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Horror Movie
A chilling twist on the “cursed film” genre.
In June 1993, a group of young guerilla filmmakers spent four weeks making Horror Movie, a notorious, disturbing, art-house horror flick.
The weird part? Only three of the film’s scenes were ever released to the public, but Horror Movie has nevertheless grown a rabid fanbase. Three decades later, Hollywood is pushing for a big budget reboot.
The man who played “The Thin Kid” is the only surviving cast member. He remembers all too well the secrets buried within the original screenplay, the bizarre events of the filming, and the dangerous crossed lines on set that resulted in tragedy. As memories flood back in, the boundaries between reality and film, past and present start to blur. But he’s going to help remake the film, even if it means navigating a world of cynical producers, egomaniacal directors, and surreal fan conventions—demons of the past be damned.
But at what cost?
Horror Movie is an obsessive, psychologically chilling, and suspenseful twist on the “cursed film” that breathlessly builds to an unforgettable, mind-bending conclusion.
In June 1993, a group of young guerilla filmmakers spent four weeks making Horror Movie, a notorious, disturbing, art-house horror flick.
The weird part? Only three of the film’s scenes were ever released to the public, but Horror Movie has nevertheless grown a rabid fanbase. Three decades later, Hollywood is pushing for a big budget reboot.
The man who played “The Thin Kid” is the only surviving cast member. He remembers all too well the secrets buried within the original screenplay, the bizarre events of the filming, and the dangerous crossed lines on set that resulted in tragedy. As memories flood back in, the boundaries between reality and film, past and present start to blur. But he’s going to help remake the film, even if it means navigating a world of cynical producers, egomaniacal directors, and surreal fan conventions—demons of the past be damned.
But at what cost?
Horror Movie is an obsessive, psychologically chilling, and suspenseful twist on the “cursed film” that breathlessly builds to an unforgettable, mind-bending conclusion.
287 pages, Kindle Edition
First published June 11, 2024
About the author
Paul Tremblay
115 books10.3k followersPaul Tremblay has won the Bram Stoker, British Fantasy, and Massachusetts Book awards and is the author of The Pallbearers Club (coming 2022), Survivor Song, Growing Things, The Cabin at the End of the World, Disappearance at Devil’s Rock, A Head Full of Ghosts, and the crime novels The Little Sleep and No Sleep Till Wonderland. His essays and short fiction have appeared in the New York Times, Los Angeles Times, Entertainment Weekly online, and numerous year’s-best anthologies. He has a master’s degree in mathematics and lives outside Boston with his family. He is represented by Stephen Barbara, InkWell Management.
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October 31, 2023meet my most anticipated book of 2024 🤩
March 4, 2024
JESUS CHRIST, PAUL
December 25, 2023
WTF did I just read, you guys? I was expecting a “haunted movie set” sort of horror and … huh. There are definitely no ghosts to be found here.
But did I enjoy it? I mean, “enjoy” is a strong word since it's not at all an easy book to read. It was engrossing, for sure, but also very unsettling. It did take me a bit to get into the story, I think mainly due to the format, but I was completely hooked by the 25% mark. There was never any chance of this novel ending happily, and yet I couldn't stop reading it.
The format is an unusual one. It switches back and forth between the past (the original filming of the movie) to the present day (the filming of the reboot), but also includes sections of the screenplay in every chapter. Oh, and the narration is actually an audiobook that the surviving cast member has written about the events. It's a lot to sort out initially, but it really works once you've gotten into the swing of things.
That screenplay, though? Yeah, never in a million, billion years would I watch a film based off of it. I'm pretty sure that scenes from the book are already going to stick in my head for years, and I'd probably need therapy after watching a film version. Fans of slasher-type horror won't bat an eye – it's really rather tame compared to a lot of stuff out there – but I haven't enjoyed gory films since my aunt took me to see A Nightmare on Elm Street 4: The Dream Master in the theater when I was nine. I had to come home and go straight to bed and had nightmares about it for years. But, I digress.
And the ending? I mean, you kind of see it coming, I think. There's not really any other way it could end, especially once you learn about the protagonist's “tattoos.” But was I ready for it? Hell no.
As an aside, I read this book while also listening to an audiobook of guided meditations. Well, not at the exact same time, obviously, but I rotated back and forth between the two. The juxtaposition between “relax and focus on your breathing” to “things are really creepy and everyone's going to die!” was quite disconcerting. Come to think of it, perhaps that's why I sucked so much at the meditating.
So, yeah. Overall rating: 4.15 stars, rounded down. If you like artsy horror films and/or creature features, this book will be right up your alley.
Many thanks to NetGalley and William Morrow for providing me with an advance copy of this book to review.
But did I enjoy it? I mean, “enjoy” is a strong word since it's not at all an easy book to read. It was engrossing, for sure, but also very unsettling. It did take me a bit to get into the story, I think mainly due to the format, but I was completely hooked by the 25% mark. There was never any chance of this novel ending happily, and yet I couldn't stop reading it.
The format is an unusual one. It switches back and forth between the past (the original filming of the movie) to the present day (the filming of the reboot), but also includes sections of the screenplay in every chapter. Oh, and the narration is actually an audiobook that the surviving cast member has written about the events. It's a lot to sort out initially, but it really works once you've gotten into the swing of things.
That screenplay, though? Yeah, never in a million, billion years would I watch a film based off of it. I'm pretty sure that scenes from the book are already going to stick in my head for years, and I'd probably need therapy after watching a film version. Fans of slasher-type horror won't bat an eye – it's really rather tame compared to a lot of stuff out there – but I haven't enjoyed gory films since my aunt took me to see A Nightmare on Elm Street 4: The Dream Master in the theater when I was nine. I had to come home and go straight to bed and had nightmares about it for years. But, I digress.
And the ending? I mean, you kind of see it coming, I think. There's not really any other way it could end, especially once you learn about the protagonist's “tattoos.” But was I ready for it? Hell no.
As an aside, I read this book while also listening to an audiobook of guided meditations. Well, not at the exact same time, obviously, but I rotated back and forth between the two. The juxtaposition between “relax and focus on your breathing” to “things are really creepy and everyone's going to die!” was quite disconcerting. Come to think of it, perhaps that's why I sucked so much at the meditating.
So, yeah. Overall rating: 4.15 stars, rounded down. If you like artsy horror films and/or creature features, this book will be right up your alley.
Many thanks to NetGalley and William Morrow for providing me with an advance copy of this book to review.
April 1, 2024
I know this first line isn't going to be the most quotable line in a review but here it is anyway:
This is a total mindf*ck of a novel! And it is now my favorite Paul Tremblay book.
I finished reading this about 3 weeks ago and I still don't know what to say about it, other than that I absolutely LOVED it.
I am not going to talk about the plot, because the synopsis and many other reviews have already done that. Here, I'm going to focus on how it made me feel.
Confused. Elated. Shocked. Horrified. Nearly everything in this book is unreliable. In fact, my mind is still trying to work its way through this labyrinth of unreliability. The core group of people here, young actors and playwrights, (all devoted to making this film that ultimately is never released), were spellbinding. What happens to them as the film is being made, and then later in life, felt so exceptionally REAL to this reader. Perhaps that was the scariest thing about it?
Is this the journey of a young actor who is somehow changed by the very film he helped to create? Is it the journey of the playwright who felt such a strong need to get the film made? Is this the tale of how a group of people can somehow feed off of each other, in the end creating something that is greater than the sum of its parts? The answers to all of these questions is YES.
