The Best Horror Movies Releasing in July 2024: Mia Goth Takes a Bow, and Maika Monroe vs. Nicolas Cage (2024)

July is the prime month to spend time outside with friends and family on vacations, camping trips, and backyard cookouts. It’s also one of the best months to find a new favorite scary movie to chill your sunburned flesh. There are several big-budget films hitting theaters this month, but don’t let that deter you from checking out some of the more subtle indie and arthouse horror movies that will be available to watch either. Regardless of what kind of horror movies you enjoy watching, this month has a plethora of options to choose from! Read on to find out the biggest new horror movie hits that July has to offer!

‘MaXXXine’

July 5, 2024

MaXXXine

R

Horror

Crime

810

In 1980s Hollywood, adult film star and aspiring actress Maxine Minx finally secures her big break. As she navigates her path to stardom, a mysterious killer begins targeting Hollywood starlets, leaving a trail of blood that threatens to expose her sinister past.

Release Date

July 5, 2024

Director

Ti West

Cast

Mia Goth , Elizabeth Debicki , Moses Sumney , Michelle Monaghan , Bobby Cannavale , Lily Collins , Halsey , Giancarlo Esposito

Runtime

103 Minutes

Main Genre

Horror

Writers

Ti West

Franchise

X

Prequel

X

Production Company

A24

The third installment of Ti West’s X series comes to theaters on Friday, July 5, 2024. The first film, X, was an homage to 70s slasher films like Texas Chain Saw Massacre and embodied a modern take on the “psycho-biddy” horror sub-genre. It starred Mia Goth as an adult film actress, determined to become a Hollywood star. Goth simultaneously played the protagonist and antagonist in X as Maxine Minx and as Pearl, the elderly woman who felt she was always meant to be a star but was slighted in her youth. The second movie, Pearl, goes back in time and focuses on the titular character and her secluded life as she desperately tries to break away from her rural existence to pursue dreams of becoming a famous actress. MaXXXine flashes forward a few years after the events of X, where Maxine Minx finally makes her way to Hollywood but is quickly put in the sights of the 1985 serial killer, Richard Ramirez, also known as “The Night Stalker.” Little does he know, Maxine is willing to do whatever it takes (even if it includes a few homicides) to become the star she knows she was meant to be.

‘Dead Whisper’

July 5, 2024

Dead Whisper focuses on a grieving father, Elliot Campbell (Samuel Dunning), in the aftermath of his daughter’s death. He’s a lawyer who lives on Cape Cod and finds an unusual opportunity to have a brief reunion with her, on a mysterious island off the coast. Similar to films like The Other Side of the Door and A Dark Song, Dead Whisper encompasses the grief that a parent goes through after losing their child and what they’re willing to go through for one last chance to see or speak with their lost loved ones. Unfortunately, these occult practices often come with a steep price, usually much more than the participant had in mind. In this case, Elliot finds himself dealing directly with a demonic entity, at the risk of his own soul. The film pushes the limits on just how far a person will go for a chance to speak to a deceased loved one. Dead Whisper will have a limited theatrical release on July 5, 2024, before becoming available on VOD everywhere on July 9, 2024.

‘Lumina’

July 12, 2024

Lumina (2024)

Sci-Fi

Horror

Release Date

July 12, 2024

Director

Gino McKoy

Cast

Eric Roberts , Eleanor Williams , Rupert Lazarus , Sidney Nicole Rogers , Ken Lawson , Andrea Tivadar , Emily Hall , Hami Belal

Runtime

120 Minutes

Main Genre

Sci-Fi

Writers

Gino McKoy

After his girlfriend, Tatiana (Eleanor Williams), disappears in a flash of bright light, Alex (Rupert Lazarus) and three of his friends who witnessed her disappearance embark on a journey to discover what happened to her. They seek out a paranormal specialist and conspiracy theorist, Thom (Eric Roberts), and travel from the U.S. to the Saharan desert to figure out what happened to Tatiana. What they discover in the sandy dunes will forever change their lives. Lumina has been in production since 2019 under the direction of Gino McKoy and has overcome many obstacles due to the COVID-19 pandemic as it was largely filmed in Marakesh and the Atlas Mountains of Morocco. The movie will have a limited theatrical release on July 12, 2024, before moving to VOD at a later date.

‘Longlegs’

July 12, 2024

Longlegs

R

Horror

Thriller

A chilling horror thriller directed by Osgood Perkins. The film stars Maika Monroe as Lee Harker, a promising new FBI agent assigned to solve the mystery of an elusive serial killer played by Nicolas Cage. As Harker delves deeper into the case, she uncovers disturbing evidence of occult practices connected to the murders.

Release Date

July 12, 2024

Director

Oz Perkins

Cast

Maika Monroe , Nicholas Cage , Alicia Witt , Blair Underwood

Runtime

101 Minutes

Main Genre

Horror

Writers

Oz Perkins

Studio(s)

C2 Motion Picture Group , Saturn Films

Distributor(s)

Neon

Distributed by NEON, Longlegs is an American thriller that follows FBI Agent Lee Harker (Maika Monroe) as she desperately tries to solve complex occult clues that are left behind by the notorious and satanic serial killer known as Longlegs (Nicolas Cage). Set in the 90s, she must decipher the ritualistic clues left behind with victims as Longlegs leads her closer to uncovering the truth behind his killings. Agent Lee interviews the lone survivor of Longlegs’ attack, Carrie (Kiernan Shipka) to discover what his motivations are, how he operates, and most importantly, why he has taken such an interest in taunting her. Rumored to be the “scariest movie of the decade,” and a “cross between Silence of the Lambs and Sinister,” according to horror buffs on Reddit who have seen screenings of the film, Longlegs has established very high expectations from the horror aficionado community and is one of the most highly-anticipated horror films of the year.

