How To Have A Terrifying Halloween

Some 2024 horror recs to make your holiday perfect 🫣

I was at a Halloween party the other night—humblebrag intended—and was thrilled when the hosts played the classic 30 Rock anthem “Werewolf Bar Mitzvah.” The Tracy Jordan Halloween hit that features the lyrics Then my teeth turned into fangs/And my nails into claws/And I nearly dropped the Torah/When my hands turned into paws could and should be played at any time but makes a bit more sense when played in late October.

Here’s the entire thing in case you haven’t seen it, or just want to listen to one of the best songs ever made:

Anyway, just like “Werewolf Bar Mitzvah,” horror movies should be played year-round but make a bit more sense when the cool air hits and the leaves begin to change. It’s been a pretty damn good year for the genre, but it’s also a pretty solid constant. The fanbase is so consistent and the movies are usually made for pennies (compared to other films) that it’s not hard to finance, make and promote a decent horror flick.

I’ve written at length about a few of my favorites this year, from The Substance to Longlegs to horror-comedy Humanist Vampire Seeking Consenting Suicidal Person, so I wanted to recommend a few others that have stuck with me from the last 10 months. I’ll also try to tell you where it’s streaming, or if it’s still in theaters since that’s getting murkier and murkier by the day.

You’re welcome.

Also, before we get into the list, a few things. I want to shout out Presence, which Jake and I saw and podcasted about after TIFF. The Steven Soderbergh thriller looks to be coming out in January next year, so keep a lookout for that one for some early 2025 thrills and chills and whatnot. Plus, I skipped Late Night with the Devil and Immaculate since I’ve written about them already, but both are pretty fun thrillers from this year.

Strange Darling - Available on VOD

One of my favorite theater experiences this year—I think there were four of us there—was Strange Darling, a topsy-turvy thriller with a cruel sense of humor and non-linear structure. What could be a boilerplate thriller becomes a bit more interesting in its design due to a really fun script and a phenomenal lead performance from Willa Fitzgerald. It kind of toes the line between thriller and horror but is bloody and shocking enough to make this list. A good time. I love it when a serial killer goes on a rampage … in movies that is.

Smile 2 - In Theaters

This trailer became the bane of my existence after seeing it for the hundredth time at AMCs across this great city, but Smile 2 ended up being a step up from its predecessor and a truly delightful watch in the worst ways. The storyline is pretty simple: A horror disease follows various people after witnessing a death. But, the directing and jumpscares from director Parker Finn make up for any plot holes and contrivances. Naomi Scott is unbelievable as pop star Skye Riley—it’s one of the better performances in any genre this year.

In a Violent Nature - Shudder/AMC+/VOD

The inspiration behind the main image of this here newsletter, In a Violent Nature would make this list even if it was just one scene—a yoga kill so vicious and gnarly that our entire theater made the same gasp. The movie is your run-of-the-mill masked killer attacking teens on a trip with one little tweak, the entire thing is from the murderer’s point of view. It becomes a bit video game-y at times, following the killer as he lurks around the woods, but the attacks are as rough (in a good way) as anything else this year. Vulture went in-depth on “the gnarliest horror scene of the year.” Strongly recommend watching and reading, as long as you have a strong stomach.

A Quiet Place: Day One - Paramount Plus

I can’t say I was expecting much from the third movie in the A Quiet Place franchise, and yet, this is my favorite of the bunch and it even made me emotional. What could be a pretty bland horror/thriller is elevated by director Michael Sarnoski and lead Lupita Nyong’o. Nyong’o is easily one of the best actresses we have able to emote and say so much while also (of course) being pretty quiet throughout. Joseph Quinn and Alex Wolff play strong side characters but Nyong’o honestly deserves accolades and recognition for turning what could’ve been a nothing, kind of hokey part into this powerhouse performance. The movie itself is fun as hell and not afraid to be a bit brutal.

Oddity - Shudder/AMC+/VOD

“A psychic medium attempts to uncover the truth behind her sister's murder at the site of the crime.” Yes. This Irish horror movie is a must-watch for horror sickos and a perfect little 98-minute thriller with a few jumpscares that will really freak you out. I knew very little about this going in, which is the way you should watch it as well.

Alien: Romulus - Available on VOD

I’m not totally sure how to classify this prequel/sequel sci-fi thriller, but it has enough (including a knockout final act) to qualify for Halloween Horror. Despite some pretty rough lore-building and callbacks, Romulus at its best is a classic Fede Álvarez freakout movie in space. Cailee Spaeny has quickly become one of our most interesting young actors, especially when paired with Civil War, and this movie has so much fun throwing her around and making her fend for herself.

MadS - Shudder/AMC+

This is my most recent watch (and addition), a single-shot horror French film in which a teenager accidentally picks up an unknown woman in his car and things … devolve from there. I’m a bit more mixed on this one, but at its best, it’s remarkably fun and never goes where you’re expecting it to head. It came out of nowhere for me, so that’s a plus and has a few of the most intriguing sequences I’ve seen this year. Certainly won’t work for everyone but worth a shot if you’re bored on October 31st.