Movies
Brendan’s Top 5 Horror Movies of 2024
2024 was a year chock full of excellent horror films from all across the globe. On top of the great films that premiered in 2024, some of the best films of 2023 saw physical releases from myriad boutique labels. It’s never been a better time to be a horror fan. Out of the hundreds of films I’ve watched this year, five have stuck out as my favorite. What are they? Let’s take a look.
The Top 5 Best Horror Films of 2024
5. Cuckoo Written and Directed by Tilman Singer
Gretchen (Hunter Schafer) finds her life turned upside down when the death of her mother turns her life upside down. She is forced to move to the German Alps with her father Luis (Marton Csokas), stepmother Beth (Jessica Henwick), and her half-sister Alma (Mila Lieu). Luis finds himself making this move as he oversees the creation of a new hotel deep in the woods. Shortly into her new move, Gretchen meets the oddly charismatic, and deeply unsettling, Herr König (Dan Stevens). Things quickly turn insidious when Gretchen starts to notice strange happenings around the mountain-side resort.
As a huge fan of Luz, I was excited to see whatever Singer created next. His sophomore feature blends a murder/mystery story with oddball supernatural occurrences. Cuckoo throws viewers into a tailspin of craziness and succeeds on almost every front. Hunter Schaefer and Dan Stevens excel in their respective roles, cementing two characters firmly in the annals of horror history. I had the opportunity to catch this film at Fantastic Fest as did our very own Eli BadCritic. Check out Eli’s review for a more in-depth look at this fascinating feature.
You can stream Cuckoo on Hulu starting December 17th.
4. Who’s Watching Written and Directed by Tim Kasher
Who’s Watching follows Caleb (Zachary Ray Sherman), a weird, creepy, and downright off-putting, self-obsessed loner. Caleb finds himself creating a “documentary” at his uncle’s business. The “documentary” quickly reveals itself to be centered around his coworker Krista (Gracie Gillam), turning from oddly quirky to insidiously dangerous. The narration around Caleb’s film gets murky when one of his band’s friends, Tawnia (Olivia Luccardi), enters the picture. Who is filming who? And who, exactly, is watching?
Coming in at my number four spot is a film I had the opportunity to see at Brooklyn Horror Film Festival. Following the film was a fun Q&A with leads Gracie Gillam and Olivia Luccardi, where curator of everything Horror Press, James-Michael Fleites, learned that Olivia Luccardi was the clamshell eReader girl from It Follows! Nevertheless, Who’s Watching is a unique hybrid-found footage film that blends multiple perspectives into one thrilling feature. While Gillam and Luccardi are excellent leads, the film’s antagonist, Zachary Ray Sherman, is a well-crafted antagonist who sticks with you long after the credits roll. If you’re tired of the typical found footage fare, then Who’s Watching will be that fresh cup of lemonade on a hot summer day.
Check out my Brooklyn Horror Film Festival review here for a more in-depth look into my thoughts.
3. Bakemono Written and Directed by Doug Roos
Bakemono tells the fragmented tales of multiple poor souls who find their demise in an Airbnb. Friends, philanderers, forlorn souls, relatives, everyone is fair game in this horrific hostel. The Airbnb is owned by the mysterious Mitsuo (Takashi Irie), an unstable man who may be more involved than he seems. Will anyone survive the wrath of this transforming creature?
If it weren’t for my number two and one picks, Bakemono would easily be my top film of 2024. I saw Bakemono during Tokyo Horror Film Festival and was left in shock. Many horror filmmakers are harkening back to the time of practical effects over digital. Doug Roos does so with exhilarating, stomach-churning gusto. Bakemono is a tour de force of practical effects. On top of how fantastic the creature and kills look, Roos tells a non-linear story that sets it apart from typical creature feature fare. It takes some time for the non-linear angle to work itself out, but if you stick with it and accept it for what it is, you won’t be disappointed.
For a more in-depth look into my thoughts, check out my full Tokyo Horror Film Festival review here.
2. The Soul Eater Written and Directed by Alexandre Bustillo and Julien Maury
Franck de Rolan (Paul Hamy) finds himself in a small mountain town as he looks into the mystery of disappearing children. On his way to town, he meets Commander Elizabeth Guardiano (Virginie Ledoyen), who is also on her way to investigate the brutal murder of a family. They soon realize they’re both investigating the same crimes. Local legend speaks of a creature called the Soul Eater, and it starts to look more and more like the Soul Eater has descended upon this town to wreak havoc.
Bustillo and Maury blend the line between New French Extremity and “normal” horror filmmaking with their 2024 feature, The Soul Eater. Casual horror fans will be able to stomach their extreme style while still getting a glimpse at their insatiable taste for blood. Extreme horror fans can revel in the grotesque nature of this film and still enjoy the well-written, engaging story behind it all. These two filmmakers have proven time and time again that they are some of the most influential filmmakers in horror, and The Soul Eater shows that they still got it!
For a more in-depth look into my thoughts, check out my full Fantastia Fest review here.
