Dnf twice. I picked this book up on two separate occasions and I couldn’t get past page 5 both times. I’m sure others will like and appreciate this book but the writing style is just not for me

Horror Movie
Written by Paul Tremblay
Published by William Morrow
Release Date June 11, 2024


“ Horror Movie is an obsessive, psychologically chilling, and suspenseful feat of storytelling genius that builds inexorably to an unforgettable, mind-bending conclusion.”

WOW! That sentence was the last in the publisher’s blurb about the book and it represents how I feel perfectly. When I first saw this book either oh Goodreads as a giveaway or on Netgalley, I wanted so bad to read it. It was all I could think of. And boy when I was approved I was so happy that I read it that day and read it in one day. Tremblay is one of my top 3 favorite authors and he knows how to tell a story that will stay with you for a long, long time. This book masterfully takes the past into the present and the present into the past.
Nostalgic and impressive Tremblay reaches down into your chest and grabs your soul while you are on the ride of your life….. College kids decide to make a horror movie and something happens that keeps the whole movie from being made. Years later, Hollywood decides that they want to remake what was done while using the only person left….the thin man. His selective memories are the catalyst for how this plays out. The thin guys memories are woven into the pieces that will be cut together to make this movie. There has been a huge cult following ever since the 90’s when this movie was in its infancy so they need to make it as good as they can and with a budget that would put it up there with the likes of Texas Chainsaw Masacre.
The book is slow at first but as it builds up the suspense and is chilling and teeming with heart pounding scenes. I am in love with Tremblay and his ability to weave psychological terror and thrilling suspense together while keeping you, the reader, so entranced and entertained. Tremblay never left any clues to what happened throughout and so that made it harder to figure out exactly what was about to happen but when it did happen…….IT HAPPENED. The ending of this movie was terrifying. You won’t expect it nor will you recover from it. I know that this may not be for everyone but for those of you who love gory horror movies, YOU WILL LOVE THIS BOOK. Please run and get your copy now.


5 stars

Thank you to Netgalley, the author, and the publisher for giving me the opportunity to read this book in exchange for my honest and unbiased review.

Horror movie follows a group of young filmmakers in the creation of a low budget horror movie. Jump to three decades later Hollywood is set to reboot the film with the only surviving cast member "The Thin Kid". As he revisits the screenplay the dark events that happened on the original set are revealed.

I oved the setting of an early 90s low budget horror film. I also enjoyed the alternating moments between past and present as well as the screenplay being included.

In the scenes from the past perspective you can tell there is a lot of anxiousness for things to go right and started letting things slide. You could tell their were concerns and things definitely start to snow-ball.

I recommend picking up the audiobook, the screenplay parts are really entertaining with the page flips.
This one really delivered at the end, liked sense of dread throughout. While the POV of the main character is pretentious AF the ending really made it work for me. While it's a frustrating POV to follow I think it's definitely purposeful.

Would recommend to fans of psychological thrillers/ horror that are not opposed to following a pretentious main character.

Thank you NetGalley for the Arc.

I have read MOST Paul Tremblay books. Some of them I love and some of them I don't, but all of them have really made me think about some of the observations made in the novels. The Horror Movie is different. It was very past-paced, and very dark. I think the thing that surprised me the most was that I didn't really feel like there were any social observations that interested me beyond just acknowledging that they were there in the book, but no deep thinking beyond that. The book was horrific in that a group of kids went way too far to make a movie some years back that now people are saying was cursed. I won't give away any reasons why that was so, but suffice it to say, I think the "curse" was just a product of how deep these kids went into telling a horror story, ala The Blair Witch Project. I would recommend this to horror lovers. I would not have unequivocally said that about his past books that I read as they had more message than horror sometimes. This one was not a deep thinker for me.....it was just straight, average, often gross, horror.

I really enjoyed Tremblay's THE CABIN AT THE END OF THE WORLD and am happy to report that this book is even better. I read this book as an ARC but think it would absolutely KILL (no pun intended) as an audiobook, especially if they got a full cast for the screenplay parts. I thought the plot here was a slow burn but not slowly paced - the tension and mystery had me so hooked I was excited to keep reading even if it didn't feel like much was happening. And I LOVE the inclusion of the screenplay here. So much.

