THIS WILL BE PUBLISHED ON June 1, 2024 per publisher's request.

Horror Movie by Paul Tremblay is an obsessive, psychologically chilling, and suspenseful feat of storytelling genius that builds inexorably to an unforgettable, mind-bending conclusion. The novel dives deep into themes of obsession, memory, reality versus fiction, and the blurred lines between them. With its unique narrative style that weaves between different timelines, movie screenplays and perspectives seamlessly, Tremblay keeps readers on edge throughout.

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.

The characters in Horror Movie are complex and multi-dimensional. The protagonist's journey through his past experiences on set and his present-day struggles creates a sense of unease that lingers long after finishing the book. Tremblay excels at creating atmosphere and tension through his vivid descriptions and psychological insights into his characters' minds.

One of the standout aspects of Horror Movie is its meta-narrative exploration of filmmaking and horror as genres. Tremblay delves into the darker side of both industries, exposing their manipulative nature and how they can blur perceptions of reality. The behind-the-scenes look at creating a horror movie adds another layer of intrigue to an already captivating story.

The pacing of Horror Movie is relentless as it hurtles towards its mind-bending conclusion. Each twist and turn keeps readers guessing. Tremblay masterfully combines elements of horror with psychological thriller to create a truly unique reading experience that will leave you questioning what is real and what is imagined.

While the style of writing may be unconventional, Horror Movie by Paul Tremblay is an engrossing and unsettling read. With its intricate plot twists, well-developed characters, and thought-provoking themes, this book will go down has one of Tremblay's best yet.

I'll start by saying, I DNF'd this book.

The reason being was the format in which the book was being told. I understand it's a movie script, but the formatting just didn't work for me at all.

I lost interest due to the way the book was laid out. I'm not going to default on my rating because this honestly is a personal preference that I've found and not of the authors fault at all.

I think if you enjoy movie scripts you'll love this.

Are monsters born or created?

In Horror Movie, Paul Tremblay explores the idea of creating monsters. He sets up the world of 1993, a low-budget horror movie set, and contrasts it with the present time when the movie is being rebooted. The tension builds throughout, and I kept checking doorways for the Thin Kid as I read.

The structure of Horror Movie is more unique than most horror books. It flashes between the past and present, using chapters titled Then or Now, making it easy to follow. What makes it unique is the screenplay interspersed throughout the book to help tell the story.

Horror Movie was an enjoyable, easy read. The dialogue was relatable, and I could imagine the early 90s and how the movie could achieve cult status without ever being released. The characters were flawed from beginning to end but still seemed to have some growth. You don’t necessarily like these characters, but you like reading about them.

The biggest downfall was the ending. It didn’t feel like it fit the build-up of tension and the climax. It seemed… too easy of an ending for what felt like a complicated theme. I thought there would be a less obvious ending, for lack of a better word.

Horror Movie fit the genre and tropes of horror but not in a cliched way. I wanted to keep reading to discover what would happen to the characters. I could see a couple of the arcs but wasn’t sure how they would end. It was the perfect mix of familiar yet different.

If you like horror that makes you think, this might be the book for you!

4.7 Stars rounded up to 5

Thank you, NetGalley and William Morrow, for sending me an ARC of Horror Movie. All opinions are my own.

Thank you to the publisher and to Netgalley for this free eARC in exchange for my honest review.

This is my second Paul Tremblay book; my first was The Cabin at the End of the World. I gave that book 5 stars, so I had high expectations going into Horror Movie. Unfortunately I was let down. It's obvious that Tremblay is a skilled writer, but I think this one just wasn't for me. I was expecting lots of high-thrill action, like in The Cabin at the End of the World, but this is more of a creepy-vibes book without a lot of action. I loved the very last scene- that is the kind of book I would rather read. However I understand what Tremblay was going for with this writing style in Horror Movie, a kind of ominous slow burn. And the theme of transformation was interesting.

I'm not sure if we were supposed to feel attached to the characters or not. I didn't really care about any of them, and the narrator was the only one who was remotely interesting to me. And why did Karson have zero personality and barely any role to play outside of the movie? I wish we could have gotten more from him.

There is definitely an audience for this book. I would recommend it to horror lovers who are also film buffs and/or involved in acting/movie production.

This book was:
Mesmerizing. Chilling. Terrifyingly creepy. Half the story is written through the lens of the screenplay for the horror movie, but once you get adjusted to reading from that frame of reference, it is unputdownable. The main character is an unreliable narrator spinning an intense, disturbing, demonic and frightening tale that blurs the lines of reality. I was creeped out, disgusted, and transfixed. I highly recommend this book to any horror, thriller and suspense lovers. Dark and twisted and I loved it.

I cannot describe in words how horrifically unsettling this book is.

About -
Back in 1993, three college age kids set out to film a horror movie. Only three scenes were ever released to the public. Nevertheless, the movie developed a massive fan following in the days of the internet. Thirty years later, Hollywood is pushing for a reboot with a huge budget. The only survivor of the films original cast is brought onto the project.

