Well that was certainly a memorable year. The uncertainty around pretty much everything we have no control over continues unabated. On the plus side however it is often said that horror fiction thrives in times like these and 2024 certainly proved that in spades. Despite getting off to a slow start, the uptick in quality of genre cinema as a whole continued to pick up the pace as the months went by. In all my years of doing this list, this has been the hardest yet in terms of what and what not to include here.

The diversity of horror, science-fiction and action cinema continued to stretch itself out in new and often outrageous ways, much like the film at the top of this list in fact. Just missing inclusion are the likes of Jane Schoenbraun’s affecting I SAW THE TV GLOW, J.T Mollner’s tricky STRANGE DARLING, Arkasha Stevenson’s stylish and more disturbing than expected prequel THE FIRST OMEN and Jake West’s humorous and emotional documentary MANCUNIAN MAN. In any other year these films, and a couple more, would no doubt be included but their absence here just goes to show what a strong year 2024 has been for exploring the darker and stranger sides of ourselves. With the state of the world continuing to show no real signs of improvement it looks like 2025 could be a banger year also, but until then let us take a look at my own ten favourite genre films of 2024.

10. IN A VIOLENT NATURE - Directed by Chris Nash

For the hook kill alone, Chris Nash’s revisionist, near arthouse take on slasher cinema would always end up on this list. Patience testing perhaps, but the decision to follow a psychotic undead boogeyman step by lumbering step through the woods on a kill crazy rampage felt like both a celebration and examination of the tropes of the much derided genre in all of its excessive and simultaneously limited gory glory. All of the cliches are highlighted here but in an unflinching detail that switches from cruelly sadistic to something more haunting, particularly in its eerily quiet and stretched out closing scene that lingers in the memory for days afterwards.

Check out our review from July here.

9. THE INVISIBLE RAPTOR - Directed by Mike Hermosa

The prospect of a two hour comedy (the rule is 90 minutes!) paying tribute to Jurassic Park in what sounded like the cheapest way possible honestly may not sound like the most exciting proposition but director Mike Hermosa, along with co-writer and star Mike Capes know the ridiculousness and limitations of their premise and how to make it work in a hilarious and bloody style that never outstays its welcome. Packed to the gills with references to all manner of 80’s genre cinema that never become cloying and with excellent special effects, helmed by 80’s legend Steve Johnson, this was a genuine crowd pleaser proving to be the hit of this year's Glasgow FrightFest, whilst going on to impress just as much at London FrightFest. Also contains one of the funniest performances of the year from the deadpan legend that is Sandy Martin, who gifts audiences with the most tender love scene seen in quite some time.

Check out our FrightFest review from August here.

8. CUCKOO - Directed by Tilman Singer

Few horror films this year were weirder than Tilman Singer’s sophomore effort CUCKOO. Telling the story of an American family relocating to the Bavarian Alps to help out at a hotel run by Dan Stevens, now one of the most interesting and entertaining actors around due to an ability to pick interesting genre projects. He injects the right amount of sinister camp here with his German accent and ability to make playing the recorder downright unnerving. He is easily matched by the more grounded Hunter Schaefer, also proving herself as one of the more interesting young actors around as she stomps into Final Girl territory here as she faces off against a mysterious trench coated adversary whose ear piercing screams set off a hypnotic chain of events where bloody violence clashes with shocking and otherworldly secrets. Far too strange for mainstream success, CUCKOO will no doubt go on to find its cult audience as well as those who like their woodwind instruments.

Check out our review August here.

7. CIVIL WAR - Directed by Alex Garland

At the time of its cinema release back in April there was a prevailing air of disbelief that America could descend into such a state of chaotic separation as depicted in Alex Garland’s doom laden spectacle. Now, after a fiercely contested election cycle that at the moment seems to threaten to unlock the bitter divisiveness of the country more than ever before, Garland’s alarmist, yet darkly thrilling and exciting, vision of a country long gone over the edge seems a smidgen more plausible now. Kirsten Dunst’s excellent performance of a cynical war photographer made for a fascinating protagonist whilst Jesse Plemons steals the whole film in his chilling and tense one scene cameo with the loaded delivery of the line “What kind of American are you?” Excellent character work, along with thrillingly realised action made this one of the most chilling “What-if’s” seen in a cinema this year. Also gains plus points for the De La Soul needle drop.

Check out our review from way back in April here.

6. LOVE LIES BLEEDING - Directed by Rose Glass

Following up the excellent SAINT MAUD would be no easy task, so director/co-writer Rose Glass makes the offbeat choice of gifting cinema audiences with a return to early 1990’s erotic crime thrillers, and mixing them up with a hefty dollop of hallucinatory body horror to create one of the years most original films. Kristen Stewart continues to prove herself as one of the most exciting actresses around just now but Katy M. O’Brian makes just as much of an impression with her portrayal of a lust struck bodybuilder getting in over her head with gun runners, jealous girlfriends and a hefty dollop of steroids. Ed Harris’s more grounded performance of an intimidating, mulleted crime lord gels excellently with the film's more surreal beats making this one of the best and most distinctive film noir’s of the 21st century so far.

Check out our review from Glasgow FrightFest back in March here.

