As October comes to a close, there’s no doubt that viewers will be dying to check out a variety of horror films in the spirit of Halloween. Fortunately, 2024 has yielded some of the scariest films in recent years, and while major success stories like “Longlegs” and “Alien: Romulus” deserve to be in conversation, there are quite a few titles that were poorly managed by their studio or had too small of a release to make that much of an impact. To give them the recognition they deserve, here are some reviews of those films. 

Arkasha Stevenson’s “The First Omen” – Hulu

This big-budget prequel to a nearly 50-year-old property that hadn’t had a new release since 2006 managed to not only cement itself as a worthy revival, but also dig its way into the souls of its viewers. Stevenson’s work is as slick as it is nasty. She tells the story of an American nun who uncovers a Satanic conspiracy at a Roman Catholic orphanage. The film features profoundly evil imagery and a queasy atmosphere that is rarely found in horror of its ilk. Its frights are further bolstered by an unforgettable and transformative performance from Nell Tiger Free, whose work in the last act deserves mention as some of the finest the genre has ever offered. It occasionally becomes too tied into the original film, particularly in the ending montage which strains to neatly link the films together. On its own merits, it is a delightfully devilish and surprisingly great gift from hell.

Damian Mc Carthy’s “Oddity” – AMC+, Shudder

Following his deeply unnerving debut “Caveat,” Mc Carthy makes efficient use of a bigger production to offer a fascinating story that is punctuated with some of the most frightening scares in modern horror. The Irish filmmaker takes his first film’s patient, low-key approach to tension-building and ratchets it up with painfully suspenseful sequencing that carries over into the engaging mystery plot. With this, he digs into primal fears of home invasion, mistrust and communication with the dead. The instantly iconic motif of the grotesquely designed wooden mannequin also helps to provide constant anxiety throughout. The ensemble is terrific, and they bring the film to life. The earnest approach to the more peculiar and ambiguous aspects both grounds the film and adds head-spinning impact to the multitude of scares that have viewers covering their eyes and ears.

Jang Jae-hyun’s “Exhuma” – AMC+, Shudder

This ambitious South Korean blockbuster utilizes disturbing folklore and genuine historical trauma to balance quietly unsettling scares and all-out mystical insanity. Some of the framing and sequences are reminiscent of the even scarier “The Wailing,” relying on nerve-jangling sound design and toying with seemingly negative spaces within the image. On top of being effectively spooky, it also serves up an impressive amount of energizing thrills, ranging from a beautifully rendered ritual to a break-in at a barn. Without giving away too much, the film deals with a surprising but powerful subject matter and employs supernatural horror to accentuate that subject in such a brilliant, terrifying way.