An intriguing and effective story about the independent film industry, Paul Tremblay’s Horror Movie was an unsettling read. From someone who has been on many micro-budget and small films where things definitely went wrong, I couldn’t help but go back to those times in my head. He captured those feelings wonderfully. At first, I thought, this isn’t going to be so bad. This should be a pretty straightforward … nope. Alternating between the original film’s production timeline in the ‘90s, current day, and the original film’s script, the tension ramped up quickly.

One fear readers may have when diving into a specific world is they may not be able to relate because it’s not their normal world. Horror Movie has plenty of universal humanity to it that if you swapped out the filmmaking for another art form, I bet it’d be equally effective.

Sure, there have been other lost-footage stories, but Tremblay uses his style to great effect here. There are some great twists I’ve never read before, too. Most importantly? The characters were compelling, especially the Thin Man, the sole survivor of the original shoot who’s come back for the reboot.

There are some cool easter eggs, too, especially if you dig and enjoy indie horror and a certain found-footage film. Is there also some riffing on an author having their book adapted to the screen? Maybe. I still have not watched the screen version of Tremblay’s brilliant, The Cabin At The End of the World because the book was so frightening to me that I’m just plain not ready to go through that again.

Horror Movie got under my skin in an entirely different way. It’s hard reviewing this without giving too much away, of course. I’ll just leave it as I loved it. Another terrific, haunting book from Tremblay.

Now that was WEIRD! What did I just read?!

Horror Movie is the first book I've read by Paul Tremblay, and it definitely won't be my last! It's books like these that have brought back my long-ago love of horror novels, never mind that you can't get me to watch horror films. So it's interesting that I was sucked into this story of a "cursed" film. It took me a while to get into its rhythm, but then it grabbed me with its teeth and wouldn't let go.

A group of young filmmakers in June 1993 spent four weeks making the movie "Horror Movie". Only three of the scenes were ever released to the public, yet 30 years later the movie has a cult-like following. Hollywood is now gung-ho to produce a big budget reboot. The only surviving cast member, the man who played the " Thin Kid", has memories of the bizarre making of the film that resulted in a terrible tragedy. But he is determined to be involved in the reboot, and the demons of the past be damned.

You know what the first odd thought that came into my head when I finished this book was? That we were never told what the Thin Kid's real name was. Well, other than Weird Guy. But it actually felt right when I pondered my experience with the book. It did take me a while to catch on to the plot due to the writing style. At times we were involved in the making of the original 1993 film, and other times the current reboot. Inserted into each chapter were snippets of pages from the screenwriter. The story is seen through the eyes of the Thin Kid. Things seemed pretty straightforward at first. A cult film was being rebooted, and the only surviving cast member was invited to participate. Ok, cool. When we visited 1993, we got to know director Valentina, screenwriter Cleo, cast member Karson and director of photography/cameraman Dan. They were all great characters, but Cleo was the most compelling. And of course we had the Thin Kid, who came across as geeky and awkward during both time periods. The filming seemed normal at first, then became...odd. Something was off with this whole thing, but what? I don't want to give away any secrets, but I will describe the feelings it caused in me: curiosity, confusion, uncomfortableness, trepidation, nervousness, fear and horror. My mouth hung open, trying to take it all in. I was stunned and terrified of secrets revealed. Cleo's fate will haunt me for a long, long time. I'll never forget Karson's recitation of the poem "The Crocodile" by Lewis Carroll. (It was used brilliantly here.) Do any of us know a Thin Kid? You've got to dive into this...disturbing...story. It's unforgettable. Paul Tremblay is now a must-read author to me. I've got his other books on my TBR file; I look forward to being terrified again soon!

I received an ARC of this book courtesy of the publisher and NetGalley. I received no compensation for my review, and all thoughts and opinions expressed are entirely my own.

This is my least favorite book by Paul Tremblay so far. I've enjoyed his previous novels, and I expect a dark, twisty ride. This one was a bit too slow burning for me. I found the characters hard to connect with, so that made things difficult for me as well.
I did think it was an outstanding horror novel, and the overwhelming feeling of dread really drives that home. The reader is left with Manny unanswered questions and a sense of the depth of human depravity.
Thanks to Net Galley for the book to review.

