Sharai Bohannon’s Top 10 Horror Movies of 2024
Welcome to Dread Central Unearthed 2024, where we’re sharing our favorite films, moments, kills, scares, and more from this year in horror. Today, we have our staff writer Sharai Bohannon’s personal top ten horror films of 2024!
2024 surprised me because it had so many horror movies that matched my freak, each for different reasons. The comedy was bleak, the deaths were bloody, and it felt like filmmakers really enjoyed fucking with their audiences. So, I found myself wanting to pack a ton of titles into my top 10 this year. Who can blame me in a year that saw Demi Moore and Hugh Grant appear in some out-of-pocket roles in the genre? We also got our Nicolas Cage quota as he appeared in Arcadian, The Surfer, and Longlegs. Do not even get me started on favorite movies still in festivals like Animale, The Balconettes, and The Draft. All three belong on end-of-year lists if they get official release dates soon.
It should go without saying that genre fans ate a little too well this year. So, I clearly had a little too much fun at the movies this year. I loved, liked, or respected so many titles that it took me a whole weekend to narrow it down for a top 10 list. I know that the movies I’m about to list all have the top spot in my heart, and I appreciate them for daring to be different, fun, bold, and (oftentimes) brutal.
10. Love Will Tear Us Apart (dir. Kenichi Ugana)
A young girl saves a classmate from childhood bullies. However, that good deed seems to follow her as people around her begin dying. This movie was so fun and unexpected. It made me laugh, wince, and question what I was watching on multiple occasions. Love Will Tear Us Apart sticks out for its bold color palette and joining the seemingly small list of Japanese slashers. Like most titles in my top 10, this one was a delightfully violent surprise. I respect that In a Violent Nature was a moment, but I hope more people discover this weird little gem. Whenever you think it’s falling into familiar territory, it zigs. Whenever you think you’ve figured out the score, it zags. This movie ultimately decides to go for the most outrageous option, and you have to respect that.
9. It’s What’s Inside (dir. Greg Jardin)
Friends gather for a pre-wedding shindig that takes a turn when an estranged friend surprises the group with an unusual game. This R-rated dark sci-fi comedy thriller was just what the doctor ordered. I knew nothing going into this, so I was gagged when the body-swapping started. Amid the fun and frenzy, I realized this was one of the most exciting movies I’d seen this year. So, when it began revealing the multiple twists and turns, it only seemed right to put it somewhere near my top 10 list and figure it out later in life. This movie has a surprise almost every ten minutes, which makes you reconsider everything you thought you knew about the film. Right up until the very end, It’s What’s Inside pulls the rug from beneath you and gleefully giggles as it does.
8. Strange Darling (dir. J.T. Mollner)
A one-night stand becomes a game of cat-and-mouse with a serial killer. Strange Darling was one of my biggest surprises of the year. The marketing made it seem cool, but I do not think most of us knew what a chokehold it would have on us. I thought I called this film’s bluff without even seeing it, but it managed to weave a more deadly web than I imagined. I could have never predicted where this gorgeous film was going to go. The soundtrack, the cameos, the ending, and even the vibe are truly unique. It’s one of the few movies I wish I could have seen in theaters this year because my TV did not do it justice. Willa Fitzgerald and Kyle Gallner brought their A-game, which helped make this labor of love one of the best horror movies that’s happened to me in a while.
7. A Quiet Place: Day One (dir. Michael Sarnoski)
A woman finds herself trapped in New York the day deadly aliens with ultra-sensitive hearing invade. I would have called you a liar if you had told me A Quiet Place: Day One would be in my top 10 movies of the year. However, Michael Sarnoski and his entire design team gave us a horror film worthy of an Oscar nomination. Not only did Sarnoski’s script and direction raise the stakes by finally letting the Death Angels wreak some havoc, but it also made us pay in tears. The one-two punch of Lupita Nyong’o and Joseph Quinn to our collective feelings was devasting. Nyong’o and Quinn make up one of my favorite duos of the year. They would be considered for awards in a better timeline.
6. Blink Twice (dir. Zoë Kravitz)
A tech billionaire invites a waitress to join him and his friends on his private island. While I am still sad the title was changed from Pussy Island, I have very few other notes for Zoë Kravitz’s directorial debut. She co-wrote and helmed one of the best thrillers of the year. We all thought we knew what this was, but we woefully underestimated this project. From the surprise supporting cast that includes the likes of Geena Davis, Alia Shawkat, and Christian Slater to the violent twists and turns, Blink Twice was an unexpected surprise. Naomi Ackie deserves the world, and this is by far the best Channing Tatum has ever been. This film is a whole vibe as it easily avoids the common errors many filmmakers make when tackling privilege and rape culture. It also has the best Beyoncé needle drop in the history of cinema.
