There are certain years that, for no apparent reason or overriding plan, become memorable for the sheer level of quality in their film releases and the impact they had on the zeitgeist of the time.
1987 for example, could be claimed to be the pinnacle of 80s cinema with the likes of Dirty Dancing, Wall Street, Lethal Weapon and Predator each released that year. And 1996 brought the huge CGI summer blockbuster trope to the UK, with the Will Smith alien smash-athon that was Independance Day.
Some years just seem to have a level of focus that stands them apart.
It could well be argued therefore that 2024 has been the year for stand out mainstream horror – maybe even the year that the Academy Awards are forced to see the genre as a real contender. The old adage of "horror movies don't win Oscars" has to end sometime – could our siege breaker be somewhere within the raft of 2024 releases?
If anything has to be said about 2024 in the future, it's that the horror, be it in cinemas or on the news was forefront. A world that found itself in the middle of two wars, an economic crisis of global proportions, the real possibility of the "dead internet" theory becoming reality, and a population gripped by uncertainty ended up rallying behind movies that offered an escape – albeit a gory, violent, shocking one.
Its presence in theatres and on streaming services boomed, that's for sure.
Art the clown found mainstream success with Terrifier 3, Fede Alvarez came out from Ridley Scott’s shadow to bring us Alien: Romulus, Smile 2 was a surprisingly good follow up to a viral hit first movie, and The Substance proved that insane body horror still has a huge following. It also showed the world just how amazing Demi Moore has always been (even though she still probably won't even get an Oscar Nomination).
David Dastmalchian also became even more of a star with the 70s inspired Late Night With The Devil, while Jason Voroorhees absolutely wasn't in the film In A Violent Nature – a film that must have terrified the legal department even more than the audiences.
Add to these standouts like Abigail, Speak No Evil, Cuckoo, Immaculate and Sting and it's clear that fans have been truly spoilt.
However, when looking at the year in horror as a whole and it undisputedly belongs to Osgood Perkins and Longlegs.
A film a long time in the making that seemingly came out of nowhere, and an amazing and truly memorable central villain, Longlegs is stylish, beautifully shot, shocking, memorable, unsettling and full of real depth. It absolutely deserves a Best Picture nomination, and if any horror film can break the deadlock with the Academy, it's this one.
No matter what critics and judges decide, there is no argument that 2024 has been a fantastic and stand out year in terms of the genre, and with pretty much all these films rapidly heading towards your favourite streaming platform of choice – just in time for Halloween – it's the perfect opportunity to get on the sofa and hide behind a cushion... cuckoo... cuckoo!
