Woof! I haven't read a book that has kept me up late at night repeatedly just to read another section, to find out what happens next. The story was engaging, consuming, The past and present interwoven narratives add a level of perspective but also unease. Is the narrator even reliable?! Like the Horror Movie, this novel isn't for everyone but for those it is for - it will become a cult classic.

From beloved author Paul Tremblay comes a stunning new release, “Horror Movie”, about a cursed low budget horror film made by teenagers in the 90’s and its high budget Hollywood reboot. This book had me feeling deeply unsettled. Only one surviving original cast member is left, and he’s been asked to play the slasher villian “The Thin Kid” one last time. 3/5 Parts of the original film were released due to the deaths that occured on set, but despite the tragedies there’s still a massive cult following. The guilt of the main character is poingnant, but we’re left wondering why as we weave through past, present, screen play, and reality.

The fanbase for the original “Horror Movie” is obsessive and vast, so when Hollywood approches with a $2.5 million dollar budget for the reboot, how can he say no to playing the “Thin Kid” on last time. The screen play for the original movie is dispersed throughout the book, and weaves a sense of unease and surreality as you question how the timelines of past and present film making are intertwined. The main character oozes contempt and distaste for the world of film making, and because of his experiences you belive he has valid reasons to feel that way. I felt the isolation and yet the complete resolve of this charachter in my bones. Paul Tremblay’s somber and cynical storytelling are fascinating and enthralling. The dark mystique woven throughout the story had me completely hooked. The ending was superb despite its abruptness. if not for the way i didn’t really enjoy reading the screen play I would’ve given this 5 stars.

A screen play and three short scenes uploaded to the internet are all that remain of Horror Film. The latest from Paul Tremblay, tells the story of this low budget movie made mostly in an abandoned elementary school that shares the name of the book. Completed in 1993, no one seems to have ever seen the full film, but there are plenty out there who want to. The actor who portrayed the 'Thin Kid' is our narrator, and the sole surviving cast member, brought in to help make the big budget remake a success.

The narrative spools out from the present, with most chapters split into two parts. The first details events leading to the filming of the remake and the backstory about the original filming. While the second half is the screenplay of the movie from its beginning through to the end. Like other works of Tremblay, we have just the one viewpoint to work with and its always a question of how much we should trust it. As part of his role, the Thin Kid wore a creepy mask and was not to speak with the rest of the cast, set apart to better influence the results.

After The Pallbearers Club, Horror Film feels very much like a return to form with a playground of horror film tropes, unreliable narration and the demanding community of fandom. The making of the film was a formative, key event in the life of the Thin Kid, and something he has had a very hard time moving on from. Thanks to the growing interest in the film, he has been able to milk his role. But was this outcome planned? And what happened on set that stopped the wider world from seeing the original film?

Recommended to readers of horror, movie making of or behind the scenes or Silver Nitrate by Silvia Moreno Garcia.

Horror Movie was excellent. Once I started reading it, I couldn't put it down. I highly recommend to horror fans!


Many thanks to the publisher and Netgalley for my gifted copy.

TW/CW: Language, bullying, body shaming, peer pressure, abuse, gory scenes, blood, violence, cancer

*****SPOILERS*****
About the book:
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.
Release Date: June 11th, 2024
Genre: Horror
Pages: 288
Rating: ⭐ (I wish negative stars were a thing)

What I Liked:
1. Love the VHS cover
2. Reads fast

What I Didn't Like:
1. I hate the writing style
2. Screenplay inside book
3. Repetitive
4. Book rambles
5. Characters are just bad

Overall Thoughts:
{{Disclaimer: I write my review as I read}}

Completely not enjoying reading the screenplay in this book. So far it's taking me out the story I'm currently suppose to be reading. It's making me remember how much I hated his other book; The Pallbearers Club and you had to read a memior inside a book.

Honestly I wish this was just the story of the Thin kid and not this weird 4th wall story.

So Thin kid's parents are trying to find him but why do they keep calling Karson, Cleo, and Valentino? Was it a known fact they were friends with him? No where (yet) has it been mentioned they are friends and this seems like the first time they've hung out.

