BEST HORROR MOVIES OF 2024 RANKED – NEW SCARY MOVIES TO WATCH

Welcome to the best horror movies of 2024, ranking every dark and dreary delight coming out this year by Tomatometer! We start the list with Certified Fresh films (these movies have maintained a high Tomatometer score after enough critics reviews), followed by the pulp-pounding Fresh movies (these are rated at least 60%), and then concluding with the morbidly Rotten.


March additions: Larry Fessenden’s back with his werewolf-take Blackout. Night Shift. Imaginary (see Blumhouse horror productions ranked). Indian Hindi-language Shaitaan. Late Night with the Devil. Sydney Sweeney’s Immaculate. You’ll Never Find Me. Winnie-the-Pooh: Blood and Honey 2.
In February, terror reared its head in the stop-motion animation medium (don’t forget about Phil Tippett’s Mad God in 2021) with the literal titled Stopmotion. 
In 2023, horror kicked off in a big way with M3GAN. There wasn’t a breakout hit in January 2024, with the major genre releases being the COVID-shot Paleolithic thriller Out of Darkness, and the Diablo Cody-penned Lisa Frankenstein, set in the same world as her cult comedy Jennifer’s Body.
New horror movies for 2024 on the horizon include They Follow (sequel to It Follows, with Maika Monroe and writer/director David Robert Mitchell returning), MaXXXine (Ti West’s closing his trilogy after X and Pearl), Terrifier 3 (Art the Clown expands his spree into Christmas), Nosferatu (from director Robert Eggers), Alien: Romulus (due in August), A Quiet Place: Day One (June), Beetlejuice Beetlejuice (September), Return to Silent Hill (original director Christophe Gans returns as well), The Conjuring: Last Rites (Patrick Wilson and Vera Farmiga reprise their Warren roles).

LATE NIGHT WITH THE DEVIL
 97%

#1

Critics Consensus: Delightfully dark, Late Night with the Devil proves possession horror isn't played out -- and serves as an outstanding showcase for David Dastmalchian.
Synopsis: Johnny Carson rival Jack Delroy hosts a syndicated talk show 'Night Owls' that has long been a trusted companion to... [More]
Starring: David Dastmalchian, Laura Gordon, Fayssal Bazzi, Ian Bliss
Directed By: Colin Cairnes, Cameron Cairnes

STOPMOTION
 90%

#2

Critics Consensus: Stopmotion takes the conflict between art and artist to chilling, visually thrilling extremes, distinguished by director Robert Morgan's excellent effects work.
Synopsis: A talented stop-motion animator becomes consumed by the grotesque world of her horrifying creations -- with deadly results.... [More]
Starring: Aisling Franciosi, Stella Gonet, Tom York, Caoilinn Springall
Directed By: Robert Morgan

OUT OF DARKNESS
 86%

#3

Critics Consensus: A survival thriller reduced to the bare essentials, Out of Darkness offers a chilling reminder that the horror of looming death might be humanity's most universal experience.
Synopsis: A small boat reaches the shores of a raw and desolate landscape. A group of six have struggled across the... [More]
Starring: Safia Oakley-Green, Kit Young, Chuku Modu, Iola Evans
Directed By: Andrew Cumming

YOU'LL NEVER FIND ME
 80%

#4

Critics Consensus: Visually and sonically distinctive, You'll Never Find Me heightens its spooky atmosphere and claustrophobic setting with a story that'll keep viewers guessing.
Synopsis: An isolated man living at the back of a desolate caravan park is visited by a desperate young woman seeking... [More]
Starring: Brendan Rock, Jordan Cowan, Elena Carapetis, Angela Korng
Directed By: Josiah Allen, Indianna Bell

THE FIRST OMEN
 79%

#5

Critics Consensus: Frequently frightening even as it plays within the confines of a nearly 50-year-old film series, this prequel is The First Omen of a bright future for the franchise in quite some time.
Synopsis: When a young American woman is sent to Rome to begin a life of service to the church, she encounters... [More]
Starring: Nell Tiger Free, Tawfeek Barhom, Sonia Braga, Ralph Ineson
Directed By: Arkasha Stevenson

T-BLOCKERS
 100%

#6

Critics Consensus: No consensus yet.
Synopsis: In small-town Australia, a nightmare is brewing. Sophie is a young filmmaker obsessed with finding a thought-to-be long-lost film. Meanwhile,... [More]
Starring: Lewi Dawson, Etcetera Etcetera, Lisa Fanto, Toshiro Glenn
Directed By: Alice Maio Mackay

