Justina’s Favorites of 2024 – Daily Dead

In 2024, I was excited to see horror expand in several ways, from original concept horror films (The Coffee Table) to media preserving horror history (El Vamprio box set) to anniversaries of significant horror films (Mahal). I also had amazing opportunities this year to have memorable horror experiences that included Dracula, Chucky, and Wednesday Addams. And without further ado, here are my favorites of 2024.

10. Stranger Sings

Confession. I’ve never seen Stranger Things. However, as a big fan of musicals, when I learned about this musical horror comedy parody, I had to watch it. Stranger Sings follows the beloved Hawkins residents during the disappearance of young Will. It’s so silly and fun. I enjoyed it. This was a great introduction to the Stranger Things universe for someone like me, who can’t tell the difference between a Demogorgon and an Eggo waffle.

9. Late Night with the Devil

Proof that we need more horror movies starring David Dastmalchian. One of my favorite things about this film was switching between color and black-and-white to distinguish the TV show (color) and the behind-the-scenes (black-and-white) footage of the broadcast. This duality was a great way of creating more anxiety while also showing all the people it takes to get a show running and some of the industry politics that go into making a live show. I feel at times that possession and found footage subgenres can be overdone and lacking in original ideas. But this film was a fun take on both of them.

8. Mahal 75^th Anniversary

I love this film. It’s my favorite Hindi horror movie. The set design, the acting, the music, especially the song “Aayega Aanewala”, is so hauntingly beautiful. Mahal feels so timeless that I’m amazed that it’s celebrating 75 years this year. In Mahal, a young lawyer buys an abandoned, lavish mansion with a devastating past, only to become obsessed with the beautiful ghost that haunts it. It’s a true gem of Hindi horror that any fan of gothic horror should see.

7. I Saw the TV Glow

I remember leaving the theatre for this film stunned. Its use of color, especially the theme of pinkish purple, and visuals were so striking. The TV scene was electrifying. I also enjoyed how you are always asking yourself what the real world is. Justice Smith did an incredible job in this film. The ending scene when Justice apologizes about his outburst to a room full of people who are ignoring him is profoundly painful.

6. Otra película maldita (Another Cursed Movie)

In recent years Argentine horror filmmakers have gained more international recognition for their distinct styles, such as Andy Muschietti (It and It: Chapter 2) and Damian Rugna (Terrified and When Evil Lurks). However, many might not know that Argentine horror has been around since 1934, as one of the innovators and groundbreakers in horror in the Spanish-speaking world. Otra película maldita is an impressive documentary that highlights and analyzes the wide variety of Argentine talent, from directors to historians, to explore in-depth the films and filmmakers that have shaped the genre.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JD0UjpG60FU

5. Last Voyage of the Demeter Dark Delicacies Signing

The in-person signings at the iconic Dark Delicacies are a beloved tradition that many Dark Delicacies devotees look forward to. I had the privilege to attend the March signing for Last Voyage of the Demeter with director André Øvredal. When it was my turn to meet Øvredal, I was so star-struck that I was stumbling over my words. Despite my nervousness, which I have a feeling that he could sense, he was so kind and such a gentleman. I can’t wait to see what else he has coming up next.

4. El Vampiro Box Set

With El Vampiro starting the Golden Age of Mexican Horror, it’s such an important film to preserve for both Mexican horror history and the history of Mexican cinema. I was happy to see this box set have a wide diversity of special features that lovingly highlighted the wide range of talent that went into making El Vampiro and its sequel. For me, the best special feature was the audio commentary from the vamprio himself, Germán Robles from 2007. This film has a special place in my heart because it was the first film my mother and her family saw here in America after immigrating from Mexico.

3. The Coffee Table

This was the best horror film I saw in 2024. It’s one of the best Spanish horror films of this decade. A couple that are new parents are struggling with their relationship when they buy a gaudy coffee table that throws their lives into a living hell. The strength of this film’s nerve-racking terror is the fact that the horrors of this film are things that could happen in everyday life rather than a monster chasing people in a castle.

The film’s strongest tool is the fact that you can’t see its violence. You just hear it and experience the gut-wrenching results. That left me speechless. While this movie is available for streaming, I highly advise watching this with the lights on, especially if you have kids in your life you love. Trust me.

2. Chucky Fest at The Frida Cinema

Since I first visited The Frida Cinema in 2018, it’s been a staple of my cinematic journey, my favorite movie theater, and my film school. When I was asked to be a part of their fundraiser marathon of Chucky films called Chucky Fest as a panelist, I was ecstatic and honored. To be on a stage with fellow Chucky fans and talk to a theater filled with Chucky fans, wow!

On the panel, we talked about different aspects of Chucky, including consumer culture, the Latino connection, and Queer themes. The audience asked great questions and were engaged with the panel. I love The Frida Cinema and I’m looking forward to the new adventures and screening with them in 2025.

1. Horror’s Greatest

When I was asked to be a part of this series, I was so excited! This was my third time as a talking head in a horror documentary series. I had the privilege of being on-camera in a series filled with people I admire and got to work with incredible people behind the camera.

I was able to talk about two important horror films of my childhood that helped mold my love for horror, Addams Family Values and Battle Royale. As someone who loved and admired Wednesday Addams growing up, to talk about my favorite scene in Addams Family Values was such a dream come true.

I first watched Battle Royale with my older brother when he rented it from Blockbuster. This was around the time I had started middle school. To be able to see how proud my brother was of me talking about Battle Royale on camera was a beautiful moment. I’m so grateful to be included in this series.

Honorable mentions: 

• Alien: Romulus
• All the Haunts Be Ours: A Compendium of Folk Horror Vol. 2
• Beetlejuice, Beetlejuice
• Departing Seniors
• Doc of Chucky
• Ghostbusters: Frozen Empire
• Gyeongseong Creature, Season 2
• I Spit on Your Celluloid: The History of Women Directing Horror Movies
• Inside of the Mind of Coffin Joe Box Set Longlegs
• MaXXXine
• Stree 2
• The Masque of Red Death, 60th Anniversary
• The Oxford Handbook of Black Horror Film