5. DUNE: PART TWO - Directed by Denis Villeneuve

Delayed by months after waiting over two years since Part One, Denis Villeneuve’s adaptation of Frank Herbert’s science-fiction keystone text continues to impress with its vast realisation of a tribal war carried out to intergalactic lengths. Whilst the weirder aspects of Herbert’s novel are missed (still no Guild Navigators!?) this is still an exciting and epic adaptation that concentrates on young Paul Atreides journey to fanaticism whilst Zendaya’s character of Chani is given a much needed boost to counterpoint his rise. Providing much in the way of spectacle, Villeneuve threw everything he could at the screen in high style here making the prospect of the upcoming, even darker DUNE MESSIAH very exciting indeed.

Check out our review from March here.

4. NOSFERATU - Directed by Robert Eggers

Long in the planning for a decade and much hyped, Robert Eggers finally realises his own vision of the titular vampire whose shadow lingers still over cinema after more than a century after his first appearance. Whilst the story is more than familiar, Eggers provides more than enough of his own dark style here, realised with a big budget and the full backing of a major studio behind him. Also helping contribute to its own distinctiveness, is a bevy of performances led by the twisted romance of Lily-Rose Depp’s unnerving performance of Ellen battling against the less than romantic advances of an unrecognisable Bill Skarsgård playing the fierce Count Orlok. Giving the film a current yet prevalent subtext that enriches the story in ever more disturbing ways this is Egger’s darkest, and grandest, film yet that demands to be seen on as big a screen as possible.

We headed to the Premiere in December, check out our review here.

3. FURIOSA - Directed by George Miller

It was no surprise that George Miller would deliver the goods with his epic look at the early life of Furiosa. What was surprising was how few people decided to show up to witness the best action/dystopian revenge saga of the year. Whilst a tad slower than the immortal classic that is its predecessor FURY ROAD, this was still a lightning strike of excitement that had just as much style and deepened the mythology of Miller’s post apocalyptic world in ever more exciting and intriguing ways. Anya Taylor-Joy, in a near mute performance, ably filled the shoes of Charlize Theron as she portrays the early violent life of Furiosa and her decades long plan to gain revenge on the biker warlord Dementus, one of the best villains of the year played by a never better Chris Hemsworth. For a prequel this still managed to provide as much excitement as any of the other entries in the Mad Max series, as well as an abundance of spectacle. With its sad underperformance at the box office it seems like we will now be denied the return of Max in the long promised THE WASTE LAND but if you want to go out on a high note then you could hardly go higher and faster than FURIOSA.

Check out our review from May here.

2. LONGLEGS - Directed by Osgood Perkins

Kudos to the marketing team behind Osgood Perkins fourth film, his first to gain a major cinema release in the UK. Keeping Nicolas Cage’s titular character hidden from all trailers and advance press only drove up the mystique of the film with an advance level of hype that is usually reserved for big budget tentpole releases. What a relief then that Cage’s performance, and the film itself, was worth the wait once his truly unique villain was revealed. His alabaster shaded skin and falsetto voice simultaneously painting a portrait of a murderous figure both sinister and pathetic, but whose diabolical plan to ensnare a young FBI agent, an ever more impressive Maika Monroe, in his own grand cosmic design provided a real chill for audiences at the height of summer. Perkins delivered on the promise he has shown over his previous films with this mixture of serial killer procedural and occult horror that becomes its own strange beast by its impressively downbeat finale.

Check out our review July here.

1. THE SUBSTANCE - Directed by Coralie Fargeat

If you know me you will no doubt know that I am very rarely, if ever wrong. But I must humbly admit to being very much so after my first viewing of THE SUBSTANCE as the closing film at this year's London FrightFest. Speaking with Jake West (namedrop alert!) in the bar afterwards I disagreed with him, that the film, as excellent as it was, was unlikely to gain favour with the kind of people who vote for film awards. After a surprisingly strong showing at the box office and six major nominations at next month's Golden Globes it appears that Mr West was right all along. I also could not be happier to be proven so wrong. That a film this outlandish and extreme would find the success it has provides proof that audiences will always be willing to embrace originality and such vision if given the opportunity.

Delivering on the promise she showed with REVENGE, Coralie Fargeat has leapt to the forefront of genre filmmaking with this deeply satirical yet affecting treatise on the ephemeral nature and high pressures of age, beauty and fame. Mixing outlandish notes of humour with gross out spectacle in high style, this was the most bracingly original, blackly comic and entertaining film of this year. As well as Demi Moore’s heartbreaking performance of Elisabeth Sparkle, complemented perfectly by Margaret Qualley’s bratty “better” version naming herself Sue, we were also treated to a superbly smarmy performance from Dennis Quaid, whose lip smacking enjoyment of his dinner was nearly as stomach-turning as the blood-soaked fate of El Monstro ElisaSue. Now on track to be nominated for even more awards it will be interesting to see how this Cronenberg and Yuzna inspired berserker of a film will fare over awards season. Rightly setting Moore back in the spotlight, as well as placing Fargeat and Qualley in it more than ever before, this scalpel sharp satire stands out as the most entertaining and original film of the year. How on Earth Fargeat will follow this up is anyone’s guess but whatever she has planned, it will no doubt be awaited upon with baited breath by a widespread audience now primed for her distinctive brand of wicked and fun transgressiveness.

Check out our FrightFest review here.

Iain MacLeod

TOP TEN FILMS OF 2024