Horror Movie: A Chilling Novel about a Cursed Film

So I liked it. It was a bit different to what I normally read and I found some of the formatting as if it was a film script off putting. But it was fun. Not scary but did draw you in. More atmospheric and did make you imagine the movie that was being made.

I read this at a similar time to reading Stephen Graham Jones’ new novel “I Was a Teenage Slasher” and the subject matter although different, the tones of the main characters were so similar! Both have main characters that are reflecting on a time period and are clearly writing with an audience in mind as a sort of exposé and warning. In Horror Movie (the novel), our main character is the man who starred as “The Thin Kid” in Horror Movie (the movie that was never fully released except for three scenes) as he reflects on what went into creating this “cursed” film all those years ago and what it’s been like filming the reboot (or remake depending on who you ask).

Tremblay does a great job of giving a nod to notorious horror films that have been said to be cursed. He also gives some insight into the film industry. The vibes I got while reading this book were eerie and chilling. It’s soooo slow and the build-up gains in intensity. I loved the parallel between how the movie was supposed to make us feel (if it had ever been released) and how in reading the book we get the same feeling! Genius.

I did feel like this book dragged on and even though I recognize this was intentional for the reason I just stated, it did make me want to rush the book. What I loved most about this book were the descriptive flashback scenes of what took place during filming and how Tremblay blurred the lines between what actually happened and the reader realizing that the narrator is not only unreliable but is suspicious as we read the modern-day scenes. I also have to give a nod to the idea of “The Thin Kid” as a character and how well he is written. We feel bad for him but also want to stay away from him. The three other characters/cast mates that star with him are fascinating on their own too as they try to isolate the thin kid on and off the set to create an environment where the thin kid is just as alone on set as he is in the movie. There is a scene where the three classmates torture the thin kid and it’s terrifying in a psychological way. We also learn that the man who played the thin kid is the only survivor and learning about how one particular cast member died during the filming is chilling. This is a really unique book with a horrifying ending.

I received an Advanced Reader Copy (ARC) of this book from Netgalley and William Morrow. This has not impacted my rating and this review is voluntary.

2.5

interesting enough.

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ / 4 stars

What an engrossing story! There's a lot going on, and at first it was a little difficult to engage with its unique stylization, but once I was locked in, it had me hooked to the very end. And that ending... Oh my goodness.

I found Horror Movie interesting, though not particularly compelling. The eerie, off-kilter atmosphere was well done, and Tremblay effectively captures a sense of unease. However, the characters didn’t hold my interest, making it difficult to fully engage with the story. For a horror novel, it also wasn’t very scary—more unsettling than truly frightening. While I appreciate the book’s ambition, it ultimately didn’t leave much of an impact.