"It’s about to be a good stretch of time for theatrical horror releases, as two of the best horror movies of the year are arriving. That would be Speak No Evil and The Substance, where reviews have now come in almost simultaneously, and these are now two of the best-reviewed horror movies of the year.

Speak No Evil has an 88% score on Rotten Tomatoes while The Substance has a 92%. In the context of well scored horror releases in 2024, that means the overall list is:

Late Night with the Devil – 97% Oddity – 96% Infested – 96% Strange Darling – 95% In Flames – 95% New Life – 94% The Substance 92% Stopmotion – 91% The Devil’s Bath 90% Speak No Evil – 88%

So, both are in the top ten, though I would give the caveat that many of these are much smaller releases, and Speak No Evil boasts an A-lister like James McAvoy and The Substance has Demi Moore, Dennis Quaid and Margaret Qualley. In other words if you’re looking for “big” horror movies (not to say they’re better than the rest on this list), these are that. Other wide release horror films like Longlegs, A Quiet Place Day One and Trap did not review this well..."

(Article includes trailers)

"Netflix on Tuesday debuted the first trailer for It’s What’s Inside, the buzzy horror thriller which the streamer swooped on at this year’s Sundance Film Festival.

Marking an accomplished first feature for writer-director Greg Jardin, the film streaming globally on October 4 is an enticingly twisty tale, tonally reminiscent of Halina Reijn’s 2022 A24 horror comedy Bodies Bodies Bodies, the plot specifics of which I won’t spoil. Pic watches as a group of friends gather for a pre-wedding party that descends into an existential nightmare when an estranged friend arrives with a mysterious game that awakens long-hidden secrets, desires, and grudges.

The ensemble picture stars Brittany O’Grady (The White Lotus), James Morosini (I Love My Dad), Gavin Leatherwood (Chilling Adventures of Sabrina), Nina Bloomgarden (The Idea of You), Alycia Debnam-Carey (Fear the Walking Dead), Reina Hardesty (Brockmire), Devon Terrell (Totally Completely Fine) and David Thompson (Panic).

William Rosenfeld, Kate Andrews, Jason Baum and Raúl Domingo produced the film, with Oscar nominee Colman Domingo executive producing alongside Ulf Ek and Robert Kapp. Check out the trailer for It’s What’s Inside..."

"When Friday the 13th was released in May 1980, its remarkable financial success poured gasoline on the flickering slasher-genre flames. Already burning solid thanks to The Texas Chain Saw Massacre and Halloween, these films became touch points for many filmmakers looking to break into the industry or simply stack a few coins. Everything from masks and machetes to final girls and fake-outs quickly became solidified as standard genre tropes. However, it was Friday the 13th that reframed summer camps as prime locations for slasher mayhem and popularized it with others looking to replicate the results.

For those lucky enough to have attended a summer camp in their youth, the yearly pilgrimage offered a chance to disconnect from the outside world, forge new friendships, connect with nature and escape the day-to-day oversight from annoying parents. While the often secluded, remote locations foster this sense of escape, it also naturally prohibits one. Further exacerbated with limited automobile accessibility and adult supervision, everything that makes a summer camp the perfect setting for killer chaos is built into its DNA. With many actual summer camps in the 80s willing to rent out their facilities, its no wonder why so many filmmakers were quick to jump on the summer camp canoe..."

"There is a pretty good chance that a film like “Else,” the fascinating feature debut from director Thibault Emin that’s an extension of his short of the same name, is going to fly under the radar for many. This is a real shame because those who see it will find that not only does this film grow on you, but it burrows inside your very skin. Remaining mostly confined to one apartment as the world falls apart due to an unknown epidemic that’s taking hold, “Else” is a film you watch in a combination of awe and horror. As we see in all its gruesome glory what this disease can do to us, the film takes a plunge into something hauntingly beautiful. It’s a movie about the forces that consume anything and everything to make them into something that is a part of a collective. The more it expands on this, the better it gets, sweeping you up in stunning visuals that swallow you whole.

It’s also more metaphysical in nature, asking questions about the body, the self, where one begins and the other ends, as well as what happens when we let others into our life. It takes us into a world that is far bigger than us and often beyond easy understanding, creating arresting visuals that implant themselves in your mind..."

"Regardless of how many folks decry that there are too many remakes these days, the horror genre has been remaking the same films and stories since the era of silent film. Despite popular belief, a lot of horror movie remakes are pretty damn great, but an unfortunate truth is that when it comes to Americanized remakes of international works, the track record isn't quite as impressive. For every "The Ring" or "Funny Games," there are at least a dozen cash grabs that completely lose sight of what made the original film great. Oftentimes, it's because American sensibilities and the relationship with threats of danger just don't meld well with the story at hand. This is why when we see the various security cameras of various countries in "The Cabin in the Woods," the style of horror differs greatly from the horror shown in the American cabin.