1. Jimmy & Stiggs Written and Directed by Joe Begos
When out-of-work filmmaker Jimmy (Joe Begos) embarks on his latest bender, he’s thrust into a world of terror he is far from prepared for. After experiencing aliens in his Los Angeles apartment, Jimmy calls his friend/former collaborator Stiggs (Matt Mercer) or help. Jimmy and Stiggs soon find themselves in a fight for their lives and also…humanity.
I’m a sucker for Joe Begos. From his debut feature, Almost Human, to his Christmas slasher, Christmas Bloody Christmas, there hasn’t been a Begos film I haven’t liked. Jimmy & Stiggs exists as Begos’s COVID project. Shot over nearly four years in his OWN apartment, living in the neon-soaked set all throughout the Christmas Bloody Christmasproduction, Jimmy & Stiggs is nothing more than a drug-fueled, 80-minute balls-to-the-wall feature that doesn’t let up for a second.
I saw this film in a packed theater at Brooklyn Horror Film Festival and had no clue what I was in for. After a few beers, I stumbled into the theater and witnessed Joe Begos introduce the feature. I had no clue what I was about to watch. To say I was captivated until the final second is an understatement. This fully practical, alien-centric film feels like something I’ve never had the opportunity to witness in theaters before. If you get the chance to see this film, run, don’t walk.
For a more in-depth look, check out our very own Samantha McLaren’s Brooklyn Horror Film Festival coverage here.
Movies
‘Queens of the Dead’ Took a Bite Out of Brooklyn Horror Fest
Brooklyn Horror Film Fest kicked off its 10th year with a screening of the highly anticipated Queens of the Dead. This sparkly and zombie-fied night was presented by Horror Press and set the tone for at least two after parties. As a good queen does.
Before the movie began, director and co-writer, Tina Romero, took the stage to share that she is “very proud to be my dad’s kid, and proud to carry his torch, and super super proud to do it in a way that shows queer joy and queer resilience.” After watching the film, it’s clear Romero meant business as she expanded on the zombie world built by her dad, the genre icon George A. Romero.
A Scrumptious Evening
The opening night film was also unforgettable because it was followed by a Q&A afterward moderated by New York’s baddest emcee, Xero Gravity. Tina Thee Romero took the stage with cast members Samora la Perdida, Julie J., Tomas Matos, and Nina West. They kept the vibe fun but also addressed why this movie is especially important in dire times like these.
Nina West said, “I’m really proud that this movie is coming out specifically right now.” West explained, “We talked about how important this film is right now. How queer people, I think, are going to have the opportunity to grab onto it and hopefully feel a sense of community, a sense of self, and a reminder of how vital it is to have chosen family and the ability to have space. Watching it tonight with an audience, that’s what I’m reminded of.”
The Romero Legacy is Very Much Alive and Well
Gravity opened the talk by addressing Romero’s dad’s work, “So, Tina, your father’s legacy is invaluable to the horror community, especially the horror community of marginalized people. When I look into the audience, I see a bunch of queer people, a bunch of different skin tones, I see people with disabilities, and for that, I know we all appreciate George A. Romero’s legacy in terms of allyship.”
When the applause died down, she asked Romero what Queens of the Dead has to say about our current state in society. Romero said she felt incredibly grateful that Shudder and IFC Films are putting this movie out in 2025.
Romero elaborated, “It’s not easy to get a little indie movie out into the world. It’s so important that it’s coming out this year because what a year we have had. Holy shit.”
Romero continued, “It feels so good to have a big queer movie coming out in a time when our community is feeling really under the threat of erasure and under attack. I feel like what our movie says is we are here and we are wonderful, come along for the ride. I really hope that this movie brings a little bit of empathy. A little bit of ‘I can’t help but laugh at and love these characters.”
Romero concluded, “I really love my father. I love the films he made. It was very important to me to make sure his legacy continued in a way that said some shit and with queerness on screen.”
A Night of Glitter and Gore
During the talk back, Romero shared a lot of cool facts. One being that her and co-writer Erin Judge worked on this film for ten years. She also shared that Dawn of the Dead is her favorite movie in her dad’s franchise when Gravity pointed out a couple of nods to the movie in Queens of the Dead.
The Q&A went by entirely too quickly as the audience fell in love with this amazing crew. However, the love and community spilled into the bar area afterward. People were given the opportunity to thank everyone for their work and tell them they loved the film. People were offered penis-shaped cakes, which is a fun gag from the film. Attendees were also given a chance to get a little bloody at the hands of local makeup artist Dime. They applied bite marks and blood to everyone who wanted to feel like they were a part of the hottest zombie movie of the year.
It was another scrumptious evening in Brooklyn. It also left many of the audience with an axe wound right in the heart. I’m excited to see how Brooklyn Film Fest follows this movie, and I will be in the bar area this weekend, waiting to see.
Queens of the Dead will slay in theaters on October 24.
