon. Strange Darling is divided into six chapters told in a non-linear order that’s simultaneously a dark love story and a cautionary tale about those who prey on female trust and vulnerability.
A truly wild ride from start to finish, Strange Darling continues director JT Mollner’s streak of making stylish and thoughtful films that address the darkest sides of the American psyche and was a worthy follow-up to his debut Western, Outlaws and Angels. With plenty of suspenseful sequences, exciting twists, and beautiful cinematography, Strange Darling was shot on 35 mm film and its visuals were just as breathtaking as its narrative was shocking.
8 V/H/S/Beyond (2024)
Directed by Jay Cheel, Jordan Downey, Virat Pal, Justin Martinez, Christian and Justin Long, and Kate Siegel
The anthology horror franchise V/H/S has introduced countless scary movie lovers to a vast array of incredible directors, and the latest installment, V/H/S/Beyond, is no different. As just one in a series of found-footage horrors centered on disturbing VHS tapes that are discovered by innocent viewers, V/H/S/Beyond included five separate shorts linked together by a sixth frame narrative. With a mix of sci-fi and horror, this installment brings together everything from aliens to dog-human hybrids.
From the first-person-shooter style of Stork to the UFO story seen in Stowaway, this was a worthy addition to the sprawling and unique world of the V/H/S series. Some familiar faces were also involved, such as Justin Long’s animal rights sequence Fur Babies, which he co-wrote and directed with his brother Christian and which feels like it was inspired by Long’s outrageous role in Kevin Smith’s horror movie Tusk. Overall, V/H/S/Beyond continued this franchise’s tradition of embracing the weird and unusual and was well worth watching for those who may have missed it.
7 I Saw the TV Glow (2024)
Directed by Jane Schoenbrun
While those tuned into the modern horror movie industry will be well aware of I Saw the TV Glow, it may have fallen under the radar for the casual viewer. Written and directed by Jane Schoenbrun and co-produced by Emma Stone, I Saw the TV Glow was a deeply psychological coming-of-age story that leaned into nostalgia as high school students connect over their love of a television series. As the lines between fact and fiction blend, I Saw the TV Glow had its characters questioning their reality as their identities became intrinsically linked with the media they love.
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10 Great Lo-Fi Horror Movies Like I Saw The TV Glow
Lo-fi horror movies such as I Saw the TV Glow are characterized by dreamlike visuals, bizarre narratives, and chilling slow-burn dread.
With a distinctive visual style and narrative that viewers will emotionally connect with, I Saw the TV Glow had plenty of horror elements but could be enjoyed on many different levels. There are interesting characters and an impressive amount of worldbuilding in this strange and idiosyncratic story. While Schoenbrun has made several films before this, I Saw the TV Glow has received significant buzz, and its underground success and word-of-mouth hype have led to it gaining widespread acclaim from those in the know.
6 Abigail (2024)
Directed by Matt Bettinelli-Olpin and Tyler Gillett
It’s exciting to see how vampire movies have had something of a revival in recent years, such as Nicolas Cage’s turn as Count Dracula in Renfield or the 2024 adaptation of Stephen King’s Salem’s Lot. However, the best vampire movie that might have flown under some viewers’ radar was Abigail. This comedy horror began with a group of kidnappers abducting the child of a powerful underworld figure with plans to hold her ransom for $50 million, only to soon discover that Abigail was anything but helpless.
The plot of Abigail is turned completely on its head as Abigail’s supernatural powers are revealed, and it is the kidnappers who are forced to fight for their lives in a thrilling story of survival. With a strong ensemble cast and plenty of twists and turns, Abigail was as fun as a horror movie could be while still delivering genuine scares. While Abigail did well at the box office, the success of franchise movies like Alien: Romulus or A Quiet Place: Day One greatly overshadowed it.
5 Lisa Frankenstein (2024)
Directed by Zelda Williams
It took several years for writer Diablo Cody’s feminist cult horror classic Jennifer’s Body to gain the delayed appreciation it deserved, and one can only hope the same fate doesn’t befall Lisa Frankenstein. This hilarious comedy horror was set in the same universe as Jennifer’s Body and told the story of a teenage girl falling in love with a reanimated Victorian-era corpse. With Kathryn Newton as Lisa and Cole Sprouse as The Creature, this affectionate callback to 1980s teen horrors made for highly entertaining viewing.
