10 Great Modern Horror Movies to Watch This Halloween (That We Think You’ve Never Seen) – 2024 Edition
For the fifth year in a row, we want to talk about modern horrors we think you should definitely be checking out this Halloween season. Movies that you may have missed, movies that delighted us and movies we think are good enough to recommend. Now, our definition of modern is ‘released’ in the last 5 to 6 years. Some might be brand-new (released this year), others may be a couple of years old and we’ve just got round to mentioning them now.
In 2020, we recommended Dinner Party, Stairs, The Night Eats the World, We Are the Missing, Room for Rent, The Good Things Devils Do, Racoon Valley, Terrifer, The Void and Butterfly Kisses. You can read that full article here.
In 2021, we recommended Till Death, Slashorette Party, Bloody Hell, Paintball Massacre, Don’t Look Back, After Midnight, Yummy, Oxygen, Killer Rack and Savageland. You can read that full article here.
In 2022 we recommended Torn Hearts, Hellarious, Vicious Fun, Broadcast Signal Intrusion, Knocking, No One Gets Out Alive, Horror in the High Desert, Slumber Party Massacre – Remake, Becoming Death, and Anything for Jackson. You can read that full article here.
In 2023 we recommended Tailgate, Scare Package, Brain Freeze, Scare Package II: Rad Chad’s Revenge, Virus:32, Glorious, Deadstream, Mind Leech, Craving, and Older Gods. You can read that full article here.
So, what are we recommending for 2024? Read on to find out!
Compression (2024)
Directed by Jakob Bilinski, who co-wrote it with Peter Matsoukas, Compression is a surreal psychological horror and dark drama film that stars Emily Durchholz, Kevin Roach, and Michele Rose. One that requires some patience and a willingness to be open-minded, but pays all of that off in super satisfying fashion. Simply put, this is a fabulous experience and one that everyone should consider having.
An experience that stays with you long afterwards as the character of Hazel (Emily Durchholz), a successful true crime podcaster, suffers from severe agoraphobia. The film spends time setting up who she is and what she does, her fractured relationships (her sister, agent and fans), her mistrust of others, loss that she has suffered, and her desperation to find a way back from the cliff edge she finds herself on. Hazel has a lot of demons and her night is going to be all about facing them.
Compression is an outstanding film, provided you can accept that it’s not a conventional horror film. Instead, what it offers is far more psychological and based in dark drama. Yet, it is has an inordinate amount of impact and is one of the best modern examples of so much talent coming together to create something special.
Read the full review here.
Im Wald (2022)
Im Wald is a German-language horror/thriller film written and directed by Manuel Weiss. Telling a subtle and slow story that combines supernatural-inspired elements, folklore horror, and slasher touches.
Mats (Tobias Kay) and his teenage daughter, Mia (Jolie Joan) are on the road late at night, travelling to visit his new girlfriend, Carla. It is the first time Mia will meet Carla, and while he is very enthusiastic about it, she is less interested. Not just because she is a teenager. But because she still hasn’t quite come to terms with her parents split. Especially as it seems to have been instigated by Mats.
It’s a dark night, and they are forced to take a detour down a road that leads through a thick forest, where, Mats regals Mia with a story from his childhood about a witch that was said to live there. A witch who liked to hunt children. Of course, it’s just a folklore story and their journey is uneventful.
That is until they come across a crashed car. One that looks like it crashed recently, and is missing all its occupants. Against the pleas of his daughter, Mats decides to check it out, especially as it looks like a baby was in the car.
The pair are in for a night like no other now.
Im Wald is all about tension building and reveals. Which, thanks to tight writing, results in a really neat film that ties everything up nicely. If you are a fan of slow-burn tension-building horror with strong thriller aspects, then you will enjoy this film.
Read the full review here.
Schism (2024)
Written and directed by Thor Moreno, Schism is a psychological horror film that stars Cait Moira, Hunter Phoenix, Cheyenne Goode and Annette Duffy.
Nola Riggs is a young woman with a litany of mental health issues, which has resulted in her being housed within a psychiatric facility. Something serious happened in her past, but the film is coy about that so as to not reveal too much, early on. All viewers need to know is that she is a deeply unhappy person, has visions of the dead, and would give anything to cure her condition and leave the facility.
Given the opportunity to receive experimental treatment at an isolated facility on an island, she jumps at the chance. Of course, it turns out that the facility and island is not as ‘free and easy’ as promised. Something sinister seems to be going on, but the line between reality and fiction is blurred to such a degree, that even the viewer is left unsure of what is real.
Is what is going on all in Nola’s head? Or she part of some experiment that might end up costing her, her life?
The exploration of this, and wider mental health issues, is what makes Schism such a compelling watch. How the film navigates the treacherous path between telling a psychological horror story and showcasing the real-life effects of trauma is expertly done. A compelling story, exceptional acting, exciting dreamlike visuals, unnerving atmosphere, and a few solid scares makes this a very fine film.
Read the full review here.
Stupid Games (2024)
A micro-budget horror with a simple premise transforms into a compelling and tension heavy watch. It’s Stupid Games, and the story surrounds a trio of women and a trio of men, getting together for some dinner, drinks, and a game.
A game that mashes together elements of other games and seems designed to get the players to open up about themselves, all while completing silly tasks. It is fun and everyone gets into it, even if there is a competitive edge as its girls vs boys. That is until some truths start to cause tension and the tasks start to get darker.
Stupid Games takes its time, but it’s all the better for it, as it creates more and more intrigue and builds the characters to a believable level. Well written and well-acted characters give this story so much more life than it should have. All the build, and there’s a lot of it, could have meant that the payoff lacked no matter what, but happily, Stupid Games nails it. A highly impressive horror film that proves, once again, that budget is no limit to quality filmmaking.
