All through October, I’ll be posting reviews of the best of the best films in the horror genre released since October 1, 2023, through September 30, 2024. As an added bonus, I’ll be adding a secondary review that may be somewhat related to the main review or slightly missed the countdown by inches. Follow along the countdown every day in October. Feel free to agree, disagree, or better yet, give me your own picks for your favorite horror movies of the year. Happy Halloween!

#6 – ODDITY (2024)
Released on June 19, 2024, and is streaming on Shudder from IFC Films!
Directed/Written by Damian McCarthy.
Trailer: https://youtu.be/tLNDvnv8B3A
When her twin sister Dani is murdered by an escaped mental patient, Darcy (played by YOU ARE NOT MY MOTHER and THE LODGERS Carolyn Bracken) visits the home where she was murdered in order to find out more about her death. Though blind, Darcy has a second sight and is able to read histories from inanimate objects. Dani’s widowed husband Ted (played by BOHEMIAN RHAPSODY’s Gwilym Lee) has since found a new girlfriend Yana ( Caroline Menton) and both are shocked when Darcy shows up to their home with a large wooden man.

And that’s pretty much all I will reveal about the plot of ODDITY. While there often is a sophomore slump in filmmakers when they herald their second film after a powerful first film, ODDITY shows a growth and a consistency of quality from writer/director Damian McCarthy’s first and excellent film CAVEAT. The appearance of that creepy ass bunny seems to indicate that the worlds of both ODDITY and CAVEAT are the same, the films also mirror an exceptionally proficient grip of suspense and ability to truly terrify a viewer.

what makes ODDITY so effective is McCarthy’s expert level use of the jump scare. Now, as I said before, the jump scare is not new to movies. Having a cat jump out of the darkness along with a Don Music headbutt to the piano is one of the oldest tricks in the horror gamebook. But what McCarthy is highly skilled at is how he creates his scares and how he makes the payoff count.

Now, I believe I’ve mentioned a few times that I recently acquired two kittens. One of the things that come with kittens is BIG KITTEN ENERGY. So, I’ve found that using the laser pointer before I go to bed or need to get something done, will often tire them out. But after doing a bit of research, I have found that using the laser pointer activates the cat’s urges to hunt and if the laser pointer is going all over the place and then suddenly disappears, this actually damages or more accurately disappoints the cat’s hunter reflexes. So, it is best to end the laser pointer session with a treat or something tangible for them to act out those hunter impulses on.

Now, I didn’t just go off on a tangent to talk about cats. In many ways, the jump scare is that laser pointer. If a film teases a scare and ends with some kind of false jump scare like a cat leaping through a window, that feeling one gets after that false scare is often one of frustration and even anger. This is because the film fails to deliver a true scare and instead one that only preys on a body’s reflex to loud noises. This is why there might be many gasps in the theater when the Blumhouse flop hits theaters, but afterwards, you get that unsatisfied feeling. ODDITY doesn’t do that. ODDITY delivers rock solid scares all the way through. Not only does it establish an absolutely dire mood and a rich atmosphere, but it also peppers some jump scares that are truly pants-filling. Not only does the shock come out of nowhere, but the scare is genuinely horrifying once you realize what it is you’re looking at. And ODDITY delivers that genuine, terrifying jolt over and over and over again.

Speaking of atmosphere, the bulk of ODDITY takes place inside a truly wonderful setting. The home where most of the action takes place is oddly shaped and full of dark corners, strange doorways that seem like they shouldn’t be there, peculiar staircases, and levels of truly unique floors. The setting is so mysterious that even during the slower, discussion heavy scenes, you’re expecting something horrible to loom out of one of these dark, oddly shaped corridors.

Carolyn Bracken is wonderful in a dual role of Dani and Darcy. As Dani, she is frail and sympathetic. And as Darcy, she is cold and suspicious. It’s a wonderful performance that carries the mystery of ODDITY all the way through. While Gwilym Lee is not the typical looking leading man, he does offer up a more complex role than one would expect as the grieving husband who is trying to move on in a new relationship. And Caroline Menton serves as a wonderful eyes and ears for the audience, saying and doing things that a smart horror audience would say and do.

ODDITY at its core is a simple ghost story. But what sets it apart from most of them is McCarthy’s deft use of the jump scare and establishment of mood. Like many jokes, the success is usually in the delivery. If that is the case, then consider McCarthy a comedian like no other. But ODDITY is no joke, though it does have a wicked sense of gallows humor. That’s pretty much all I want to say about it. It’s probably the most frightened I’ve been while watching a movie in a long time and gave me the biggest jump I’ve felt since that scene, you know that one scene, from EXORCIST III: LEGION. Yep, the scares are that good. See it for yourself and thank me later.

Plus – EXHUMA (aka PAMYO, 2024)
Released on March 15, 2024, and is streaming on Shudder!
Directed/Written by Jang Jae-hyun.
Trailer: https://youtu.be/j_6_wLF1pDg
A mortician, a geomancer, a shaman and her protégé team up to investigate the mysterious grave of a long-dead South Korean nobleman. But the deeper they dig, the more horrific secrets they uncover as they unleash an evil more powerful than any of them have encountered before.

EXHUMA received an excessive number of awards and accolades when released in its home country of South Korea. Anyone paying attention to South Korean cinema knows that the country regularly delivers some of the most potent international horror you’re bound to see each and every year. Films like I SAW THE DEVIL, THE MEDIUM, GONJIAM HAUNTED ASYLUM, THE WAILING, A TALE OF TWO SISTERS, THE WITCH, TRAIN TO BUSAN, BEDEVILED, PROJECT WOLF HUNTING, MEMORIES OF MURDER, THE HOST, are but a few of a long list of horror films that if you haven’t seen, you definitely should if you want to call yourself a horror fan. So of course, I had to check this new EXHUMA film out.