So yeah, a mindf*ck for sure. It might end up being my favorite novel of the year. It's still early in 2024 , and if you know how much I read, you know that's really saying something.
If you are a fan of unreliability in your horror novels, look no further my horror-loving reading friends, because this is the epitome of unreliability!
My highest recommendation!
*ARC from publisher.*
This is a total mindf*ck of a novel! And it is now my favorite Paul Tremblay book.
I finished reading this about 3 weeks ago and I still don't know what to say about it, other than that I absolutely LOVED it.
I am not going to talk about the plot, because the synopsis and many other reviews have already done that. Here, I'm going to focus on how it made me feel.
Confused. Elated. Shocked. Horrified. Nearly everything in this book is unreliable. In fact, my mind is still trying to work its way through this labyrinth of unreliability. The core group of people here, young actors and playwrights, (all devoted to making this film that ultimately is never released), were spellbinding. What happens to them as the film is being made, and then later in life, felt so exceptionally REAL to this reader. Perhaps that was the scariest thing about it?
Is this the journey of a young actor who is somehow changed by the very film he helped to create? Is it the journey of the playwright who felt such a strong need to get the film made? Is this the tale of how a group of people can somehow feed off of each other, in the end creating something that is greater than the sum of its parts? The answers to all of these questions is YES.
So yeah, a mindf*ck for sure. It might end up being my favorite novel of the year. It's still early in 2024 , and if you know how much I read, you know that's really saying something.
If you are a fan of unreliability in your horror novels, look no further my horror-loving reading friends, because this is the epitome of unreliability!
My highest recommendation!
*ARC from publisher.*
July 6, 2024
Oh my! I have so many conflicting emotions swirling in my heart! I felt terrified, rattled, and deeply disturbed while reading this book. There were parts that I found distasteful and irritating, but the creativity and uniqueness also left me in awe. If this horror movie script were adapted for the big screen, it would undoubtedly be one of the most soul-crushingly terrifying experiences for viewers, leaving them talking about it for days, sleeping with the lights on, and hiding under their blankets at every creaking sound, fearing that Thin Kid might be lurking in their room.
This slow-burn book, which could be considered a short novel or novella, defied my expectations as an avid reader. I anticipated finishing it in a few hours, but the dense material required more time to absorb fully. After reading a few chapters, I found myself allowing the themes to percolate in my mind like a complex coffee blend, taking days to fully appreciate. The scenes from the movie played over and over in my mind, creating a hellishly scary experience. Despite its slow pace, the narrative structure, shifting between different timelines to reflect Thin Kid's perspective—now a middle-aged man revisiting his past—added depth to the eerie atmosphere. The fragments of the original script and present-day production process were like scattered puzzle pieces, gradually revealing the bloody history of the cursed movie.
The main storyline revolves around the remake of the infamous "Horror Movie," originally filmed in 1993, featuring four main characters: Valentina (also the director), Cleo (the screenwriter), Karson (the male lead), and Thin Kid (a mysterious, masked figure experimented on to become a monstrous creature). Traumatic incidents on the set hinted at throughout the reading, with only three scenes from the cursed movie resurfacing online years later, leading to the idea of a remake 30 years later, involving the sole survivor, the actor who played Thin Kid, and a new generation of cast and crew. As the narrative unfolds, we piece together the clues surrounding the old movie set, becoming increasingly disturbed and unsettled by the events.
Without revealing too much, I can honestly say that this book offers a profound analysis of the monsters hidden within human beings. It's raw, bleak, dark, and terrifyingly sinister, with the most horrifying aspect being the realistic portrayal of evil incarnate in the human mind. It's certainly not for everyone, and if you're not prepared to confront your deepest fears and endure sleepless nights, this book may not be suited to you.
I award this book four disturbing, insomnia-inducing stars and bid farewell, ready to embrace more sleepless nights.
Many thanks to NetGalley and William Morrow for providing me with this digital review copy in exchange for my honest thoughts.
Follow me on medium.com to read my articles about books, movies, streaming series, astrology:
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This slow-burn book, which could be considered a short novel or novella, defied my expectations as an avid reader. I anticipated finishing it in a few hours, but the dense material required more time to absorb fully. After reading a few chapters, I found myself allowing the themes to percolate in my mind like a complex coffee blend, taking days to fully appreciate. The scenes from the movie played over and over in my mind, creating a hellishly scary experience. Despite its slow pace, the narrative structure, shifting between different timelines to reflect Thin Kid's perspective—now a middle-aged man revisiting his past—added depth to the eerie atmosphere. The fragments of the original script and present-day production process were like scattered puzzle pieces, gradually revealing the bloody history of the cursed movie.
The main storyline revolves around the remake of the infamous "Horror Movie," originally filmed in 1993, featuring four main characters: Valentina (also the director), Cleo (the screenwriter), Karson (the male lead), and Thin Kid (a mysterious, masked figure experimented on to become a monstrous creature). Traumatic incidents on the set hinted at throughout the reading, with only three scenes from the cursed movie resurfacing online years later, leading to the idea of a remake 30 years later, involving the sole survivor, the actor who played Thin Kid, and a new generation of cast and crew. As the narrative unfolds, we piece together the clues surrounding the old movie set, becoming increasingly disturbed and unsettled by the events.
Without revealing too much, I can honestly say that this book offers a profound analysis of the monsters hidden within human beings. It's raw, bleak, dark, and terrifyingly sinister, with the most horrifying aspect being the realistic portrayal of evil incarnate in the human mind. It's certainly not for everyone, and if you're not prepared to confront your deepest fears and endure sleepless nights, this book may not be suited to you.
I award this book four disturbing, insomnia-inducing stars and bid farewell, ready to embrace more sleepless nights.
Many thanks to NetGalley and William Morrow for providing me with this digital review copy in exchange for my honest thoughts.
Follow me on medium.com to read my articles about books, movies, streaming series, astrology:
medium blog
twitter<
July 13, 2024
So, imagine your favorite movie actor diving headfirst into his bad man role—and I mean really diving in. He takes it way too seriously, giving off some seriously creepy vibes. The story moves at a slow burn. Good story, nice plot, just needed a bit more speed.
May 19, 2024
Horror Movie by Paul Tremblay would make a perfect horror movie! Seriously, it would. This book is a little bit of an enigma. It took me some time to wrap my mind around it. This book is a slow burn and I struggled with it initially. But then it won me over! The unsettling quality of this book, the struggle to wrap my mind around it, and the perspective of the surviving cast member of the film crew proved to be a unique, riveting, and mind blowing reading experience. 📖
June 1993 - A group of filmmakers make an art house horror movie titled Horror Movie. The movie was fraught with incidents and only three scenes were released to the public making it a fan/cult favorite.🎬
Now, three decades later, Hollywood is hoping to cash in on a reboot. “The Thin Kid”, the surviving cast member is going to be involved in remaking the film......🎥
As I mentioned, this was a slow burn and yet I could not look away. This was a book that at times I wasn't even sure that I was enjoying while reading. I kept changing my mind, I liked it, I didn't like it, I was impressed by it, I wasn't sure about it, I thought it was brilliant, etc. Horror Movie is unnerving, unsettling, unreliable, shocking, riveting, horrific, and creepy. All the things that I enjoy in horror books and movies.🎥📓
Paul Tremblay is a gifted writer and flexes his skills in this book. He does a tremendous job of creating atmosphere, tension, dread, and unease in this book. This book is highly original, well thought out, and I will say it one last time, unsettling.😮
Thank you to William Morrow and NetGalley who provided me with a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review. All the thoughts and opinions are my own.