Thoughts -
This was everything that I didn't know I needed in a horror book. The book is told between the present day and the past, as the horrors of what happened on set of the original movie are slowly played out. The original movie they were filming was completely unhinged, and I was absolutely hooked on finding out what the movie was about as well as what actually happened on set. Valentina, the director, Cleo the screenwriter, and Karsen all play themselves in this low budget film. They bring in their friend to play, "The Thin Kid," whose face in the movie is not shown, and his name is never revealed. There is mention that in the movie, you will think you remember hearing his name or seeing his face, but you don't. The man who played "The Thin Kid" is the main character in the present, and come to think of it, I am not sure his name was ever revealed, and I didn't realize it until just now.

This book was not only a story about an incredibly unhinged movie in the 90's, but also about the psychological damage it caused to those that were involved.

I absolutely loved that the past felt like the 90's. And the present felt like today. You could completely imagine this as something that would happen today. If all of a sudden, three scenes from a 90's horror movie that was never released due to the horrors on set were leaked online, you can certainly believe the internet would go absolutely crazy for it.

Bottom line, this book had me absolutely hooked all the way through because I needed to know what happened on multiple fronts. Horror readers need to read this one. I am already calling this as a top contender for one of my favorite books of the year.

Okay so listen. I got a love hate relationship with Paul (which I confidently announce just because he said during a meet and greet that he doesn’t read his own reviews). What I mean is he is a fantastic storyteller, but I either hate or love completely his books.
When I saw the description of this one, picture me sitting at the mailbox already waiting. This is exactly my type of book. But again, lingering worry that I wouldn’t like it.
The results are finally in. I’ve waited a long time for this book and it was totally worth it! Here’s the things I loved: mixed media, the script writing was phenomenal, and the unreliable narrator. I haven’t felt this good about one of Paul’s books since “a head full of ghosts.”

Thank you to Netgalley and William Morrow for this ARC. Truly was an honor. This will be out in June!

Another slam dunk for Paul Tremblay fans and for fans of intelligent horror novels in general. What I most loved is how emotionally engaging this one was while the genuine horror ratcheted up. Mr. Tremblay never loses sight of his characters and delivers another ending that will stay with the reader long after the final page is turned.

Damn… where do I begin?
This novel… this novel is everything that makes a horror (movie) novel just that.
A group of young adults decide to make a horror movie with a small cast and crew with a small budget, what could go wrong? (We’ve all seen this kind of hook before) but as you read on it does not go anywhere near that hook we’ve all seen before. After the film in the story is made it’s never released (except for three key scenes and some stills from the film and its screenplay) but fans go nuts over a movie that exists but never really existed (to the fans at least.) As we fall down this rabbit hole to really find out can a movie really be cursed or is it all just hype up or an urban legend of sorts? Well Hollywood is all in on “Horror Movie” no matter what the fact is behind the original and do what Hollywood does best! REBOOT! But as the story unwinds and unfolds there is no film that can be made or any kind of money to be spent to match the blood sweat and tears that went into the original. This haunting tale is Paul Tremblay at his best (which hard for me to say from his past work) An instant horror classic is here to stay and to watch from the shadows with the Thin Kid. Easily my favorite novel of 2024 (so far)

I just finished reading an eARC of Horror Movie by Paul Tremblay provided by NetGalley.

In 1993 a group of young adult friends set out to film a horror movie. Chloe-- the artist who wrote the screenplay; Valentina-- the emerging director; Karson-- friend and actor; a mishmash of crew including Dan the cameraman, and our narrator, who plays a character only known as the Thin Kid. We follow our unnamed narrator through 3 distinct timelines, the original filming, the push for a reboot, and the intervening years as he narrates his audiobook.
During the 1993 filming, things have gone off the rails-- accidents, incidents, and death surround it's filming. Because of this, the film has never been shown in full. Three scenes are posted by Valentina online which causes a massive cult-like following for the unfinished work. As we flip between the timelines, we get to see what went wrong, how it happened, and watch the narrator's full descent into the character he is portraying.

If that seems complicated, it is because it is. It's hard to articulate the actual plot of the book. We get some dialogue, flashbacks, and interspersed throughout we get the full original screenplay by Chloe. This all works together to create one of the most creepy and ominous books I've read in a long time. I'm very familiar with Tremblay's other works, and in my opinion, this is one of his best. As the 93 timeline roars forward, you know disaster is coming, but you can't look away. In modern day, we watch our narrator lie to himself, to others, and to help create this aura of curses and mystery around the original film. We see the movie in starts and stops, as the narrator is only privy to the scenes he is in. He wears a mask as part of his character, and Tremblay makes the audience put on the mask to view the entirety of this story. In true Tremblay fashion, the lines between what's real and what's supernatural are constantly blurred, and up until the very end it's entirely unclear where the movie starts and reality ends. I absolutely devoured this book, and I thought it was so subtly profound in the way that it examines horror culture and the way we all wear masks. The Thin Kid will stay with me for a while.