Which means "Eden Lake" and "Black Mirror" director James Watkins had his work cut out for him with Blumhouse and Universal's remake of "Speak No Evil," the 2022 Dutch hit from Christian Tafdrup that exploded in popularity after IFC Films and Shudder released the film stateside. The intensely bleak psychological horror film was declared by many as one of the very best of the year, and Blumhouse wasted little time snagging the remake rights. Lovers of the original were understandably skeptical, but "Speak No Evil" (2024) joins the ranks of the rare Americanized horror remakes that get it right. Instead of rehashing the same story beat by beat, Watkins — armed with a stellar ensemble cast led by a career-best James McAvoy — takes the central conflict of the original and explores how couples from different cultures would react under the same circumstances. The result is an assault of relentless tension and the best possible outcome for an Americanized remake..."

"Another high-ranking government official who investigated UFOs/UAPs is ready to tell their story.

Jay Stratton, the former director of the U.S. government’s secretive Unidentified Aerial Phenomena Task Force, has struck a memoir deal with HarperCollins. Stratton represents the most senior former U.S government official yet to go public about their direct involvement in the investigation of UAP and non-human intelligence.

For over 16 years, Stratton worked as a senior intelligence official, leading countless U.S. government investigations of UAP and non-human intelligence, including the “Tic Tac” UAP encountered by Navy fighter pilots and the USS Nimitz Carrier Strike Group in 2004. While much of Stratton’s work is classified, the memoir promises to reveal “all that can be lawfully disclosed, providing a first-hand account of the shocking discoveries, challenges and breakthroughs that have marked the U.S. government’s investigation and understanding of UAP and non-human intelligence, as well as the effects on Stratton and his family.”

In a statement to The Hollywood Reporter, Stratton said, “We are at the beginning of a new chapter for humanity. The process of disclosure is complex but it has begun"...

"Mike Flanagan is no stranger to giving people nightmares, thanks to a filmography that includes The Haunting of Hill House, The Haunting of Bly Manor, Midnight Mass, and Gerald’s Game. (His 2011 feature debut, Absentia, haunts me anytime I see a sidewalk that enters into a tunnel.) With a new Exorcist film on his list of upcoming projects—something he recently told the Hollywood Reporter he views as “an opportunity to make the scariest movie I’ve ever made”—he was asked which movies he personally finds terrifying, and his answer was surprising.

Speaking to THR in the same interview, he gave special props to 2008 New French Extremity entry Martyrs (“There’s a lot of gore, but it’s gore with a point. I generally don’t love splatter”) but saved his highest praise for another movie, also from 2008: “The last one that truly frightened me into getting up off of the couch was an Australian movie, Lake Mungo. It chilled me to the bone...”

"It’s fair to say that, in recent times, horror movies have become some of the most popular cinematic offerings. For whatever sociological or psychological reason, the audience seems to love the experience of being scared, and the result has been that many horror films are enjoying unprecedented commercial and critical success.

Over the last few years, films from the likes of Ti West, Robert Eggers, and Ari Aster have captivated horror fans’ attention, but that doesn’t mean that every single horror movie is capable of delivering quality. In fact, history has proven that horror films frequently arrive without being able to make good on their promise.

There are several reasons that a horror movie might fail even though it seems that, on the surface, it should succeed; a brilliant cast might fall victim to a poor script, or the scares of a film just might not land. Whatever the reason, though, it’s always a disappointment when we watch a shitty horror film that we hoped would do the real business.

We’ve compiled a list of ten horror movies that ought to have been better considering their premises, casts or origins. So, from completely overhyped supernatural offerings to dodgy remakes and sequels, here is a selection of admittedly terrible horror films that had so much promise..."

"... the film works because Hsu and Kun-Lin expertly deploy these (often heartfelt) conventions to great effect. They know exactly how to get audiences to invest emotionally in the characters’ relationship and the ending of the film is a genuine crowd pleaser in large part because we care so much about this ragtag team.

The other reason the film is such a success is because it is a textbook execution of a horror comedy: it is laugh out loud funny and surprisingly gory...

... Then there’s the film’s use of comedic sound effects, which includes cartoon boings and other Looney Tunes-esque audio cues. These elements effortlessly reinforce the film’s inherent silliness. Then add in a not-surprising but deliciously spot-on karaoke backstory for one character, a gag with a removable mustache, and the satire of the industrial work complex that rewards youth, ostentatious behaviour and a large social media following above all else. Dead Talents Society is plenty of fun, but it is also making some astute political commentary.

All of this is delivered in a highly energetic package by Hsu, who easily balances the film’s heartfelt character beats with the zany comedy. There are several sequences that play like a heist film as characters must execute their con on the living in order to successfully pull off a scare. The direction, sound effects and Shieh Meng Ju’s editing lends the film a zippy, high octane energy.

