It’s not just studio horror movies dominating the box office this year.
In addition to the well-known and much-publicized hits like Smile 2, the sequel to one of the most profitable movies of 2022, the most compelling box office narrative of the year is how independent horror is breaking through to the mainstream.
The headlines began in March 2024 when both IFC/Shudder’s Late Night with the Devil and Neon’s Immaculate became unexpected hits. Each broke records in its shared opening weekend and went on to make $10M and $15M domestically in their theatrical runs, respectively.
It wasn’t long before Neon bested itself with a viral marketing campaign that turned its Nicolas Cage-starring summer horror flick Longlegs into a $74M domestic hit, $108M if you count worldwide grosses, after its July debut.
Cut to October, and the unrated and supremely gory Terrifier 3 clowned Joker: Folie à Deux in its second weekend to take the No. 1 box office spot in America.
You may have already seen some of those movies. But if you’re looking for more cinematic scares, here are 10 killer films that may have sneaked past your radar but are worth a scream, ahem, stream, in time for Halloween.
In a Violent Nature
Watch if you like: A good old-fashioned spooky story, folk horror, Tales from the Crypt
The aptly titled Oddity is a strange one, but you’ll be hooked by the chilling opening scene. It’s evocative of a specific type of horror storytelling that has to be seen to be understood, but a good comparison is that it plays like a Tales from the Crypt-style morality play.
Oddity is streaming on Shudder
