The Scariest 2024 Horror Movies You Might Have Missed This Summer
We’re about halfway through the year now. While most of us have been in the theaters watching horror movies like Longlegs (if its remarkable box office toll is anything to go by), just as many horror gems have quietly arrived on streaming over the summer. While the heavyweights definitely deserve your attention, here are five 2024 horror movies released since the start of summer you should definitely check out if you haven’t yet.
Mind Body Spirit
If we’re talking 2024 horror movies, we need to be talking Mind Body Spirit. First available to rent in May, Mind Body Spirit is one of the freshest found footage horror shows you’ll have the chance to watch this year. A wellness YouTuber replaces bridge poses with occult rituals, leading, of course, to terrifying results. In our review, we wrote, “With its investigation of intergenerational trauma through an unmoored millennial, Mind Body Spirit is a found footage version of Hereditary.” It’s one of the quieter 2024 horror movies, but if you’re craving some found footage, it’s worth checking out. You can rent Mind Body Spirit online now.
Horror in the High Desert 3: Firewatch
I’m not saying I’m responsible for Horror in the High Desert 3: Firewatch arriving on streaming, but I was in the midst of drafting this piece when director Dutch Marich announced Horror in the High Desert 3: Firewatch was now available on Prime Video. The first two are among some of the scariest movies I’ve seen this decade, and I have no doubt the third will continue the series remarkably. In our review, we wrote, “It’s a breath of much-needed fresh air in a world dominated by the need for recognizable IP above all else.”
Arcadian
Arcadian is that other Nicolas Cage horror movie releasing this year. After a limited theatrical run in April, Arcadian is now available to stream free for Shudder subscribers. Arcadian doesn’t reinvent the post-apocalyptic wheel with its story of a father and his two sons enduring an onslaught of monstrous attacks that only occur in the dead of night, but it does do one thing remarkably right—its monsters. The creature design here is the best I’ve seen in years and Arcadian absolutely merits a watch for just that. It will no doubt rank among the best 2024 horror movie moments. In our review, we wrote that Arcadian was “A deeply satisfying creature feature.”
The Devil’s Bath
The Devil’s Bath is the least fun you’ll have at the movies this year. This Shudder Original is absolutely worth seeking out, mind you, just be prepared to carry its weight for a few weeks afterward. A woman in 1750 Austria is trapped in a monotonous, oppressive life until a shocking act finally gives her a way out. I won’t say more, but if we’re talking 2024 horror movies, The Devil’s Bath deserves to be a part of that conversation. This is historical horror at its finest.
Tarot
Hear me out here. While Tarot, released May 3 though now available to rent, will undoubtedly rank among the popular press’ worst 2024 horror movies, I really don’t think it deserves to. Tarot is PG-13 horror through and through, for all the good or bad you think that entails, but the movie is simultaneously way more fun than its critical reception would have you believe. I think of movies like Tarot as slumber party movies. They’re great times when you dim the lights and have a few friends over. The high-concept plot is digestible (evil tarot cards), the production is glossy, and in Tarot’s case, Trevor Henderson’s monster designs are incredible. It won’t keep you up at night, but in a year abounding with heavy, heavy horror releases, Tarot is the best palate cleanser money can buy right now.
What do you think? Which 2024 horror movies have been your favorite so far? Any plans to check any of the above out? Let me know over on Twitter @Chadiscollins.
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