After 2023proved to be a great year for horror fans— thanks to movies likeScream VIandTalk to Me— 2024 is gearing up to be even better. Loaded with prequels, sequels, remakes, and new stories, 2024 has a lot to offer horror lovers. There are even going to be lots of excellent “horror-adjacent” movies too, likeBeetlejuice 2andGodzilla x Kong: The New Empire. Though these movies aren’t technically horror films, they have a lot of elements that horror fans love.
Whether you love psychological horror, supernatural horror, or good old-fashioned slasher flicks, 2024 is going to be an excellent year for anyone who loves a good scary movie. Check out the 10 most anticipated horror movies of 2024, from killer clowns to the return of the Xenomorph,and more.
10. MaXXXine
Completing the X trilogy,MaXXXinewill pick up after the events ofXandPearland focus on Maxine’s journey to become an actress in 1980s Los Angeles. Mia Goth will reprise her role and she’ll be joined in the cast by Lily Collins, Kevin Bacon, and Halsey, among others. The film’s plot is being kept heavily under wraps, but director Ti West gaveMen’s Healtha little taste of what fans can expect.
“MaXXXine —and I’m not going to go into it too much, because the joy of these movies has been keeping them a secret — is as different fromXasPearlis fromX. It’s nothing likePearl,but it’s a big, like,Oh shit, this is a different thing,”West told the publication. He also said that viewers don’t necessarily need to watchXorPearlbefore watchingMaXXXine, saying: “There’s a couple of things inMaXXXinethat’s like, itmightbe a little better if you know certain things, but if you didn’t know them, you’d figure it out, or the movie would eventually inform you on it.”
From the team that brought youTerrifier 2comes a new low-budget, ultra-gory, and incredibly interesting horror film calledStream. In the movie, a group of strangers find themselves trapped, surrounded by killers who are armed with a wide arsenal of weapons … all while being watched by a sadistic madman.
Thanks toTerrifier 2‘s commercial success,Streamwas able to assemble an all-star cast of horror royalty, including Dee Wallace (Cujo), Tony Todd (Candyman), Danielle Harris (Halloween), and Felissa Rose (Sleepaway Camp), among many others. Be prepared for more low-budget antics, lots of gore, and some fantastic performances.
8. Imaginary
As we’ve seen with the Annabelle movies, everyone loves a demonic toy. InImaginary, which is releasing in March, the demonic toy is a teddy bear named Chauncey. In just one month, the trailer racked up over 11 million views onYouTube, and a brief teaser also screened during the trailers forFive Night at Freddy’s, which really helped build up hype.
In the film, an “imaginary friend” (who inhabits the teddy bear) starts telling a little girl to do horrific things. Once her mother begins to intervene, the entity grows angry and reveals its true shape. When speaking toFangoria, director Jeff Wadlow teased a little about what fans can expect, saying: “There is so much more to show … but we’re holding it back, letting you fill in the blanks yourself… because nothing is scarier than your own imagination.”
7. The Crow
InThe Crow, Eric and his fiancé (Bill Skarsgård and FKA Twigs) are beaten to death by a gang, but a mysterious crow resurrects Eric so he can enact revenge against his murderers. The 2024 film will be a reimagining of the original 1994 movie where an on-set accident tragically killed the film’s lead, Brandon Lee.
Because of the two massive stars headlining the movie andThe Crow‘s lasting legacy as a cult classic, the indie film has started getting quite a bit of buzz — so much so that Lionsgate purchased it for eight figures. On top of calling it an “anti-Marvel” movie, producer Sam Pressman also said that he hopes to build an entire universe aroundThe Crow, tellingDeadline, “I think the movie is just going to blow people away. Our partners want to approach it in a very 360 way, whether it be video games, an animated series, or a universe, but it’s got this cosmic legacy that can expand beyond a singular story.”
6. Return to Silent Hill
It’s been more than a decade since the last Silent Hill film was released — it’s also been over a decade since we had a proper Silent Hill video game –but 2024 seems to be the year that will change all that. On top of theSilent Hill 2remakeexpected to release for consoles this year, we’re also getting a new film,Return to Silent Hill.