While Lisa Frankenstein began as a spoof horror, it was elevated by themes of trauma and survival, which helped envelop its campy story in weightier themes. With strong performance and a unique sense of style, Lisa Frankenstein was an erratic yet emotional journey that could very well become a future cult classic. From director Zelda Williams, Lisa Frankenstein was a hilarious “coming of rage” story that was just plain fun.
4 It’s What’s Inside (2024)
Directed by Greg Jardin
It’s What’s Inside was a Netflix comedy horror that delved into truly trippy territory as its chaotic plot descended into absolute chaos. What starts as a group of friends coming together for a pre-wedding party soon turns into an existential nightmare as an estranged friend arrives with a mysterious game that unlocks long-dormant secrets and unspoken grudges. With equal parts comedy, horror, and sci-fi, It’s What’s Inside was a cleverly constructed and stylish journey into the party from Hell.
What was supposed to be a normal night among friends became a true existential nightmare when a game that allowed the attendees to switch bodies with one another was introduced. This highly psychological concept became increasingly disarming as it became difficult to find out which characters were in each other’s bodies from one scene to the next. With Freaky Friday-style fun wrapped up in a horrifying package, It’s What’s Inside was one of the strangest movies of the year.
3 Exhuma (2024)
Directed by Jang Jae-hyun
South Korean director Jang Jae-hyun once again proves his country’s talent for producing thoughtful, introspective, and truly unnerving horror films with Exhuma. This tense story blends mystery and the occult as the excavating of an ominous grave unleashes sinister energy upon a wealthy family. With a vengeful spirit haunting their ancestors, Exhuma addresses cultural and historical themes in a creepy, gory, and incredibly atmospheric manner.
With a talented cast of well-known South Korean actors, Exhuma blends shamanism and shame as the dark secrets within the coffin are both mystical and mysterious. With two separate arcs that see great changes in its villain throughout, Exhuma was a surprising and engaging 2024 horror film that fell under a lot of viewers’ radars. While some Western audiences are reluctant to check out subtitled movies, this South Korean horror was well worth giving a chance.
2 MadS (2024)
Directed by David Moreau
Filmed in one terrifying continuous shot, MadS deserves to reach a much larger audience, as its technical prowess and horrifying hellscape make for intensely eerie viewing. As a story of an apocalyptic outbreak of fast-moving zombies, MadS is a fast-paced and well-crafted horror that effectively unfolds over its swift 86-minute runtime. With a privileged and unsympathetic protagonist (Milton Riche), his partying and debauchery-filled lifestyle becomes the least of his worries when he’s thrust into an unspeakable nightmare as the world descends into madness.
MadS was packed with violent imagery but also feeds on the fear of the unknown, as the one-take style of this film keeps viewers on the edge of their seats throughout. With a small cast of relatively unknown actors, MadS has to rely on the effectiveness of its imagery and the horror of its story rather than star recognition to reel viewers in. With plenty of room left for interpretation, MadS allows viewers to fill in the gaps of the outbreak for themselves with an underlying subtext around excessive wealth and the hedonism of affluent young people.
1 Oddity (2024)
Directed by Damian McCarthy
Following up Irish director Damian McCarthy’s acclaimed directorial debut, Caveat, Oddity is a clever and well-crafted ghost story that is characterized by an elegant and spooky atmosphere. As the story of a woman still reeling from the brutal murder of her twin sister, a blind medium and a wooden mannequin become central to unpacking this dark and unnerving mystery. With a title that perfectly represents this film’s strange energy, Oddity was a little-known Irish release that showcased the country’s often underappreciated talent for telling spooky stories.
As a kind of old-fashioned ghost story that brings to mind classics of its genre, Oddity began with a strong opening scene that hooked viewers right from the start. With a modest box office take of just over $1.5 million, Oddity didn’t reach a large global audience upon release but will surely become a hidden favorite for those lucky enough to discover it. It’s indie movies like Oddity that keep the horror industry interesting, so it’s well worth viewers seeking it out to show their support.