Read our full review here.
Blight (2022)
Mysterious and frightening, Blight comes from writer/director Jeff Van Gerwen and stars Ashley van Kirk, Joel Crumbley, Tripp Karrh, Kalee Griffin, Kristin Calhoun, Han-Sam Jung, and Erika Ramirez.
In it, a group of friends gather to throw a party for their friend, who has returned after having spent a year in a psychiatric hospital. This is Logan, and she is not the same person she was the year before, and her friends are all too keen to pretend like nothing has really happened. Part of that comes from the fact that they don’t really know what happened and another part comes from the fact that some of the relationships have moved on.
So, what did happen? The year before, the group had all gone camping the night of a solar eclipse. Hoping to have a good time, and willing to buy into the rumour that the eclipse was alien related. Something happened to Logan when the eclipse occurred, and across the film, we learn just what that was… sort of.
Yet, it makes for a very compelling watch because it is so mysterious and a feeling of dread builds and builds. As things start to go wrong at the party, accusations are thrown around, and fractured relationships break apart even more, it becomes quite a suspenseful watch.
Read our full review here.
The People in the Walls (2024)
Imaginative, well written, impressively acted, and with some strong scares, The People in the Walls is a highly enjoyable horror from writer Gerald Crum and director Michael Crum.
It stars McKenna Smith as the teenager Rachel who makes the mistake of taking part in a new viral craze that is going around. One that involves asking the ‘people in the walls’ to come out. Naturally, the expected result is silly content for the TikTok generation, but Rachel finds out that there is far more truth to the existence of people in the walls than anyone knows.
Telling the story in chapters, focusing on a younger cast in the lead roles, and adding layers of fantasy to the horror, makes The People in the Walls feel almost fairy-tale like. There is strong crossover between childhood fears about the boogeyman and adult terror around things like home invasion. Two contrasting ideas that combine perfectly because both deal with the unknown and allow the imagination to run wild. The People in the Walls overdelivers on what it promises in the end. Offering up a truly watchable and exceptionally enjoyable modern horror.
Read our full review here.
Infested (2023)
Infested can be summed up as Arachnophobia on steroids, wearing a beret (because it’s a French film), and with socio-political commentary running through it. It might be a spider-based horror flick, but there’s a fair bit more going on under the surface.
Although many may not notice as they’re too busy hiding in fear of the creepy-crawlies that make up a lot of this film. Be warned, if you can’t stand the sight of spiders (even CGI ones), then you’re not going to be able to watch this film as it is seriously full on.
Which does make for a high-powered roller-coaster of an experience. Infested will make you tense and uncomfortable to begin with, then get your heart racing in ways that almost feel primordial.
Read our full review here.
MadS (2024)
More The Crazies than Night of the Living Dead with a hefty dollop of 28 Days/Weeks Later thrown in, MadS is a modern take on the infection/zombie outbreak horror. Delivering its harrowing tale via the extravagant showcase of one continuous take.
It is the unique selling point of the film, and while obviously it has cuts cleverly disguised, it manages to keep the pretence in impressive and, importantly, immersive style.
The story follows a set of characters who all end up being unwitting carriers of an infection. An infection that sees them lose control of their bodies, become excessively violent, and seemingly by the end, hungry for flesh. Yes, this is all very familiar stuff and MadS doesn’t have an original bone in its body when it comes to story, but that doesn’t mean it is found lacking. In fact, thanks to its gritty tone and drug-induced perspective, it ends up feeling wholly original.
Read our full review here.
When Evil Lurks (2023)
Written and directed by Demián Rugna, When Evil Lurks might be one of those horror movies that you put on in a whim. Its basic premise doesn’t sound particularly interesting, but it looks like it might have a darker edge. Then you watch it, and come away stunned by what you experienced. Where any negatives are far outweighed by its positives, and you just want to talk about it to anyone and everyone. Even if that means reliving some of the most harrowing horror scenes seen in modern times.
A Spanish spoken film (so expect subtitles), blending folk, supernatural, and psychological horror, When Evil Lurks is not for the faint-hearted. Featuring unforgettable imagery, pushing the boundaries of traditional horror, and telling a truly depressing story.
Read our full review here.
Chompy & The Girls (2021)
A lot of weird and plenty of wonderful too, it’s Chompy and The Girls, a unique horror comedy from writer and director, Skye Braband.
Christy St. John stars as Jackson, who after failing to commit suicide, decides to reach out to her father, Sam, played by Steve Marvel. A buttoned-up man who appears to just be going through the motions in his marriage to Deborah (Julie Dolan) and a man who doesn’t even know she exists.
She texts him, revealing who she is, and asks to meet in a local park. Confused, Sam agrees, and the pair meet. It quickly becomes clear that they are both lost and unhappy, and they might be able to help each other. There is just one problem though.
While in the park, they witness a man (Reggie Koffman), open his mouth to an impossible scale and swallow a ten-year-old girl whole. A problem that now starts to chase after them, forcing them to run for their lives. From this point on, the film just gets stranger and stranger.
Perhaps the most impressive thing about Chompy and the Girls is how it makes all the nonsense work, and how it makes the character side of things so compelling. It is a well written film, that takes an absurd idea with humorous elements, but layers in interesting aspects about mental health, relationships, and personal growth. Serious subjects displayed in often unserious ways.
It’s one of the most original horror films seen in some time, even if it’s not always the most horror centric. If you’re after scares, blood, and guts, you’re going to be found wanting. However, that certainly doesn’t mean it doesn’t have tense moments, because it does.
Read our full review here.