Page 100 and I really hope something happens because so far I am bored.

"Not really. I mean, some people are going to think what they do to the Thin Kid is because of their classmates, and that’s fine. But I don’t really care about motivation. Neither do you, Cleo. We talked about how the teens do it because they can and because they’re inexplicably driven to do it and the viewers will be driven to ask why why why and not have a clear, easy answer. That’s what’s scary, that’s why I want to make this movie."
Of course it'll an ambiguous reasoning.

I don't care for reading about the story in screenplay format and the next chapter having to read about the exact same scene, but behind the scenes. It's so repetitive.

We find out that these people associated with the movie all died;
• Karson (car accident)
• Valentina (pancreatic cancer)
• Mel (drowned)
• Dan (massive coronary)
They all died at different times and different years making it feel less creepy. When reading about this dude being the last one alive - the survivor you assume it all happened during the flimimg, but it's not. I guess we still need to find out what happened to Cleo.

Karson accidentally cuts off thin kids finger but I have questions. Did they really shove his real finger in his mouth? Was that his line to say; "oh god", "why", and "I'm sorry" apart of the script or improvised at having his finger cut off? I can't imagine staying in character enough after having a finger cut off.

Omg I still have another 132 pages left of this book. Sigh.

The only mystery in this book is the ending and finding out the final scene with the unnamed character and Cleo.

How was there a cult following for a movie already if no one ever saw it before?

I still bored. Wanna dnf this....

Karson's death just rambles on and on with the author repeating "some of us" and I just wanted to rip my hair out.

We do learn that actually unnamed dude didn't lose his finger the night of filming, but on the day he went to see Valentina. She cut it off with a knife. So what was the point of telling us that it was really cut off on scene?

So Cleo knew the chainsaw had its chain on and during the fight scene with thin kid sits up or pulls the chainsaw into her neck? So did they continue filming afterwards? The rest of the scene has them walking away from the body but is this the take that used? They say they called the police after the accident happened but did they? I know some of the scenes were filmed out of order because it's what they said in the beginning does that mean the ending was filmed first before the death or they just continued on after her death?

That's the ending? The Thin kid just kills the new Thin kid. Now he's picked up the personality of the monster.

Final Thoughts:
Was this book good? Answer no. This book was so boring and dry. I was taken out of this book so much having to read the screenplay that I didn't care about anyone. Also nothing happens. Everything feels so removed from this book that it's just so boring. The writing style was atrocious. The characters were these not like other people kind of attitude.

I had a hard time wrapping my mind around why this movie would have a cult following. The story is absolutely dreadful and completely basic. There's no mystery in it really because the screenplay was released by the actual creator, so I had a hard time understanding where the mystery and cult following came from.

I feel like I left this book with a lot of questions and there were some plot holes. How did everybody know who the Thin kid was if no one ever saw his face? How did we even know that thin kid that we're listening to is the real thin kid in the movie?

I ended up skimming the end of the book so the last 30 pages and that was a struggle. I'm going to go ahead and say this was the worst book I've read of 2024, so far.

Say that this book is a horror book is grasping at straws. This reads more like a thriller than a horror book.

IG | Blog

Thanks to Netgalley and HarperCollins Publishing for this advanced copy of the book. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

Another stunning, visual and unique story told only the way Paul Tremblay can tell it. The novel jumps between past and present as we follow the filming of an indie horror film that gains a cult following despite never being completed. The tension starts to build early on, with weird accidents and mishaps on set, and the descriptions of the movie scenes are so creepy and vivid you will wish it was actually made into a film (maybe one day it will be?!).

Horror Movie is a haunting read. I enjoyed the way the story is written in 2 timelines - Then & Now. The inclusion of the original script is fabulously eerie. The writing made my heart pound and my pulse race. Paul Tremblay is a master at revealing the right amount to terrify yet pull back at the perfect moment to keep that fear burning.

