Horror Movie Tier List 2024

Posted on January 1, 2025January 1, 2025 by HorrorGhouls

The year 2024 was a strong year for us Horror Ghouls! And as you may have noticed, we review movies we enjoy enough that we can give badges to. Of course, it also happens that we see movies that we don’t enjoy that much…2024 was no exception to that rule, but here is a list of the movies we’ve seen from this year, including those we didn’t review.

Titles we didn’t get around to watch but that we’ll check out in 2025:

Azrael

Caddo Lake

Cuckoo

The Coffee Table

The Devil’s Bath

The Exorcism (because Russel Crow is fun)

In a Violent Nature

MadS (if we’re so lucky to get a physical release since we don’t have access to Shudder in Norway, as we’ve stated a dozen of times already. The same can be said about Satan’s Slaves 2: Communion)

Never Let Go

Nightswim (for the shits n’ giggles)

A Quiet Place: Day One (only for the cat)

Strange Darling

Witchboard

Here’s a texted summary of the list in chronological order as we saw them:

Masterpiece

Longlegs
— Longlegs, being the great horror movie it is, is probably best viewed if you don’t let your expectations elevate too high prior to watching it. It’s not going to make you faint, have a miscarriage, puke snakes or have the devil hitch a ride back with you from the theater. It’s just a good, slow-burn atmospheric horror movie that really hits the sweet spot on oppressive, nightmarish and nihilistic mood. — Vanja

The Substance
— The Substance is a brilliantly gross, wild and thought-provoking movie. Behind layers of glitz and glam, nudity and body horror, there’s also themes of loneliness and fear, about being rejected for who you are by the people around you for doing something none of us can avoid as long as we continue to live: growing older. — Vanja

Awesome

The First Omen
— The film wasn’t as scary I’d hoped for, though. But nevertheless, the film wins me over with its gothic atmosphere and overall grim sense of premonition constantly looming in the air (it’s after all an Omen film). It has a great build-up with a string of unpleasant moments and a tension that boils up to the inevitable, yet highly effective climax. — Tom

Alien: Romulus
— Alien: Romulus was a blast when viewing it in the theater, and while it was nowhere near as bloody and gory as Fede Alvarez’s Evil Dead (2013), it was fun and felt as one of the Alien movies as of late that gave much of the same feeling of claustrophobia and unsettling atmosphere as the first — Vanja

MaXXXine
— Yeah, I’m really creaming all over MaXXXine, maybe because the film was much better than expected after the more lukewarm reception. We had an overall blast with this one in the movie theater and wasn’t bored for one second. The common complaints I’ve noticed is the third act/the reveal/the last ten minutes. The ending is predictable, for sure, and the reveal didn’t come as a shocker. — Tom

Beetlejuice Beetlejuice
— I creamed maybe much more over Beetlejuice Beetlejuice, so much in fact that I almost became a homosexual. — Tom

Smile 2
— Despite my first expectations, Smile 2 is a worthy sequel of the first and in my opinion even surpasses it, and while the ending was very predictable (at least when you know how the Smile Entity works), it sets up for what could be a pretty interesting third movie in this franchise. — Vanja

Vermines
— Vermines (Infested) is a solid spider horror film, with some effectively creepy scenes that gives you the ick whether you actually have arachnophobia or not. Vaniček is also going to direct the next Evil Dead movie, and it will be interesting to check that one out when it comes. — Vanja

Good

Nightwatch: Demons Are Forever
— Nightwatch – Demons are Forever is a decent sequel that comes incredibly late, but better late than never as they say. Or at least that’s true in some cases. Sure, there’s nothing groundbreaking here, and if we are going to be perfectly honest there wasn’t really any of that in the original either, it was just presented to an audience where the majority had never seen something like that before. The film offers up a nice thriller mystery and will probably work best for those who have seen the original, although it isn’t a must. — Vanja

Lowlifes
This one came from nowhere as a Tubi Original, and it actually slaps. A pretty twisted, unique and unpredictable take on the serial killer/home invasion genre. It’s almost impossible to review Lowlifes without avoiding major spoilers, and works best to go into it totally blind. — Tom

Sting
— Sting is a satisfying little addition to the creature feature list involving spiders, with some very nice special effects. — Vanja

Oddity
— Oddity doesn’t have that much to play around it, but it makes it all work nonetheless. It’s pure atmosphere and anticipation, and while the murder mystery isn’t really all that mysterious, the story still unfolds slowly enough while keeping you guessing a little bit. The ending is almost a bit sardonic, but also quite satisfying. — Vanja

Immaculate
— Sydney Sweeney is, for some, known for two things, but she’s also a top tier actress who conveys layers of intense emotions with her eyes alone – while she carries the whole film with a big bucket of blood to the s h o c k i n g ending. — Tom