In the movie, a man receives a letter from a long-lost love, urging him to return to a town called Silent Hill. But as everyone who has played the games knows, once he arrives, he discovers the town has devolved into a hellish nightmare. While both previous Silent Hill films were completely panned by critics, they managed to turn a profit thanks to the game’s dedicated fan base. While the quality ofReturn to Silent Hillis still unknown, the franchise’s popularity has a lot of people eager to watch it.
5. A Quiet Place: Day One
A Quiet Placeis getting a standalone prequel in 2024 that will focus on the initial takeover by the sightless aliens and the societal collapse that followed. The plat of the movie, which stars Djimon Hounsou and Lupita Nyong’0, is being kept secret, though it has already received an official premiere date: June 28.
John Krasinski is returning to the project as both a writer and producer, and some rumors say that both he and Emily Blunt make cameo appearances. Krasinski is also in early development forA Quiet Place: Part III, which will continue focusing on the main storyline.
4. Nosferatu
On top ofThe Crow, Bill Skarsgård will also be starring in 2024’s adaptation of the vampire filmNosferatu. Joining him in the cast areThe Idol‘s Lily-Rose Depp, Willem Dafoe, and Nicholas Hoult, among others. Just like the original 1922 film, the remake focuses on the bizarre and haunting infatuation between a vampire and a young person.
The film’s director, Robert Eggers, praised Skarsgård’s performance as the vampire Count Orlok. Much like his take on Pennywise, Eggers says that Skarsgård was completely absorbed by his character on the set ofNosferatu. He toldEmpire: “I’ll say that Bill hassotransformed, I’m fearful that he might not get the credit that he deserves because he’s just … he’s not there.”
3. Terrifier 3
Art the Clown has had one hell of a ride at the box office. The character originally starred in a segment in the anthology horror filmAll Hallows’ Evein 2013 before getting his own film,Terrifier, in 2016. By that point, Art had become famous among the indie horror crowd, but it wasn’t until the 2022 sequelTerrifier 2that he would become one of the biggest names in horror.
Terrifier 2quickly became a cult hit and gained tons of publicity simply by word of mouth. Before long, it was playing in theaters all over the world and receiving rave reviews from critics. Made on a budget of just $250,000,Terrifier 2ended up grossing over $15 million — which naturally prompted another sequel to get the green light.
In 2024, Art will return, this time terrorizing Christmas. When speaking toDeadline, director Damien Leone also promised the third film will be even bloodier and gorier. “Everything has to be taken to the next level,” he said, “and Part 3 is going to be no different.” Leone also says that, like the first two films,Terrifier 3will premiere without a rating.
2. The Strangers trilogy
In May, the Strangers are back again, this time tormenting a young couple who are forced to spend the night in a secluded cabin after their car breaks down. TitledThe Strangers: Chapter 1,some might think this is a prequel, but it’s actually a reimagining of the franchise that will be told in three chapters (creating a Strangers trilogy). It’s also been reported that all three films are going to release in 2024, within just a few months of each other.
Director Renny Harlin toldSlashFilm: “When my producer, Courtney Solomon, sent me the script, and I opened it and I realized it was 280 pages long, I was just wondering, What is going on? And I read the whole thing in one sitting and was just blown away by it.”
1. Alien: Romulus
On August 16, everyone’s favorite Xenomorph will be heading back to theaters withAlien: Romulus. The plot is being kept tightly under wraps, but star Cailee Spaeny (Priscilla) revealed toVarietythat the movie is somewhat of a standalone sequel, and that it takes place betweenAlienandAliens. “It’s supposed to slot in between the first movie and the second movie,” she told the publication. “They brought the same team fromAliens, the James Cameron film. The same people who built those xenomorphs actually came on and built ours.”
Can the latest installment becomeone of the best Alien movies ever? Or will it fall flat like 2017’sAlien: Covenant? An article inThe Guardianput it best, saying what many fans have been quietly asking for years: “What do you do when a sci-fi franchise has been poor to average for more than 30 years, yet everyone who has ever seen Ridley Scott’s gloomy, yet exhilaratingAlienor its all-American, gonad-swinging sequel,Aliens, is somehow still desperate for more?”
It seemsRomulushas answered this question by going back to the basics and placing the new film between the first two (and most successful) films in the franchise. That tactic worked forSaw X,so hopefully a return to form can save the Alien franchise as well. Regardless, fans are extremely excited, easily making it the most anticipated horror movie of 2024 so far.