I’m not a huge fan of horror, but I was intrigued by the “cursed film” theme, flashing back and forth between the making of a horror film in 1994 and its reboot in the present day, both told through the perspective of the only surviving member of the original production.

It wasn’t what I was expecting. Not scary. But deeply, deeply disturbing. And I couldn’t tear my eyes away. If it wasn’t for my stupid job and life responsibilities, I would have read it in one sitting.

I’m still not sure how I feel about it, but I’ve never read anything like it.

OK, wow, PHEW! Paul Tremblay does it once again in the latest, HORROR MOVIE. My mind is still reeling and I will be thinking about, processing, and recommending this book for years to come. Fans of cursed films/objects (think Poltergeist, and all the wild, real-life horrors and tragedies that occurred to those involved with the movie when I talk about a film being cursed), meta realness, unreliable narrators, and disturbing stories with a dose of anguished beauty will absolutely devour this one. There's also a layer of "Hollywood, you blood thirsty, money sucking waste of space, devoid of all creativity!" commentary here that I took in, and Tremblay is not wrong!

I love how I was not sure really what was going on (in terms of timeline) for a lot of the book. There are chapters delineated as THEN and NOW... but when and when? And then there are elements in each chapter of a screenplay (it makes sense, I promise!) but I just was not sure if this was a movie or a book in a movie in a movie or a movie inside a movie inside a book... like... what a WILD experience!

One of my favorite experiences reading this book is following along with our protagonist. Or is he the antagonist? BOTH? One way to find out! And a lot hinges on the concept of human monsters and how they are created, if they are created, and if movies/outside elements affect a person, make them a certain way, etc (which was also attempted to be claimed by Stu Macher and Billy Loomis in Scream 1995). I WAS HOOKED THE ENTIRE TIME!

Move over A Head Full of Ghosts and Cabin at the End of the World, HORROR MOVIE might now be my favorite Paul Tremblay creation to date!

I don't like ambiguous endings so I wasn't crazy about the Tremblay I read before, but I keep hearing he's great and I love horror. THIS BOOK IS IT. I was so unsettled, it was like there was something under my skin the whole time I was reading. I knew what was going to happen, but I didn't know what was going to happen.
This is a story about making a horror movie, but it's so much more. What are their motives? What is the story really about? I'm going to think about this for a while. Thanks to NetGalley for letting me read this.

Thank you Netgalley & William Morrow Publishing for an eARC 🔥

If you're looking for a book that'll keep you up all night, munching on popcorn and nervously glancing over your shoulder, then Paul Tremblay's Horror Movie is the perfect choice. This slow-burning tale of a cursed film production will have you sleeping with the lights on and wondering what's lurking in the shadows😵‍💫

At first, I was like, "What's going on here?" The story starts off slow, but don't worry, it's just building up the suspense. It's like the calm before the storm, you know? But trust me, stick with it. The story's got a weird, unsettling vibe that'll draw you in like a moth to a flame. It's like watching a train wreck - you don't want to look, but you can't help yourself.

Tremblay's writing is top-notch, building tension and dread with ease. He's like a master chef, expertly mixing together the ingredients of fear, uncertainty, and a dash of supernatural weirdness. The characters are cool, relatable, and well-developed, so you'll actually care about what happens to them (which makes it even scarier, let's be real).

The plot's got some serious twists and turns, keeping you on the edge of your seat. It's like a rollercoaster ride of emotions, but in a good way. You'll be like, "Wait, what just happened?!" or "No, don't go in there!"

So, if you're in the mood for something creepy and unsettling, something that'll make you question your life choices, then give Horror Movie a try. Just don't say I didn't warn you... Read it with the lights on, and maybe have a comfort object nearby. You've been warned!💯

Thank you to NetGalley, author Paul Tremblay, and William Morrow for providing me with a free ARC in exchange for my honest opinion!