Some parts made me nauseous (the finger!!), some left me a little confused, and others? I'm not entirely sure, but I felt a full range of emotions while reading that made the experience very immersive and entertaining. I wasn't the biggest fan of the ending, but you can't win 'em all.

I think this is a pretty disturbing book that is unique in that I didn't feel gross after reading it like I did some others of this sort of genre (THE DUMB HOUSE, THE WASP FACTORY, THE ROANOKE GIRLS, etc.), which I really found to be refreshing. If you've wanted to step up your game in horror intensity but don't want to feel super yucky about it, this is a good starting place!

i was sorely disappointed by this book. it was so slow and nothing happened until the end. It was missing something but I'm not sure what it was.

Thank you to NetGalley and William Morrow for an ARC of Horror Movie in exchange for my honest review.

Horror Movie tells of a group of 20-somethings who spend a few weeks together making....well, a horror movie. The stage is early 90's with a low budget, a soon to be demolished condemned school, and guerrilla style filming. When something goes horribly wrong the consequences echo decades into the future.

I was so hopeful for this one. I love a book with a movie/screenplay element to it. However, I just flat out did not enjoy this book. My main problem was the torture of the main movie character. It wasn't particularly gory, but literally made me sick to my stomach at times. (In fact, it kind of gave me baby Tender is the Flesh vibes.) I also didn't really care for any of the characters. Most were just terrible people. ALSO, DID WE EVER LEARN THE MAIN CHARACTER'S ACTUAL NAME?! Or did I completely miss it? 🤔

One thing I really did enjoy was the alternating moments between the past, present, and the actual screenplay. Some chapters were a bit long for my liking so being able to have an obvious stopping point was appreciated.

Overall, I just didn't care for this one and mainly stuck around to see how it all came together. 2⭐️

"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."

I had become a bit disillusioned with Paul Tremblay in recent years. I was so pleasantly stunned by "A Head Full of Ghosts" — it stuck with me in a way most fail to do. His subsequent works didn't resonate with me in the same way.

And then, there's "Horror Movie." This is something else entirely in a class of its own. It's in the vein of this more elevated horror (OK, A24) that's become more prominent recently. There are no ghosts, no jump scares, hardly any gore… but it sticks with you in the most satisfying way through this very intentional build-up of tension and the slow burn that comes with it.

One complaint — I feel like the cover design undercuts the power of this story. It would be a better fit for a campy 80s slasher. That's just me, though.

Thank you to the author, NetGalley and William Morrow for the advance copy in exchange for my honest review.

Paul Tremblay's *Horror Movie* is a masterful blend of psychological terror and suspense that will keep readers on the edge of their seats. Set in June 1993, the story follows a group of young guerrilla filmmakers who spent four weeks creating a disturbing, art-house horror flick. Though only three scenes from *Horror Movie* were ever released to the public, it has amassed a cult following over the decades.

Fast forward thirty years, Hollywood is eager to reboot this enigmatic film with a big budget, thrusting the only surviving cast member, known as "The Thin Kid," back into the spotlight. As he revisits the original screenplay's dark secrets and the eerie events that transpired on set, the lines between reality and fiction, past and present, begin to blur.

Tremblay crafts a haunting narrative that delves deep into the psyche of his protagonist, exploring the traumatic experiences that have haunted him for decades. The tension is palpable as he navigates the cynical world of Hollywood producers, egotistical directors, and obsessive fans, all while confronting the demons of his past.

*Horror Movie* is a tour de force of storytelling, combining an intricate plot with rich character development. Tremblay’s prose is both evocative and unsettling, drawing readers into a world where the boundaries of reality are constantly shifting. The climax is a mind-bending and unforgettable experience that will leave readers questioning what is real and what is merely a figment of imagination.

For fans of psychological thrillers and horror, *Horror Movie* is an absolute must-read. Tremblay has crafted a chilling narrative that not only pays homage to the art of filmmaking but also explores the dark recesses of the human mind. This novel is a testament to Tremblay's genius and a thrilling journey from start to finish.