Movies
The Worst Blumhouse Movies and Why They Miss the Mark
I feel like I’m always taking swings at Blumhouse Productions and would like to explain why I’m usually frustratedly screaming into a mic, “For whomst?!” My relationship as a horror fan with most of the movies this company produces cannot be summed up in quick, snide comments and eyerolls. It’s bigger than that because when Blumhouse gets it right, they get it right. Get Out, Us, Creep, Creep 2, Happy Death Day, Freaky, M3GAN, and Drop are some of my favorite movies from the last 10 years. The Paranormal Activity franchise is the reason I show up for found footage films today.
However, while the mission to seemingly greenlight anything is good on paper, it does lead to some questionable films. Some projects feel irresponsible to fund, and some that are just bad make up the majority of their library. For every diamond, we get a bunch of movies that leave us scratching our heads and wondering if the obvious conversations were not being had. Which is why I picked four Blumhouse movies I have legitimate beef with. I think these are prime examples of why I have a hard time getting excited when the company’s PR starts up for a new project. I’m also respectfully asking if there are things in place to avoid these issues and concerns in the future.
The Exorcist: Believer
Two girls disappear in the woods and return to their families, who soon learn they are possessed by an evil entity. My surface problem with this Blumhouse movie is that they learned nothing from greenlighting the Halloween trilogy and put the cart before the horse again. However, my main grievance is that I was led to believe this would be a Black-led Exorcist movie. That would have been groundbreaking in this almost exclusively white franchise. More importantly, Leslie Odom Jr. and Lidya Jewett were more than capable of leading this movie. So, why were they shoved into the margins? We had a double exorcism and gave the non-Black child most of the cool things to do. The film also made Odom Jr.’s character the chauffeur for Chris MacNeil, who was shoehorned in for fan service and given nothing important to do. The Exorcist: Believer was unbelievably bad to boot.
Dashcam (2021)
Two friends livestream the most terrifying night of their lives while on a road trip. This movie would have done fine because it was from the team that brought us Host. As we were still in pandemic mode, many of us were curious to see what they would do next. So, there was a lot of face cracks when it came out that problematic Twitter personality Annie Hardy would be basically playing herself in the film. From her political stances, COVID denial, racist rants, and that time she turned a pride flag into a swastika on Twitter, she’s very blatantly a person who does not need a bigger platform.
It’s irresponsible to allow a movie to use her as stunt casting in a Blumhouse production. Again, this movie would have been better off without her because it would have ridden the steam of Host. Instead, it turned people off, and some refused to see it or review it.
They/Them (2022)
A group of teens at an LGBTQ+ conversion camp suffer psychological torture at the hands of the staff while being murdered by a masked killer. I feel there were too many cis people weighing in on this movie. I personally watched an awful person who masquerades as a journalist leap into Twitter conversations where Trans and non-binary people were discussing why this movie wasn’t it. So, I chose to keep my thoughts to myself and listen to the community, who should get a say.
I encourage you to do the same. Here is the Horror Press review by Bash Ortega. I also encourage you to read Kay Lynch’s essay at Bloody Disgusting. Consequence of Sound also had a review that is worth reading. While this was one of the movies under the Blumhouse banner that had its heart seemingly in the right place, we know intention and impact are not the same thing.
Soft & Quiet (2022)
An elementary teacher meets with other white supremacists and then commits a hate crime. This movie felt like a bunch of shocking events strewn together, and I wanted my money back for this rental. I have no idea how this film came to be what it is. Personally, I hope there is a version that doesn’t feel like racial trauma porn somewhere, but this is not it. I kept wondering who this movie is for, and the internet confirmed it wasn’t for POC. With all the ways to capture white supremacy on film, this is what they did? I feel this is the most irresponsible movie Blumhouse has subjected me to. It’s the reason I no longer get excited when I hear a filmmaker I am rooting for is working with the company.
In Closing…
I know I come across as flippant when I drag most of Blumhouse’s films. However, it stems from a place of concern and frustration. Bad movies like Firestarter, Unhuman, Night Swim, and Imaginary are one thing. These movies that clumsily handle important topics that are the reason I’m usually waiting for their titles to hit streaming. Whether they’re putting Black leads in the backseat, greenlighting movies where internet trolls are being given roles, or adding to the canon of racial trauma porn, I’m tired. I don’t know how to fix it because I don’t know if it’s a lack of support or interference regarding the writers and directors.
I don’t know if it’s just quantity over quality leading to some messy and unnecessary movies making it through the cracks. However, if Jason Blum can unpack why M3GAN 2.0 flopped, then it would be cool for him to unpack what he’s learned from the movies that should actually be cause for concern. As a film girl, I would love to see these Blumhouse choices laid out like case studies. Whatever lessons learned and actionable items taken to not make these mistakes again, could be beneficial to other production companies that are also struggling. All I know is an honest investigation is needed if they’re going to keep yeeting films out at this rate. We want to root for all horror. However, it’s hard to do that if we’re wondering who is (or is not) in the room for so many important conversations that need to happen.