Thank you to NetGalley a"Horror Movie" by Paul Tremblay is a chilling and thought-provoking novel that cleverly blurs the lines between reality and fiction. The story follows the protagonist, a film critic who becomes obsessed with a mysterious and disturbing horror film that may or may not exist.

Tremblay's writing is both atmospheric and suspenseful, creating a sense of unease that lingers long after the final page. The novel is filled with clever meta-references to classic horror films, as well as insightful commentary on the nature of fear and storytelling.

One of the most compelling aspects of the book is its exploration of the impact of horror on the human psyche. As [insert name] delves deeper into the mystery of the film, they are forced to confront their own fears and vulnerabilities, leading to a gripping and emotionally resonant climax.

Overall, "Horror Movie" is a masterfully crafted novel that will appeal to fans of both horror and literary fiction. Tremblay's storytelling is both intelligent and gripping, making this book a must-read for anyone looking for a truly unique and unforgettable reading experience.nd the publisher for allowing me to read and review this book.

4 teens making a movie, creating something that is supposed to be fun, and odd things happening while filming sign me up please . This book gave me chills and had my full attention. It was very well written and made me think of all my favorite movies combined in one book. The story is told in the past and present. This is will be a reread for October.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for an ARC of this book in exchange for an honest review.

This book.

Actual rating is 4.5 stars (rounded up) as this was near perfect for me (though I do love almost anything Paul Tremblay writes). A lil bit of gore but not enough to turn my stomach, a lot of psychological disturbance (my fave) and a lot of “wt…..f….” as we moved into the final quarter of the book. Still not sure I quite understood the ending fully, but I don’t actually want to.

The only question I actually wished I could have answered (and maybe it is answered in the book and I just missed it because I was reading so fast to see what happened next) is: when did he ACTUALLY lose the pinky?

I loved this book and will be purchasing a hard copy of it as well just…to have. And reread.

Thank you so much for the early read! I’ve been so excited for this since I saw the announcement. It was a really fun premise and I enjoyed the addition of the script within the plot but I was expecting more horror.

Oh my. Y'all are in for a wild fucking ride with this one. So absolutely unsettling and incredibly clever writing that jumps from past, present, and screenplay--it's executed perfectly and transitions so smoothly.

You guys. I'm just blown away and kind of speechless. Stunning and ingenious. Truly disturbing in an insidious way. This book will burrow in to your thoughts and refuse to leave.

This is my first Paul Tremblay book, and it won't be my last! I grew up bingeing horror movies, and this book is a creepy love letter to horror movie fans. It's fun, unsettling, and fast-paced, and the line between reality and imagination is blurred.

I found the format of this book a bit difficult to adjust to. I did not look into what this book was about before reading it and so, I was expecting it to be a bit more suspenseful and eery. The ending of this book definitely lived up to the name and overall I really enjoyed this book

A fun, meta-fictional horror novel, perfect for people who like horror movies. The author writes such a realized first-person narrator, the perfect Hollywood scumbag. If you're a fan of Texas Chainsaw Massacre, Scream, The House in the Woods, or books about the making of horror movies, you'll dig this.

To tell the truth
To tell it well
It all depends upon the liar 

              — The Afghan Whigs, “Bulletproof”


… all monsters are mirrors. 

              — Paul Tremblay, Horror Movie



Yes, yes, the nightmares are here to stay. Print your scripts, grab your cameras. It’s movie time. Horror Movie. 

What tricks our memories play, and what tricks we ourselves play. How often we fool ourselves, writing our stories, forgetting what parts are real, which imagined. Can one ever truly know?

Is it only true if there’s proof? What about feeling? If it feels real, is it? Or, can both be simultaneously true?

This book will make you look twice at everything that comes your way. But the past? It may make you look thrice at the past. 

It’ll find you questioning everything you thought you once knew. 

And:

It’ll scare the ever-loving life out of you. 

Tremblay has written one of the greatest lost film books of all time. And it’s so much more, too. Much, much more.


You’ll laugh, you’ll cry, you’ll scream, and your heart will wrench, as, all the while, your eyes bug further and further out of your skull. 

We are the monsters. Sometimes. Our own. Someone else’s. And sometimes, sometimes we create monsters simply to destroy ourselves. 

But sometimes, the monsters live on.

A decidedly creepy tale but incredibly difficult to follow since it bounces back and forth between present-day narrative, a screenplay written decades ago, and the film made from that screenplay. If you can juggle the three views, you're a much more attentive read than am I.
While the book is unsettling and weird, being a sort of odd take on the "cursed film" trope, I didn't find that it fit in the horror genre--at all. More like a psychological mind-fuck of the narrator than horror.
It's being heralded as a masterpiece by some and although I'm a big admirer of Paul Tremblay's work, this one just didn't do it for me. It happens.