Mike Cleopatra's Top 10 Horror of 2024

This list was honestly tough. Just when I thought I had a good one, I watched some mentionable titles I missed and, wouldn’t you know it, some of them crawled up there. So, it’s a bit back and forth as far as the 4-10 spots, but the top 3 for me are undeniable. So, let’s do this:

10. Strange Darling – A one-night-stand turns into a trippy game of cat-and-mouse. This movie definitely took me by surprise, and I had a grand time putting all the pieces together.

9. Late Night with the Devil – A late night talk show host tries to boost his ratings by interviewing someone claiming to be possessed by the devil. This movie came out at the start of the year and has lived rent-free in my head the whole time. Super fun lo-fi indie film that earned all its praises.

8. Red Rooms – Two girls obsessed with true crime attend the court hearing of a man accused of brutally murdering three young girls for a stream on the dark web. A full review of this film will be out next week, but this movie is gritty, disturbing, and dark without ever showing us any violence. It’s quite an impressive feat.

7. Civil War – As a civil war unfolds in the US, a news journalist and her small team attempt to interview the president whose the target of a large manhunt. Director Alex Garland continues to give us impressive films with beautiful cinematography on a scale that’s almost as large as ’28 Days Later’ (which he also wrote).

6. Smile 2 – The Smile-demon continues it’s trek of murderous mayhem, this time targeting pop sensation Skye Riley. This movie really surprised me. I thought the original film was fine, but this one really upped the ante and continued to make me question what was going to happen.

5. The Coffee Table – A young couple argue over buying a coffee table, which may end up being the worst decision of their lives. This film is dark and as bleak as they come, while also being humorous in a pitch-black sort of way. I absolutely love the balls this film has.

4. Terrifier 3 – Art the Clown continues his murderous rampage, but this time during Christmas. This film once again delivered everything it promised its audience, while also showcasing properly impressive gore, camera work, and the largest scope we’ve seen from this team so far.

3. Longlegs – A detective with psychic-sensibilities hunts down an omnipotent killer known as “longlegs”. While the marketing for this film did draw in audiences, it also put a sour taste in many mouths by promising to be the scariest film of the year, and never intending to actually do so. However, I once again admire the balls this film has to make such strange creative decisions and making my stomach churn with sound design and intense performances.

2. MadS – A young man tries an experimental drug at his dealer’s house, then goes home to celebrate his birthday but encounters a woman in trouble. This film is best to enter blind, because I was completely blown away by the experience. The one-take gimmick actually works well to deliver claustrophic, disorienting feelings while the madness ramps up.

1. The Substance – An aging celebrity has a breakdown and decides to partake in a black market drug that promises to provide a ‘younger, better’ version of yourself. This film blew my mind in the theater, from beginning to the very end. I was crying, I was laughing, I was in disbelief, and I couldn’t have been happier. Easily my favorite film of the year.

Honorable Mentions (in no particular order): Sleep, Oddity, Stopmotion, A Quiet Place: Day One, The Devil’s Bath, Nosferatu, The First Omen

Dishonorable Mentions: Cuckoo, Sting, Horror in the High Desert 3: Firewatch, Tarot

What do you think? Agree or hard disagree on anything here? Let us know your thoughts!

‘Til Next Time,
Mike Cleopatra