Horror fans have picked the best scary movie of 2024 – and it’s not Longlegs
IFC/Neon/A24Thank the ghosts and shake the hands of the ghouls, because 2024 has been a stellar year for horror movies – though fans have a pretty good idea of what the best one has been so far.
From the bizarre (and frankly, frightening) marketing plan for Longlegs to the polarizing release of Late Night with the Devil, horror has occupied most of the cinematic water cooler conversations this year. And with so many more exciting 2024 horror movies to come, we’ve barely scratched the surface.
Indeed, horror movie fans have been spoiled this year. From serial killers to the devil himself, every classic villain has had their share of the attention. But in a viral X post, fans have been voting on their top pick of the year, and the result is pretty unanimous.
When presented with Longlegs, Late Night with the Devil, MaXXXine, and The First Omen as options for the best movie of 2024 (for horror nerds, anyway), the majority of responses didn’t hesitate in picking a winner. And no, it’s not Longlegs – The First Omen takes the crown, for now.
As is evident by the title, The First Omen is part of the long-running Omen franchise – a prequel to the original film and the sixth installment overall.
Joining the long history of nun-based horrors, it follows an American nun who goes to a Catholic orphanage in Rome and stumbles across a horrifying conspiracy to instigate the birth of the Antichrist.
In our own The First Omen review, we also called it the “best horror movie of 2024 so far.”
The movie was a success, both critically and at the box office, and currently sits at 81% on Rotten Tomatoes.
As one X user wrote: “The First Omen is the best horror film of the year and it’s not even a contest. Arkasha Stevenson’s sublime direction brought back the verisimilitude of the 1970’s while creating an incredibly foreboding horror atmosphere. It was the biggest surprise of the year for me.”
“The First Omen: Astonishingly, a feature debut, given the skin-crawling intensity of its images, its strength and texture of atmosphere. Arkasha Stevenson elevated this into something really special — and Nell Tiger Free’s performance, holy hell,” said another.
“I’m just as surprised as you are, but it’s THE FIRST OMEN,” agreed a third.
One comment said: “The First Omen was not only one of the best horror movies, but one of the best movies in general that I have ever seen. I don’t remember pausing a movie so much just so I could admire the shots that were on…it’s honestly so insanely beautiful.”
“The first omen is the most relentlessly vile film of the year. Arkasha Stevenson has a truly unique voice and Nell Tiger Free is unreal in it. Nasty, terrifying movie. Phenomenal work. By far the best here imo,” agreed one user.
The First Omen is currently available to stream on Hulu.
For more, check out our reviews of the best horror movies at FrightFest 2024, and take a look at our Longlegs review and Late Night With the Devil review. You can also check out all the new movies out this month, for more brilliant watches.