Editorials
2024 Horror Preview: 50 Horror Movies We Can’t Wait to See This Year
Horror hits the ground running in 2024, and judging by the current release slate, the genre has no intention of slowing down anytime soon. 2024’s horror slate is densely packed already, and it doesn’t even touch on the yet-to-be-announced features and surprise festival gems.
Welcome to Bloody Disgusting’s 2024 Horror Preview.
How massive will 2024 be for horror? If this preview of the year’s looming horror offerings is any indication, horror fans may be spoiled for choice. Of course, expect some release dates to shift and many surprises yet to get announced in the coming months. In other words, this is only the tip of the iceberg.
Here are 51 horror movies we’re excited to check out in 2024.
Mayhem! – January 5
Xavier Gens, the filmmaker behind New French Extremity entry Frontier(s), is kicking off the new year with a violent actioner follows a boxer’s quest for bone-breaking, merciless revenge. Enough said.
Night Swim – January 5
It’s not the house that’s haunted here, but a swimming pool. Wyatt Russell (Overlord) and Kerry Condon star in this high concept horror movie from writer/director Bryce McGuire, based on the acclaimed 2014 short film by Rod Blackhurst and Bryce McGuire.
Destroy All Neighbors – January 12
Alex Winter and Jonah Ray Rodrigues star in this Shudder original splatter-comedy that combines gory practical effects with prog-rock mayhem. Rodrigues leads as the aspiring musician who unwittingly leaves a pile of dead (and undead) bodies in his quest for rock stardom.
I.S.S. – January 19
When war breaks out globally, astronauts aboard the International Space Station receive orders to take control by any means necessary. Tensions and paranoia escalate in what appears to be an intense zero gravity thriller with an impressive cast that includes Ariana DeBose, Chris Messina (The Boogeyman), Pilou Asbaek (Run Sweetheart Run, “Game of Thrones”), John Gallagher Jr. (10 Cloverfield Lane, Hush), Costa Ronin, and Masha Mashkova.
The Seeding – January 26
The feature debut of director Barnaby Clay evokes the gritty horror of the ‘70s and centers on a hiker lost in the desert. He seeks refuge from an isolated woman living alone, a setup ripe for grim horror.
Lisa Frankenstein – February 9
An ‘80s set coming of rage love story between an unpopular high school student and the perfect dead she’s resurrected for herself. The goth lovebirds with a penchant for murder are played by Kathryn Newton (Freaky) and Cole Sprouse (“Riverdale”). The Weird Science-inspired tale was written by Diablo Cody (Jennifer’s Body) and directed by Zelda Williams.
Out of Darkness – February 9
Stone age horrors will be unleashed in the upcoming Out of Darkness, which had previously been titled The Origin. The paleolithic set film follows a group of survivors attempting to find a new home in an unforgiving land, only to find themselves being hunted.
Monolith – February 16
Evil Dead Rise star Lily Sullivan plays a podcaster drawn into a strange alien conspiracy when embarking on her latest project. Expect a quiet, meditative chiller centered almost entirely around Sullivan.
History of Evil – February 23
A family on the run from an oppressive rule takes shelter in a remote safe house. But the house harbors a dark, insidious past that seems to awaken with the arrival of the family.
Stopmotion – February 23
Aisling Franciosi (The Last Voyage of the Demeter, The Nightingale) stars as a stop-motion animator who is struggling to control her demons after the loss of her overbearing mother. To cope, she begins a new creepy puppet feature, which winds up becoming the battleground for her sanity as the puppets take on a life of their own.
Imaginary – March 8
A stuffed bear named Chauncey gets bloodthirsty in the upcoming horror movie from Jeff Wadlow (Cry Wolf, Kick-Ass 2, Truth or Dare, Fantasy Island, The Curse of Bridge Hollow). DeWanda Wise (Jurassic World Dominion) leads the cast as the woman who must take on a sinister imaginary friend.
Love Lies Bleeding – March 8
Revenge gets ripped in Saint Maud director Rose Glass’s romantic thriller starring Kristen Stewart as a gym manager Lou, who falls for a body builder (Katy O’Brian). The couple get embroiled in vengeance and violence thanks to Lou’s criminal family.
Late Night with the Devil – March 22
Up next from Australian writing-directing team Colin and Cameron Cairnes (100 Bloody Acres, Scare Campaign) is found footage horror Late Night With the Devil, with David Dastmalchian (Dune, The Suicide Squad) starring as the host of a late-night talk show that descends into a nightmare.