DOUBLE BLIND
 100%

#7

Critics Consensus: No consensus yet.
Synopsis: When an experimental drug trial goes horribly wrong, seven young test subjects, after being kept awake for days, must face... [More]
Starring: Millie Brady, Akshay Kumar, Diarmuid Noyes, Pollyanna McIntosh
Directed By: Ian Hunt-Duffy

SUMMONERS
 100%

#8

Critics Consensus: No consensus yet.
Synopsis: Jessica Whitman isn't a witch. Not anymore, at least. She left it behind when she left her hometown almost ten... [More]
Starring: Christine Nyland, McLean Peterson, Larry Fessenden, Madeline Grey DeFreece
Directed By: Terence Krey

MIDNIGHT PEEPSHOW
 100%

#9

Critics Consensus: No consensus yet.
Synopsis: In MIDNIGHT PEEPSHOW we are introduced to an unnamed Madame who owns and operates a peepshow offering patrons a tailor-made... [More]
Starring: Derek Nelson, Chiara D'Anna, Bethan Walker, Jamie Bacon
Directed By: Andy Edwards, Airell Anthony Hayles, Ludovica Musumeci, Jake West

SOMEWHERE QUIET
 92%

#10

Critics Consensus: No consensus yet.
Synopsis: Months after escaping a brutal kidnapping, Meg travels with her husband, Scott, to his family's isolated compound in Cape Cod,... [More]
Starring: Marin Ireland, Micheál Richardson, Jennifer Kim, Kentucker Audley
Directed By: Olivia West Lloyd

I SAW THE TV GLOW
 91%

#11

Critics Consensus: With a distinctive visual aesthetic that enhances its emotionally resonant narrative, I Saw the TV Glow further establishes writer-director Jane Schoenbrun as a rising talent.
Synopsis: Teenager Owen is just trying to make it through life in the suburbs when his classmate introduces him to a... [More]
Starring: Justice Smith, Brigette Lundy-Paine, Ian Foreman, Helena Howard
Directed By: Jane Schoenbrun

LOVELY, DARK, AND DEEP
 89%

#12

Critics Consensus: Effectively playing on fundamental fears, Lovely, Dark, and Deep is a creepy calling card for debuting director Georgina Campbell that's further distinguished by Georgina Campbell's haunting performance.
Synopsis: Lennon, a new back-country ranger, travels alone through the dangerous wilderness, hoping to uncover the origins of a tragedy that... [More]
Starring: Georgina Campbell, Nick Blood, Wai Ching Ho, Edgar Morais
Directed By: Teresa Sutherland

HERE FOR BLOOD
 88%

#13

Critics Consensus: No consensus yet.
Synopsis: In this throwback to 90s horror, a rowdy pro-wrestler, struggling to make ends meet, agrees to fill in as a... [More]
Starring: Shawn Roberts, Maya Misaljevic, Joelle Farrow, Tara Spencer-Nairn
Directed By: Daniel Turres

BLACKOUT
 82%

#14

Critics Consensus: No consensus yet.
Synopsis: A fine arts painter is convinced that he is a werewolf wreaking havoc on a small American town under the... [More]
Starring: Marshall Bell, Michael Buscemi, Alex Hurt, Addison Timlin
Directed By: Larry Fessenden

CUCKOO
 77%

#15

Critics Consensus: No consensus yet.
Synopsis: Reluctantly, 17-year-old Gretchen leaves her American home to live with her father, who has just moved into a resort in... [More]
Starring: Hunter Schafer, Dan Stevens, Jessica Henwick, Marton Csokas
Directed By: Tilman Singer

IMMACULATE
 70%

#16

Critics Consensus: Immaculate in conception if not always in execution, this religiously themed horror outing is saved by a divine performance from Sydney Sweeney.
Synopsis: Sydney Sweeney (Anyone But You, Euphoria, The White Lotus) stars as Cecilia, an American nun of devout faith, embarking on... [More]
Starring: Sydney Sweeney, Álvaro Morte, Benedetta Porcaroli, Simona Tabasco
Directed By: Michael Mohan

DEPARTING SENIORS
 61%

#17

Critics Consensus: No consensus yet.
Synopsis: Mexican-American and queer, high school student Javier doesn't exactly fit in with the popular kids. But he might be the... [More]
Starring: Ignacio Diaz-Silverio, Yani Gellman, Ireon Roach, Cameron Scott Roberts
Directed By: Clare Cooney

