ARC releasing 6/11. In 1993, teens created a horror movie that was never released but has a cult following and the sole remaining member of the cast and crew want to reboot the project. The format took a bit to get used to because it's part then, part now, part screenplay, part the narrator is actually doing an audiobook that you're reading. However, once you're in, you're ~in~. This was spooky and weird. Once you got to the ending, you knew there was only one way out, but you're still shocked.

In 1993, a group of teenagers set out to make a horror movie, but only select scenes were ever released. Years pass, and the scenes garner interest from filmmakers who want to create a reboot. Problem is, most of the cast is already dead. The only survivor? The “monster” in the film.

I finished this book yesterday, but I took a little while to try to figure out my feelings for this book. Paul Tremblay certainly has a way with creating characters with interesting psyches. This book was no different. The main character, known as Thin Kid, throughout a majority of the book, was the most interesting of them all.

It’s hard for me to put my finger on how I feel about this one. It seems to explore the idea of the human monster, and the darkness that can lurk in the human psyche. The way that mob mentality can infect people to act in ways they wouldn’t normally act. Throughout the book, the characters gradually begin to act worse and worse until things reach a hellish climax.

Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for an advanced copy.

Was terribly excited for this one - I've enjoyed Tremblay's work, particularly his short stories, and "haunted and cursed films" is one of my favorite sub-genres of horror. I was somewhat assuming that "Horror Movie" would play out like Gemma Files's "Experimental Film", but with more of a focus on the cast/crew. I was wrong, and initially that excited me. The story goes back and forth between the early 1990s and modern day, with inserts of the screenplay of the fated film. It's a slow-burn of a story, and one that absolutely relies on the strength of the characters to keep the reader hooked.

Which is, for me, where it fell apart.

Our POV character is just SUCH a pretentious jerk. Written to be awkward, angry, and always looking for a power play, he's supposed to be unlikeable and boy, does Tremblay succeed. There's a lot to like about "Horror Movie" - Tremblay knows how to write an atmosphere, and he doles out little secrets so well to keep you hooked. Unfortunately, the book ultimately fell flat to me because the characters themselves were so nasty. You just couldn't really feel for them - and so when horrific things began to occur, I mostly shrugged. Yes, it's all written very scarily, but if you don't mind when someone dies, it lacks an impact.

So yeah, this one was not for me. I'd recommend others give it a go - it's certainly well-done. But I could not find an emotional path inside of it.

Tremblay does a great job of moving multiple narratives and timelines in a way that's unsettling and satisfying. You're never really sure where it's going and maybe you never really do have all the pieces of the puzzle, but it creates a debate much like the film that is the center of the book.

Another great book from Trembley. This one concerns a horror movie that never got released, but that has, thanks to social media, nonetheless gained a major cult following. Thirty years later, a reboot is in the works. Told in dual timelines from the perspective of the remaining cast member (of only four), the story of this lost film is tragic, heart breaking and deeply disturbing.

Highly recommended.

I did not care for this book at ALL. Super weird and didn’t make a whole lot of sense to me. Disappointing because some of Paul Tremblay’s books I REALLY like! Oh well - give it a try, because it may be the book for you even if it’s not for me.

Thanks to William Morrow and NetGalley for this digital ARC of 'Horror Movie' by Paul Tremblay.

I've been a fan of Paul Tremblay's since reading 'A Head Full of Ghosts' nearly a decade ago and 'The Cabin at the End of the World' remains one of my favorite books of all time. I was disappointed in 'Survivor Song' - didn't really click for me - but he got back on track with 'The Pallbearer's Club' so I was interested to read 'Horror Movie.'

I would say he's right back on song (no pun intended).

That unsettling feeling which was there throughout 'A Head Full of Ghosts' and which reached nuclear levels in 'The Cabin at the End of the World' returns with a vengeance here. It's ostensibly a 'haunted movie' take where we're introduced to a cast of characters who populate the real world and the screenplay of a film that was conceived and produced by a group of friends/associates but - with a couple of clips, still photos, and the screenplay excepted - never saw the light of day. The novel's structured in such a way that you soon (at least I did) lose a true sense of whether you're witnessing the screenplay or the real-life characters. It's very effective (though some people might think it distracting).

Several decades after the original film was made and never shown, the actor who played 'The Thin Kid' in the film is being courted left, right, and center by producers who want to jump on the myth to reboot/remake the original from the screenplay that was posted online by the original director.

