2.75 because 3 is too much but 2.5 isn’t enough.

Thank you to NetGalley for a free copy in exchange for an honest review.

This book hurt my heart because I truly love Paul Tremblay but man did I dislike this book. I was bored until about 60% through the book then I was bored but with a sense of the gloomy atmosphere I assume he desired to create.

The ending was pretty okay, especially in comparison to the rest of the book but it’s not worth forcing yourself through this book if you don’t like it from the beginning. This is the type of book that you either love or you don’t. I’d expect the reviews to show that moving forward.

Not liking this book won’t stop me from reading the next Tremblay book though.

An aborted art-house horror movie called <i>Horror Movie</i> was filmed in 1993. If the title seems a little on the nose, it nonetheless reflects some of the attitudes of the filmmakers. The film was never screened but gained a rabid fan base after three scenes were released on YouTube in 2008.
The novel opens with the actor who played the character "The Thin Kid" in the original production taking a meeting with a potential producer for a remake (or reboot) of the film. We discover that he is the only surviving cast member, but the details are revealed gradually over the course of the story, which alternates between scenes set in the present (Now) and in the past (Then). The Then chapters describe the film's making and also include the original script.

The past is the source of all of the mysteries (hinted at throughout). What was the filming process like? Why was the film never released? Why was there a trial? What happened to the rest of the cast and crew? All of these questions are answered in a way that builds tension right up to The End (the final chapter for both Then and Now). The Thin Kid never claimed to be a real actor, but it turns out that he became a true method actor. In the end he and the character are one.

I often dislike a story structure that alternates between time periods like this one does. It can become too predictable and frustrating when the scene shifts just as the action is getting interesting. But Tremblay handles this masterfully here, and the story flows naturally right up to the shocking conclusion.

Thanks to NetGalley for the Advance Reader's Copy.

Captivated me from the first page, and that's rare for me nowadays. As a huge horror movie fan, as well as a feminist fan of female filmmakers (tangent, but related: go see The Substance!), I was perhaps the ideal reader for this book. The narrator, who I will refer to as the Thin Kid (because the book most often does) has a singularly fun voice. He's smart, he's wicked, and he may be a monster -- either of the human kind, or of some other kind. Is he a monster like Frankenstein created by his own Mary Shelley-esque screenwriter, by the specific instructions of his director, or by the abusive treatment of the other characters/actors in his very method-acted movie? Or both? Or neither? Or maybe he's not a monster at all. All these are the fun and devious types of questions you get in good horror movies, and they are also posited in this book. Tremblay is a killer writer, and as the book hurtles towards its inevitable conclusion, which as in all good horror movies is both predictable and not at all predictable, the fun is really in the first-person narration by this exquisite character.

In short, I just finished this book and would already love to read it again. So I guess now I'm off to read everything else Paul Tremblay has ever written.

So much fun.

Received a digital ARC of this book via NetGalley.

This was the first book I’ve read by this author and now I’ll be going back to read everything else they have written. This was an incredibly well written story. I really enjoyed the screenplay aspects and the depth of each of the characters. The internal perspective of the main character was intriguing. Much like the public in the story, I too would enjoy seeing this as a movie.

Tremblay is hit or miss for me. This one fell sort of in the middle. I feel like this would have been better suited to a novella. I liked the story and plot, it just felt like I was reading a lot of filler.

Thank you Netgalley for the ARC! This book was not for me. I didn't find the plot to be interesting.

Thank you to NetGalley for this eARC. Normally, I really enjoy thrillers, but this story was a little one note for me. I found the climax a bit of a let down, but more importantly, I didn't understand the motivations of the characters. Since there is a twist at the end, I don't think the narration led to that twist, if that makes sense. It was creepy, and fun, but it didn't come together at the end for me.

Thank you to Netgalley and the Publishing Company for this Advanced Readers Copy of Horror Movie by Paul Tremblay!

