October should be a cinematic feast for horror fans. And yet, Terrifier 3 and Smile 2 are the biggest scary movies of October 2024. That's not to say that these movies are without merit, as both have earned mostly positive reviews and are performing extremely well at the box office. However, there is no major horror release this Halloween that doesn't require the audience to have some pre-existing knowedge of a mainstream franchise. The problem isn't a lack of exciting horror releases this year. Some of the most exciting horror movies in years have 2024 release dates -- they're just not scheduled for October.
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The king of "elevated horror," Robert Eggers, dropped his much-awaited Nosferatu trailer this summer. The trailer was an absolute knockout, accruing even more buzz for the film. Following the recent trend of screening for one day only, Nosferatu had the perfect opportunity to be available on Halloween. On a Thursday this year, catching a late-night showing of Nosferatu would be the ideal way to spend the holiday. And yet, Nosferatu is coming out on Christmas, which leads me to ask, Why are there so few major horror releases this Halloween?
'Nosferatu' Is a classic Scary Movie, It Deserved a Halloween Release Date ✕ Remove Ads
The original Nosferatu came out 102 years ago, making it arguably the original scary movie. Director F. W. Murnau's sensibilities and aesthetic curation helped define the genre. Robert Eggers' 2015 The Witch did something similar, helping to define the subcategory of what some people refer to as "elevated horror." Eggers' trailer for Nosferatu promises classic, gothic visuals, polished for a modern audience. Every shot from the trailer looks glossy and refined. Eerie string music punctuates each clip alongside Lily-Rose Depp's increasingly desperate cry, "Come to me." This artsy framing poises the film to deliver an elevated viewing experience to audiences hungry for "highbrow" horror. More so, Eggers is capitalizing on a renewed interest in vampires. Leaning away from the romantic slant, Eggers recasts vampires as sources of genuine terror.
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Robert Eggers' gothic tale will have us all screaming this Christmas.
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1922's Nosferatu is widely considered ground zero for horror cinema. Murnau's film was one of the foundational sources for modern-day vampire lore and Eggers' remake is leaning into how genuinely unnerving these creatures of the night can be. From the trailer, it is clear that the 2024 Nosferatu will pay homage to its gothic origins. The claustrophobic set design with stone architecture and luxe fabrics feels distinctly Victorian. The original silent film was in black and white, a constraint of the time that has impacted how the gothic style is remembered -- stills from the Eggers' film feature cool and sparse color grading. The clips look desaturated, with heavy blues being the prominent pop of color. Eggers seems devoted to putting out a movie packed with homages to horror history. So, why wouldn't you release it during the most horror-centric time of the year? Halloween is surely a more appropriate holiday than Christmas to release a film that celebrates and calls back to the basics of horror storytelling.
✕ Remove Ads Studios' Fear of Competition Hurts Horror Fans Close
Logic dictates that releasing high-budget horror movies during October is the smartest move a studio can make. They get to capitalize on all the Halloween hype and have an easy marketing scheme laid out for them thanks to the pre-established atmosphere of spooky season. And yet, this year, there are only two major horror releases; both of which are sequels, which excludes a large part of moviegoers who haven't seen previous installments. Likewise, most Mike Flanagan fans can set their calendars based on when he releases a new show on Netflix. Last year, Fall of the House of Usher dropped on October 12 to a fan frenzy online. But this year, the Flanaverse is nowhere to be seen.
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It seems studios have abandoned the month of October as a profitable time of year. Fear of competition may be getting in the way of scheduling. Because October is such an obvious time for scary movies, studios are hedging their bets on less competition during the off-season. Cinema attendance is down and has been for years. Studios know that if they screen their horror movie in March, like with Immaculate, there won't be as many options for horror fans to choose between. Unfortunately, studios en masse have come to this realization. Now, the best horror material is being scheduled for release outside October. While this means more horror releases during sunnier seasons, the spooky Halloween vibes have been wasted this year!
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Nosferatu is a case study of studio anxiety outweighing a fan's overall experience. This year, October has no fresh horror movies out that do not necessitate the audience having seen a previous film or two to make sense of the current. The glossy, multifaceted horror has been pushed ahead or pushed back to save movie-goers from having to decide between movies. Rather than putting faith in their product, studios are cushioning their potential profits at the expense of delivering prime scary movies when the vibes are perfect! While easy-to-watch movies are essential in every genre, October feels like the time to reward honest-to-goodness horror fans with the best projects of the year.
Nosferatu (2024) HorrorFantasyMystery
Release Date December 25, 2024 Director Robert Eggers Cast Bill Skarsgard , Lily-Rose Depp , Nicholas Hoult , Willem Dafoe , Aaron Taylor-Johnson , Emma Corrin , Simon McBurney , Ralph Ineson , Paul Maynard , Stacy Thunes Runtime 132 Minutes Main Genre Horror Writers Robert Eggers Expand
Nosferatu creeps into theaters on December 25.