The pacing of the story is superb. Little by little throughout the book we find out what happened during the filming of the original and what's happened since to the protagonists. Tremblay draws it out in a delicious way and in doing so ratchets up the tension and the unsettling atmosphere. All along we're getting clues that all is not what it might seem - in the present day, with the original shoot, and in the intervening years. The 'Thin Kid' actor's development from start to finish is really subtle until it's not.

While much of the horror is psychological, some readers might have to metaphorically turn away for some of the more graphic scenes of the book, none of which are particularly gratuitous, they need to be there.

There's a theme throughout the book of digs at the whole Hollywood machine which makes me wonder if it reflects the author's experience with the making of the film of his 'Cabin' book - it's an interesting thread and one that plays out a certain way in the end. I wonder if that's an allegory for what Tremblay would like to do with the 'Hollywood types' and their ways!

Highly recommended.

2.5 stars ✨
Horror Movie is Directed by Valentina and penned by Cleo, the story ambitiously intertwines the lives of three school teens—Valentina, Cleo, Karson, and a marginalized “Thin Kid.” Set against the eerie backdrop of an abandoned school in the woods, the plot hinges on the thin kid's transformation via a green mask, an act that symbolizes his descent into a realm of horror. Years later, “Thin Kid” actor is the solve surviving cast member from the Horror Movie and is asked to act in the Reboot.
Horror Movie aimed to combine innovative storytelling with timeless horror conventions, yet fails short to meet its high ambitions.

Horror Movie
By Paul Tremblay
75 to 80 % in, I thought “This bitch.”
This bitch right here be changing up the game. What game exactly, right. I’m not scared. Everyone saw this coming as it was directed in the script. Damn. You really went there. It was scripted but damn. You. Went. There. ARC was provided by William Morrow Books via NetGalley. I received an advance review copy for free and I am leaving this review voluntarily.

Hours after finishing this book, I’m still slightly confused. Horror Movie is written in screenplay style writing while also jumping timelines. Because of this, I had a really hard time following along in the beginning. I have never read anything like this style of writing before.

The book is definitely a slow burn, it took me almost half way through to actually get into the book and want to keep reading. Which was hard because I really was intrigued by the plot but I just kept waiting and waiting for something dramatic to happen and it never seemed to come. I think there was too much setting up the environment to get an emotional connection to the characters so by the time the climax of the book comes you’re just not invested in the characters.

I’d rate this 3.5 stars because although it was a slow burn and I had a hard time connecting to the characters, it was a great plot idea and although it took me a while to get into it, it kept me intrigued until the end.

Thank you NetGalley and the William Morrow Team for providing me with the ARC in return for my review!

From the author of A Head full of ghosts and a cabin at the end of the world comes the book Horror Movie. And this book was good. But not as good as A head full of ghosts. But just as good Cabin at the end of the world. I liked this book a lot.

This novel dtips with atmospheric dread and bleeds tension on every page. And, in Paul Tremblay's unique fashion, leaves it up to the reader to decide if these things are real or not. I love that about his books.

A never released low budget film called Horror Movie is at the center of the story. Told through the first person perspective of the only remaining cast member, there's a reboot in the works and the producers want him involved.

Some would say the original film was cursed. But really, this isn't a cursed film novel. Not entirely anyway.

The narrative plays out as the script of the movie, in the present day leading up to the reboot, and as the original was being shot. This multi-perspective viewpoint let's us see how the horrifying events played out.

I won't mention specifics but the filming of the movie has certain effects on people associated with it. Sometimes we're not sure if these things have happened or if this is a case of an unreliable narrator.

This is one of those books that you can't put down. No matter your take on the events at the end, you'll be pulled onto the set with these characters and feel every bit of the tension and dread as they do.

This is a must read, in my opinion, and one of the best horror books of the year. Definitely recommend!

I've been craving a book that's a bit dark and twisted for a few weeks now, and after diving into 'Horror Movie' by Paul Tremblay, all I can say is, be careful what you wish for. The novel spins a tale around a disturbing, supposedly cursed horror film from the '90s. Fast forward to the present day, and we follow the only surviving cast member as he grapples with the demons of the past and the remake of this eerie film.

Tremblay has clearly mastered the art of the unreliable narrator, keeping the reader constantly questioning the veracity of what's presented. We're perpetually at a disadvantage, navigating through twisted versions of the truth, with flashbacks intertwining the chaotic original shoot and the contemporary reboot. It’s a narrative dance that keeps you on your toes, unsure of where reality ends and fiction begins.

While The Pallbearers Club was divisive because it didn't fit neatly into any one genre, 'Horror Movie' has no such problem. However, to that end, it is lacking a touch of the depth of some of Tremblay's other works, among them, a real sense of character development. That said, this one will stick with me for a while (That ending...), even if it doesn't inspire as much of an emotional connection as something like The Pallbearers Club.

