James McAvoy in “Speak No Evil.”
While many horror movies lauded by critics this year came out before Halloween, the spooky season was not entirely the peak season for the top-rated horror films in 2024.
As such, four horror films that received high rankings and made the top 10 list of as rated by Rotten Tomatoes critics before Halloween were bumped from the list.
Perhaps the most notable film to drop out of RT’s top 10-rated horror movies is writer-director Damien Leone’s Terrifier 3, starring David Howard Thornton as the murderous Art the Clown. Even though the film earned a 78% “fresh” rating based on 121 reviews, the rating was no longer high enough for Terrifier 3 to crack the top 10.
So, with the Christmas Day release of Nosferatu—the last big horror film release of 2024—here’s a rundown of the top 10 horror movies of the year as ranked by RT critics, as well as where you can see them.
10 (Tie): ‘Abigail’
Directed by Scream and Scream VI filmmakers Tyler Gillett and Matt Bettinelli-Olpin, Abigail is a reboot of the Universal Studios Monsters movie Dracula’s Daughter.
Melissa Barrera, Dan Stevens, Kathryn Newton, Kevin Durand and Will Catlett star as a crew tasked with kidnapping Abigail (Alisha Weir), the daughter of a wealthy mob figure, only to discover while awaiting their ransom money that the young girl is a vampire.
Also starring Matthew Goode and Giancarlo Esposito, Abigail was released in theaters on April 19.
RT Critics Rating: 83% “fresh” based on 222 reviews.
RT Critics Consensus: “Carrying off well-worn vampire tropes with a balletic flourish, Abigail dances around the familiarity of its premise with a game cast and slick style.”
Abigail is streaming on Prime Video.
10 (Tie): ‘Speak No Evil’ (R)
Directed by James Watkins, Speak No Evil is an adaptation of the 2022 Dutch horror thriller of the same name.
James McAvoy stars a Paddy, a seemingly well-intentioned man who along with his wife Ciara (Aisling Franciosi) befriends an American family (Mackenzie Davis, Scott McNairy and Alix West Lefler) on vacation in Italy and invites them to stay at their farm deep in the English countryside. Paddy and Ciara, however, have no intentions of letting the family leave.
Also starring Dan Hough, Speak No Evil was released in theaters on September 13.
RT Critics Rating: 83% “fresh” based on 204 reviews.
RT Critics Consensus: “Harnessing sick suspense from the glimmer in James McAvoy’s eye, Speak No Evil is the rare remake that hushes up concerns of ‘been there, done that.”
Speak No Evil is streaming on Peacock.
8: ‘Longlegs’ (R)
Written and directed by Osgood Perkins, Longlegs stars Maika Monroe as Lee Harker, an emotionally damaged FBI agent tasked with trying to crack the case of the Satan-worshipping serial killer Longlegs (Nicolas Cage), who has eluded authorities for more than 30 years
Also starring Blair Underwood and Alicia Witt, Longlegs was released in theaters on July 12.
RT Critics Rating: 85% “fresh” based on 309 reviews.
RT Critics Consensus: “Saturated in disquieting mood while leveraging a nightmarishly gonzo performance by Nicolas Cage, Longlegs is a satanic horror that effectively instills panic.”
Longlegs is streaming on premium video on demand.
7: ‘Smile 2’ (R)
Smile 2 stars Naomi Scott stars as Skye Riley, a troubled pop superstar about to embark on a global tour a year following a car crash that killed her boyfriend (Ray Nicholson). Exacerbating Skye’s torment is an invisible parasite that bores into her brain, which only manifests itself with visions of demented smiles of people surrounding her.
Also starring Rosemarie DeWitt, Lukas Gage, Dylan Gelula and Kyle Gallner, Smile 2 opened in theaters on Oct. 18.
RT Critics Rating: 86% “fresh” based on 201 reviews.
RT Critics Consensus: “Blessed with a nerve-jangling star turn by Naomi Scott, writer-director Parker Finn broadens Smile‘s conceit into a pop stardom nightmare that’ll leave a rictus grin on horror fans’ faces.”
Smile 2 is playing is streaming on Paramount+.