I have posted this review on Amazon, Goodreads

https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/6572096922

And Instagram

https://www.instagram.com/p/C8F-Zw8gvjX/?igsh=YjIwdWt2b2U5aHdt

An unreleased movie from the early 90s with a cult like status and frightening fans is about to be rebooted. Some people say the movie was cursed. There IS only one survivor from the original cast, after all, The Thin Kid. And he's worked too hard and suffered too much to let this reprisal wither on the vine. He needs this to succeed, no matter the cost.

There were some elements of this book I really enjoyed; like the screenplay chapters and descriptions of the mask. However, I really struggled with the pace and I found myself setting the book down often. There's still plenty to love for epistolary fans, horror movie devotees, and Tremblay lovers, though. Thank you to Netgalley and William Morrow Books for the review copy.

I started reading this 2 days before the release and I have a lot of thoughts that I will try to fit into a review...starting off I was a little confused from the first chapter but as the book went on it started to make more sense.

I'm sure that it was intended but by the end of the book I still had no idea what the motivations of the characters were to make them do what they did to Thin Kid and the whole script kind of feels confusing. I know that Cleo said that it was unconventional but it kind of felt unfinished and messy.

A lot of the time I was wondering why some chapters were included as it felt like they brought nothing to the story and a lot of the time they were forgotten by the characters as if it never happened. One thing I do love is the arrogant brash MC, I love when characters stand up for themselves and are also a little bit of an a-hole (lol)

And I have to admit a lot of the story did leave me anticipating more but it felt like every time we were getting somewhere we started to backtrack.

In the end, it is very Stephen King-ish writing (which is one of my fave authors) and I was (half) entertained by all of the events but it all felt pointless by the end and there was too much filler for my tiny brain to process. Not a bad book but not one of my favorites.

Thank you to NetGalley and William Morrow for the digital advance reader's copy.

Tremblay knows how to write truly weird, upsetting, and horrifying stories.

Sometimes they hit for me, and sometimes they don't.

This one hit.

Our unknown narrator moves back and forth in time talking about his role as the Thin Kid thirty years ago in the cursed movie, Horror Movie, and his time now working on the Hollywood reboot.

Interspersed is the script of the movie, and, if you like A24 dread-building horror movies (Hereditary, Midsommar, The VVitch), this one will be right up your alley.

In the movie, three teens are doing something - a curse, a ritual, banishment and punishment? - to another teen. A weird mask is involved. Things don't end well in the movie or on the movie set. It's all really, really upsetting as the evil seems to emanate from the humans, not any supernatural element.

As a reader, I spent my time wondering how the movie would end and what really happened on the set 30 years ago, as well as questioning my hope for humanity.

Tremblay's novels usually leave you with a lot of questions, and this one's no different: How is a monster created? Who is the real monster in this book or are we all monsters? What does it mean to face death? Is the cycle of cruelty and abuse endless? And, so many more . . .

If you like your horror thought-provoking and bleak, pick this one up.

*graphic violence, language, suicidal ideation

I loved the vibe of this story--it really felt like a true 90s/00s horror story. I felt that the way this unfolded was also just so well done. The bouncing POV, the Thin Kids, and the general setting/atmosphere really keep you compelled to continue reading. I had a great time with this one, and if you're intrigued by the synopsis like I was you're definitely going to enjoy this story. Also, the cover for this book is really cool *chef's kiss*.

Paul Tremblay’s newest book, Horror Movie, may just mess with your mind a bit. This is definitely one you’ll want to be fully alert and awake for when you start reading. You see the way it’s told is complex. (At least it seemed so to me, lol) The story jumps back and forth in time (which isn’t that unusual) but it also includes screenplay screens mixed in. I’m probably doing a horrible job explaining this. You see the story revolves around the making of a horror movie (I know you’re saying, ‘duh! It’s right in the title’) called simply Horror Movie. We see scenes from early attempts, with the original film gaining a massive cult following despite never actually releasing, and we also see decades later in the present when a big studio attempts to reboot/remake it, with the book’s central character being the only surviving member from the original film, who played the character of the ‘think kid’. I’m really hesitant to really go further into the plot, you really want to experience this one, not hear a recap. Just know this is Paul Tremblay at his most …umm…Tremblayest? I’d love to see this one made into a miniseries for Amazon or Netflix, but if that happens it needs to be helmed by someone like Mike Flanagan who has already proven he can handle complex stories. I’d like to thank William Morrow and NetGalley for the opportunity to read and review an eARC of Horror Movie.