You’ll Never Find Me – March 22
A torrential downpour late one evening brings an unexpected Visitor (Jordan Cowan) to a stranger’s door in a quiet RV park. The man, Patrick (Brendon Rock), invites the Visitor inside to dry off and take refuge from the raging storm outside. It sparks an eerie cat-and-mouse game where not everything is as it seems in the feature directorial debut by Indianna Bell and Josiah Allen.
Ghostbusters: Frozen Empire – March 29
In Ghostbusters: Frozen Empire, the Spengler family returns to where it all started – the iconic New York City firehouse – to team up with the original Ghostbusters, to battle a supernatural threat that’s rendered the city an icy wasteland. Gil Kenan (Monster House, Poltergeist) directed the upcoming sequel.
The First Omen – April 5
The prequel to the classic horror film franchise sees a woman travel to Rome to begin a life in service to the Church, only to uncover a dark conspiracy that seeks to birth a great evil. Nell Tiger Free (“Servant”) leads a cast that also includes Ralph Ineson (The Witch, Onyx the Fortuitous) and Bill Nighy (“Living”).
Godzilla x Kong: The New Empire – April 12
The fifth entry in Legendary’s MonsterVerse sees titans Godzilla and King Kong teaming up to combat a world-ending new threat. This sequel was written by Simon Barrett (You’re Next, The Guest) and directed by franchise returnee Adam Wingard.
Untitled Universal Monster Thriller – April 19
‘Scream VI’
Matt Bettinelli-Olpin & Tyler Gillett helm this currently untitled Universal Monster movie that sees a group of criminals bite off far more than they can chew when they kidnap a young girl. As if this isn’t enticing enough, the untitled film stars Melissa Barrera and Dan Stevens.
Infested – April 26
Arachnophobes beware: this creepy crawly horror movie sees a venomous spider let loose upon an apartment building, where it quickly spawns hundreds of offspring.
Horrorscope – May 10
College friends find themselves dying in fates revealed by mysterious horoscope readings, based on the novel by Nicholas Adams. Jacob Batalon (“Reginald the Vampire”), Alana Boden (The Invitation), Adain Bradley (Wrong Turn: The Foundation) and Avantika (Senior Year) star.
The Strangers: Chapter 1 – May 17
Based on the original 2008 cult horror franchise, the project features Madelaine Petsch, who drives cross-country with her longtime boyfriend (Froy Gutierrez) to begin a new life in the Pacific Northwest. The couple soon runs afoul of the masked strangers. Chapter 1 marks the first of three installments from director Renny Harlin.
The Watchers – June 7
‘Barbarian’
Director Ishana Night Shyamalan‘s feature debut stars Georgina Campbell (Barbarian) and Dakota Fanning, and adapts A.M. Shine‘s novel. The plot sees a woman trapped with three strangers, all stalked by mysterious creatures every night.
A Quiet Place: Day One – June 28
John Krasinski in ‘A Quiet Place’
The next installment in Paramount’s hit horror franchise, A Quiet Place: Day One is set to be a universe-expanding spinoff movie. Plot details are currently under wraps, but Lupita Nyong’o (Us), Joseph Quinn (“Stranger Things”) and Alex Wolff (Hereditary) star.
Trap – August 2
The latest from writer/director M. Night Shyamalan is a psychological thriller set at a concert. Details remain scarce, other than the upcoming feature stars Josh Hartnett.
Borderlands – August 9
Unlikely heroes must battle alien monsters and dangerous bandits to find and protect a missing girl, who may hold the key to unimaginable power in Eli Roth’s video game adaptation. The ensemble cast includes Jack Black as Claptrap, Florian Munteanu as Krieg, Ariana Greenblatt as Tiny Tina, Jamie Lee Curtis as Tannis, Cate Blanchett as Lilith, Kevin Hart as Roland, and Gina Gershon as Moxxi.
Speak No Evil – August 9
‘Speak No Evil’ 2022
In this remake of the 2022 Danish horror movie will follow a family’s descent into an unimaginable psychological nightmare when they accept a holiday invitation from another family they’ve just met. What could go wrong? James McAvoy stars.
Untitled Alien Event Movie – August 16
An original Alien feature set between the events of the first two films, directed by Fede Alvarez (Evil Dead, Don’t Breathe). Cailee Spaeny (The Craft: Legacy, Pacific Rim Uprising) leads the cast alongside Isabela Merced, David Jonsson, Archie Renaux, Spike Fearn and Aileen Wu. Ridley Scott produces.