THE SEEDING
 57%

#18

Critics Consensus: Rich atmosphere and a handful of genuinely disturbing moments are only sporadically enough to outweigh The Seeding's monotonous pace and lack of narrative depth.
Synopsis: In THE SEEDING, a hiker lost in the desert takes refuge with a woman living alone, and soon discovers that... [More]
Starring: Scott Haze, Kate Lyn Sheil, Alex Montaldo, Harrison Middleton
Directed By: Barnaby Clay

LISA FRANKENSTEIN
 51%

#19

Critics Consensus: An affectionate callback to classic horror comedies of the '80s, Lisa Frankenstein can be fun in its own right despite not quite measuring up to the movies it imitates.
Synopsis: A coming of RAGE love story from acclaimed writer Diablo Cody (Jennifer's Body) about a misunderstood teenager and her high... [More]
Starring: Kathryn Newton, Cole Sprouse, Carla Gugino, Liza Soberano
Directed By: Zelda Williams

WINNIE-THE-POOH: BLOOD AND HONEY 2
 52%

#20

Critics Consensus: Winnie-the-Pooh: Blood and Honey 2 represents an improvement over the original in most respects, although the Poohniverse remains a place made for hardcore slasher fans.
Synopsis: Deep within the 100-Acre-Wood, a destructive rage grows as Winnie-the-Pooh, Piglet, Owl, and Tigger find their home and their lives... [More]
Starring: Scott Chambers, Tallulah Evans, Ryan Oliva, Lewis Santer
Directed By: Rhys Frake-Waterfield

FOUNDERS DAY
 47%

#21

Critics Consensus: Founders Day brings a few clever bits to bear on its '80s-inspired slasher story, but its scattershot tone and an overreliance on horror clichés prevent it from leaving much of an impression.
Synopsis: In this satirical political slasher from the Bloomquist Brothers, a small town is shaken by a series of ominous killings... [More]
Starring: Devin Druid, Emilia McCarthy, Amy Hargreaves, Catherine Curtin
Directed By: Erik Bloomquist

SHAITAAN
 43%

#22

Critics Consensus: No consensus yet.
Synopsis: ... [More]
Starring: Ajay Devgan, Madhavan, Jyotika, Janki Bodiwala
Directed By: Vikas Bahl

THE PRANK
 38%

#23

Critics Consensus: No consensus yet.
Synopsis: In their seemingly ordinary senior year at West Greenview High, the unexpected unfolds when overachiever Ben and his carefree bestie... [More]
Starring: Rita Moreno, Connor Kalopsis, Ramona Young, Keith David
Directed By: Maureen Bharoocha

AMELIA'S CHILDREN
 46%

#24

Critics Consensus: No consensus yet.
Synopsis: When Edward's search for his biological family leads him and his girlfriend Ryley to a magnificent villa high in the... [More]
Starring: Brigette Lundy-Paine, Carloto Cotta, Anabela Moreira, Alba Baptista
Directed By: Gabriel Abrantes

NIGHT SHIFT
 40%

#25

Critics Consensus: No consensus yet.
Synopsis: While working her first night shift at a remote motel, a young woman, Gwen Taylor (Phoebe Tonkin), begins to suspect... [More]
Starring: Phoebe Tonkin, Madison Hu, Lamorne Morris, Patrick Fischler
Directed By: Benjamin China, Paul China

IMAGINARY
 25%

#26

Critics Consensus: Imaginary's core concept is solid enough to produce a handful of scares, but too much of its potential is lost in a clichéd story that gets bogged down in world-building.
Synopsis: From Blumhouse, the genre-defining masterminds behind FIVE NIGHTS AT FREDDY'S and M3GAN, comes an original horror that taps into the... [More]
Starring: DeWanda Wise, Tom Payne, Taegen Burns, Pyper Braun
Directed By: Jeff Wadlow

NIGHT SWIM
 21%

#27

Critics Consensus: Despite a promising start and a handful of solid scares, Night Swim is undone by a premise that just isn't strong enough to support a feature-length film.
Synopsis: Based on the acclaimed 2014 short film by Rod Blackhurst and Bryce McGuire, the film stars Wyatt Russell (The Falcon... [More]
Starring: Wyatt Russell, Kerry Condon, Amélie Hoeferle, Gavin Warren
Directed By: Bryce McGuire

CAMP PLEASANT LAKE
 11%

#28

Critics Consensus: No consensus yet.
Synopsis: Strange events plague a couple when they open a camp on a haunted site that connects them to a 20-year-old... [More]
Starring: Jonathan Lipnicki, Bonnie Aarons, Andrew Divoff, Michael Paré
Directed By: Thomas Walton