Horror at SXSW: Five standout scary movies from the 2024 festival

The film festival portion of South by Southwest is always packed with stars, bringing their would-be blockbusters out to Austin, Texas, for splashy premieres. But it’s also a festival that’s never lost sight of the power of genre. Through its Midnighters section and beyond, the annual movie extravaganza makes quite an effort to deliver the best in sci-fi, fantasy, and, of course, horror to audiences. This year was no different.

Unfortunately, I didn’t get to see every single horror film rolled out at SXSW this year, because I’m just one guy and it’s a big festival, but I did see quite a few that piqued my interest and even scared me right out of my seat. So, from big names to potential indie hits, here are five horror films from this year’s festival that you’ll want to put on your radar right now.

Immaculate

Sydney Sweeney’s much-hyped horror project blew into SXSW as one of the most-anticipated of the entire festival, and it mostly delivered on all that buzz. Starring Sweeney (who also produced) as a nun who immaculately conceives a child shortly after arriving at a convent in Italy, Immaculate is blessed with knowing exactly the kind of film it is, and never letting up on that vibe. At its best it’s a jump scare-laden, squirm-inducing piece of nunsploitation horror, driven by Sweeney’s fiercely committed performance. At its worst, it falls back on some of Catholic horror’s most well-worn tropes, but that’s enough to dull the impact, particularly once you’ve gotten to the final scene.Release Date: March 22