Here are the 20 best horror films of 2024, ranked by critic rating

We're just a few days away from Halloween and no doubt everyone is sitting down to watch a number of classic horror films to get in the spirit. However, if you want to stay updated, you can check out the lists published in 2024. There will be many subjective lists, but if you want to be guided by the overall opinion of professionals, we can go to Rotten Tomatoes.

Here are the 20 best horror films of the year, according to critics, and even I haven't seen them all yet. We have:

1) Late Night with the Devil (97%) – A talk show host's attempt to narrate a supernatural episode goes terribly wrong.

2) Curiosity (96%) – A murder mystery and a very creepy wooden golem as a woman is stalked in her remote home.

3) Infested (96%) – Probably one of the best “creature” movies I’ve ever seen, about mutant spiders rampaging through an inescapable apartment building.

4) On Fire (95%) – A mother and daughter deal with their evil past after the death of their husband and father.

5) Strange Darling (95%) – My favorite horror film of the year, an out-of-control story about a serial killer that happens in places you don't expect.

6) New Life (94%) – A woman on the run tries to escape her past, leaving behind a trailer full of corpses.

7) The substance (91%) – Possibly the most acclaimed horror film of the year. A woman tries to salvage the glory days of her youth with a bizarre treatment. One of the best body horror films of all time.

8) Stop motion (91%) – A stop-motion animator becomes obsessed with her own creations, which ends up going pretty badly.

9) The Devil's Bath (90%) – In Austria in 1750, a woman is trapped in a bleak life and becomes violent in response. Based on some level of historical record.

10) A Quiet Place: Day One (87%) – Would you believe me if I said that this film is way better than the first two films? Despite a new cast and director, this was a stunning film that was not at all what I expected. One of my favorites of the year.

11) Out of the Darkness (86%) – 45,000 years ago, a group wanders through the tundra only to discover that something is chasing them.

12) Smile 2 (85%) – A stunning sequel to “Smile,” led by an incredible performance from Naomi Scott that takes the sequel to new, terrifying heights.

13) Long Legs (85%) – A woman tracks down a serial killer who may have a direct connection to her own life. Another quality horror film this year, but I found it a bit overrated.

14) I saw the TV light up (84%) – This went a bit over my head, but as a metaphor about identity-critical youth, a lot of people love it and it's certainly disturbing in the best possible way.

15) Speak no evil (84%) – A couple makes “vacation buddies,” but when they visit after the trip ends, they find a darkness in their home that they didn’t know was there.

16) Abigail (83%) – A unique twist on the vampire genre with a stellar cast including Melissa Barrera, Dan Stevens and Kathryn Newton.

17) The First Omen (82%) – It's rare to see a sequel to a classic that works so well, but The First Omen was so good that I rewatched the original just to compare.

18) You will never find me (81%) – A man living in a trailer park takes in a young woman during a storm. One of them is evil.

19) Alien: Romulus (80%) – Somehow the third best film in the entire Alien series, even if it spends a bit too much time paying homage to the original. But it was a huge success and a sequel is on the way.

2)Violent in nature (78%) – A horror film from the perspective of the murderer makes it a unique twist on the genre.

Other considerations: Terrifier 3 (76%), Maxxxine (72%), Caddo Lake (76%, I particularly recommend this one) and Immaculate (71%). Enjoy!

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