What are the parameters for a horror movie to qualify as scary? While it’s a subjective matter, there is a well-known study that rates them using infallible scientific methods.
Since 2020, the Science of Scare Project has been measuring how viewers physically react to spooky films, curating a list of the most terrifying English-language titles and testing them on a panel of 250 volunteers. These test subjects are invited to special screenings, where they are fitted with heart rate monitors that indicate how high the scare factor is for each flick.
Although the ranking has remained largely unchanged since its inception, with “Sinister” and “Host” consistently occupying the top spots, some of this year’s theatrical releases have made it into the chart. Here, discover the scariest movies of 2024 according to the Science of Scare Project and where to watch them.
The Science of Fear presents the Top 10 Horror movies of 2024
10) The Substance
While Coralie Fargeat’s newest gem doesn’t have many scares, it definitely features some intense body horror that gets viewers’ hearts racing while they cover their eyes. The film follows Demi Moore as fading celebrity Elisabeth Sparkle, who turns to a black-market drug to create a younger and more beautiful version of herself without any care for the consequences.
“The Substance”. (Source: Mubi)
“The Substance” is still playing in theaters, but it has already been confirmed to arrive on Mubi for Halloween, on October 31.
9) Speak No Evil
The remake of the 2022 Danish sensation, this time led by James McAvoy, faced considerable backlash when it was announced but went on to become a worldwide success, with significant praise from critics and audiences for the “Atonement” star’s performance. The story revolves around two families who get along well during a vacation, but things take a strange turn when one invites the other to their remote farmhouse, which seems idyllic but hides a nightmarish secret that will haunt the guests.
James McAvoy and Scoot McNairy in “Speak No Evil”. (Source: Universal Pictures)
“Speak No Evil” is available to buy or rent on Apple TV+ Amazon Video, and Microsoft Store. It is estimated to arrive on Peacock in November or December.
8) Alien: Romulus
Who would have thought that the “Alien” franchise needed a good scary twist? Fede Alvarez, the Uruguayan director known for “Don’t Breathe” and his take on the “Evil Dead” film series, infused Ridley Scott’s creation with both disturbing imagery and jump scares around every corner. This installment tells the terrifying misadventures of young space colonist Rain Carradine and her friends as they venture to a derelict spacecraft to retrieve cryostasis chambers that will allow them to escape to another planet.
Cailee Spaeny in “Alien: Romulus”. (Source: 20th Century Studios)
“Alien: Romulus” has been performing incredibly well at the box office, so it’s still far from hitting streaming. However, it is already available for purchase or rental on Apple TV, Amazon Video, and Microsoft Store. IGN predicts it will arrive on Hulu in November or December.
7) Late Night with the Devil
While making a movie in the found footage and mockumentary genre always attracts many viewers, few entries have been as successful as David Dastmalchian’s picture. The concept of a haunted late-night talk show is one of the most creative in recent years, and it has certainly drawn a massive audience. In the film, we see Jack Delroy, the host of the struggling talk show Night Owls, reach out to paranormal forces live on TV in a desperate attempt to save the program from being canceled.
David Dastmalchian in “Late Night with the Devil”. (Source: Shudder)
According to JustWatch, “Late Night with the Devil” is available to stream on Hulu, AMC Plus Apple TV Channel, AMC+ Amazon Channel, AMC+, Shudder, Shudder Amazon Channel, and Shudder Apple TV Channel.
6) The First Omen
Since the first months of the year are often regarded as the infamous “dump months,” accompanied by the popular myth that all horror movies released during this time are disastrous, it was a pleasant surprise when “The First Omen” arrived in April and shook audiences to the core. In this prequel to “The Omen,” we follow American nun Margaret Daino as she is sent to work at a Catholic orphanage in Rome, where she uncovers a sinister conspiracy.
Nell Tiger Free and Nicole Sorace in “The First Omen”. (Source: 20th Century Studios)
“The First Omen” is available on Hulu, where you can also watch the original installment if you want to have a franchise marathon!
5) Longlegs
While “Longlegs” does not hold the top spot on the Science of Scare Project’s list, we can certainly say that it has been the hit horror film of the year based on its marketing and the expectations it created among its audience. From a mysterious website designed to be solved like a puzzle to a phone line that delivered a voice message from Nicolas Cage as the assassin, few publicity campaigns have gone as far as Neon’s. The movie follows FBI Agent Lee Harker as she investigates a complex multiple murder case connected to occultism and, unexpectedly for her, to her own past.
Nicolas Cage in “Longlegs”. (Source: Neon)
Like “Alien: Romulus,” “Longlegs” has continued its run in cinemas as of today, but it is already available to buy or rent on Microsoft Store, Apple TV, and Amazon Video. It is still unknown on which streaming platform it will arrive, if that is even going to happen.
4) Immaculate
Sydney Sweeney‘s first foray into horror has been quite a hit! The nun trope always draws viewers, and her project on this topic has been praised for revitalizing it at a time when the genre is full of clichés and recurrences. In “Immaculate,” the “Euphoria” actress stars as a young novice who is invited to reside at a picturesque Italian convent but slowly realizes its terrifying secrets.
Sydney Sweeney in “Immaculate”. (Source: Neon)
According to JustWatch, “Immaculate” is already available to stream on Hulu.
3) Stopmotion
One of the most unique offerings of 2024, “Stopmotion” has certainly made its mark in the history of animated horror. Starring rising actress Aisling Franciosi, it has been one of the most acclaimed productions on the theme of the conflict between artist and art and how it can lead to unexpected extremes. The film follows a stop-motion animator who becomes increasingly obsessed with a project she is working on and begins to be haunted by it.
Aisling Franciosi in “Stopmotion”. (Source: IFC Films)
Fortunately, the movie has already arrived on the small screen, and it is available to stream on AMC Plus Apple TV Channel, AMC+ Amazon Channel, AMC+, Shudder, Shudder Amazon Channel, and Shudder Apple TV Channel.
2) Terrifier 3
Like “The Substance,” “Terrifier 3” is not about jump scares at all, but its gruesome kills certainly make viewers feel uncomfortable and nervous in their seats. The third return of Art the Clown is making waves worldwide, beating the opening weekend of “Joker 2” and collecting its budget on its first day in theaters domestically. The movie centers on the infamous clown as he comes back from the dead to haunt his favorite victim, Sienna Shaw, this time for the holidays.
David Howard Thornton in “Terrifier 3”. (Source: Bloody Disgusting)
The truth is, since the title has barely begun its run, it’s uncertain to say when it will be available on streaming platforms. If the third installment follows the same release pattern as the previous ones, it will be in theaters for five weeks and then move to PVOD. However, since the other installments are available on Prime Video, it is estimated that “Terrifier 3” will also arrive there by the end of the year.
1) Oddity
Filled with jump scares from start to finish, it was already anticipated that “Oddity” would make it onto the Science of Scare list. It has impressively entered the Top 20, leaving “The Ring” and “Terrifier 2” behind and competing very closely with “Insidious 2.” The flick follows a blind medium and curio shopkeeper as she tries to uncover the mystery behind her sister’s death, involving the eeriest wooden mannequin that cinema has seen.
Caroline Menton in “Oddity”. (Source: Shudder)
The picture is available for streaming on AMC Plus Apple TV Channel, AMC+ Amazon Channel, AMC+, Shudder, Shudder Amazon Channel, and Shudder Apple TV Channel.