Read more of my reviews at www.openbookposts.com 📖
June 1993 - A group of filmmakers make an art house horror movie titled Horror Movie. The movie was fraught with incidents and only three scenes were released to the public making it a fan/cult favorite.🎬
Now, three decades later, Hollywood is hoping to cash in on a reboot. “The Thin Kid”, the surviving cast member is going to be involved in remaking the film......🎥
As I mentioned, this was a slow burn and yet I could not look away. This was a book that at times I wasn't even sure that I was enjoying while reading. I kept changing my mind, I liked it, I didn't like it, I was impressed by it, I wasn't sure about it, I thought it was brilliant, etc. Horror Movie is unnerving, unsettling, unreliable, shocking, riveting, horrific, and creepy. All the things that I enjoy in horror books and movies.🎥📓
Paul Tremblay is a gifted writer and flexes his skills in this book. He does a tremendous job of creating atmosphere, tension, dread, and unease in this book. This book is highly original, well thought out, and I will say it one last time, unsettling.😮
Thank you to William Morrow and NetGalley who provided me with a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review. All the thoughts and opinions are my own.
Read more of my reviews at www.openbookposts.com 📖
June 29, 2024
TW/CW: Language, bullying, body shaming, peer pressure, abuse, gory scenes, blood, violence, cancer
*****SPOILERS*****
About the book:
In June 1993, a group of young guerilla filmmakers spent four weeks making Horror Movie, a notorious, disturbing, art-house horror flick.
The weird part? Only three of the film’s scenes were ever released to the public, but Horror Movie has nevertheless grown a rabid fanbase. Three decades later, Hollywood is pushing for a big budget reboot.
The man who played “The Thin Kid” is the only surviving cast member. He remembers all too well the secrets buried within the original screenplay, the bizarre events of the filming, and the dangerous crossed lines on set that resulted in tragedy. As memories flood back in, the boundaries between reality and film, past and present start to blur. But he’s going to help remake the film, even if it means navigating a world of cynical producers, egomaniacal directors, and surreal fan conventions — demons of the past be damned.
Release Date: June 11th, 2024
Genre: Horror
Pages: 288
Rating: ⭐ (I wish negative stars were a thing)
What I Liked:
1. Love the VHS cover
2. Reads fast
What I Didn't Like:
1. I hate the writing style
2. Screenplay inside book
3. Repetitive
4. Book rambles
5. Characters are just bad
Overall Thoughts:
{{Disclaimer: I write my review as I read}}
Completely not enjoying reading the screenplay in this book. So far it's taking me out the story I'm currently suppose to be reading. It's making me remember how much I hated his other book; The Pallbearers Club and you had to read a memior inside a book.
Honestly I wish this was just the story of the Thin kid and not this weird 4th wall story.
So Thin kid's parents are trying to find him but why do they keep calling Karson, Cleo, and Valentino? Was it a known fact they were friends with him? No where (yet) has it been mentioned they are friends and this seems like the first time they've hung out.
Page 100 and I really hope something happens because so far I am bored.
"Not really. I mean, some people are going to think what they do to the Thin Kid is because of their classmates, and that’s fine. But I don’t really care about motivation. Neither do you, Cleo. We talked about how the teens do it because they can and because they’re inexplicably driven to do it and the viewers will be driven to ask why why why and not have a clear, easy answer. That’s what’s scary, that’s why I want to make this movie."
Of course it'll an ambiguous reasoning.
I don't care for reading about the story in screenplay format and the next chapter having to read about the exact same scene, but behind the scenes. It's so repetitive.
We find out that these people associated with the movie all died;
• Karson (car accident)
• Valentina (pancreatic cancer)
• Mel (drowned)
• Dan (massive coronary)
They all died at different times and different years making it feel less creepy. When reading about this dude being the last one alive - the survivor you assume it all happened during the flimimg, but it's not. I guess we still need to find out what happened to Cleo.
Karson accidentally cuts off thin kids finger but I have questions. Did they really shove his real finger in his mouth? Was that his line to say; "oh god", "why", and "I'm sorry" apart of the script or improvised at having his finger cut off? I can't imagine staying in character enough after having a finger cut off.
Omg I still have another 132 pages left of this book. Sigh.
The only mystery in this book is the ending and finding out the final scene with the unnamed character and Cleo.
How was there a cult following for a movie already if no one ever saw it before?
I still bored. Wanna dnf this....
Karson's death just rambles on and on with the author repeating "some of us" and I just wanted to rip my hair out.
We do learn that actually unnamed dude didn't lose his finger the night of filming, but on the day he went to see Valentina. She cut it off with a knife. So what was the point of telling us that it was really cut off on scene?
So Cleo knew the chainsaw had its chain on and during the fight scene with thin kid sits up or pulls the chainsaw into her neck? So did they continue filming afterwards? The rest of the scene has them walking away from the body but is this the take that used? They say they called the police after the accident happened but did they? I know some of the scenes were filmed out of order because it's what they said in the beginning does that mean the ending was filmed first before the death or they just continued on after her death?
That's the ending? The Thin kid just kills the new Thin kid. Now he's picked up the personality of the monster.
Final Thoughts:
Was this book good? Answer no. This book was so boring and dry. I was taken out of this book so much having to read the screenplay that I didn't care about anyone. Also nothing happens. Everything feels so removed from this book that it's just so boring. The writing style was atrocious. The characters were these not like other people kind of attitude.
I had a hard time wrapping my mind around why this movie would have a cult following. The story is absolutely dreadful and completely basic. There's no mystery in it really because the screenplay was released by the actual creator, so I had a hard time understanding where the mystery and cult following came from.
I feel like I left this book with a lot of questions and there were some plot holes. How did everybody know who the Thin kid was if no one ever saw his face? How did we even know that thin kid that we're listening to is the real thin kid in the movie?
I ended up skimming the end of the book so the last 30 pages and that was a struggle. I'm going to go ahead and say this was the worst book I've read of 2024, so far.
Say that this book is a horror book is grasping at straws. This reads more like a thriller than a horror book.
IG | Blog
Thanks to Netgalley and HarperCollins Publishing for this advanced copy of the book. All thoughts and opinions are my own.
*****SPOILERS*****
About the book:
In June 1993, a group of young guerilla filmmakers spent four weeks making Horror Movie, a notorious, disturbing, art-house horror flick.
The weird part? Only three of the film’s scenes were ever released to the public, but Horror Movie has nevertheless grown a rabid fanbase. Three decades later, Hollywood is pushing for a big budget reboot.
The man who played “The Thin Kid” is the only surviving cast member. He remembers all too well the secrets buried within the original screenplay, the bizarre events of the filming, and the dangerous crossed lines on set that resulted in tragedy. As memories flood back in, the boundaries between reality and film, past and present start to blur. But he’s going to help remake the film, even if it means navigating a world of cynical producers, egomaniacal directors, and surreal fan conventions — demons of the past be damned.
Release Date: June 11th, 2024
Genre: Horror
Pages: 288
Rating: ⭐ (I wish negative stars were a thing)
What I Liked:
1. Love the VHS cover
2. Reads fast
What I Didn't Like:
1. I hate the writing style
2. Screenplay inside book
3. Repetitive
4. Book rambles
5. Characters are just bad
Overall Thoughts:
{{Disclaimer: I write my review as I read}}
Completely not enjoying reading the screenplay in this book. So far it's taking me out the story I'm currently suppose to be reading. It's making me remember how much I hated his other book; The Pallbearers Club and you had to read a memior inside a book.