Thank you to NetGalley, the author, and publisher for an advanced copy to review for my honest opinion.

This book left me with a creepy feeling that I haven't been able to rid myself of, and I like horror! I'm not sure if that's a good thing or a bad thing, but I think it does make it successful. It's hard to truly review this book without giving anything away, but it's a book about horror movies for fans of horror movies that also like going behind the scenes — so, for example, if you like 'The Blair Witch Project' and also reading about the making of 'The Blair Witch Project,' this may be for you. I'm still not sure how I feel about this and it made me feel like a bug was crawling around in my brain, so unclear if I'd recommend it to anyone.

Thank you NetGalley, Paul Tremblay and William Morrow for the e-ARC of this book in exchange for an honest review.

This was...fine? I had such high hopes for this, I have really like PT's past work and imagination that comes with his horror stories, but this was overall meh. I thought I would love the mash up of horror book + horror movie but I couldn't stand reading the script parts, omg, I almost DNF'd it because of it. I just thought it took us out of the story- I feel like he was trying to do something creative and it just fell flat and was a hinderance more than anything else. Luckily, it is a very fast read.

I think I really wanted more of the Hollywood and the aftermath of the film/Thin Kid but it just never stayed on that part long enough for me. Maybe this would be much better horror movie who knows!

My random thoughts on HORROR MOVIE by @paulgtremblay

To me this is a story of dehumanization, but you tell me, who is becoming less human here? The Thin Kid being compliant or the others with what they do to him? This is the Tremblay Ambiguity rearing it’s head, because maybe, just maybe, they are all just really into the roles they are playing in the movie.

This story is in first person and I picture Tremblay acting these scenes as the Thin Kid. It feels like Paul wrote himself into the character. Its rather uncomfortable because I feel like I’m there during the filming, not watching in a theater. It’s disturbing and not just because I pictured Paul in baggy, stained tighty-whities, but because it makes you look at this kind math teacher and just shiver.

These characters are broken and make me feel so hollow but I love them. Multiple startling moments and awkward feelings. You want to put on the mask and just pretend you’re someone else. Hide in the closet, create another version of yourself.

“Some of us will get tired of waiting for death and some of us will want it to hurry up and finally get here for fuck’s sake, all the while still being bone-deep, pants-shitting scared of dying.”

“There are so many types of horror movies and different ways of approaching them. My favorites are like fever dreams that on the surface defy the logic of our everyday yet, somehow, expose what’s really underneath.”
This quote from Cleo feels like Tremblay’s thoughts on his own books. It feels like it was personal and that he put a lot of himself on these pages. It’s beautiful.

I fear this book did not hold attention throughout until the very end. Wow i love slow burns but this didn’t start burning for me until about 80% of the book. By that time every thing was almost over. I’m glad i paid attention for the most part because I understood why someone did what they did. But other wise if the ending would have been like that maybe even at that 50% mark or just about them making the movie and then a chapter about the future I would have probably liked it more.

I am a sucker for the cursed movie set trope, so I was excited to give this book a try. However, it never sucked me in, and I didn't connect with any of the characters past or present. It just never delivered on the horror aspect of the genre. I give this 3/5 stars.

Thank you to NetGalley for the opportunity to review Horror Movie opinions are my own.

I'm reading this novel [because of course I read every Paul Tremblay title, and have since I devoured A HEAD FULL OF GHOSTS], and I'm thinking a lot about the Experiments conducted beginning in August 1961 by Yale psychologist Stanley Milgram, in which subjects inflicted pain on others. Milgram's apparent intent was to discover if individual integrity and moral compass could overcome obedience to authority (and I suppose possibly also succumbing to peer pressure). In this novel there are a number of instances in which it seems that individual integrity (and common sense) fall prey to peer predation. I might also here reference William Golding's LORD OF THE FLIES, possibly THE classic fictional example. However, the converse of this consideration is: given the possibility of opting out, WHY would any individual submit to what amounts to sustained (albeit intermittent) torture?