https://www.amazon.com/review/RVYCCCTAJ9OBW/ref=pe_1098610_137716200_SRTC0204BT_cm_rv_eml_rv0_rv

This story managed to keep me guessing until the very end. I really enjoyed how much it felt like a 90's-00's horror story. There were so many great types of horror injected into this story. Tremblay does such a fantastic job of taking you through the Thin Kids thoughts. The slow descent into madness while jumping through different times in his life really keeps you guessing. The character's metamorphosis really leaves a lot open for you to form your own opinions on what happened.

I... don't even know where to start with my thoughts on this book. This is the weirdest one I have read in quite a while! I was confused, shocked, and thrilled, sometimes all within the same page. 

Horror Movie follows a man whose claim to fame is his role as "The Thin Kid" in a low-budget horror film from the 90s, aptly named Horror Movie. Although only three scenes from the movie were ever released to the public, it has a cult following. As the only surviving cast member, he is navigating the world of film production as he tries to get a reboot of the film made. Interspersed with the journey to a reboot, our narrator shares his memories of the bizarre events surrounding the creation of Horror Movie back in the 90s, as well as the original screenplay. 

It took me about 25% to really get into the story, but once it gets going, the horror in Horror Movie does not stop. I read the remaining 75% in less than 24 hours. The tension builds between the two timelines and blurs the line of what is real as we learn the fate of the other cast members and the original Horror Movie. Our narrator remains unnamed throughout the story and is only ever addressed by his character name, "The Thin Kid” which added a layer of eeriness and distrust. Horror Movie does not hold back on the gore and gives all the creepiness I want from my horror books and movies.

Horror Movie is not for everyone- it is unsettling and disturbing and left me with unanswered questions- but I do think it will appeal to fans of old school teen slashers and other “cursed films” (such as The Ring).

I love a great meta horror novel. A great, engaging read! Though the original "horror movie" was in the past, the crazy fanbase and the fact they are making a remake really reflected today's filmmaking realities.

3.5 stars

Horror Movie by Paul Tremblay poses as a story about the making of a supposed cursed film called “Horror Movie.” It never made it to the big screen and was abandoned on the cutting room floor for several terrifying reasons. The original director leaked three disturbing scenes on YouTube which gave birth to the lore, mystery, and cult movie status of a film that never came to fruition. Now Hollywood wants to cash in on it and make a reboot with the only living member of the cast, Thin Kid. Is it a reboot if it was never booted in the first place?

The real star of this book, in an allegorical sense, is the found object - a green mask. Cleo, the suicidal screenwriter supposedly found the mask on a head sitting on top of evil scribbles on the floor in an abandoned classroom. She believes the “mask” is haunted, but her motives throughout making the film are very questionable.

The book is told narrative style in first person point of view by Thin Kid, now in his 50s. It reads like a realistic memoir mixed with the original script with actors Cleo, Valentina, and Karson playing themselves. Thin Kid switches from back then to the present often. The scariest place is inside Thin Kid’s own broken, twisted mind. While reading I couldn’t help but draw parallels between Thin Kid’s and Heath Ledger’s dangerous preparations for their perspective roles. Except, Thin Kid was merely acting as himself in a very small b-film. He is simply an unreliable and unlikeable narrator. If he’s so traumatized by the original experience WHY would he dare volunteer revisit it?