Honestly I wish this was just the story of the Thin kid and not this weird 4th wall story.
So Thin kid's parents are trying to find him but why do they keep calling Karson, Cleo, and Valentino? Was it a known fact they were friends with him? No where (yet) has it been mentioned they are friends and this seems like the first time they've hung out.
Page 100 and I really hope something happens because so far I am bored.
"Not really. I mean, some people are going to think what they do to the Thin Kid is because of their classmates, and that’s fine. But I don’t really care about motivation. Neither do you, Cleo. We talked about how the teens do it because they can and because they’re inexplicably driven to do it and the viewers will be driven to ask why why why and not have a clear, easy answer. That’s what’s scary, that’s why I want to make this movie."
Of course it'll an ambiguous reasoning.
I don't care for reading about the story in screenplay format and the next chapter having to read about the exact same scene, but behind the scenes. It's so repetitive.
We find out that these people associated with the movie all died;
• Karson (car accident)
• Valentina (pancreatic cancer)
• Mel (drowned)
• Dan (massive coronary)
They all died at different times and different years making it feel less creepy. When reading about this dude being the last one alive - the survivor you assume it all happened during the flimimg, but it's not. I guess we still need to find out what happened to Cleo.
Karson accidentally cuts off thin kids finger but I have questions. Did they really shove his real finger in his mouth? Was that his line to say; "oh god", "why", and "I'm sorry" apart of the script or improvised at having his finger cut off? I can't imagine staying in character enough after having a finger cut off.
Omg I still have another 132 pages left of this book. Sigh.
The only mystery in this book is the ending and finding out the final scene with the unnamed character and Cleo.
How was there a cult following for a movie already if no one ever saw it before?
I still bored. Wanna dnf this....
Karson's death just rambles on and on with the author repeating "some of us" and I just wanted to rip my hair out.
We do learn that actually unnamed dude didn't lose his finger the night of filming, but on the day he went to see Valentina. She cut it off with a knife. So what was the point of telling us that it was really cut off on scene?
So Cleo knew the chainsaw had its chain on and during the fight scene with thin kid sits up or pulls the chainsaw into her neck? So did they continue filming afterwards? The rest of the scene has them walking away from the body but is this the take that used? They say they called the police after the accident happened but did they? I know some of the scenes were filmed out of order because it's what they said in the beginning does that mean the ending was filmed first before the death or they just continued on after her death?
That's the ending? The Thin kid just kills the new Thin kid. Now he's picked up the personality of the monster.
Final Thoughts:
Was this book good? Answer no. This book was so boring and dry. I was taken out of this book so much having to read the screenplay that I didn't care about anyone. Also nothing happens. Everything feels so removed from this book that it's just so boring. The writing style was atrocious. The characters were these not like other people kind of attitude.
I had a hard time wrapping my mind around why this movie would have a cult following. The story is absolutely dreadful and completely basic. There's no mystery in it really because the screenplay was released by the actual creator, so I had a hard time understanding where the mystery and cult following came from.
I feel like I left this book with a lot of questions and there were some plot holes. How did everybody know who the Thin kid was if no one ever saw his face? How did we even know that thin kid that we're listening to is the real thin kid in the movie?
I ended up skimming the end of the book so the last 30 pages and that was a struggle. I'm going to go ahead and say this was the worst book I've read of 2024, so far.
Say that this book is a horror book is grasping at straws. This reads more like a thriller than a horror book.
IG | Blog
Thanks to Netgalley and HarperCollins Publishing for this advanced copy of the book. All thoughts and opinions are my own.
July 21, 2024
We're all someone's bad guy eventually.
Brilliant. I can't express how much I love this book. IMO, this is Tremblay's best work yet. A Horror Lover's dark and heartbreaking dream.
Additionally, one of the best audiobook productions I have ever experienced and trust me, this is an EXPERIENCE.
It's so funny. I read this book in less than two days over a week ago. At the time that I read it, I hadn't looked at, or listened to, any reviews yet. The whole way through, I knew this was gonna be a 5-star for me.
Additionally, I seriously thought it was going to be a 5-star for everyone. Now that over a week has passed, and this book seems to be everywhere, I have seen a lot of reviews, and admittedly, some of them aren't great.
I was shocked. Am I living in my own little Horror bubble? It's possible. It really is, but regardless, having thought about it more, I can see this might work best for a certain niche market. Luckily, I happen to be a part of that niche.
I'm happy to stake my flag on outlier island and fully anticipate this making my Best Books of 2024 list. I'm already excited to read it again someday.
I loved how it was constructed. From the present perspective, that had a confessional feel to it, to the actual screenplay sections, to the flashbacks of making the movie, I found it all so gripping. It felt like an origin story to me, but was equally a love letter to this oft misunderstood genre.
I loved the idea of the whole low-budget movie-making process and even though, only certain scenes were released, that it still managed to turn into a cult-sensation even decades later. That's absolutely something that would happen in the Horror community.
I also liked the idea of the movie itself being cursed. Our narrator is actually the only surviving member of the original production. This brought to mind Poltergeist and the curse that is said to surround the making of that trilogy.
For me, Poltergeist, which originally released in 1982, is part of that golden age of Horror cinema. It's the first movie that genuinely traumatized me as a child, instilling in me an ever present fear of clowns, and I love it so much not in spite of that, but because of that.
In my opinion, this is a good fit for Readers who end up loving I Was a Teenage Slasher by Stephen Graham Jones, a book I absolutely loved a couple months back.
Basically for me, these two books felt a bit like Tremblay and SGJ had a conversation, maybe about the origins and influences in modern Horror, maybe about why we are attracted to and love Horror, or maybe on how Horror seems to be having a resurgence at the moment...
And then they both walked away from the conversation, inspired to a degree, and wrote books encapsulating those themes. Obviously, I am not saying that's ACTUALLY what happened, but I felt, as a life-long Horror Lover, seen by these books, validated by them in a way.
They both examine so many different aspects of the genre, or why people may be drawn to it, and they both contained so much heart. They may be dark hearts, but they're there nonetheless and both books broke mine.
I would recommend this to everyone who thinks it sounds interesting. Give it a shot. Go in knowing as little as possible. The synopsis really says everything you need to know about the plot. I feel like it's a pretty even mix on opinions right now, so you could end up loving it as much as I did.
Also, I cannot recommend enough reading a physical copy while listening to the audiobook simultaneously. It's a very unique reading experience and should be attempted if you do have access to both formats.
In summation, (haha) I think Paul Tremblay is a genius.
I love his imagination, his dark humor, his ability to write characters that I care about and the fact that he keeps surprising me. I find his stories smart, gripping and unpredictable. I look forward to whatever he gives us next!!
Brilliant. I can't express how much I love this book. IMO, this is Tremblay's best work yet. A Horror Lover's dark and heartbreaking dream.
Additionally, one of the best audiobook productions I have ever experienced and trust me, this is an EXPERIENCE.
It's so funny. I read this book in less than two days over a week ago. At the time that I read it, I hadn't looked at, or listened to, any reviews yet. The whole way through, I knew this was gonna be a 5-star for me.