Terrifier 3
— Terrifier 3 definitely delivers on the gore and practical effects, and Art the Clown is more jolly, more evil, and more Mr. Bean-ish than ever. I just personally wish there had been some more story development at this point, but I’ll consider this as Art the Clown’s X-Mas special. — Vanja

Heretic
— Heretic is a suspenseful and dark theological thriller, very dialogue-driven but mastering it with great skill. — Vanja

OK

The Deliverance
— Overall, though, the movie is far from as bad as we initially thought it would be. In fact, the movie is on the whole pretty decent, it just doesn’t have the oomph to stand out very much. The Deliverance doesn’t bring anything new that we haven’t already seen a plethora of times before, but it’s done with a solid hand. — Vanja

Trap
— Trap is one of those dumbly fun movies which is offering just enough thrills and suspense. Nothing groundbreaking and by no means a masterpiece, but all in all just an easy-going and fun thriller. — Vanja

Salem’s Lot
— Salem’s Lot is pretty fine for what it is, there is some decent atmosphere here and there and Barlow can come off as creepy enough when you don’t get to see him too clearly. — Vanja

Sleep
— Sleepwalking is not a theme that’s got a lot of horror movies dedicated to it, so far we’ve only seen the Swedish 2000 thriller movie Sleepwalker which deals with the same subject matter. Thus, Sleep is another entry into this genre, a suspenseful thriller powered by strong performances, where a man’s sleepwalking habits turns him into a danger to his own family. — Vanja

I Saw the TV Glow
— I Saw the TV Glow is an arthouse movie that’s mostly an allegory for finding your identity. More surreal drama than horror, and definitely not everyone’s cup of Mad Hatter’s tea, but if you’ve lived for some time on this arduous earth, you’re most likely going to resonate with at least some of the themes it represent. — Vanja

The Soul Eater
— A pretty fine crime thriller by the Bustillo/Maury duo. Not as strong with the horror elements as some of their previous works, but overall an entertaining film. Review will be posted here sometime in January. — Vanja

NAH

Ghostbusters: Frozen Empire
After the greatest opening scene since the original from ’84, it only goes straight downhill. Ghostbusters: Frozen Empire is as empty and soulless as Bill Murray’s eyes in the movie poster. It’s time to accept that this franchise ended on a high note with Ghostbusters: The Video Game (2009) before it died with Harold Ramis. RIP.— Tom

Abigail
Nope. Alisha Weir does a strong performance here, but that’s it. Watch Livide instead. A much better film with vampire ballerinas. — Tom

The Watchers
Promising first half until it slides full force into M. Night Shyamalan twisty land on almost parody levels. Written and directed by Ishana Shyamalan, M. Night’s daughter. Huh… I actually thought it was just a pseudonym. — Tom

No Voltees
Two siblings move back to their childhood home where their mother died, and…the place is haunted…and…uhm… can’t remember much else. Pretty forgettable stuff. — Tom

Nosferatu: Symphony of Horror
Boy O’boy, this is not quite what I expected from Robert Eggers… oh, wait, wrong movie. This is a so-called “feature film remix“ where backgrounds from the original from 1922 have been green-screened in front of bad actors. This thing was actually crowdfunded, and I suppose the whole budget went to Doug Jones and his make-up, which is way too good for an amateur show like this. James Rolfe could maybe, just maybe, make a better version if he had enough time. — Tom

FUN BAD

Gacy: Serial Killer Next Door
— The only slightly positive thing here is Mike Korich as Gacy. But that’s only on the surface level. His scenes where he’s dressed as Pogo and laughing in the victim’s face look more like a parody and there’s not much more character depth to explore. Still, Mike Korich is the only reason to give the film a watch, as he at least seems to have some fun here. I also see what they tried with Disturbia (2007) and The Summer of 84 spin, but it didn’t land well at all as the last portion of the film couldn’t be more predictable. Not the most memorable film, but lowbrow entertainment with enough of the funny-bad moments to kill some time with as long as it lasts. — Tom

TRASH

Imaginary
The most infamous worst movie of the year, with a script that even an orangutan can tell was probably fully written by AI, Chat GPS, or whatever that garbage tool is called. Yeah, it stinks and it was worse than imagined. But since the film was a smashing success at the box office, not even a ten-layered diaper will stop the Blumhouse septic tank from shitting out more low-to-zero efforts like this. Still, I have a small nugget of hope that Leigh Whannel’s The Wolfman will take us by surprise. — Tom