Overall Dead Talents Society is a genuine crowd-pleaser: it’s fun, funny, extremely clever and filled with lovable characters. It’s an instant horror comedy classic and one of the best genre films of the year..."

"A man in small-town Montana has captured footage of an Unidentified Flying Object (UFO) and shared the shocking video that made his wife 'cry' on Reddit.

The video was recorded on Friday between 10:10 and 10:15 pm, and showed what appears to be a blinking craft streaking across the clear night sky.

Said to have been spinning and adorned with a series of rotating lights, the apparent object flew over tiny Choteau, home to a population of just over 1,700 people.

The videos, along with the original poster's in-depth account of the sighting, reveals how the man and his wife first mistook the unknown object for a meteor.

It comes after Montana was singled out as a hotspot for UFO sightings, with visitors recording some of the most significant and well-documented footage..."

"As he branches out away from the world of horror, Mike Flanagan offers a cautiously optimistic update for Oculus 2. The 2014 horror movie served as Flanagan's first wide release and an adaptation of his short film Oculus: Chapter 3 – The Man with the Plan, centered on Karen Gillan's Kaylie and Brenton Thwaites' Tim confronting the literal demons of their past in the form of a haunted mirror that led to the deaths of their parents. Garnering largely positive reviews and grossing nine times its budget, the movie was an early step in Flanagan's eventual successful career.

While speaking with Screen Rant for the Toronto International Film Festival premiere of his new movie, The Life of Chuck, Flanagan was asked about the possibility of Oculus 2 happening. The writer/director confirmed he has "a lot of stories" in that universe that he would "love to tell", though indicated that the biggest hurdle facing development on a sequel is determining who owns the rights to the original..."

"This post contains spoilers for "The Thing."

There are several stand-out sequences in John Carpenter's cult classic "The Thing." The opening itself, where a Norwegian helicopter pursues a sled dog and attempts to shoot it, immediately sets the tone for this morbid tale enmeshed in distrust and paranoia. What initially feels like a senseless attempt at violence (or a classic case of humans behaving irrationally due to extreme isolation) is gradually revealed to be a sincere endeavor to rid the world of an evil force that can morph into people we know and trust. The inhabitants of the Antarctic research station feel helpless in the face of such a perfect organism — one that can mimic, adapt, and deceive at will — but the most cynical among them, MacReady (Kurt Russell), comes up with a litmus test to prove everyone's humanity and lure out the pretender.

The method employed is rather crude, but it accomplishes the goal anyway: a red-hot wire is dipped into blood samples on Petri dishes, with the intent to figure out if the creature's self-preservative instincts would react to such intrusion. Uncontaminated human blood would merely make the wire fizzle, but a mutated sample would respond violently to such a perceived attack ... and it does. Although MacReady's extreme (yet understandable) method doesn't quite go according to plan, resulting in some innocent deaths, the culprit is eventually lured out, thrashing grotesquely in a bid to shield itself from harm.

This tense, memorable sequence was the impetus behind Carpenter helming "The Thing," as it presented a unique opportunity to remake Christian Nyby's "The Thing from Another World" (along with adapting its brilliant source material, "Who Goes There?") while also allowing Carpenter to put his singular spin on it..."

"Two Mormon missionaries go into the woods and are sure of a big surprise when they call on a seemingly peaceful cottage in Heretic.

A24’s horror thriller — which premieres in Special Presentations at Toronto International Film Festival (TIFF) on Sunday — is the latest film from ascendant writer-directors Scott Beck and Bryan Woods, and audiences will be pleasantly surprised to learn the actor playing the diabolical Mr Reed, who welcomes the unsuspecting young women into his home for a terrifying game of cat-and-mouse, is none other than Hugh Grant..."

"Watch enough genre movies and you will realise that grief is inevitably a doorway to all kinds of darkness. Daniel Kokotajlo’s creepily atmospheric adaptation of Andrew Michael Hurley’s novel is the latest in a long list of films (including The Babadook and Don’t Look Now) that harness bereavement in the service of horror.

Juliette (Morfydd Clark) and her archaeologist husband, Richard (Matt Smith), have returned to his family home in 1970s Yorkshire. But then a tragedy leaves the couple vulnerable to an ancient evil that lurks in the land. A slow-burning folk-horror, the film is a marked change of direction for Kokotajlo, whose debut, Apostasy, dealt with a crisis of faith in a Jehovah’s Witness community.

Starve Acre is steeped in arcane rituals and underpinned by the layers of pagan mythology that lurk beneath our thin veneer of civilisation. The brooding atmosphere is as oppressive as the haunted-looking wallpaper in the couple’s farmhouse. Some pleasingly icky special effects add to the general sense of mouldering menace. Where the picture stumbles, however, is in its almost total lack of effective scares."

