Preliminary thoughts: I really hope this never gets made into a movie because I don't know if any of us can handle it.

Typical brilliant Paul Tremblay book. Horrifying, wry, melancholy, and with great references and not just the inevitable horror movie mentions in a book about making a horror movie.
Readers familiar with the genre, both of movies and books, will sense some things coming and they will almost feel inevitable. Other things will remain a surprise. Still more things will remain unexplained.

Ultimately, this is an actor's recollection of being part of a cult, unreleased horror movie that was cursed during production, and cursed after. When we meet our narrator, and I just realized writing this that I don't think we ever learn his name wtf, he's the last surviving member of the original production. In the present, he's being swept up in attempts to "reboot" and make the movie as it was intended and to release it; in the past, he's recruited by a college acquaintance to play the Thin Kid in a horror movie she's directing because he is tall and gangly and will bend to her will.

The movie itself revolves around three teens that have the same names as the people involved: Valentina the director, Cleo the screenwriter, and Karson who does the makeup. They are part of the evolution of the Thin Kid, someone we meet before he's turned into a monster but we never know his name or see his face. We see the mask, and what the mask and the acts do to him. The making of the movie and the story of it changes them all. There is something unnatural at work here.

So that's scary, the movie within the book is unnerving, and it's always asking us questions about creation and art, about acting, about why we like movies and in particular why we like horror movies. Why sometimes we pretend we're too cerebral to think much of them, and other times why we think they expose the human underbelly. It makes us confront the perspective as the watcher and question the enjoyment we get from horror. Some of us know the answers to these questions and can live with them. Some of you are going to think about it.

Horror Movie is high-minded and intelligent without being distant or pretentious - I would actually describe it very similarly to the way the character of Cleo is: above it all but not thinking it's better than. It's easy to sink into this story and this narrator's voice, and when you get to the end it feels inevitable. Another fantastic book from Paul Tremblay. He's one of my all time favorites for a reason.

Content warning for gore, violence, and suicide.

The "cursed movie" subgenre of horror is one of my favorites and thus I have read A LOT of it, so I was extremely pleased that Tremblay crafted such a fresh and unique take on the subgenre. I wouldn't call it so much a slow burn as a deeply atmospheric exercise in dread that makes you feel like something is ABOUT to happen without the relief and release of something concrete occurring. I absolutely loved the screenplay and the intimate characterization it gave of its tortured author despite us never actually meeting her. Great body horror descriptions, too!

Thank you to NetGalley for an advanced copy of this book in exchange for my honest opinions.

I kept reading hoping I would like this book and I feel like it left me more confused with more questions! Was it supposed to do that or did I just not get it?

I had the hardest time getting into this book and I almost DNF’ed it. It did start picking up around 40%. However as I sit here in a daze after finishing it I feel like this definitely wasn’t a book for me.

This is a seriously slow burn book and takes forever to get going. Then it goes between present, past (movie mode), the normal past in between movie takes and the not so distant past where he goes and visits someone from the movie.

I’m gonna give this a 3/5 because I loved the concept but I felt like I was confused about 75% of the time.

Every time I thought I knew where the story was going, I was surprised. Very tense and couldn't wait to find out what would happen next; I was very creeped out with the ending.

Wow! What a riveting read. I blew through this. I really haven't read anything like it and I'm glad for it. I especially loved the five minute scene iykyk! Maybe they will turn this into a movie.....do I want that?? 😱

Thanks for the ARC Paul and Publisher!

Overall rating: 4/5

Wow… Paul Tremblay just wrote a book that felt like watching one of those old school 70’s creature feature slashers and I loved every second of it. I have to give such high praise to multiple areas of this book but primarily to its structure. I love books that follow this back and forth, “now vs then” format but what made this even more unique was that it added in the screenplay scenes and an interview/blogger/documentary style narration. This added to the immersion of Horror Movie and kept you on your toes of what was happening next. The only downside is that I really wish this had a little something more to it. It was creepy, it was vile in some areas (okay the real pinky scene made me nauseous), it was suspenseful but it wasn’t a horror movie horror to me. Don’t get me wrong I loved every second and I can’t wait to get a physical copy of this so I can dive in again but the best part of horror is the fear and dread it can exude. Maybe this book was not meant to do that and in turn do so much more in so many different ways? Regardless, Horror Movie is a hit and I hope everyone enjoys meeting the Thin Kid he is such a character.

This was a creepy and unsettling book. Enjoyed the alternate POV between the screenplay and Thin Kid. I liked that he was nameless. It made it creepier somehow. Parts of this were totally unhinged and kept me coming back for more. The ending left some things to be desired but overall, it was solid and fans of 90’s horror should enjoy this one.

