The best horror films of the year so far, ranked by scariness

The year got off to a slow start when it comes to horror films, but now that the release calendar has expanded, there are at least a few horror films worth watching in 2024.

Even though it’s early days, it’s hard not to feel like this year’s horror theme is “fun” (if you’re one of our weirdos) or at least “playfulness.” With killer swimming pools that haunt former baseball pros, deadly monasteries and eerie talk shows, most of the best films of the year so far do a wonderful job of making their horror feel fresh and inventive, making us smile and scream in equal measure.

But whether you’re more into smiling or just screaming, we’ve put together a list of the best horror films of 2024 so far, ranked by scariness. Scary is definitely different for everyone, but we’ve tried to break it down into two categories: Terror, which is the overall tension of the film, jump scares and general suspense, and Gore, which is about how bloody the film gets.

Night swimming

Image: Blumhouse/Universal Pictures

Duration: 1h 38m
Director: Bryce McGuire
Pour: Wyatt Russell, Kerry Condon, Amélie Hoeferle
Where to see: Digital purchase on Amazon And AppleTV

Night swimming is a movie about a killer pool, and it’s both better, funnier, and scarier than you might expect. Featuring a fantastically silly performance from Wyatt Russell as an ex-baseball player who moves his family into a new house with an old and malevolent wish-fulfillment pool in the backyard, the film has a very specific tone, alternating between silly and creepy without notice.

Night swimming is for the die-hard horror fans. Not because it’s particularly scary (it’s not), but because its scariness is limited to a few great ideas and certain moments, and the film is otherwise a self-aware and silly blast. It’s a film that’s perfect for anyone who enjoys scrolling through a streaming service and a nice little horror movie playing at 11:30 p.m. In other words: Night swimming is a pretty good time, but you might not remember much about it a week later.

How scary is night swimming?

Overall Creepiness Rating: 3/10

Late Night with the Devil

Image: IFC Films/Shudder

Duration: 1h 33m
Directors: Cameron Cairnes, Colin Cairnes
Pour: David Dastmalchian, Laura Gordon, Ian Bliss
Where to see: theatre

In this great fake documentary, we follow the behind-the-scenes story of the final episode of a ’70s talk show as the host and producers attempt to communicate with a demon in order to get ratings that will save the show. It’s not going well.

What does Late Night with the Devil What makes the work so good is how completely it captures the atmosphere of its subject. Everything from the set to the studio audience is absolutely perfect, and it’s all held together by desperate host Jack Delroy, played with nervous energy and Carson-like charm by the one and only David Dastmalchian. Not only is this loving recreation an impressive achievement, but it also gives the film the feel of some sort of illegal live TV broadcast, completely terrifying those unfortunate enough to watch for years to come would inspire urban legends.

How scary is Late Night with the Devil?

Overall Creepiness Rating: 5/10

Immaculate

Image: Neon

Duration: 1h 29m
Director: Michael Mohan
Pour: Sydney Sweeney, Alvaro Morte, Simona Tabasco
Where to see: theatre

Immaculate tells the story of a devout American nun who mysteriously becomes pregnant shortly after being transferred to a convent in Italy. Her seemingly flawless conception immediately sparks excitement among her fellow brothers and sisters in Christ, but she suspects something much worse than a miracle is at play.

Beautifully shot and led by a fantastic performance euphoriais Sydney Sweeney, Immaculate is scarier and more haunting than it is actually scary, but the rain of blood – both pregnancy-related and not – still makes it one of the best and most harrowing horror films of the year.

How scary is Immaculate?

Overall Creepiness Rating: 7/10

In a violent nature

Image: Shudder

Duration: 1h 34m
Director: Chris Nash
Pour: Ry Barrett, Andrea Pavlovic, Cameron Love
Where to see: In cinemas from May 31st

In a violent nature is easily the most unique horror film of the year, following a typical Teens in the Woods premise from the killer’s point of view. The film contains few details about the killer’s backstory, but in another fun twist, they mostly come from snippets of teenagers’ campfire stories overheard by the killer.

Surprisingly, for a film about a supernatural murder monster, this is also one of the quietest horror films of the year, cleverly and beautifully passing the time with the monster running long, uninterrupted through nature, waiting for his next encounter with the teenagers who disturb his sleep disturbed. However, once he reaches her, In a violent nature also turns into one of the most gruesome films of the year, finding new and inventive ways to eviscerate people that will make even the most hardened horror veteran shudder.

How scary is “In a Violent Nature”?

Overall Creepiness Rating: 8/10