I had so many questions while reading Horror Movie in all its allegorical glory. I personally found the story a bit boring, slow and too predictable for one reason only - I work in the entertainment and film industry. I have a little too much knowledge of cursed films, horror fandoms, found objects because I’ve written about and studied the subject in depth. So, unfortunately this book wasn’t a novelty for me, I knew what was going to happen. I wasn’t phased even during the “cigarette attack” scene. I found myself thinking, “omg just do it already!” The exaggeration and possible lies about the film by Thin Kid just adds to the cult like status and lore, which is how most Cursed Films become “cursed” in the first place. Well that plus a horrible accident involving cast and crew.

I’m not saying Horror Movie isn’t a great book, because it definitely is. I just so happen to be in a super small niche of people that have already heard the basic premise. Read it and decide for yourself! But seriously, watch out for Thin Kid, he’s been wearing that mask his entire life. They all have.

Enjoyed it. Listened and read along. Loved the setting but not so much the characters. Thank you NetGalley for this ARC.

🎊🎂🎈𝙷𝚊𝚙𝚙𝚢 𝙿𝚞𝚋 𝙳𝚊𝚢!🎈🎂🎊
𝚃𝚒𝚝𝚕𝚎: HORROR MOVIE
𝙰𝚞𝚝𝚑𝚘𝚛: Paul Tremblay @paulgtremblay
𝚂𝚝𝚊𝚛 𝚁𝚊𝚝𝚒𝚗𝚐: ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
#atmospherichorror #cursedfilm #unusualstructure

𝙼𝚢 𝚚𝚞𝚒𝚌𝚔 𝚝𝚊𝚔𝚎:
I'm a sucker for unsettling, atmospheric horror that plays with expectations and lingers in your thoughts long after your done reading, so I loved this book! Paul Tremblay exemplifies that brand of horror and this novel is a masterclass. The creeping tension builds through out but it entangled me in a way few other novels had, because not only did I find myself making guesses at what was really happening and what was to come, the rather meta narrative called me out on it in such a compelling way. The varying timelines and screenplay format which could easily be tiresome in the hands of other authors, was constantly engaging. As with other works of his, the finale is at once satisfying and left me haunted with possibilities long after.

𝚂𝚢𝚗𝚘𝚙𝚜𝚒𝚜:
In 1993 group of young filmmakers set out to make an unconventional horror film. Only three scenes are ever released, yet it grows a rabid fanbase.
Years later the only surviving member of the original production is asked to return for the remake. As fiction and reality and as the past and present blur, he unmasks the long buried secrets of the bizarre and tragic events of the original "cursed" production.

Thank you @netgalley and @williammorrowbooks for access to the eARC in exchange for this honest review.

I also ordered a physical copy and I'm so excited to receive it. I got the @barnesandnoble exclusive signed edition that was part of they're Midday Mystery Virtual Event and it looks fantastic 🖤

This was a slow burner, hooking its claws readers one timeline flip flop at a time. This book has the hard task of telling us multiple stories at one time, and it ends up succeeding in such wildly fascinating and at times devastating ways. Tremblay explores his characters with such a coercive hand that he in turn demands the audience to examine ourselves as characters in his story.

Truly a superb addition to the horror genre.

Oh Paul Tremblay…what have you created here? I have a feeling this will be an either love it or hate it novel for many. I’m definitely in the love it camp. Told via dual timelines, past and present (as well as including some sections writing as parts of the movie’s screenplay). The book revolves around a horror movie (simply titled Horror Movie), the creation of the original (one that has become a cult classic despite never really releasing) and the attempt at a remake by a major studio, told from the point of the view of the only still living member of the original team, the man who played the character of ‘the thin kid’. This is dark, twisted, and often times unsettling. The frequent time jumps and just the nature of the story (the movie scenes sprinkled throughout the narrative) may make it a little confusing at times, but I enjoyed the overall experience quite a bit. This may actually be one of the rare cases where a movie version might make it a bit easier to follow. Thanks so much to William Morrow and NetGalley for the ARC.

https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/horror-movie-paul-tremblay/1144117219?ean=9780063070011&bvnotificationId=fd0deb11-2805-11ef-ad70-0afff49ecd55&bvmessageType=REVIEW_APPROVED&bvrecipientDomain=gmail.com#review/311583320