Beetlejuice 2 – September 6
‘Beetlejuice’ (1988)
Tim Burton is back with the long awaited sequel Beetlejuice 2, which will feature Michael Keaton and Winona Ryder alongside several faces fresh to Burton’s afterlife. No word yet on plot details, but it’s known that Jenna Ortega will be playing the daughter of Lydia Deetz, the character Winona Ryder is of course returning to play.
Saw XI – September 27
Saw X. Photo Credit: Alexandro Bolaños Escamilla
Tobin Bell’s Jigsaw returned in 2023’s Saw X and it was a huge success, making this sequel no surprise. While plot details haven’t been revealed, it feels safe to predict that Saw XI might explore the epic showdown teased in the end credits of Saw X.
Smile 2 – October 18
‘Smile’ 2022
Parker Finn’s Smile, an adaptation of his own short film Laura Hasn’t Slept, will expand its world with this year’s Smile 2. Plot details, of course, are under wraps at this time, but Naomi Scott has been announced as the lead.
Terrifier 3 – October 25
The third entry in Damien Leone’s popular film series sees Art the Clown expanding his slaying ground. The ruthless killer is set to unleash chaos on the unsuspecting residents of Miles County as they peacefully drift off to sleep on Christmas Eve.
The Wolf Man – October 25
Leigh Whannell is reteaming with Universal and Blumhouse to direct a new take on the Wolf Man, with Christopher Abbott (Possessor, Poor Things) in the lead role.
Nosferatu – December 25
Robert Eggers’ Nosferatu is a gothic tale of obsession between a haunted young woman in 19th century Germany and the ancient Transylvanian vampire who stalks her. Willem Dafoe, Bill Skarsgård, Nicholas Hoult, Emma Corrin and Lily-Rose Depp star in the highly anticipated feature.
Blackout – Quarter 1, 2024
The latest from Larry Fessenden follows small town artist Charley (Alex Hurt), a tortured man whose drinking binges blur with his sneaking suspicion that he might likely be a werewolf. Dark Sky Films will release the werewolf tale in the first quarter of 2024.
Ash – TBD
Musician-turned-director Flying Lotus (Kuso) recently directed a segment in Bloody Disgusting’s V/H/S/99, and his next project will be a sci-fi thriller titled Ash. Eiza Gonzalez and Aaron Paul star in the paranoid horror movie, and recently released first look images signal strong potential for a 2024 release.
Blacula – TBD
Deon Taylor (The Intruder) helms this reboot that picks up where the original saga left off, after the 1973 sequel Scream Blacula Scream, and will be set in a metropolitan city post-coronavirus pandemic. In a recent Variety piece, the outlet noted that the upcoming Blacula reboot movie is “slated for release next Halloween.”
Caddo Lake – TBD
This M. Night Shyamalan produced feature revolves around an eight-year-old’s disappearance on Caddo Lake, linking past deaths and disappearances that’ll irrevocably alter a broken family. The cast includes Dylan O’Brien, Eliza Scanlen, Lauren Ambrose, Eric Lange, Sam Hennings and Diana Hopper. That Caddo Lake received an MPA rating indicates that a release date shouldn’t be too far behind, making this a likely 2024 release.
The Crow – TBD
From director Rupert Sanders (Snow White and the Huntsman, Ghost in the Shell), Bill Skarsgård (IT) is leading the cast of a brand new take on The Crow as Eric Draven, with singer/actor FKA Twigs co-starring. Danny Huston (30 Days of Night) also stars, alongside Laura Birn (Foundation), Sami Bouajila (A Son), and Jordan Bolger (The Woman King). The reboot is expected to release sometime in 2024.
Cuckoo – TBD
Luz director Tilman Singer is back with another horror movie. Plot details remain scarce, but production images suggest a potential slasher. We’re in either way, between Singer and a cast that includes Dan Stevens (The Guest) and Jessica Henwick (Underwater) as well as Hunter Schafer (“Euphoria”), Marton Csókás (Freelance), Greta Fernández (Santo) and Jan Bluthardt (Luz).
Frankie Freako – TBD
Psycho Goreman filmmaker Steven Kostanski‘s latest stars Conor Sweeney (The Editor, Father’s Day) as he accidentally lets loose “a trio of tiny trouble-makers into his home, led by the maniacal rock-n-roll party monster Frankie Freako.”