5. The Coffee Table (dir. Caye Casas)
New parents experiencing a difficult time in their relationship buy a coffee table without knowing it will drastically change their lives. This upsetting little gem is the bleakest horror comedy I’ve ever seen. While I found this movie funny, it also stressed me out and shaved five years off my lifespan. Cristina Borobia and Caye Casas’ script is unrelenting, dreadful, and deliciously comedic. Casas’ direction underscores the macabre vibe that makes you feel like you might go to hell for laughing. He expertly navigates this claustrophobic nightmare, dragging us through every corner of this cinematic anxiety attack. The Coffee Table is a film for people with a dark sense of humor and who aren’t rattled easily. Even then, those viewers may still audibly gasp a few times like I did. This movie is too sick and twisted to not be one of my favorite things to come out of 2024.
4. Exhuma (dir. Jang Jae-hyun)
A pair of paranormal experts are hired to investigate a curse that has followed a wealthy family for generations. They believe the simple solution is to exhume an ominous gravesite, but that only makes everything so much worse. Exhuma is the most gorgeous film of 2024. Every haunting frame belongs in the MoMA. However, it’s not just here for its looks, as it’s also one of the most unsettling horror films of the year. The film features a powerhouse performance by Kim Go-eun (playing Shaman Lee Hwa-rim), as the perfect anchor in this sea of creepy delights. I enjoyed that the stakes were always high as everyone, including babies, was in danger. I also appreciate movies that understand pacing is key, and that energy is needed in a film with this kind of runtime. Where many 2024 movies had vibes but no substance, Exhuma offers both as it tries to outdo itself with every chapter.
3. Abigail (dir. Matt Bettinelli-Olpin and Tyler Gillett)
A group of crooks kidnap a young ballerina and hideout in a mansion. However, they soon discover they’ve locked themselves in with a monster. Radio Silence continues their streak of making the bloodiest and funniest ensemble films of the decade. Each horror movie feels like a breath of fresh air, but this one is especially delightful. From the stacked cast to the countless gallons of blood thrown around this mansion, it was a damn good time. Many people were rightfully upset with the marketing for giving away the first-act reveal. However, once you swallow that annoying pill, there is so much fun still to be had with Abigail. I walked out wanting more, even if I think we have too many franchises in the horror sphere. That is a testament to how much fun this film is and to Alisha Weir for forcing us to feel like proud dance moms.
2. Sleep (dir. Jason Yu)
A happy young couple are preparing for their first child. However, as they get closer to the due date, the husband begins having terrifying sleepwalking incidents. Can his wife get to the root of his issues before he becomes a danger to their small family? Sleep is creepy and engaging, and packs a few sinister surprises. It’s also, sadly, one of the final films featuring the late Lee Sun-kyun (Parasite). Jason Yu captures the unsettling vibes of this world and gives us a great depiction of a woman battling sleep deprivation while still being the only voice of reason. So, it’s unsurprising that I related to Soo-jin (Jung Yu-mi). While I hope to never be a mom, I know what it’s like to have to constantly fix everything while running on empty. She is a sleepy badass, and I adore her. She knocked it out of the park, and I need her to do so many more genre movies.
1. Monkey Man (dir. Dev Patel)
A quiet young man sets off on a quest for vengeance against the corrupt leaders who murdered his mother and are abusing the poor and powerless. We knew when we saw the words Monkeypaw Productions and Dev Patel next to each other that this project would be epic. However, none of us expected a cultural reset. Monkey Man wears its Bollywood and Korean thriller influences on its sleeve. The fight sequences are some of the coolest we’ve seen in years, the message is as timely as ever, and the violence is some of the most brutal of 2024. I’m also obsessed with the behind-the-scenes issues that lead to sick camera work tricks and badass visual choices. I would have been happy to just see Patel in a lead role. However, having his directorial feature be the most original thriller of 2024 is a huge win.
Honorable Mentions
Cuckoo
Heretic
MadS
Milk & Serial
Outside
This 2024 top 10 list was so hard! I’m still upset I could not squeeze in seven more movies that sparked joy this year. If you also loved too many titles and need a top thirty, find me at @misssharai
Categorized:Editorials