Tremblay is always an auto-read. I often find myself struggling to recommended ONE of his books for first time readers. Each read is vastly different and a new type of horror you did not know would keep you up at night. Horror Movie may be my answer going forward. Horror Movie is a book for fans of horror. Every line is perfectly placed and keeps up the creepy feeling that something is about to happen at any min. Loved this one.

interesting idea, but I found the jumping timeline, with the use of the scripting a bit disjointed. I would have connected better if one style was continuous throughout the book.

There have been a few cursed film and behind the scenes plots lately and this one did it the best. I will continue to recommend this title. Thank you to the publisher for a copy and will add to my home library.

Horror Movie by Paul Tremblay is a chilling psychological thriller about a cursed 1993 horror film with a rabid fanbase despite only a few scenes being released. Thirty years later, the sole surviving cast member, “The Thin Kid,” is tasked with helping remake the film, forcing him to confront dark memories of the original shoot. As the boundaries between past and present blur, the novel builds an eerie, suspenseful atmosphere centered around obsession and trauma.
I enjoyed the past/present shifts in time, however the present-day storyline felt a bit underdeveloped. The inclusion of script portions throughout the book adds to the eerie atmosphere, but was also somewhat distracting and took away from the momentum of the main narrative. While the retro 80s film references and the growing tension around the cursed nature of the movie are intriguing, the pacing falters in the latter half. For those who enjoy a slow-burn psychological thriller and don’t mind a fragmented storytelling style, Horror Movie may be a compelling read. However, for those expecting more action or clarity in the present-day plot, it will likely leave them wanting more.

An excellent book from beginning to the end. Definitely horrifying! The ending will creep me out and give me nightmares for years to come.
Thank you to the publisher and NetGalley for an advanced reader’s copy.

So it took awhile to get into the book. I picked up and put it down a lot. I finally got the audio which help but I still didn’t like the format. Overall a good story.

Paul Tremblay delights again with this mind-bending meta-story. It's a masterclass example of the unreliable narrator, bringing us slowly closer to the main character just as the edges of reality start to blur. The subverting of expectations and artful unrolling of the larger backstory kept me rapt. You keep reading, craving certainty, hoping for some safe ground to stand on. But this is Paul, so you may or may not get that safety, and you may or may not like it when you get it. This one is in my top three Tremblay reads, just behind A Head Full of Ghosts and Survivor Song.

Thank you to Netgalley for allowing me to read this as an ARC. Paul Tremblay did too well in writing this novel. I couldn't finish it. So, I have mixed feelings. In one respect, he did an amazing job in creating tension for me as the reader. On the other hand, I started to feel sick to my stomach with dread every time I picked it up. I knew something awful was coming, and I couldn't take it. I give this novel 3.5 stars- and I continue to wish that I could give half stars on Netgalley and Goodreads!

Really tough to get through. Had high hopes but they were continually dashed as I went through. Didn’t like the characters, writing or actual story.

This book brings readers a bone-chilling experience that masterfully switches between past and present, a storytelling approach that adds layers to its unsettling atmosphere. The transitions between time periods are seamless yet jarring, heightening the suspense as past horrors seep into the present. Tremblay’s work echoes the raw, nerve-rattling fear reminiscent of Poltergeist—the kind of creeping dread and rage that defined horror in the 80s. His unique voice and eerie twists make Horror Movie a must-read for anyone who craves a haunting, immersive tale.

This novel was a masterpiece. It is the perfect read for spooky season for sure. *Horror Movie* by Paul Tremblay is a gripping and eerie take on the "cursed film" trope, blending psychological suspense with metafiction. The novel follows the lone surviving cast member of a notorious 1990s horror film, who is drawn back into its dark and twisted legacy when a Hollywood reboot looms. As he revisits the disturbing memories of the film's production, the boundaries between reality and fiction blur in unsettling ways. Tremblay expertly builds tension and unease, offering a clever commentary on fame, art, and the costs of revisiting past traumas. With its eerie atmosphere and mind-bending twists, *Horror Movie* is a captivating and thought-provoking read for horror fans.

This book was an amazing experience throughout. I specifically loved pairing it with the audio book because it really sounded like a plan for someone producing a movie. The audiobook really changed the rating for me since the reader was telling a story. Reading it was as significant meanwhile listening to it felt like I was going through old tapes I have stumbled upon.