Having other Paul Tremblay books on my TBR but not yet read this was my actual first book that i have consumed by this author. I enjoyed it but when I was expecting an actual horror title that was not really what I got. I didn’t really get a mystery or thriller either. I will say there was a mystery and a horrorish component to it but it that kept the momentum of me reading and finishing it in one sitting. Horror Movie, while not only the title of the book is the title of the movie that was being made in the book and the movie that is being revamped and remade. It is a “cursed” title that never was actually aired do to something that happened during the initial filming. Instead years later 3 scenes were released after the fact and an occult like status was given to it in hopes that someone would pick up the title and remake it and release it in theatres.
Through the book we go back and forth throughout the time line of the initial filming and a more current timeline. Learning more about what happened during the filming and actually reading the script and seeing what was playing out during the filming. Not only were the characters of the film names Cleo, Karson, and Valentina, those were the “actors” names as well as they were based on them. This being so the question really lied within were was some of the fictional movie characters really completely fictional or not.

Overall I liked it and I am really interested in reading Paul Tremblay’s backlog.

For the first three quarters, as good as anything the author's written- "Head Full of Ghosts" good. Meandered a bit toward the end with an ambiguous ending that veered more toward confusing than satisfying. Getting there was a blast- the whole book got the feel of cheap horror movies spot on- from "Slaughter High" to- whether intentional or not= "Skinamarink." Definitely recommend.

Big thank you to NetGalley for allowing me to read this ARC. The following is my honest review. Horror Movie is my first book by the author. It takes a minute to jump into the story and know exactly what's going on, but you'll quickly begin following along. It jumps between past and present, with bits of a screenplay. Right off the back it's eerie, weird, but also good enough to keep the curious readers tugging along. Midway through the book your thoughts will probably be WHAT THE FROG AM I READING? What's real? What's not? But, you'll be curious enough to keep going. I hardly read horror, in fact, I read majority romcoms, ok. Why did I think I could just skip into this book is beyond me. I can say that I read this book within hours. I've never been so absorbed by a story and scared to put it down. I loved everything about this weird, creepy book.

I enjoyed parts of this book, but felt that it was mismarketed. I expected a horror book but felt that the plot and writing style mostly matched literary fiction. I didn’t find that most of the twists and turns paid off. I feel that I would’ve enjoyed it more had I not expected a horror novel.

I'm not sure I liked the way this was written but overall the book was good. Solid 4star. Will definitely be looking for more from this author.

A reboot is planned for a 1993 horror flick that was never fully released. The only surviving member of the film, the man who played “The Thin Kid”, remembers the past and how reality and film blended.

This was a very atmospheric and immersive novel. The format really brings you right into the story and it feels like you’re in the movie. I enjoyed the screen play sections, despite the atypical format. Overall it was too odd and artsy for my tastes. It went in a direction I was not expecting, which an often be a good thing, but it wasn’t my type of horror.

“The Mask is ugly and grotesque and familiar and we cannot stop staring at it because all monsters are mirrors.”

Horror Movie comes out 6/11.

When I started this book I didn't know what I expected. As an avid horror movie fan, I found myself intrigued and wanted to give it a chance. I'm glad I did. From the moment I started reading, I was ALL IN. The style of writing is good but some passages seem a bit like filler. The cuts between the past, present and screenplay drove me as a reader to keep digging. I wanted to know how it ended. What a fantastic read.

I received a free advanced copy of this book through NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

Four teens make a horror movie that never gets released. It is rumored the production was cursed. Years later our unnamed protagonist The Thin Kid tells the story of the film and its reboot.

I never get a real read on our narrator and how the film affected him, nor can I tell which events happen and what was made up to preserve the lore of the original film. That uncertainty adds to the general creepiness of the book.

I recommend this book to fans of 70s and 80s horror films.

I felt real dread reading this book! I liked the dual timelines and trying to figure out what was going to happen next in both as well as the screenplay. A fun read for horror fans!

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for an ARC of this book!

Unfortunately, this one didn’t work for me. I think I struggled mostly with the delivery and format of the novel itself. Switching back and forth between the screenplay and timelines made it confusing and difficult to follow. Also, it seemed like everyone was very unreliable, which I usually enjoy, but for some reason this made things even more confusing for me this time. The ending was interesting though, but I will say that overall this one was not what I was expecting!

