What makes for a truly great horror movie? Is it the buckets of blood, as in (spoiler alert) 2024's "The Substance?" Or a solid directorial voice, as in Robert Eggers' 2024 release "Nosferatu?" Creativity, as exemplified by the critically panned, yet nevertheless popular 2024 slasher "The Mouse Trap?" Originality? Deeper layers of meaning? These are the questions critics might ask themselves when examining the genre from an analytical perspective. And as one will soon discover, their conclusions aren't always tuned in to audience expectations. Nevertheless, critically acclaimed horror is usually unique in one way or another, and, therefore, worth checking out. After all, one can only take so many rote formulas and generic clichés, right?