And while I do feel that the subject matter has been covered better in other films, mainly THE MEDIUM, EXHUMA proves to be a phenomenal movie; the kind that just doesn’t seem to be made anymore in American cinema. EXHUMA is steeped in South Korean spiritualism. The filmmakers made sure the numerous rituals we see play out in this extensive epic were as accurate as possible, so much that the lead actress Kim Go-Eun, who plays the mystic Hwarim, feared she would be cursed by simply acting them out on camera. If you take anything away from EXHUMA, you’ll experience the significant role religion and spiritualism act in the life of South Koreans and the many intricate rituals performed, especially involving the handling of the dead. The film centers around the excavation, removal, and transport of coffins from one area to another for various reasons and while the rituals accompanying this process may seem strange to foreigners, EXHUMA shows it all with an unblinking eye, making this a fascinating glimpse into South Korean culture.

On top of that, EXHUMA is filled with an interesting team of mystics involved in the process, all of them top tier actors depicting different integral roles in the exhumation process. The team is brought together not unlike the Ghostbusters, where each of the members of the team bring a unique personality as well as a special skill set to the table. The way these four interact and are connected to one another is the heart and soul of EXHUMA. The bond between the two shamen, Hwarim and Bong-Gi (played by Lee Do-hyun) is painfully stretched as the mystery of the grave deepens. The soulful understanding of the properties of the grave is measured by the ever-charismatic Choi Min-sik, who has offered up powerful performances before in OLD BOY and I SAW THE DEVIL. And for comic relief, we have the often goofy, but still integral mortician, Ko Yeun Geun (played by Yoo Hae-jin) bringing his scientific know-how to the situation. Seeing all of these actors work together, going through periods where they distrust each other and bump into one another, until they eventually come together makes for a classic team-building action-adventure tale.

There are horrors galore to view in EXHUMA as well. Not only are the rituals quite terrifying in their own right, involving animal sacrifice (which they don’t show on camera, thankfully), song, dance, percussion, chanting, and all sorts of ritualistic behavior. Not only does it feel like you’re being enriched by watching this spectacle, but it also is filmed to be quite shocking. But there is also references to both South Korean and Japanese folklore involving foxes, giants, snakes with human faces, and all sorts of evil spirits. Each special effects sequence manages to top the last as the mystery deepens, all of them dazzling and suspenseful to see play out.

If there’s an issue I had with EXHUMA, it isn’t the fault of the movie. I feel I don’t know enough about the tenuous relationship between South Korea and Japan. The film definitely shows that there is some resentment between the two cultures that go back a long way, but my own lack of knowledge of the subject made me feel as if I was missing something. EXHUMA is also so steeped in lore and tradition that I feel it loses its way in the midway point of this two-hour movie. So many rituals are shown in this one that I felt as if I were being overloaded with them. Finally, the mystery of just what is the secrets buried in the excavated grave feel addressed by the end, but the spectacle of the ritual and dazzle of the special effects drowned the actual answers out for me. All of these issues I had with EXHUMA, though, involves the fact that I don’t know as much as I should about South Korean culture.

While I feel some of the hefty themes flew over my head due to the language and cultural barriers, I still feel EXHUMA is yet another strong horror film from South Korea. I think because religion and ritual is something that has been sort of lost in American culture, the ritualistic sequences might be taken as less powerful as they most likely have been witnessed by South Korean cinemaphiles, but nevertheless, I can recognize good character, solid special effects, and a powerful representation of a culture when I see it.

The Best in Horror Countdown 2023-2024
#31 – HERE FOR BLOOD (DESTROY ALL NEIGHBORS)
#30 – THANKSGIVING (THE SACRIFICE GAME)
#29 – MILK & SERIAL (LOWLIFES)
#28 – PROJECT SILENCE (FROGMAN)
#27 – THE SEEDING (DARK HARVEST)
#26 – BEEZEL (THE FRESH HELL TRILOGY)
#25 – ABERRANCE (COLD MEAT)
#24 – OUT OF DARKNESS (ALL YOU NEED IS DEATH)
#23 – ARCADIAN (A QUIET PLACE: DAY ONE)
#22 – YOU’LL NEVER FIND ME (GHOSTS OF THE VOID)
#21 – NEVER LET GO (LOVELY, DARK, & DEEP)
#20 – ABIGAIL (BLACKOUT)
#19 – SPEAK NO EVIL (EIGHT EYES)
#18 – BEETLEJUICE BEETLEJUICE (LISA FRANKENSTEIN)
#17 – MAXXXINE (SHERYL)
#16 – CUCKOO (AMELIA’S CHILDREN)
#15 – 15 CAMERAS (MIDNIGHT PEEPSHOW)
#14 – DO NOT DISTURB (KILL YOUR LOVER)
#13 – WHERE THE DEVIL ROAMS (HELL HOLE)
#12 – ALIEN: ROMULUS (INFESTED)
#11 – HELL HOUSE LLC ORIGINS: THE CARMICHAEL MANOR (V/H/S/85)
#10 – STOP MOTION (MONOLITH)
#9 – IN A VIOLENT NATURE (HUNDREDS OF BEAVERS)
#8 – THE COFFEE TABLE (HANDLING THE UNDEAD)
#7 – THE FIRST OMEN (IMMACULATE)
#6 – ODDITY (EXHUMA)