Super spooky!! I haven't read a horror novel in a while, and this was a fun one. This was extremely fast paced, short, and kept me on the edge of my seat the whole time. I love the flashbacks between filming the initial movie and the present in filming a reboot of the original. The inclusion of the screenplay adds a depth to the book that even more so makes the reader question the unreliable narrator. I definitely ended this still having some questions, but I overall had a fun time time with it. Definitely very creepy/gory/disturbing in some parts, so be sure to check triggers before reading.

Is this a 4? Is it a 2? Is it a 3.5? All I know is that it messed me up in a visceral way and in terms of rating I'm changing my mind every few seconds.

I devoured this book though because like the borderline torturous film being described in the book, I couldn't put it down even though I really didn't know why. By the conclusion I felt unwell and upset unsure if I loved this or hated it. It's hard to say much more without completely ruining the book, but this works on so many levels to analyze filmmaking (especially amateur filmmaking), trauma, method acting, horror fan culture, Hollywood myths, etc.

In terms of Tremblay, I see this as a blending of The Pallbearer's Club (which I couldn't bring myself to finish) and The Cabin at the End of the World (which I absolutely love); this book really is like their lovechild which explains my conflicting opinions! This is one I need to sit with for a bit and come back to and reread after engaging in some conversation about it.

My thanks to William Morrow for providing me with an eARC via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

This is my first Paul Tremblay book, mostly due to the fact I’d been turned down for the Tremblay ARCs I’d requested in the past. I was so happy when I was granted access to this one, though, because the summary had me reeling. “Cursed film” genre is one of my favorites: As a Gen-Xer the “Poltergeist Curse” and the “Exorcist Curse” were writ large in my brain from my adolescent years.

Horror Movie exceeded expectations. I’ve been wary of thriller and horror novels as of late because they just haven’t been hitting like I’d hoped they would, but this? This slaps. It filled me with nostalgia for those “lost films” of urban lore but also filled my curiosity for today’s Creepy Pasta stories of occult rituals, creature origin stories, and even cryptid lore.

From the start, I was engaged and felt compelled to read and keep reading, knowing nothing was going to stop me until I reached the end of this book. Is it a little predictable? Yes. I liked that, though, because even if a horror film is predictable, part of the fun is waiting for the inevitable to come. The characters in a horror movie–or novel--all have a Sword of Damocles hanging over their heads. The horror is inevitable–it’s the timing of it that’s the variable.

Horror Movie is told in single POV from the narrator, but in the present and the past (dual timelines). There are sections in the past that are told in third person omniscient: Those are scenes from the film you’re “viewing”. This is an effective storytelling format for this book and a great way to disseminate both the exposition and the backstory without infodumping.

The whole book, without exception, is a great read: for summer, for horror, for fun, for in the dark under the covers, for by a campfire, for on the beach. Loved it.

I was provided a copy of this title by NetGalley and the author. All thoughts, opinions, views, and ideas expressed herein are mine and mine alone. Thank you.

File Under: 5 Star Review/Horror/Occult Horror

Ope! I totally forgot to post my review of this book!

First and foremost, I wanted to thank @netgalley for the advanced copy.

This comes out in a week! But, I finished it back in... March? I think?

But when I say this book stuck with me? It has stuck with me.

Being completely honest, I often forget many parts of the books I read. Especially months later.

But Horror Movie has just...l still think about it!
It had such a unique feel to it and it went places I didn't expect.

It's all in the best way possible.

📖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.

But at what cost? 📖

Definitely check this one out on June 11!

Paul Tremblay continues to be an author who knows how to absolutely get underneath my skin and mess with my head. This time he takes on the trope of a 'cursed film' and turns it into an entire meditation about creation, the power of art, and the way people can change into something unrecognizable when they are pursuing artistic perfection. I loved the way he tells it through both an unnamed narrator who experienced the filming an ultimate tragedy of the original movie, but also through the eyes of the script of an ambitions, at times pretentious, and completely innovative horror script that never came to full fruition, but garnered a cult following due to the repeated tragedies and a viral youtube channel. Unyielding and deeply haunting. This is quite possibly top 3 Tremblay for me.

Horror Movie is best enjoyed in audiobook format (the book itself basically tells you that). Many passages are in movie script format, and are better heard.