Thank you to both #NetGalley and William Morrow for providing me an advance copy of Paul Tremblay’s latest thriller, Horror Movie, in exchange for an honest review.

#HorrorMovie is a first-person narrative that is told through the perspective of the sole surviving cast member from the original film and namesake. Despite having never been released to the general public, a digital leak of the screenplay and a few scenes uploaded to YouTube sparks a renewed interest in the mysterious amateur film project thirty years later.

As expected, the chapters alternate between the past and the present, leading up to the current reboot. The format is a curious amalgam of traditional fiction, excerpts from the script, and snippets from the main character’s audiobook. Which begs the question, who is the Thin Kid? Moreover, why did he survive? Furthermore, is he entirely human?

While not my favorite of the author’s chilling works, Paul Tremblay is undeniably adept at the craft of writing. From developing characters to employing metaphorical imagery, and structuring passages in a manner that elicits both atmosphere and mood, his technical prowess shines. Where I sometimes struggle with his novels is the plot itself.

Horror Movie fell a bit short of expectations. I was anticipating more horror (which the author cheekily alludes to on a meta level throughout the audiobook passages—apologies to Mr. Tremblay, commercialism and “corporations-are-people-too capitalism” got me!), and less expounding on the human condition. Some passages also seemed unnecessary or misplaced, which may explain why the plot veered off course for the latter half of the novel.

Similar to how the characters describe contemporary horror movies, the novel borders on the strange and esoteric rather than straight horror. Think Hal Hartley and David Lynch, not Wes Craven or John Carpenter. Several times throughout the novel I was reminded of the movie, It Follows, while still hoping for content from the classics, such as House on Haunted Hill or Scream, to emerge. Perhaps, a title change would alter expectations…

For fans of the author and/or psychological horror, this one was written for you. For all other readers, Horror Movie embodies solid storytelling, with a hint of snarky humor injected for not only entertainment value, but also social commentary.

In 1993, a group of young twenty-somethings put together a disturbing, unhinged little indie film that ended in tragedy rather than release. Several decades after filming, 3 incomplete scenes and a handful of movie stills are released onto all the horror discussion boards and film sites, leaving the world hungry for more. The incomplete film, Horror Movie, gained a cult following and the only actor remaining is treated with a sense of reverence in the horror community. Our narrator, the actor responsible for the eerie role of The Thin Kid, is invited to partake in a reboot of the film, with plans to remain as true to the unsettling original as possible. This novel, told through alternating timelines and screenplays, throws the reader into a story that will make one a little uncomfortable, but yet unable to look away.

For me, this novel had me hooked. Once I got into the story, I had to continue. The screenplay was the selling point for me. I had to know what the plan was for this bizarre and twisted film. The film that this story centers around is not a typical type of horror, but a captivating ride of true discomfort. Elements of this story were expected, but I found myself truly surprised by the grotesque way this story unfolded. Overall, this story had me captivated and enthralled from beginning to end, and I'd recommend it to anyone who enjoys being scared, but doesn't want all the horrendously gory and violent massacres that so often flood the genre. It was a perfect read for me.

TAGLINE: In June 1993, a group of young guerilla filmmakers spent four weeks making Horror Movie, a notorious, disturbing, art-house horror flick. Only three scenes are released and they are iconic and well-known to horror lovers across the globe. But what happened to the entire film?

Welcome to a slow burn and very disturbing story of a movie in the making. You will meet Cleo and the crew and an acquaintance they hire for the role as the “The Thin Kid.” Many years later, Thin Kid is a man and the only surviving cast member. There's a movement to refilm the movie and TK begins to reminisce on being on the set and what transpired. Tremblay plays with format and throws us directly into the film at times.

It's creepy, scary, upsetting and brilliant.

It's safe to say that you will not forget this story, the characters and the Horror Movie, you may in fact, sleep with the light on for the rest of your life. #williammorrow #paultremblay #horrormovie

Paul Tremblay's storytelling structure in Horror Movie is stunning. He interweaves, and slowly reveals with great technique, the storyline of the film-within-the-novel, Horror Movie, at the same time that he does so with the book we are reading (also entitled Horror Movie, of course). The way Tremblay integrates the screenplay, and film technique in general, into the novel is striking, resulting in a book that tells a harrowing tale of human nature while also reflecting deeply on the theory and practice of how we tell just these sorts of tales.