There are other considerations: such as what does it take for a human being to absorb a fictional character (in acting, in writing, in art, etc.) to the degree of being subsumed by that character?

Yes, HORROR MOVIE is a Horror novel [eeks!! That horrifying Nature-overtaken abandoned school!!] but to me this unrolls as a study in the psychology of human evil, on its continuum from indifference to suffering, all the way to destruction, absolute destruction. And THAT is terrifying.

Many thanks to the publisher and NetGalley for the advanced copy!

Unfortunately, this was not for me. I read about 100 pages but couldn’t get into the story. The pacing was too slow for me. I encourage others to pick it up, as I could see people who love movies / horror movies enjoying this.

With a title like, "Horror Movie", I was expecting more....horror. Paul Tremlay's latest novel is more of a slow-burn read although it picks up and pays off well in the end. I favor slow-burn for the most part. When I read, I want to be hooked and immersed in the story that I'm reading and excited about the rules and characters that are presented in the world that the author created. And I want to get to the meat of it right away. Horror Movie kept me engaged in the characters and the story so I was surprised that I kept reading. I found comfort in reading this novel. It was like an old movie that I've seen hundreds of times but I've never set out to watch it. Movies that you just stumble upon while changing channels in a hotel room and you end up watching the entire movie, even through you didn't plan on it because it was familiar and good and you are glad you stumbled upon this gem. That is how I felt reading Horror Movie. I never read it, but the characters felt familiar in some way.

I was ready to read about something that was going to scare me deep down to my bones or something that felt like an old slasher movie with a growing body count from a psycho serial killer. In the end, I wasn't scared and the story didn't meet my slasher film expectations but I still enjoyed every moment from beginning to end. Maybe Horror Movie isn't the best title for this novel. Skip past the name of the novel, skip past the cover art for this book (the VHS tape make this feel like this is The Ring or... VHS) and just ready it because you know it was written by Paul Tremblay and you know it is going to be a great read.

I want to thank Paul Tremblay, William Morrow, and NetGalley for providing me with an ARC in exchange of my honest review.

I really enjoyed this book! I have enjoyed all of this author’s books. I would love to see this book adapted to film like another of his books.

I wish I read this sooner! "Horror Movie" by Paul Tremblay is a spectacular and modern telling of a teen slasher. Nostalgic horror for fans of "The Texas Chain Saw Massacre", "Evil Dead" and the like.

Tremblay writes a quick paced story following the creation of 'Horror Movie', the passion movie that was made by a motley crew of college graduates but never seen. Garnering a cult following in present day 'Horror Movie' is finally in the works to be "rebooted".

Written partly a screen play, partly from the past, and partly in present time, "Horror Movie" creates a 3-D experience for the reader. We are in the movie, we are equally playing all parts-- the slasher and the slashed. It's a perfect blend of suspense, off-screen slashing, and horror. I highly recommend "Horror Movie" to current devotees to the horror genre as well as newbies to the horror genre.

Thank you Paul Tremblay for writing this book, thank you William Morrow, and thank you NetGalley for the ARC!

Tremblay's "Horror Movie" is a deliciously meta mindfuck, serving up a fever dream of celluloid nightmares and Hollywood hubris. We dive into the eerie mythos of a never-finished student film through "The Thin Kid's" selective memories, watching as this barely-seen flick somehow spawns a rabid cult following. Tremblay nails the sweet spot between spooky urban legend vibes and the nitty-gritty of indie filmmaking, all while poking at the weirdness of memory and perception. His take on fan culture - think horror cons and "cursed" film lore - feels spot-on, asking some uncomfortable questions about fame, tragedy as commodity, and the often messed-up relationship between creators and fans. All this to say...it took me a long time to finally fall into the rhythm of this story, And by the time I did--it was over! And speaking of the finale: while the ending may prove divisive, it's very quintessential Tremblay - challenging and thought-provoking. Ultimate, this book was trying to do some really interesting things, and I recognize and admire that, but at the end of the day, there was something missing for me, something vague--but somehow important when it comes to how satisfying a story is--that I can't quite put my finger on or articulate, but I know when it's missing. This, too, is part of the classic Tremblay experience.