Pick your poison: There’s a horror film for everyone in 2024

For every kind of horror movie, there is a kind of horror fan. Whether you love the most extreme and gory flicks the genre has to offer or you faint at the sight of blood, somewhere out there is a movie for you.

Starting this weekend with the latest from M. Night Shyamalan, the films on tap for the remainder of the year are so varied that, for easier filtering, we’ve matched some of the buzziest titles to the audiences they’re likely to attract. And for those who don’t see their “type” represented, or are too impatient to wait for the theatrical rollout, try revisiting the best of what 2024 has already delivered: the Lynchian coming-of-age movie “I Saw the TV Glow,” the inverted slasher flick “In a Violent Nature” or the deeply unsettling “Longlegs,” with Nicolas Cage appearing as unhinged as ever.

‘Trap’ (Aug. 2), for the logline lover

Through the relative ebbs and flows of Shyamalan’s career, there’s something consistent about his films. No matter what, they always sound intriguing. His latest, “Trap,” follows Josh Hartnett (“Oppenheimer”) as a father taking his daughter to a Taylor Swift-style pop concert. Except Hartnett is a serial killer known as “the Butcher,” and the concert is an elaborate sting set up by local police to catch him. Think that’s giving away too much? That’s all in the trailer. But we’re guessing M. Night has a few twists up his sleeve.

‘Cuckoo’ (Aug. 9), for the body-horror freak

Starring Hunter Schafer (“Euphoria”), the film follows an American teen who moves to the German Alps to live with family. What follows from director Tilman Singer is a mix of body horror and psychological thriller. Distributor Neon has cut its teeth (pun intended) with the body-horror subgenre, releasing films like “Titane,” “Crimes of the Future” and “Possessor” in recent years. If you liked those movies, “Cuckoo” should be right up your alley. Just maybe skip your mid-movie hot dog for this one.

‘Alien: Romulus’ (Aug. 16), for the binge-watcher

“Alien: Romulus” marks the seventh film in the science-fiction franchise, and it presents a fantastic opportunity. Beginning as a relatively straightforward creature feature directed by Ridley Scott and released following the success of “Star Wars” (1977), the franchise has been all over the map: a James Cameron-helmed action blockbuster (“Aliens”), a dread-inducing David Fincher project (”Alien 3″) and whatever Jean-Pierre Jeunet’s “Alien: Resurrection” was supposed to be. In the 2010s, Scott returned to the franchise with “Prometheus” and “Alien: Covenant,” shifting away from the original narrative and asking complicated questions like “Where do we come from?” and “How many Michael Fassbenders does it take to play a flute?” Now Fede Álvarez (“Don’t Breathe”) will helm an Alien project that promises to return the franchise to its horror roots. Prepare by rewatching all 12 hours, preferably where no one can hear you scream.

‘AfrAId’ (Aug, 30), for the schlock doctor

Seemingly capitalizing on 2022′s “M3GAN,” Blumhouse and writer-director Chris Weitz will be adding “AfrAId” to the anti-AI canon. The new release follows a family that has brought home an AI device (sort of Alexa on steroids). The device is intended to make parenting easier using artificial intelligence but quickly reveals itself to be more sinister than helpful. Schlock has long been an important aspect of horror films, which typically have smaller budgets and less serious plots. But as any acolyte of the late, great Roger Corman will tell you, that doesn’t necessarily mean lower quality.

‘Beetlejuice Beetlejuice’ (Sept. 6), for the scaredy-cat

Listen, horror isn’t for everyone. Some people need a less scary entry point to go there at all. Look no further than “Beetlejuice Beetlejuice.” Director Tim Burton returns to inject the genre with humor and camp while star Michael Keaton provides the Beetlejuice character’s anarchic energy. Perhaps most exciting is the addition of Jenna Ortega, the young star of “X,” “Scream VI” and Burton’s own “Wednesday” series. She seems like a perfect fit for the Burton oeuvre, alongside Keaton and other returning franchise stars like Winona Ryder and Catherine O’Hara.

‘Speak No Evil’ (Sept. 13), for the deep-cut disciple

A remake of the 2022 Danish film of the same name, “Speak No Evil” follows Mackenzie Davis and Scoot McNairy as a young couple visiting the home of friends they met on vacation. All is not as it seems, and social norms are pushed to their limits as the situation becomes more and more unsettling. The 2022 original is a smaller film available to stream on Shudder and something of a hidden gem for genre obsessives. Its graphic imagery and nihilistic ending make the film unique and certainly worth a watch in the run-up to the remake’s release.

‘The Substance’ (Sept. 20), for the film fest aficionado

Starring Demi Moore (“Ghost”) and Margaret Qualley (“Poor Things”), “The Substance” follows aging actress Elisabeth Sparkle. She takes an experimental drug that The Washington Post’s Jada Yuan explains “will allow her to essentially birth a younger version of herself.” Qualley plays Sue, the younger version of Sparkle. The Coralie Fargeat-directed film received mixed reviews when it premiered at the Cannes Film Festival in May. In the United States, it could be a “Parasite”-like critical darling and awards powerhouse or an international curio like “Titane.”

‘Terrifier 3′ (Oct. 11), for the blood-and-guts fanatic

Since its debut in 2016, the Terrifier franchise has operated as a cult classic. From multi-hyphenate auteur Damien Leone, the films follow the gruesome adventures of Art the Clown (David Howard Thornton) as he terrorizes young women, pizza parlor employees and janitors. With minuscule budgets and increasingly gruesome imagery, both the 2016 and 2022 features found an audience with horror obsessives. Leone came up in special effects and makeup, and his films never lack for imaginative kills. With the third entry in the franchise, Leone will be handing off special-effects duties and working with a bigger budget. Be afraid.

‘Smile 2′ (Oct. 18), for the sequel devotee

This sequel to the surprise hit “Smile” follows pop star Skye Riley (Naomi Scott) as she is terrorized by the entity from the first film. The trailer suggests more shocking and elaborate kills this time around. The 2022 original wasn’t expected to be the box office success it was: A simple premise, a great marketing campaign and an easy-to-remember name brought in more than $200 million worldwide. Can the sequel cash in again?

‘Nosferatu’ (Dec. 25), for the old soul

What has more Christmas spirit than a period-piece vampire movie? Former indie darling Robert Eggers will continue his ascent to the big leagues with “Nosferatu,” an adaptation of the classic Dracula tale. Eggers’s works so far, “The Witch,” “The Lighthouse” and “The Northman,” all explore horror within period settings. As a director, Eggers never sacrifices authenticity for mass appeal, making films that are of their time as much as our own. In the past year, two movies, “Renfield” and “The Last Voyage of the Demeter,” have transformed the classic Dracula story, with mixed results. If nothing else, “Nosferatu” is expected to be authentic to the mood and tone of the 1922 masterpiece of German expressionism.