Handling the Undead – TBD
A strange phenomena erupts across Oslo, causing a strange spike in electricity that resurrects people who recently died. The Norwegian film is the feature-length directorial debut of filmmaker Thea Hvistendahl. The horror drama feature is based on the novel by John Ajvide Lindqvist (Let the Right One In). Lindqvist co-wrote the script along with the director.
Hostile Dimensions – TBD
Found footage sci-fi horror film Hostile Dimensions is poised to unleash multiverse madness in 2024. Two documentary filmmakers investigating a missing artist instead find themselves in an interdimensional nightmare.
I Saw the TV Glow – TBD
Two teenagers bond over a scary TV show, but the series’ cancellation causes a rift in reality. Jane Schoenbrun (We’re All Going to the World’s Fair) helms this A24 horror film starring Justice Smith (Jurassic World Dominion) and Brigette Lundy-Paine (Bill & Ted Face the Music, Bombshell).
In a Violent Nature – TBD
Shudder’s upcoming slasher follows “the enigmatic resurrection, rampage, and retribution of an undead monster in a remote wilderness.” The streaming service acquired this slasher ahead of Sundance and is expected to debut the film sometime in 2024.
Longlegs – TBD
Nicolas Cage in ‘Mandy’
Up next from writer/director Osgood Perkins (The Blackcoat’s Daughter, Gretel & Hansel) is the Nicolas Cage horror movie Longlegs, which sees the actor playing a serial killer. Maika Monroe also stars. That the MPA gave this an R-rating teases that NEON will likely target a 2024 release.
MaXXXine – TBD
The third entry in Ti West’s slasher trilogy that began with X and continued with Pearl “follows Maxine (Mia Goth), after the events of X, as the sole survivor who continues her journey towards fame, setting out to make it as an actress in 1980’s Los Angeles.”
Salem’s Lot – TBD
Salem’s Lot (1979)
The James Wan-produced reboot of Stephen King’s novel, directed by Gary Dauberman (It, The Nun, Annabelle Comes Home), has been delayed and shelved so frequently that we’re not holding our breath. Instead, we’re hoping 2024 is the year it finally surfaces and gets a proper release.
Shelby Oaks – TBD
YouTube critic Chris Stuckmann’s feature debut follows a paranormal investigation that dates back to childhood and will include found footage elements. It stars Camille Sullivan (Hunter Hunter), Brendan Sexton III (Don’t Breathe 2), Michael Beach (If Beale Street Could Talk), Robin Bartlett (Shutter Island), Keith David (The Thing), Charlie Talbert (The Big Short), Emily Bennett (Alone with You) and Sarah Durn (Where the Crawdads Sing).
Starve Acre – TBD
A ‘70s set folk horror movie. Starring Matt Smith (His House, Morbius) and Morfydd Clark (Saint Maud) in the lead roles, Starve Acre is written and directed by Daniel Kokotajlo based on the book by Andrew Michael Hurly. That it was acquired for NA distribution in October 2023 gives strong indication that a 2024 release is likely.
The Toxic Avenger – TBD
Macon Blair’s update on the Troma cult fave seems all but destined for a 2024 release. It even received a red-band teaser already. The zany horror-comedy follows Winston Gooze (Peter Dinklage) as he transforms from corporate janitor to mutant superhero.
Witchboard – TBD
A remake of Witchboard is on the way from Dream Warriors and The Blob director Chuck Russell, expected sometime in 2024. Madison Iseman (I Know What You Did Last Summer), Aaron Dominguez (Only Murders in the Building), Antonia Desplat (Shantaram) and Charlie Tahan (Ozark) star.
Expectations can run high whenever a buzzworthy filmmaker makes the leap from indie to mainstream. And Radio Silence — Matt Bettinelli-Olpin, Tyler Gillett, Chad Villella and former member Justin Martinez — certainly had a lot to live up to after V/H/S. This production collective’s rousing contribution to the 2012 anthology film not only impressed audiences and critics, the same segment also caught the attention of 20th Century. This led to the studio recruiting the rising talent for a hush-hush found-footage project later titled Devil’s Due.
However, as soon as Radio Silence’s anticipated first film was released into the wild, the reactions were mostly negative. Devil’s Due was dismissed as a Rosemary’s Baby rehash but dressed in different clothes; almost all initial reviews were sure to make — as well as dwell on — that comparison. Of course, significant changes were made to Lindsay Devlin’s pre-existing script; directors Bettinelli-Olpin and Gillett offered up more energy and action than what was originally found in the source material, which they called a “creepy mood piece.” Nevertheless, too many folks focused on the surface similarities to the 1968 pregnancy-horror classic and ignored much of everything else.