"Observers were left puzzled after spotting a strange unidentified object floating above Whernside, one of Yorkshire's Three Peaks mountains.

The object was reportedly spotted on Saturday afternoon, with photographs taken by at least two people on the ground who were left scratching their heads about what it might be. The area in the Yorkshire Dales is often swarming with Three Peaks walkers heading up or off Whernside which stands at 736m (2,415ft).

The images were shared on the North Yorkshire Weather Updates page on Facebook, prompting a number of fanciful explanations, and a few plausible ones.

Someone said it looked a bit like the Starship Enterprise from Star Trek. Other explanations included a puff of smoke from a steam train, an afterburn trail from a jet, and a weather balloon.

Several people suggested it was possibly a swarm of bees, flying ants or midges, or maybe even starlings. One man said it resembled a 'mosquito ball' as he'd seen similar sights before.

Quite a number of people posted gifs of various spaceships, aliens, Martians, extra terrestrials, or references to War of the Worlds. Some suggested it was a 'dirty lens' on the camera but two separate photos emerged which suggested this was unlikely.

One man wrote: "The tent from Leeds Festival a couple of weeks ago, still flying...."

"FromSoftware’s Bloodborne takes not only themes and elements from Lovecraft but also the storytelling structure from the author.

The game might begin on an understandable note but quickly descends into Eldritch horrors that are far beyond mortal comprehension.

Bloodborne’s effective usage of cosmic horror, paired with its Gothic aesthetic, makes for a memorable experience that has enraptured fans for nearly a decade.

From the moment you set foot onto the forsaken cobblestones of Yharnam, Bloodborne makes it abundantly clear there is something very, very wrong. After all, your first vision in the game is a beast emerging from a puddle of blood before you awaken in an abandoned clinic.

Going down the stairs to exit the clinic is a metaphor for how the game’s descent from safety to insanity has already begun.

While some of the Lovecraftian inspirations are easy enough to spot, those who have read the author’s work will agree that FromSoftware has done a deep dive into the realm of cosmic horror.

From the narrative’s subject matter to its pacing, along with all the visuals in the game, Bloodborne’s homage to Lovecraft is one of the many reasons this beloved title is brought up in many discussions..."

"A 41-year-old man in New Hampshire died last week after contracting a rare mosquito-borne illness called eastern equine encephalitis virus, also known as EEE or “triple E.” It was New Hampshire’s first human case of the disease in a decade. Four other human EEE infections have been reported this year, in Wisconsin, New Jersey, Massachusetts, and Vermont.

Though this outbreak is small, and triple E does not pose a risk to most people living in the United States, public health officials and researchers are concerned about the threat the deadly virus poses to the public, both this year and in future summers. There is no known cure for the disease, which can cause severe flu-like symptoms and seizures in humans four to 10 days after exposure and kills between 30 and 40 percent of the people it infects. Half of the people who survive a triple E infection are left with permanent neurological damage. Because of EEE’s high mortality rate, state officials have begun spraying insecticide in Massachusetts, where 10 communities have been designated “critical” or “high risk” for triple E. Towns in the state shuttered their parks from dusk to dawn and warned people to stay inside after 6 pm, when mosquitoes are most active.

Like West Nile virus, another mosquito-borne illness that poses a risk to people in the US every summer, triple E is constrained by environmental factors that are changing rapidly as the planet warms. That’s because mosquitoes thrive in the hotter, wetter conditions that climate change is producing..."

"Google uses anti-competitive practices to dominate the market for online advertising technology, a UK watchdog has provisionally found.

The potentially unlawful behaviour could be harming thousands of UK publishers and advertisers, an investigation by the Competition and Markets Authority (CMA) has warned.

It accuses Google of preventing rivals from "competing on a level playing field" with its own tech for the billions of pounds spent by UK businesses on online advertising.

Google said the watchdog's findings were "flawed" and said it would respond.

According to the CMA, the vast majority of businesses use Google’s services when placing digital ads on websites.

Google maintains it has a strong business incentive to help UK firms thrive, and argues that advertisers choose to use Google because its products work well and help their businesses grow.

The watchdog will now consider representations from Google before deciding what action to take..."

"The humble TV show is a difficult medium to make horror stories work in, but several series have managed to ascend the ranks of the genre. While countless incredible horror films have endlessly proven the potential of the horror story in movie format, the many constraints of network television have made the success of creative horror TV series far less common. That being said, there are a number of standout horror shows that have stood the test of time as genre-defining works of art.

The best horror shows take advantage of long-form storytelling to cast their protagonists deeper and deeper into despair over the course of a thoughtful story that puts character above all else. Conversely, TV is particularly suited to anthology stories when it comes to horror, with the episodic format of a series being the perfect platform to put forth a wide breadth of uniquely terrifying premises. In either case, it's become clear that a macabre fascination with scary stories has infiltrated both networks and streaming..."