‘The Blue Rose’

July 12, 2024

Set in the 1950s, The Blue Rose follows two rookie detectives who set out to solve a homicide case. Upon arriving at the scene of the murder, they inadvertently step into an alternate reality where their worst nightmares come to life. This arthouse horror film will have you constantly questioning what is real and what’s in the minds of the protagonists. The Blue Rose will have a limited theatrical release on July 12, 2024, but will also be available to rent or purchase on VOD on the same day.

‘The Inheritance’

July 12, 2024

Not to be confused with the 2020 mystery-thriller, Inheritance, starring Lily Collins and Simon Pegg, The Inheritance is a new American horror film that centers on billionaire Charles Abernathy (Bob Gunton) on the eve of his 75th birthday. Convinced that someone or something is going to kill him by midnight that night, he invites all of his living relatives to his estate. He informs them that he’s made deals and enemies along his path to fortune, but they will inherit none of his money if he does not survive the night. Initially, his children don’t take him seriously, but as the time ticks closer to midnight, the bodies begin to accumulate. As they slowly begin to realize the situation they’ve been put in, the family members have to find a way to survive the night and ensure that Charles does as well if they want their inheritance, which grows larger every time a sibling dies. The Inheritance will have a limited theatrical release on July 12 and will also be available to rent or purchase on VOD on the same day.

‘Oddity’

July 19, 2024

Oddity

Horror

Thriller

810

Uncovering the truth behind sister's death with the help of wooden mannequin.

Release Date

March 8, 2024

Director

Damien Mc Carthy

Cast

Gwilym Lee , Carolyn Bracken , Tadhg Murphy , Caroline Metnon , Steve Wall , Johnny French , Joe Rooney , Josuha Campbell

Runtime

98 Minutes

Main Genre

Horror

Writers

Damian Mc Carthy

Oddity is an Irish paranormal horror film that marks the second movie that Damian Mc Carthy has directed. It was filmed in the same converted barn where Mc Carthy’s first film, Caveat, was shot and is based on his 2013 short film, How Olin Lost His Eye. Olin can be seen in the trailer for the film, as a man with a prosthetic eye who warns a woman that she is not safe inside her cottage on the night she is murdered. In the year following her twin sister’s horrific murder, a blind medium and curator of an oddity shop decides to investigate how and why her sister was killed. She finds a strong connection to a gruesome wooden mannequin that comes across her path and gives her visions relating to her sister’s death. Oddity will hit theaters on July 19, 2024.

‘The Beast Within’

July 26, 2024

If you’re a fan of werewolf movies, The Beast Within is a must-see for you. Starring Game of Thrones alumni Kit Harrington and James Cosmo (who played Commander of the Night’s Watch, Jeor Mormont), this film is set deep in the English countryside. Willow (Caoillinn Springall) is a 10-year-old girl living with her parents in a fortified compound in the middle of the forest. Her father (Harrington) and mother (Ashleigh Cummings) often take late-night journeys into the woods but forbid her from asking questions about them. One night, after observing the cleanup of the bloody aftermath of one of these treks, Willow follows her parents and witnesses her father transforming into a beast, shackled by his neck to contain him. He claims he is cursed, but the big question is if this “curse” is hereditary or not. The Beast Within will have an exclusive theatrical release on July 26, 2024.

‘The Last Breath’

July 26, 2024

July is the prime month to watch shark movies. If you’ve already rewatched Jaws and The Meg too many times, The Last Breath should be on the docket to check out this month. The film is the last film of the late Julian Sands, making it all the more important to see. Set in the Caribbean, The Last Breath follows a group of old college friends who reunite for a scuba diving trip to explore the wreckage of a WWII battleship. Once they’ve begun to explore the ship, they are soon targeted by an aggressive great white shark, which results in a member of the group being injured. Trapped in a labyrinth of rusted metal, the group has to find a way to return to the surface safely as more sharks are enticed by the smell of blood in the water. The Last Breath had a limited theatrical release last month but will be available to rent or purchase on VOD on July 26, 2024.

‘Starve Acre’

July 26, 2024

Starve Acre (2024)

Horror

When their son starts acting strangely, a couple unwittingly allow dark and sinister forces into their home, awakening a long-dormant ancient evil rooted deep in the countryside.

Release Date

September 6, 2024

Director

Daniel Kokotajlo

Cast

Matt Smith , Morfydd Clark , Erin Richards , Sean Gilder , Robert Emms , Roger Barclay , Matilda Firth , Rocco Haynes

Runtime

98 Minutes

Main Genre

Horror

Writers

Daniel Kokotajlo , Andrew Michael Hurley

Starring House of the Dragon’s Daemon TargaryenMatt Smith, this occult horror film features a family living a peaceful life in the English countryside whose life begins to deteriorate after their young son begins to exhibit strange behaviors. Starve Acre is a slow-burn suspense thriller, not unlike The VVitch, complete with an unnecessarily creepy rabbit that makes several appearances in the trailer. As their life crumbles around them, Richard (Smith) and Juliette (Morfydd Clark) have to find a way to save their son from whatever entity seems to have taken a chokehold on him. Starve Acre will be available to rent or purchase on VOD on July 26, 2024.

Stay tuned here to see what next month has to offer for horror movie fans!