Additionally, I seriously thought it was going to be a 5-star for everyone. Now that over a week has passed, and this book seems to be everywhere, I have seen a lot of reviews, and admittedly, some of them aren't great.
I was shocked. Am I living in my own little Horror bubble? It's possible. It really is, but regardless, having thought about it more, I can see this might work best for a certain niche market. Luckily, I happen to be a part of that niche.
I'm happy to stake my flag on outlier island and fully anticipate this making my Best Books of 2024 list. I'm already excited to read it again someday.
I loved how it was constructed. From the present perspective, that had a confessional feel to it, to the actual screenplay sections, to the flashbacks of making the movie, I found it all so gripping. It felt like an origin story to me, but was equally a love letter to this oft misunderstood genre.
I loved the idea of the whole low-budget movie-making process and even though, only certain scenes were released, that it still managed to turn into a cult-sensation even decades later. That's absolutely something that would happen in the Horror community.
I also liked the idea of the movie itself being cursed. Our narrator is actually the only surviving member of the original production. This brought to mind Poltergeist and the curse that is said to surround the making of that trilogy.
For me, Poltergeist, which originally released in 1982, is part of that golden age of Horror cinema. It's the first movie that genuinely traumatized me as a child, instilling in me an ever present fear of clowns, and I love it so much not in spite of that, but because of that.
In my opinion, this is a good fit for Readers who end up loving I Was a Teenage Slasher by Stephen Graham Jones, a book I absolutely loved a couple months back.
Basically for me, these two books felt a bit like Tremblay and SGJ had a conversation, maybe about the origins and influences in modern Horror, maybe about why we are attracted to and love Horror, or maybe on how Horror seems to be having a resurgence at the moment...
And then they both walked away from the conversation, inspired to a degree, and wrote books encapsulating those themes. Obviously, I am not saying that's ACTUALLY what happened, but I felt, as a life-long Horror Lover, seen by these books, validated by them in a way.
They both examine so many different aspects of the genre, or why people may be drawn to it, and they both contained so much heart. They may be dark hearts, but they're there nonetheless and both books broke mine.
I would recommend this to everyone who thinks it sounds interesting. Give it a shot. Go in knowing as little as possible. The synopsis really says everything you need to know about the plot. I feel like it's a pretty even mix on opinions right now, so you could end up loving it as much as I did.
Also, I cannot recommend enough reading a physical copy while listening to the audiobook simultaneously. It's a very unique reading experience and should be attempted if you do have access to both formats.
In summation, (haha) I think Paul Tremblay is a genius.
I love his imagination, his dark humor, his ability to write characters that I care about and the fact that he keeps surprising me. I find his stories smart, gripping and unpredictable. I look forward to whatever he gives us next!!
June 13, 2024
Oh boy, am I going to get shit for this one. I was so bored during this story. I loved Survivor Song but this - the format, the characterisation (felt there was next to none character development), how it felt like you were reading forever and getting absolutely nowhere. I know that I'm in the minority here but I just didn't think it was anything special. The lost horror movie trope has been done to death and I don't think it brought anything fresh.
I didn't like any of the characters, all shallow and one dimensional. I hated them all. Motivations weren't clear and felt the story got really jumbled at one point.
The script format was annoying. I wasn't really sure what the point of the story was? It wasn't all that clear.
I didn't like any of the characters, all shallow and one dimensional. I hated them all. Motivations weren't clear and felt the story got really jumbled at one point.
The script format was annoying. I wasn't really sure what the point of the story was? It wasn't all that clear.
June 25, 2024
I think there is something wrong with Paul Tremblay. Mentally, psychologically, perhaps even spiritually. There is some evidence, based on his writing, that Tremblay may not be technically human. There is something alien or demonic lurking beneath and between the words he puts on the page.
That said, Tremblay is one of the coolest fucking horror writers writing in the field currently. Nobody else is doing anything like what he is doing. And I say that with a love and respect for a lot of great contemporary horror writers: Stephen Graham Jones, T. Kingfisher, Grady Hendrix, Cassandra Khaw, Joe Hill, Sarah Gailey. Just to name a few.
Tremblay’s latest novel, “Horror Movie” is, like most of his books and short stories, a veritable mind-fuck. It works on so many levels, and can be enjoyed on so many levels, but it digs deep under the skin and gestates for a long time, often giving birth to really uncomfortable and horrible little thoughts that eat tunnels of madness in your brain.
He’s also fun. Brain-devouringly fun.
There is no way that I can describe or summarize this novel without giving spoilers, so I won’t even try.
Instead, I’ll just say that it is the following: a thoughtful examination of the horror genre, a deconstruction of teen slasher films, an homage/critique of horror film fan(atic)s, a moving account of teen angst and suicidal ideation, a castigation of youth, extremely gory and fucked up.
Tremblay, you are one brilliant, insane son of a bitch.
That said, Tremblay is one of the coolest fucking horror writers writing in the field currently. Nobody else is doing anything like what he is doing. And I say that with a love and respect for a lot of great contemporary horror writers: Stephen Graham Jones, T. Kingfisher, Grady Hendrix, Cassandra Khaw, Joe Hill, Sarah Gailey. Just to name a few.
Tremblay’s latest novel, “Horror Movie” is, like most of his books and short stories, a veritable mind-fuck. It works on so many levels, and can be enjoyed on so many levels, but it digs deep under the skin and gestates for a long time, often giving birth to really uncomfortable and horrible little thoughts that eat tunnels of madness in your brain.
He’s also fun. Brain-devouringly fun.
There is no way that I can describe or summarize this novel without giving spoilers, so I won’t even try.
Instead, I’ll just say that it is the following: a thoughtful examination of the horror genre, a deconstruction of teen slasher films, an homage/critique of horror film fan(atic)s, a moving account of teen angst and suicidal ideation, a castigation of youth, extremely gory and fucked up.
Tremblay, you are one brilliant, insane son of a bitch.
Shelved as 'tbr-arc'
May 19, 2024wowwwww after entering literally thousands of goodreads giveaways i finally won one
July 8, 2024
yapper yapperson manages to say nothing in 277 pages
July 17, 2024
A couple of young filmmakers have decided to make a movie called, Horror Movie. During the filming a death occurs. The film never gets released except for three small clips that were uploaded to Youtube. People claim the movie is cursed somehow since most of the crew members have also died since the filming. Needless to say this gives the non-film a cult following. So when they decide to make a reboot of the film decades later, The Thin Kid, as he was known in the original movie, now in his fifties, decides to reprise the role. Will the movie see the light of day this time around? You'll have to read this to find out.
This was one of my most highly anticipated books of the year so I'm a little bummed to tell you all that this was simply okay. Not terrible, I finished it after all, but far from great in my opinion. I never once found this scary or even creepy. A couple of unsettling scenes, sure, but nothing that would cause chills or heart palpitations. Most of the book reads as a screenplay and perhaps that's why I just couldn't get fully engaged. Maybe the unlikable characters kept me from being fully invested. I don't know. I think I loved the concept of the book more so than the actual execution.
A lot of readers have described this as a real mind-fuck of a novel which is why I stuck with it waiting for that jaw dropping moment. If you know me and my reading habits at all then you know how I love mind-fuckery in my books. However, when the ending finally rolled around, I didn't find it all that surprising in the least. The *WOW* moment for me failed to occur and my mind remains completely unfucked. Dammit! 3 stars.
Thanks to Overdrive for the loan!