Yes yes yes. This was weird and fun and creepy with just a bit of gore. As an avid horror movie fan, this really hit it for me.

This book is the story of a cursed film, telling snippets of how 3 college kids got a crew together to make their weird little movie. But the only one left to tell the story is our narrator, The Thin Kid.

Interspersed between past and present are scenes from the film, screenplay formatting and all. As we start to piece together what’s going on, we just want to know, what really happened?

Thanks to NetGalley and Harper Collins for an advanced copy of this book.

Thank you to NetGalley and William Morrow for a chance to read this novel in exchange for an honest review!

Oh my god!!! I don't even know where to start. This is the first Tremblay novel I've ever read, and it absolutely blew it out of the water for me.

The concept is something so up my alley, following an almost cryptic, cursed, and internet fueled horror film that never fully saw the light of day and the one man remaining from any of the cast and crew. We follow our narrator through his own novel, an audio book set to be released, of his time during the original filming in the 90s, called in by an old college friend to step up into the role, and then in the present day where he's set to help produce the reboot film. As someone who's ingrained themselves in the internet's horror sphere, I found this to be SO fun.

Tremblay is incredibly masterful in the balance of high emotion, humor, and horror. There were times when I was laughing out loud, and others where all I could feel was dread (I'm looking at you chapter 16...) There are also so many little nods to the horror movie genre that just feel so fun.

Our narrator is another part that I really enjoyed. Tremblay pulls off the unreliable narrator trope with ease, throwing in a scrambled timeline as well, just for some extra confusion that I really enjoyed. I know that's probably something that might not be everyone's thing, but it really worked for me. The inclusion of the films screenplay as the one sequential through-line was a really nice touch as well. The blurring of reality and film was just perfect.

I honestly won't be able to stop gushing about this book, and I'm so excited to get my hands on a physical, and audio copy when it comes out. Overall, just amazing. I'm so excited to dive into all of Tremblay's works now!

Ahhhhhh I loved this book! So so good! Super creepy atmosphere, loved the vibe! Will be thinking about this one for a long time.

3.5 stars

Deeply disturbing and terrifying in all the good ways. But OH MY! My mind is completely blown. I will be thinking about this one for a long time. The misdirection is ON POINT. This was quite an entertaining read in a very weird way.

My thanks to the publisher and Netgalley for the opportunity to read this book.

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Thank you netgalley for the chance to read this advanced reader copy!

I was so excited to be approved for this arc! I absolutely love Paul Tremblay and this book did not disappoint!! So so good! Absolutely recommend!!

This is it, this is the one. The Paul Tremblay book I have been waiting and hoping for. If you’ve read my reviews of his other books, you know I always felt like his books were missing something. This one is the complete package.

In June 1993, a daring band of young guerrilla filmmakers embarked on a project to create "Horror Movie," a film that would become notorious for its disturbing content and art-house horror aesthetic. Remarkably, only three scenes from the film were ever publicly released, yet it managed to cultivate a fervent and dedicated fanbase. Now, three decades later, the industry clamors for a high-budget reboot, with the original's "Thin Kid," the sole survivor among the cast, at the heart of the resurgence. Haunted by the secrets of the original screenplay, the eerie circumstances of the shoot, and the catastrophic events that ensued—where artistic ambition crossed into realms of real-world horror—he is drawn back into the fold.

Horror Movie weaves an intricate and unsettling tapestry that challenges conventional horror storytelling, melding an unusual narrative format with deeply psychological and visceral elements. It deftly plays with the reader's expectations, starting off with an anticipation of a haunted movie set tale, only to veer off into a much darker, more complex exploration of human psyche and the macabre. The novel's structure—oscillating between past and present, interspersed with screenplay sections and an audiobook narrative—creates a unique reading experience that, despite initial complexity, captivates and engrosses.

The underlying horror of the story, is less about overt scares or ghostly apparitions and more about the disturbing depths of the human condition and the haunting aftermath of trauma. It is a reflection on the creation and consumption of horror itself, pondering whether the true terror lies not within the supernatural but within the very real capacity for human depravity. This thematic depth, coupled with a story that hooks readers early on and refuses to let go, marks the book as a compelling read for those who dare to delve into its darkness.