Tarot
Some films get such a bad reception that curiosity gets the best of you, like Tarot. There’s nothing here, not a single scene or moment to even poke some fun at. It reminded me more of Slender Man (2018), for those who remember that film. Just dreadfully boring and lifeless that just sucks the oxygen out of you. And just like Imaginary, the film did bank at the box office. So I wouldn’t be surprised if a sequel gets made. — Tom

Lisa Frankenstein
This is probably a prime example of the result of a quick first-draft script where you can see a good film hidden somewhere in there if you really dig hard enough. Instead, we have a complete nothingburger, an unfunny amateurish mess of a film where nothing builds up. Random scenes tossed together filled with painfully cringe humor aimed at TikTok zombies is what to expect. The only unintentionally amusing thing I got from it was some uncanny Johnny Depp/Amber Heard parallels. And when you’ve first seen it, you can’t unsee it. — Tom

And that being said, it’s now time for a mega pint or three. Happy ghoulish new year from Tom, Vanja & Mr. Ghööl !

Beetlejuice Beetlejuice (2024)

Posted on September 10, 2024September 17, 2024 by HorrorGhouls

Here comes the sequel that people actually have wanted to see for too long. Meanwhile, we had some videogames, comics, the awesome animated series, and I envy those who were lucky enough to experience the Broadway musicals that became huge successes. So, it’s fair to say that Beetlejuice’s spot and impact on pop-culture seemed to be bigger than we’d even realized. The time and years also came and went while the sequel was announced several times during the mid 2000s until it became the boy who cried wolf. It became too good to be true, but to be honest: I would rather wait for twenty years than see Beetlejuice Goes Hawaiian, whatever that was supposed to be. But now, only 37 years later, the juice is finally loose.

But still, my biggest concern here was how in hell they were going to recreate the same magic, vibe and the distinct cartoonish tone from the original without missing the mark and the perfect balance completely. Because it could easily have become a catastrophic, tone-deaf cringefest that would shuffle right in the same footsteps as Son of the Mask, to give the worst example. The year is also 2024, where legacy sequels have been pretty bland and forgettable, with some few exceptions. And then we have our favorite goth uncle, Tim Burton, who hasn’t quite been himself in a long, long time. Life happens to all of us. But that was until he directed the first episodes of Wednesday, where we saw some of his mojo coming back. So there was hope. Then came the teasers and the trailers and we were sold.

So, what’s the Deetz family been up to during all these years? Lydia Deetz is still herself, now as a professional medium, not a big surprise there, and has her own Paranormal TV show which she hosts with a live audience and all. And no, she’s not married to Zak Bagans. She’s been dating her producer, Rory (Justin Theroux), this film’s version of the eccentric Otho (until he isn’t). Lydia also has a daughter, Astrid (Jenna Ortega), and they don’t have the best relationship, since Astrid thinks her mother a complete whackjob and a fraud. It’s more complex than that, though. And, of course, she doesn’t believe in the supernatural at all. Her biological dad also died years ago and she can’t stand Rory.

Delia (Catherine O’Hara) is in Manhattan, New York, where she has an art exhibition. She’s still a redhead and a more borderline self-centered bitch than ever. But where’s Charles, Lydia’s dad, you ask? He is all by himself in the ghost house up on the hill, chilling the peaceful life, we have to assume. Wait, the phone is ringing. It’s Delia. Charles is dead, she says. Died during a plane crash. Oh… Time for an awkward little reunion in the small town of Winter River to arrange his funeral. And the old model still stands in the attic, Beetlejuice’s little loophole entry to the surface world.

Yes, there’s a lot of family drama going on, because there’s a lot to catch up to after almost four decades. But there’s no reason to worry – The showman himself, Beetlejuice (Michael Keaton), is just waiting for the right moment to join the reunion, and he has way more screentime than he had in the original, which was only 17 minutes. In the meantime, he’s kept himself busy with his Bio-Exorcist career, having a big open office space in the Neitherworld where he has a staff of Smallheads to do all the paper work.

Speaking of reunions: The Maitlands couple we saw in the original, played by Geena Davis and Alec Baldwin, is long gone and not to be seen. We get the point and reason why: ghosts don’t age. They get a brief mention by Lydia, who gives her own logical explanation of their absence just to tie the films together fittingly. Davis looks fabulous for her age, by the way, while Baldwin has morphed into the bitter rageaholic that he is. Teddybear Otho, on the other hand, isn’t even mentioned. And that broke my heart a little. Especially considering that Glenn Shadix fell in his home and died tragically of blunt head trauma in 2010. RIP.