This was one of my most highly anticipated books of the year so I'm a little bummed to tell you all that this was simply okay. Not terrible, I finished it after all, but far from great in my opinion. I never once found this scary or even creepy. A couple of unsettling scenes, sure, but nothing that would cause chills or heart palpitations. Most of the book reads as a screenplay and perhaps that's why I just couldn't get fully engaged. Maybe the unlikable characters kept me from being fully invested. I don't know. I think I loved the concept of the book more so than the actual execution.
A lot of readers have described this as a real mind-fuck of a novel which is why I stuck with it waiting for that jaw dropping moment. If you know me and my reading habits at all then you know how I love mind-fuckery in my books. However, when the ending finally rolled around, I didn't find it all that surprising in the least. The *WOW* moment for me failed to occur and my mind remains completely unfucked. Dammit! 3 stars.
Thanks to Overdrive for the loan!
July 6, 2024
I don't want to discuss the story; just read it and try to avoid spoilers before you do. This is my fourth Tremblay book. I love how he has no problem subverting expectations about narrative delivery and the types of endings we have come to expect. I also have to admit: I made a mistake only giving A Head Full of Ghosts four stars. I had just created my GR account and quickly listed and ranked all of my most recent books. It's been a couple of years now, and I've never forgotten it. It's a five-star for sure. Horror Movie is about as good but very different, for which I am grateful. I'm looking forward to reading everything else and all that is to come. Fan for life by this point. As for this book I will say this...abandoned schools are creepy as fuck. I used to drive by one after band practice back in the day. I wouldn't go into one for anything.
December 18, 2023
"My theory is that we’re in hell. Some of us are demons and some of us make demons because we don’t know what else to do."
This was one book that I went into blind. I saw the title and cover and was automatically sold. Then I spotted the author and sold my soul for an early copy. Holy shit! You all are in for a wild ride through hell!
I finished this book last week and I still get chills thinking about it. The way this was written had my full attention and I found myself thinking about this book and "The Thin Kid" in the most bizarre times during the day. It honestly consumed my life. Then I finished this and I was in shock. That ending was like nothing I had ever read before. It ripped my soul apart and I had to reread the last couple of chapters. All I can really say is, Fuck!! You all better prepare yourself for the horror masterpiece that is about to fall into your laps.
This was one book that I went into blind. I saw the title and cover and was automatically sold. Then I spotted the author and sold my soul for an early copy. Holy shit! You all are in for a wild ride through hell!
I finished this book last week and I still get chills thinking about it. The way this was written had my full attention and I found myself thinking about this book and "The Thin Kid" in the most bizarre times during the day. It honestly consumed my life. Then I finished this and I was in shock. That ending was like nothing I had ever read before. It ripped my soul apart and I had to reread the last couple of chapters. All I can really say is, Fuck!! You all better prepare yourself for the horror masterpiece that is about to fall into your laps.
June 26, 2024
The whole was barely a sum of its parts.
June 22, 2024
Like all of Tremblay's works, Horror Movie is well written, entertaining, and clings to your psyche a little longer than the average tale.
The Thin Kid sounds human, though. Never once does he sound like an animal bleating. He sounds human, terribly human.
The story is told to us through a 90's original movie script as well as the narrator describing the behind the scenes and aftermath. The screenplay itself is dark, and while I'd love to see it turn into a real movie (kind of a twisted slasher), I doubt the book would translate well.
Horror Movie is thoughtful and won't be for everyone, especially those looking for the generic slash and burn books. But it was everything I wanted it to be.
5 chainsaws.
The Thin Kid sounds human, though. Never once does he sound like an animal bleating. He sounds human, terribly human.
The story is told to us through a 90's original movie script as well as the narrator describing the behind the scenes and aftermath. The screenplay itself is dark, and while I'd love to see it turn into a real movie (kind of a twisted slasher), I doubt the book would translate well.
Horror Movie is thoughtful and won't be for everyone, especially those looking for the generic slash and burn books. But it was everything I wanted it to be.
5 chainsaws.
June 10, 2024
Another solid entry by Paul Tremblay. Another creepy book with an absolutely wild ending. I’m still trying to figure out exactly what that ending means, which is exactly what I love about Paul Tremblay. He’s not in it to just creep you out, he wants to make his readers think about his stories.
And trust me, I was creeped out. This book hits all of those notes without being overly graphic or gory. It’s the psychological scares and mysterious nature of The Thin Kid that keeps building and building.
There are at least three timelines here, but you could possibly count up to five of them. So it can be a challenge to follow at times, but I found that once you get about 20% in, they all become fairly easy to track.
I loved the similarities between this and A Head Full of Ghosts. Between the possession documentary and the cursed film set, there’s something about the creation of film, the lengths people go through for money/art, that allows Tremblay to speak to what kind of real horrors can drive these people insane outside of any kind of supernatural entity.
And trust me, I was creeped out. This book hits all of those notes without being overly graphic or gory. It’s the psychological scares and mysterious nature of The Thin Kid that keeps building and building.
There are at least three timelines here, but you could possibly count up to five of them. So it can be a challenge to follow at times, but I found that once you get about 20% in, they all become fairly easy to track.
I loved the similarities between this and A Head Full of Ghosts. Between the possession documentary and the cursed film set, there’s something about the creation of film, the lengths people go through for money/art, that allows Tremblay to speak to what kind of real horrors can drive these people insane outside of any kind of supernatural entity.
June 25, 2024
For a book called Horror Movie, there’s precious little here in the way of tension or horror… and if you have the resolve to see it out til the end, you’ll be met with a self-indulgent circle jerk where author Paul Tremblay rolls his eyes—literally and metaphorically—at the horror genre. He’s jaded, you see, by the state of horror today. If only it wasn’t so CRASS and OBVIOUS; if only it was smarter and more high-brow! Such a tragedy for him, I’m sure. I, on the other hand, nearly chipped a tooth gritting my jaw in ever-increasing fury as Tremblay’s head wended its way further and further up his own literary ass just to declare how delectable his farts smell.
June 23, 2024
After long internal debate, I’ve finally decided for my peace of mind that I actually don’t know exactly what Tremblay wanted to get across in this book.
And I think that’s okay. For me though, it’s about monsters. That they exist. Whether or not they have green scales and claws. They can exist just as everyday people that go about daily life. They don’t have to have a wild origin story. They can just come to be by the smallest influence- by others you may call friends or just from the grace of existing in this peculiar world.
I loved the screenplay element of this book! It really lets the reader visualize each scene impeccably and added suspense by only giving us a scene at a time and making us wait for more with twiddling thumbs.
I could go on to analyze Tremblay’s every word like I’m back in AP Lit, but I won’t. I loved this book and loved that it could mean different things to different people. And, of course- it was utterly terrifying! 3.5 stars.
And I think that’s okay. For me though, it’s about monsters. That they exist. Whether or not they have green scales and claws. They can exist just as everyday people that go about daily life. They don’t have to have a wild origin story. They can just come to be by the smallest influence- by others you may call friends or just from the grace of existing in this peculiar world.
I loved the screenplay element of this book! It really lets the reader visualize each scene impeccably and added suspense by only giving us a scene at a time and making us wait for more with twiddling thumbs.
I could go on to analyze Tremblay’s every word like I’m back in AP Lit, but I won’t. I loved this book and loved that it could mean different things to different people. And, of course- it was utterly terrifying! 3.5 stars.