Thanks to NetGalley and William Morrow for my copy of this ARC

This book left me disturbed and confused, but in a good way. I love horror movies, especially slashers so l was hoping this book would give me that feeling those types of movies do. It definitely achieved that!
The book is told in parts of the past and present, and with pieces of the screen play scattered throughout the chapters. The order of the chapters threw me off a little but l'm assuming the timeline of things was purposeful to give the book it's confusing and eerie vibe.
The ending was interesting and left you with an unsettling feeling. As a whole, the book really makes you ponder the monsters inside us and who people really are on the inside. There were a few things I wished were expanded on like the origin of the mask and the meaning behind the teens doing what they did to the Thin Kid.
Overall a good choice if you love disturbing and unsettling horror movies!

While I love horror and I quite enjoy Paul Tremblay, this book was a DNF for me. Filmmaking and Hollywood are so far removed from my way of life, I have a very difficult time relating to the characters. The complaining and the egos drive me insane. The story of the mask intrigued me, just not enough for me to stick with it.

Super uncomfortable read that is basically just a bunch of bullying. I was expecting more of a creepy haunted film set vibe, instead I was reading about unhinged characters treating our MC like crap in an uncomfortable/psychological bullying way. Will not recommend sadly but appreciative for the opportunity to check it out.

It seems like a trend recently to have horror novels about cursed horror movies and what happens when people reboot them or try to finish the original production. Out of all the examples, Horror Movie by Paul Tremblay is definitely my favorite. It just had this extremely eerie atmosphere throughout the entire story that I really enjoyed.

The story takes place both in the early 90s when a group of guerilla filmmakers set out to make Horror Movie and in the present day when the movie is being rebooted. Only one of the original cast members is still around, and we get to see his view on how the movie became this cult phenomenon online even though only 3 scenes of it were ever released. It was fun to see the commentary on the horror community, horror conventions, and the experience of having a book adapted into a movie. There were definitely some comments in the book that seemed like Paul Tremblay referencing what happened when his book The Cabin at the End of the World was adapted into the movie Knock at the Cabin.

Something that I appreciated about the book was the feeling of ambiguity and going back and forth on what I thought was real and what was manufactured. Also, the book includes a lot of the script for the movie, but it isn’t written in the traditional screenplay format. It adds so much to the creepy atmosphere of the story. What happens in the movie is so unsettling along with all the things surrounding the production that started to go wrong.

I definitely recommend this book! It’s a fascinating take on the “cursed movie” subgenre. There are compelling characters, disturbing moments, a unique writing style, and interesting commentary on horror movies and Hollywood. Overall I had a great time reading this book.

Damn. This book is brilliant. My stomach got queasy and my psyche unsettled. Perfect horror book for fans of Stephen King and Grady Hendrix.
Told through nonlinear timelines, one when the original indie low-budget movie was being filmed, one set in present day when the only cast member left is part of a re-boot, and another with the actual movie/scenes themselves we get a perfect 360 view of making a horror movie. Or is the view really what it takes to make a perfect monster? Read and find out.

Oh the irony of the title. This book needs to be a movie (which I could never watch in a million years because it would scare the crap out of me and I wouldn't be able to sleep for a month). Netflix are you listening?

A "cursed film" novel and a remake of the original that only contained three scenes, one of the original stars comes back for the reboot. I absolutely loved this book and needed to know what the heck happened on the original film set. I love Paul Tremblay's works and this one is no exception! I loved the uneasiness I felt while reading this and would absolutely recommend this to fans of horror movies!

Thank you for this ARC.
I have mixed emotions because I've been a horror fan since a child. I've seen this novel done before in previous short films and podcasts. For any new reader though, read this book slowly. You will definitely imagine yourself in this passage of mystery and disturbances. Tremblay is a good writer. I guess that with this piece, he wanted to pay respect to some of our old stories that have been forgotten.
I just reviewed Horror Movie by Paul Tremblay. #HorrorMovie #NetGalley

Horror Movie is all I want for a summer thriller! Wow. I loved the back and forth between timelines as we slowly discovered what happened to the original cast of the Horror Movie. Though this book felt a little slow-burn at times, I think that added to the excitement of the plot twists. This was a treat to read.

If you love horror movies or have ever dabbled in film making, this is for you! I enjoyed every second of Horror Movie and am kicking myself for never having read Tremblay before. The writing style worked brilliantly weaving the screenplay throughout and the execution of building anticipation was top notch. I want to add a particular shout out to the chapters on horror conventions, as a former con-goer this was absolutely nostalgic and spot on.