I'm a huge Paul Tremblay fan, but this book didn't really work for me. I found Horror Movie (the in-book film) to be pretty lackluster, and the characters fell flat. There are moments of genuine horror, which I really appreciated, but this book didn't live up to my expectations overall.

Wow what an amazing experience this is. I ask myself what am I reading and I don’t find an answer and I’m not sure that I care to. It’s a fun, gory, nightmare-fuel read for all horror fans. It’s just a bit too artsy and hard to engage with at times but look past that and you’ll be glad you did.

I'm blown away, unnerved, shaken, and bewildered by Tremblay's latest novel(I typed movie first!). With moviemaking as metaphor for the quandaries of life, the book is full of allusions to classic horror movie tropes and trivia as well as Tremblay's real-life Hollywood experiences, it melds screenplay, story, and existential reflection. I'm filled with questions and an overwhelming sense of dread though these were sometimes softened by humor and poignant character development.

I requested a copy of the ARC from the publisher, WILLIAM MORROW, on NetGalley and was approved in exchange for an honest review. All opinions discussed are my own and are subjective to myself as a reader.

Paul Tremblay curates anticipation, fear and suspense in every part of the psychological thriller that is HORROR MOVIE.

This is my first time reading anything written by Paul Tremblay. Crazy, right? He never blipped across my radar until I discovered (and became obsessed with) Stephen Graham Jones. When I saw this title available for request on NetGalley, it seemed like a great opportunity to test the waters with this author - especially since this book's description boasted it was a chilling twist on the "cursed film" trope. (Spoiler alert: it delivered.)

It was as though I was sitting in a coffee shop one afternoon and a fellow sitting at the table next to me leans over to peer at the title of the book I'm reading. Upon seeing it's horror, he says, "Have you seen the trailer for the remake of Horror Movie ?" I nod excitedly and he follows it up with, "I'm the original actor who played the Thin Kid." This book is written as though this guy, Thin Kid, is telling his story, with the timeline changing between his memories of thirty years prior, when the original movie was filmed and now, during the current remake.

These recollections and descriptions begin by building anticipation and excitement. The excitement soon leads to confusion and discomfort, tinged with a bit of regret. Soon it's fear you're feeling and dread - but it's too late now, the anticipation has you and you have to see it through.

I really liked some of the characters, even though they weren't very well developed. The majority of the story takes place in the past, when the original movie was being filmed and the main characters were college-aged. At that age, we're all still trying to make sense of life and figure ourselves out - so the choice to leave the characters a bit of a mystery to the reader fit well with the overall enery of the book.

The setting is pretty good, nothing unique, but the effect the setting had on its characters was exceptionally well written. When the past is recounted, a lot of it is the reader being allowed to read the original screenplay for the film. (I've no clue if that's how screenplays are actually written, but the format was a bit weird and took some getting used to.)

Logically, there are a few holes and I was left with a pile of questions - but that's what makes horror so great. It leaves the door open so that when you're laying awake at night, those niggling questions pop back to the forefront and you start to wander down the different "what if" paths.

In closing, I enjoyed my first foray into Paul Tremblay's work and will absolutely be reading more of his titles in the coming weeks!

I have read other Paul Tremblay books and have enjoyed them. I just could not get into this one though. I found the story to be very confusing and hard to get into. I did like the movie scene format at times but otherwise very hard to follow.
Thank you to Netgalley and to the publishers for allowing me to read this advanced copy for my honest review.

A big Hollywood reboot of Horror Movie, a 90s indie horror flick, is set to be remade. However, the film only ever released 3 finished scenes from the original. Despite this, there is quite a fanbase. And misfortune has followed almost all of the original cast and crew. 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.

*Special thanks to NetGalley and William Morrow for this e-arc.*

I honestly don't know what I just read, I say that in the best way possible.

This book jumps from past to present, different POVs, and even filming scenes vs BTS... It takes a few pages to figure out what is happening, but when you do you feel like you are in the film, you are part of the cast and these scary things are happening all around you.

As I was reading, I felt like I was watching a real horror movie. I wasn't sure where the very end of the book was heading, but WOW, I did NOT see that coming (I love a book with a great twist ending)

Thank you netgalley for the ARC in exchange for an honest review