Almost exactly two years before Devil’s Due hit theaters in January of 2014, The Devil Inside came out. The divisive POV technique was already in the early stages of disappearing from the big screen and William Brent Bell’s film essentially sped up the process. And although The Devil Inside was a massive hit at the box office, it ended up doing more harm than good for the entire found-footage genre. Perhaps worse for Radio Silence’s debut was the strange timing of Devil’s Due; the better-received Paranormal Activity: The Marked Ones was released earlier that same month. Despite only a superficial resemblance, the newer film might have come across as redundant and negligible to wary audiences.
Image: Allison Miller in Devil’s Due.
The trailers for Devil’s Due spelled everything out quite clearly: a couple unknowingly conceives a diabolical child, and before that momentous birth, the mother experiences horrifying symptoms. There is an unshakable sense of been-there-done-that to the film’s basic pitch, however, Bettinelli-Olpin and Gillett knew that from the beginning. To compensate for the lack of novelty, they focused on the execution. There was no point in hiding the obvious — in the original script, the revelation of a demonic pregnancy was delayed — and the film instead gives the game away early on. This proved to be a benefit, seeing as the directors could now play around with the characters’ unholy situation sooner and without being tied down by the act of surprise.
At the time, it made sense for Radio Silence’s first long feature to be shot in the same style that got them noticed in the first place, even if this kind of story does not require it. Still and all, the first-person slant makes Devil’s Due stand out. The urgency and terror of these expectant parents’ ordeal is more considerable now with a dose of verisimilitude in the presentation. The faux realism makes the wilder events of the film — namely those times the evil fetus fears its vessel is in danger — more effective as well. Obviously the set-pieces, such as Samantha pulling a Carrie White on three unlucky teens, are the work of movie magic, but these scenes hit harder after watching tedious but convincing stretches of ordinariness. Radio Silence found a solid balance between the normal and abnormal.
Another facet overlooked upon the film’s initial release was its performances. Booking legitimate actors is not always an option for found-footage auteurs, yet Devil’s Due was a big-studio production with resources. Putting trained actors in the roles of Samantha and Zach McCall, respectively Allison Miller and Zach Gilford, was desirable when needing the audience to care about these first-time parents. The leads managed to make their cursory characters both likable and vulnerable. Miller was particularly able to tap into Samantha’s distress and make it feel real, regardless of the supernatural origin. And with Gilford’s character stuck behind the camera for most of the time, the film often relied on Miller to deliver the story’s emotional element.
Image: Allison Miller in Devil’s Due.
Back then, Radio Silence went from making viral web clips to a full-length theatrical feature in a relatively short amount of time. The outcome very much reflected that tricky transition. Bettinelli-Olpin and Gillett indeed knew how to create these attention-grabbing scenes — mainly using practical effects — but they were still learning their way around a continuous narrative. The technical limitations of found footage hindered the story from time to time, such as this routine need to keep the camera on the main characters (or see things from their perspective) as opposed to cutting away to a subplot. There is also no explanation of who exactly compiled all this random footage into a film. Then again, that is an example of how the filmmakers strove for entertainment as opposed to maintaining every tradition of found footage. In the end, the directors drew from a place of comfort and familiarity as they, more or less, used 10/31/98 as the blueprint for Devil’s Due’s chaotic conclusion. That is not to say the film’s ending does not supply a satisfying jolt or two, but surely there were hopes for something different and atypical.
Like other big film studios at that time, 20th Century wanted a piece of the found-footage pie. What distinguished their endeavor from those of their peers, though, was the surprising hiring of Radio Silence. Needless to say, the gamble did not totally pay off, yet putting the right guys in charge was a bold decision. Radio Silence’s wings were not completely clipped here, and in spite of how things turned out, there are flashes of creativity in Bettinelli-Olpin and Gillett’s unconventional approach to such a conventional concept.
Radio Silence has since bounced back after a shaky start; they participated in another anthology, Southbound, before making another go at commercial horror. The second time, as everyone knows, was far more fruitful. In hindsight, Devil’s Due is regarded as a hiccup in this collective’s body of work, and it is usually brought up to help emphasize their newfound success. Even so, this early film of theirs is not all bad or deserving of its unmentionable status. With some distance between then and now, plus a forgiving attitude, Devil’s Due can be seen as a fun, if not flawed first exposure to the abilities of Radio Silence. And, hopefully, somewhere down the line they can revisit the found-footage format.
Image: Allison Miller and Zach Gilford in Devil’s Due.
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