6: ‘Nosferatu’ (R)
Writer-director Robert Eggers remakes the classic 1922 Gothic horror movie that stars Bill Skarsgård in the title role—aka Count Orlock—a decrepit vampire longing to be reunited with his lost love, Ellen Hutter (Lily-Rose Depp).
Also starring Nicholas Hoult, Aaron Taylor-Johnson, Emma Corrin, Simon McBurney, Ralph Ineson and Willem Dafoe, Nosferatu opened in theaters on Dec. 25.
RT Critics Rating: 87% “fresh” based on 195 reviews.
RT Critics Consensus: “Marvelously orchestrated by director Robert Eggers, Nosferatu is a behemoth of a horror film that is equal parts repulsive and seductive.”
Nosferatu is playing in theaters.
5 (Tie): Heretic (R)
Hugh Grant shows the dark side of his usual jovial screen persona as Mr. Reed in Heretic, a sinister religious heretic who traps a pair of Mormon missionaries (Sophie Thatcher and Chloe East) in his home with virtually no means for them to escape.
Also starring Topher Grace, Heretic opened in theaters on Nov. 8.
RT Critics Rating: 90% “fresh” based on 262 reviews.
RT Critics Consensus: “Hugh Grant has infectious fun playing against type in Heretic, a religious horror that preaches the gospel of cerebral chills over cheap shocks.”
Heretic is streaming on premium video on demand.
5 (Tie): The Substance (R)
Demi Moore stars as an acclaimed actor-turned-TV aerobics guru Elizabeth Sparkle, who is fired by her sexist boss (Dennis Quaid) the day she turns 50.
Hoping to recapture her youth, Elizabeth injects herself with the black market drug that reverts to her to a “younger, better version of herself” (Margaret Qualley). There are consequences though, when Elizabeth doesn’t follow the rules.
The Substance opened in theaters on Sept. 20.
RT Critics Rating: 90% “fresh” based on 344 reviews.
RT Critics Consensus: “Audaciously gross, wickedly clever, and possibly Demi Moore’s finest hour, The Substance is a gasp-inducing feat from writer-director Coralie Fargeat.”
The Substance is streaming on Mubi.
3: ‘Strange Darling’ (R)
Written and directed by JT Mollner, the serial killer thriller stars Willa Fitzgerald and Kyle Gallner in a cat-and-mouse game where everything is not as it seems.
Featuring the cinematography of acclaimed actor Giovanni Ribisi, Strange Darling opened in theaters on Aug. 23.
RT Critics Rating: 95% “fresh” based on 153 reviews.
RT Critics Consensus: “JT Mollner delivers a thrillingly unexpected and electric ride with two breakout performances by Willa Fitzgerald and Kyle Gallner in Strange Darling.”
RT Audience Score: 77% “fresh” based on 500-plus reviews.
Strange Darling is streaming on premium video on demand.
2: ‘Oddity’ (R)
Directed by Damian McCarthy and starring Carolyn Bracken stars as blind psychic who moves into the home of her late sister (also Bracken) to ferret out the person responsible for the womans’’
Also starring Gwilym Lee and Caroline Menton, Oddity opened in theaters on July 19.
RT Critics Rating: 96% “fresh” based on 118 reviews.
RT Critics Consensus: “An elegant and spooky ghost story punctuated with clever jolts, Oddity hews to the fundamentals of fright and achieves shout-inducing results.”
Oddity is streaming on Shudder and AMC+.
1: ‘Late Night With The Devil’ (R)
Written and directed by Cameron Cairnes and Colin Cairnes, Late Night with the Devil stars David Dastmalchian as a late-night talk show host whose last bid for big ratings goes horribly awry during a Halloween broadcast on Oct. 31, 1977.
Also starring Laura Gordon, Ingrid Torelli, Ian Bliss, Fayssal Bazzi and Georgina Haig, Late Night with the Devil opened in theaters on March 22.
RT Critics rating: 97% “fresh” based on 231 reviews
RT Critics Consensus: “Delightfully dark, Late Night with the Devil proves possession horror isn’t played out — and serves as an outstanding showcase for David Dastmalchian.”
Late Night with the Devil is streaming on Shudder, Hulu and AMC+.
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