3. Smile 2 – Do You See It Too?
Director: Parker Finn
What is Smile 2 about? In Smile 2, pop singer Skye Riley is afflicted by the Smile curse from her drug dealer colleague, which already caused chaos in the first part. She begins to see hallucinations of smiling faces that are slowly turning her life into hell.
Smile 2 takes the relatively unremarkable premise of the first part and makes it much more exciting through the new star dynamic. The parallels with show business and the idolization of stars are well done, and as jump-scare horror, there likely wasn’t anything better to watch in 2024.
4. Late Night with the Devil
Director: Cameron Cairnes / Colin Cairnes
What is Late Night with the Devil about? Jack is the host of a late-night talk show, but the ratings are continuously dropping. To improve them, he has an idea for a special. He wants to create an episode about supernatural things. However, he also comes across a possessed girl.
The exorcism genre has hardly been absent from cinema since 1973. Most representatives are rather uncreative. However, Late Night with the Devil turns the genre into a talk show, shot just like one. That alone is enough to bring a fresh appeal to the well-known genre.
5. MaXXXine
Director: Ti West
What is MaXXXine about? Following the events of X (2022), Maxine heads to Hollywood to pursue her great dream of becoming an actress. However, her past doesn’t let go of her. At the same time, the challenges of Hollywood come her way.
Ti West has created 3 interesting films with his X trilogy, which are loosely connected but always offer something different. MaXXXine differs greatly in look from Pearl and X, and that alone makes the trilogy exciting. MaXXXine serves as the conclusion, delivering an entertaining horror film with a neon Hollywood aesthetic and an acting premise.