Anyway – Meanwhile, downstairs in the world of the dead, we get to see a pretty wild entry of the films secondary villain. And that’s none other than Beetlejuice’s ex-wife, Dolores (Monica Bellucci), a cute mix of Corpse Bride and Sally from Nightmare Before Christmas. And you’ll also get a clear picture of why she meant nothing to him, nothing at all, as referred in the first film. It’s also hard to not feel some sympathy for Mr. Juice when some historical pieces are being put together. Because he absolutely means something to her, and not in some positive way. We also have a vital love-interest sideplot with Astrid and the neighbor boy Jeremy (Arthur Conti) which takes some pretty interesting turns.

Lydia is still haunted by the memories of Beetlejuice, who once tried to force her to marry him. She’s kept all of this a secret from her extended family, but when she starts to see quick flashes of him lurking everywhere she goes, the can of worms starts to open. The plot starts to thicken when both Astrid and Rory find out about this Beetleguy, and it’s just a quick matter of time when one of them can’t resist the temptation to spit out his name three times.

And when the news came that Willem Dafoe had been added to the cast, I was pretty sure that he was going to play Jacques LaLean from the animated series. Instead, we meet Wolf Jackson, a former action star, who’s now living out his fantasies in the afterlife as a police officer in the Neitherword. And for some reason, he’s on the tail on both Beetlejuice and Dolores.

I was a little surprised how practical and old-school the film actually was, both when it came to the effects and especially the sets. Because the cynical side of me just assumed they would CGI/green screen the whole Winter River town and the ghost house itself, because that’s what Hollywood normally does these days. Instead, we also have a sweet nostalgia trip to the quiet little town of East Corinth, hidden somewhere in the forest countryside of Vermont. And the Neitherworld is a whole place by itself where we get to see more of with its crooked, narrow, colorful hallways and chess floors, a place you’d like to explore for yourself. Maybe some day.

Tim Burton’s zany imagination and inspiration is back in full force here. So is his energy, which makes Beetlejuice Beetlejuice feel way more of a passion project than just another sequel. I bet everyone had a blast making this, not to mention the make-up crew who had all the different types of dead people we see in the world downstairs to work with. Every aspect to the smallest details are done with such care, love and respect to the original, without overstuffing us with shallow member berries. We have some of those, of course, but they’re really tasty.

We also have some references from the old times, such as Beetlejuice’s backstory told in the stylish black & white style of Mario Bava, and get ready for the roller-coaster ride that is the Soul Train. It’s crazy, wild, chaotic, unpredictable and lots of fun. A big morbid cinematic Halloween candy bag with some even more unexpected surprises. The older fans who grew up with the original, and the animated series in the early 90s, will definitely feel the warm and fuzzy nostalgia bug.

Michael Keaton still nails every step and tone of the title character. He slips right into Beetlejuice and the iconic outfit as if it was 1988. The slapstick, the small tics and details with his bizarre mannerism, are still intact with the perfect balance without being too much. And after pushing 70, and blessed with some excellent genes, Keaton plays the role as if he was 41 with a body full of demons. All the co-actors do a solid job and I liked the more nuances in the family dynamic between Lydia and her stepmom Delia, which was very one-dimensional in the first film. The one I wish had more screentime was Dolores.

And to finally address the real boogeyman in the room, that is Jeffrey Jones, who played Lydia’s dad in the first film. Yeah, whatever happened to him. He’s a registered sex offender, if you didn’t already know, and hasn’t been doing anything acting related since 2014. And since this isn’t a Disney production, he is persona non grata. Still, Charles is in the movie, in some very bizarre, morbid and hilarious way. And he’s actually way more present than I expected. Also, what they did to his character without writing him off completely was pure genius, comedy gold, and I laughed every time when that poor fucker popped up on the screen.

The music here must also be mentioned, which is just fantastic. It’s classic Danny Elfman, and he really pours his ghoulish heart into every single note and detail. He gives a more thick and sinister tone to the classic opening theme, like he did with Batman Returns (1992). The opening credit sequence is another aspect, which, in all honesty, I didn’t expect until that old Geffen logo came and did its rotation on screen. I knew already then that we were in for a ride. So, by all means; please take notes and bring back the classic themesongs and opening credits again, because they rule.

The film earned back its budget already during the opening weekend, so there’s no reason for the Warner brothers to not say his name one last time with Beetlejuice Beetlejuice Beetlejuice. In the meantime, you can now bingewatch all four seasons of the animated series on Tubi.

Director: Tim Burton
Writers: Alfred Gough, Miles Millar, Seth Grahame-Smith
Country & year: USA, 2024
Actors: Michael Keaton, Winona Ryder, Catherine O’Hara, Jenna Ortega, Justin Theroux, Willem Dafoe, Monica Bellucci, Arthur Conti, Nick Kellington, Santiago Cabrera, Burn Gorman, Danny DeVito
IMDb: https://www.imdb.com/title/tt2049403/