July 11, 2024
**Won in a Goodreads Giveaway**
In 1993, wannabe filmmakers Valentina and Cleo enlist some of their friends and acquaintances to help make a low-budget horror movie. Due to an on-set tragedy, the film, although completed, is never released and becomes the subject of morbid curiosity and rumor. Fifteen years later, after three scenes from the original film and the full script are leaked online, Hollywood takes an interest in a “reboot.” The only surviving cast member, referred to in the past and present only as the “Thin Kid,” hits the horror convention circuits and starts taking meetings with the movers and shakers of LA as a consultant on the proposed new iteration of “Horror Movie.”
Although I avoided reading reviews of Paul Tremblay’s Horror Movie until I had a chance to pick it up myself, the description of the book and the pre-release chatter had me thinking that there was going to be some kind of supernatural evil element involved. I guess I was envisioning something like if the “Blair Witch Project” never released as a full movie, but just became something of legend and lore based on rumors about it being a cursed “real” film. The evil that transpires in the original “Horror Movie” of Tremblay’s book is of an entirely different nature. And that’s fine, that’s my incorrect expectations not any obligation of the author, but it probably accounts for some of the reason I found this book to be a little bit of a let-down.
Horror Movie is presented to the reader through three different timelines, as well as a big portion of the book being devoted to the original script written by Cleo. This makes for a quick and fast-paced read. There were some effectively creepy scenes detailed in the throwback segments, and despite my disappointment that the evil here is of a more mundane variety than I was expecting, the film as described is still something I would be interested in watching. I’m just not convinced that it’s the original, groundbreaking work of genius that all of the characters in this book seem to think it is. And the Thin Kid himself as the MC is a weird and insufferable blend of sad sack and inflated ego that had me rolling my eyes quite a bit at the end. Overall, this book was just okay for me.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
May 28, 2024
You mean to tell me I spent the whole book waiting for something truly crazy to happen and it just... never happened - zero payoff reading this
this is interjected with a screenplay and can I just say I really don't think it would make a very good film if it were to be actually made because the whole time you're just wondering why
idk maybe I'm missing something here
this is interjected with a screenplay and can I just say I really don't think it would make a very good film if it were to be actually made because the whole time you're just wondering why
idk maybe I'm missing something here
January 29, 2024
I didn’t like any of the four actors so i didn’t care about what happened to them.
-Cleo plans her suicide for all to be traumatized by.
-Valentina is a tyrant who thinks she knows everything and won’t take advice even though she’s never made a movie before.
-Karson has zero personality so who can care about him?
-The Thin Kid is the perfect example of the overbearing jerk who forces you to acknowledge him with his lame jokes and annoying behavior. Be nice to that guy or he’ll kill you.
I guess that’s what’s making me angry. The Thin Kid, life’s obnoxious blow hard, triumphs in the end. Let’s get those chainsaw laws in order, people lol.
-Cleo plans her suicide for all to be traumatized by.
-Valentina is a tyrant who thinks she knows everything and won’t take advice even though she’s never made a movie before.
-Karson has zero personality so who can care about him?
-The Thin Kid is the perfect example of the overbearing jerk who forces you to acknowledge him with his lame jokes and annoying behavior. Be nice to that guy or he’ll kill you.
I guess that’s what’s making me angry. The Thin Kid, life’s obnoxious blow hard, triumphs in the end. Let’s get those chainsaw laws in order, people lol.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
April 11, 2024
Star review in the April 15, 2024 issue of Booklist and on the blog with bonus info: https://raforall.blogspot.com/2024/04... [link live on 4/12 at 7am central]
Click through of so many notes and comments that go way deeper than the 200 words I was given for the published review.
Three Words That Describe This Book: cursed film, disturbing, immersive
From Draft Review: Tremblay returns with a terrifying novel about the creation of art and its effect on all it touches....
.....An immersive reading experience that will forever alter the way those who encounter it watch any Horror movie, ever again. For fans of the cursed film trope like in The Remaking by Chapman or How To Make a Horror Movie and Survive by DiLouie, but it pairs even better with the menacing, intricately plotted, and unputdownable storytelling of Catriona Ward.
Click through of so many notes and comments that go way deeper than the 200 words I was given for the published review.
Three Words That Describe This Book: cursed film, disturbing, immersive
From Draft Review: Tremblay returns with a terrifying novel about the creation of art and its effect on all it touches....
.....An immersive reading experience that will forever alter the way those who encounter it watch any Horror movie, ever again. For fans of the cursed film trope like in The Remaking by Chapman or How To Make a Horror Movie and Survive by DiLouie, but it pairs even better with the menacing, intricately plotted, and unputdownable storytelling of Catriona Ward.
June 17, 2024
I want to start off first by saying that I do NOT think this book is bad, because it’s not. It’s actually very well put together as I would expect from Paul Tremblay. But in terms of my reading experience story wise I’ll just say that I liked it, I didn’t love it, but I liked it.
This story revolves around this experience of rebooting this film titled “Horror Movie” which was released 30 years prior to the current time frame of this story. However, there’s only one surviving cast member from the original film, the original “Thin Kid”, and this is told mostly from his POV. The original film apparently also had some scenes that were never publicly released, at least not at first. But the psychological horror aspect of this book lies within the past secrets and the current feelings as told by the original thin kid’s POV.
Also, in regards the “cursed” aspect, don’t go into this expecting there to be some ancient evil curse that’s been passed on from generation to generation, lol. No spoilers but let’s just say it serves more of a metaphorical purpose than anything else.
The writing is great, pacing is on the slow side which obviously supports the building of dread as you read the book. But in my opinion, it’s just more unsettling than anything else. Is it scary? To me not so much but that depends if you never read a horror book in your life then probably you would be scared at some parts. I wasn’t on the edge of my seat but It’s still a good creepy story. I just didn’t love it as much as I thought I was going too.
This story revolves around this experience of rebooting this film titled “Horror Movie” which was released 30 years prior to the current time frame of this story. However, there’s only one surviving cast member from the original film, the original “Thin Kid”, and this is told mostly from his POV. The original film apparently also had some scenes that were never publicly released, at least not at first. But the psychological horror aspect of this book lies within the past secrets and the current feelings as told by the original thin kid’s POV.
Also, in regards the “cursed” aspect, don’t go into this expecting there to be some ancient evil curse that’s been passed on from generation to generation, lol. No spoilers but let’s just say it serves more of a metaphorical purpose than anything else.
The writing is great, pacing is on the slow side which obviously supports the building of dread as you read the book. But in my opinion, it’s just more unsettling than anything else. Is it scary? To me not so much but that depends if you never read a horror book in your life then probably you would be scared at some parts. I wasn’t on the edge of my seat but It’s still a good creepy story. I just didn’t love it as much as I thought I was going too.
June 18, 2024
This was one of my most anticipated reads of the year…and I didn’t love it. I appreciate the creativity Tremblay used in the book, creating a movie script within the story; however, the script parts were my least favorite of the book. They’re not written like a traditional screenplay and it was very descriptive/told us character thoughts. I found these passages to be too drawn out and repetitive at times. I also couldn’t imagine why anyone would be obsessed with the movie in a cult like way, aside from people being drawn to the tragedy that happens. The movie they created is incredibly boring.
The characters were also very unlikable and pretentious to me. I think that was the point? Either way, it was difficult to read about them and connect to the main character.
I loved getting to read present day chapters to see how Thin Kid is dealing with the aftermath of what happened and fame from his cult fan base. I loved the concept of Hollywood rebooting this film, but we didn’t get enough of this aspect in the book.