Paul Tremblay has been an auto-read/auto-buy author for years since Disappearance at Devil's Rock. Countless books later, still entertaining without missing a beat. This speaks for the current state of movies, were I long for the originals and original time period (movies made in the 80s and 90s), and then decades later where they wanna make a reboot. Think of them rebooting Blair Witch in the time period, and that will make you think of this book. Truly entertaining once again.

I loved Paul Tremblay's "The Cabin at the End of the World" and "Survivor Song" and liked "A Head Full of Ghosts" but didn't care for "The Pallbearers Club." So, I didn't know what to expect going into "Horror Movie." The premise sounded intriguing, but unfortunately, the execution didn't quite live up to my expectations.

Thirty years ago, a small group of twenty-something filmmakers decided to make a horror movie on a shoestring budget. Although the film was completed, it was never fully released--only parts were uploaded to YouTube, just enough to gain a cult following. Now, Hollywood has decided to "reboot" the film on a much bigger scale. Only one of the original cast members is still alive, and he has been recruited as a consultant and to reprise parts of his role as "The Thin Kid.” Will this version successfully live up to the fanbase's expectations? And, what is more important, will the cast members survive the filming?

Spanning two timelines and incorporating the original script into the storyline, Tremblay does a tightrope walk between the filming of both versions of the "Horror Movie." The book slowly reveals what happened to the original cast members—sometimes a bit too slowly. Told in the first person by "The Thin Kid," there are times when the level of detail is overwhelming, spanning multiple pages. I skimmed parts because they didn't seem to move the story forward. The story also bogged down in the middle, but the ending was satisfying enough to overcome both problems. I liked this book, but it doesn't rank up there with some of Tremblay's other novels. 3/5 stars.

Thank you, NetGalley and William Morrow, for an advance copy of this book in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own. The publication date is June 11, 2024.

This is my first with Paul Tremblay and I went into it semi-blind as to not spoil a good title and cover that initially caught my attention. I wanted to love this book and was expecting an action packed thriller but had difficulty connecting with the writing style and references made. I was still determined to not let it deter me from the final closing of the curtains.

It’s a screen play first person narrative with duo timelines. The story centers around 4 teenagers and their low budget horror film that never made it to final production, for reasons unknown. There are a lot of rumors and speculation behind its making and only one of the remaining original casts is alive to star in an upcoming reboot of the movie with the same name.

There are open-ended questions and themes regarding death, suicide, and one’s inner demons that echo throughout this book. If you enjoy sinister, slow burn, brooding, and movie script horror, I would highly recommend reading this. Otherwise, I gave it a 3 stars (which is average) because there was no desire to DNF even though I couldn’t relate to the eccentric MMC and not to mention that shocker ending that left me high and dry feeling rather odd, as in “what in the world did I just read?”




Many thanks to William Morrow for my advance digital copy of Horror Movie.

I received a complimentary eARC copy of HORROR MOVIE by Paul Tremblay from William Morrow Books for an honest review.

HORROR MOVIE follows the making of a movie. In 1993 a small group of filmmakers made a movie called Horror Movie, a film that never made it to screen. Only a few clips have been released, but still it has gained notoriety and a cult following. In the present day, there's a move to remake the movie for release.

The man who played one of the pivotal rolls, known only as "The Thin Kid" has been making the rounds on the convention circuit on his notoriety from his roll in the film, even though his own recollections of everything that happened are less than pristine. The original film resulted in tragedy (or tragedies) and the memories begin to come back the more involved he gets in the new production.

I have enjoyed Paul Tremblay's books in the past, so I went into this one with high hopes. There was a lot that I liked about it, but in the end it never fully drew me into the story. This falls firmly in the category of "weird horror" in my mind and I think it is definitely the type of book that will click for some people more than others.

The story is told in multiple timelines. In the present we see the reboot process. In the past we get two stories, one the actual narrative of how this film was made. We also get segments of the original script, following the movie as it was filmed back in 1993. The lines between timelines begin to blur over time as does the distinction between movie and reality. I think this blurring of reality was done really well and it definitely had me questioning things along the way.

The back and forth between script and reality felt a bit disjointed for me. Because we're following a script with stage directions, I think there was a bit of a feeling of an outsider looking in instead of feeling really in the story. I found myself being interested, but it took me 10 days to finish the book which isn't usual for me.

I did see that the cast for the audiobook is a lengthy list and I think there is a lot of potential for this to be fantastic on audio!