I guess the book is about depression, but I didn’t get a ton of that from the book. I also think it was a commentary on Hollywood reboots, but I think Curse of The Reaper did a much better job with this subject matter.
I do think it’s worth reading. It’s very quick. You might enjoy the movie within a book aspect more than I did.
The characters were also very unlikable and pretentious to me. I think that was the point? Either way, it was difficult to read about them and connect to the main character.
I loved getting to read present day chapters to see how Thin Kid is dealing with the aftermath of what happened and fame from his cult fan base. I loved the concept of Hollywood rebooting this film, but we didn’t get enough of this aspect in the book.
I guess the book is about depression, but I didn’t get a ton of that from the book. I also think it was a commentary on Hollywood reboots, but I think Curse of The Reaper did a much better job with this subject matter.
I do think it’s worth reading. It’s very quick. You might enjoy the movie within a book aspect more than I did.
July 19, 2024
Slasher movie followup to Tremblay's vampire tale in The Pallbearer's Club is sort of a "love it or hate it" read centering on queer male/female relationships. The novel creates a mockumentary film/diary of and about the making of a low-budget slasher horror movie about a character named "The Thin Kid" who is violently bullied and turns into a Freddy Kreuger-clawed monster version of himself and gets revenge. And I don't know how to tell you how Hot Topic emo this book is, it's so cringy and weird and bittersweet that it works. Investigates self-destructive behavior in people with body or gender dysmorphia like a bull in a china shop. It's a horror novel about getting bullied as a child for being skinny told back by an angry adult.
Both times, after reading this and the other book, I have been surprised by the divisive ratings. These books have a queer horror focus which won't be for everyone but the real problem is the writing. It's hard to describe how pretentious, quasi-poetic, and navel-gazey Tremblay can be. The diary entry prose is full of long purple prose conversations about art and death. I liked the themes and thought they were interesting but also I completely understand it if someone thought the plot was stupidly simplistic. The book says "Thin Kid" about a thousand times and talks about his pinky finger for, by my estimate, about twenty pages. If you're a morbid, pretentious, and bitter twat then this book is for you.
Between the two books, I think the story is better than Pallbearer's Club but the characterization in the other book had more depth. If you do read this though, the audiobook is amazing with many multiple readers and puts it on more like a radio program (which makes sense because the book is a mockumentary). Teen bullying (and their effects on adulthood) slasher movie pseudo doc.
Both times, after reading this and the other book, I have been surprised by the divisive ratings. These books have a queer horror focus which won't be for everyone but the real problem is the writing. It's hard to describe how pretentious, quasi-poetic, and navel-gazey Tremblay can be. The diary entry prose is full of long purple prose conversations about art and death. I liked the themes and thought they were interesting but also I completely understand it if someone thought the plot was stupidly simplistic. The book says "Thin Kid" about a thousand times and talks about his pinky finger for, by my estimate, about twenty pages. If you're a morbid, pretentious, and bitter twat then this book is for you.
Between the two books, I think the story is better than Pallbearer's Club but the characterization in the other book had more depth. If you do read this though, the audiobook is amazing with many multiple readers and puts it on more like a radio program (which makes sense because the book is a mockumentary). Teen bullying (and their effects on adulthood) slasher movie pseudo doc.
May 7, 2024
I absolutely cannot resist a ‘lost film’ horror novel, so, although I’ve struggled to get on with Tremblay’s books in the past, I was confident this would work for me. And it did! It’s the story of a cult film simply titled Horror Movie, as told by the only surviving member of its cast: the man who played a nebulous character known as the Thin Kid. I don’t want to describe the plot much beyond that; it’s one of those books best experienced with little knowledge of what is to come. It reminded me a lot of James Han Mattson’s
Reprieve
and John Darnielle’s Devil House, but at the same time, it’s doing almost the opposite of those books; a subversion of a subversion. That’s all I’m saying!
I received an advance review copy of Horror Movie from the publisher through NetGalley.
I received an advance review copy of Horror Movie from the publisher through NetGalley.
June 10, 2024
Please note that I received this book via NetGalley. This did not affect my rating or review.
This was such a slow book with very little character development that just didn’t do it for me in the end.
Full review: I did not have much luck with horror books the past few weeks. I started "Horror Movie" more than a month ago and finally forced myself to finish it so I could move on. Honestly, I almost DNFed it a few times. There was nothing compelling to me about this book.
"Horror Movie" follows the only survivor of a horror movie from the 1990s. The narrator, is the so-called "Thin Kid" who played a kid in a movie called "Horror Movie" that starts to blur the lines between what is acceptable. We follow the back and forth between him in the past filming the movie, and in the present, about to be part of the 'reboot'. And then we also get to read the screenplay that the movie followed.
Eh. This wasn't good. Sorry, I can't really do books written as screenplays. I still to this day, have not read "Storm of the Century" because it started working my nerves too much. And this one wasn't that great because the screenplay gives you character motivations, etc. which I don't think any screenplay really does? I don't know. It just started taking me out after a while and I was so uninterested in it.
And I didn't really get the horror of the whole book/movie. We know upfront there was a tragedy and then it takes about 80 percent before we get there and it made zero sense and I maybe said okay and tried to move on.
The characters are shallow as anything. I didn't like "Thin Kid", Valentina, Cleo, etc. We never get enough time to spend with them to even really get what they are trying to do. The "Thin Kid" motivations for everything seem to change at the drop of a hat and I felt his character was just inconsistent.
The writing was so-so and the flow was pretty bad because of the above jumps between past, present, screenplay.
The ending was nonsensical. Yes, I understand what Tremblay was trying to do, I was just not that impressed with it and felt irritated. I honestly have only ever really enjoyed two of his novels and one stand alone short story. I may just need to move him to, you will never like him that much and stop reading his newest offerings.
This was such a slow book with very little character development that just didn’t do it for me in the end.
Full review: I did not have much luck with horror books the past few weeks. I started "Horror Movie" more than a month ago and finally forced myself to finish it so I could move on. Honestly, I almost DNFed it a few times. There was nothing compelling to me about this book.
"Horror Movie" follows the only survivor of a horror movie from the 1990s. The narrator, is the so-called "Thin Kid" who played a kid in a movie called "Horror Movie" that starts to blur the lines between what is acceptable. We follow the back and forth between him in the past filming the movie, and in the present, about to be part of the 'reboot'. And then we also get to read the screenplay that the movie followed.
Eh. This wasn't good. Sorry, I can't really do books written as screenplays. I still to this day, have not read "Storm of the Century" because it started working my nerves too much. And this one wasn't that great because the screenplay gives you character motivations, etc. which I don't think any screenplay really does? I don't know. It just started taking me out after a while and I was so uninterested in it.
And I didn't really get the horror of the whole book/movie. We know upfront there was a tragedy and then it takes about 80 percent before we get there and it made zero sense and I maybe said okay and tried to move on.
The characters are shallow as anything. I didn't like "Thin Kid", Valentina, Cleo, etc. We never get enough time to spend with them to even really get what they are trying to do. The "Thin Kid" motivations for everything seem to change at the drop of a hat and I felt his character was just inconsistent.
The writing was so-so and the flow was pretty bad because of the above jumps between past, present, screenplay.
The ending was nonsensical. Yes, I understand what Tremblay was trying to do, I was just not that impressed with it and felt irritated. I honestly have only ever really enjoyed two of his novels and one stand alone short story. I may just need to move him to, you will never like him that much and stop reading his newest offerings.
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