In 1993, four twenty-somethings set out to make their own, somewhat avant-garde, horror movie, writing, directing and starring in it themselves. But the film was never completed and eventually earned a reputation as a cursed film. Years later, three clips and the original script found their way online, sparking a huge internet interest in the film. Now, 30 years after it was shot, Hollywood has approached the only surviving main cast member, the one who played the movie's boogeyman "The Thin Kid" about rebooting the film. When he agrees, he relates the truth of what happened all those years ago.
This was an absolute unique take on the whole cursed film trope, so much so that it was very original animal. Told in alternating methods of the actor who was The Thin Kid narrating and the script describing the film and the world within it. It's secrets are only doled out a bit at a time, keeping you in suspense as to people's motivations and the story behind the film and its aftermath slowly show themselves. The dark psychological horror element of the book at times made for one of the most uncomfortable horror novels I've ever read. This was yet another reinvention of classic horror conventions by a modern master. 4.5/5*

This is my third read by P.T. and with every book I become more of a fan. I can't get enough. The writing and plots just pull me in in the best ways.

If you're into artsy horror films or creature features, this book might be for you. However, it wasn't what I expected. I was hoping for a haunted movie set kind of horror, but it was different. There were no ghosts.

Did I enjoy it? Well, it was engrossing but left me unsettled. The story took time to get into due to its format, but I was hooked almost by the halfway mark. I knew there wouldn't be a happy ending, yet I couldn't stop reading.

The format is unusual, switching between the past and present, with sections of the screenplay in each chapter. And I think that might've been a huge hindrance for my enjoyment with book since I am not a fan of that kind of formats.

Now, let's talk about the screenplay. The scenes described in the book are haunting, which was great. Fans of slasher horror might find it tame, but I haven't enjoyed gory films since I was a child.

The ending wasn't a surprise given what we learn about the protagonist's "tattoos." But I wasn't prepared for it. And the contrast between meditation and the horrifying events in the book was unsettling. It made me realize why I struggled with it.

Thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for semding the arc!

I couldn’t get into this book. I was soooooo beyond bored. I thought the plot would’ve been really cool. But this was a DNF for me.

I know this first line isn't going to be the most quotable line in a review but here it is anyway:
This is a total mindf*ck of a novel! And it is now my favorite Paul Tremblay book.

I finished reading this about 3 weeks ago and I still don't know what to say about it, other than that I absolutely LOVED it.

I am not going to talk about the plot, because the synopsis and many other reviews have already done that. Here, I'm going to focus on how it made me feel.

Confused. Elated. Shocked. Horrified. Nearly everything in this book is unreliable. In fact, my mind is still trying to work its way through this labyrinth of unreliability. The core group of people here, young actors and playwrights, (all devoted to making this film that ultimately is never released), were spellbinding. What happens to them as the film is being made, and then later in life, felt so exceptionally REAL to this reader. Perhaps that was the scariest thing about it?

Is this the journey of a young actor who is somehow changed by the very film he helped to create? Is the journey of the playwright who felt such a strong need to get the film made? Is this the tale of how a group of people can somehow feed off of each other, in the end creating something that is greater than the sum of its parts? The answers to all of these questions is YES.

So yeah, a mindf*ck for sure. It might end up being my favorite novel of the year. It's still early in 2024 , and if you know how much I read, you know that's really saying something.

If you are a fan of unreliability in your horror novels, look no further my horror-loving reading friends, because this is the epitome of unreliability!

My highest recommendation!

*ARC from publisher.*

Horror Movie is about group of independent filmmakers making a horror movie which was never released due to mysterious events on set. Only three leaked scenes have fueled its cult classic status over the years. Now, three decades later, a Hollywood reboot is in progress, with the sole surviving cast member, who harbors dark secrets from the original production, agreeing to participate on the condition of reprising his role as The Thin Kid, the film's monster.The narrative unfolds with elements of found footage and an autobiographical tone from an unreliable narrator, who shapes our understanding of events, having authored a book on the subject. The unsettling ambiance permeates through glimpses of the script and set anecdotes, leaving readers on edge.The original script of 'Horror Movie' delves into themes of peer pressure and isolation, particularly evident in The Thin Kid's descent into madness as he faces ostracism. The narrative also delves into the dangers of method acting and the narrator's obsession with his villainous role, which continues to define his identity decades later. This book was so well written, captivating and so unique!

5⭐️

In 1993, a group of indie film makers spent a month making 'Horror Movie.' And due to what happened on the set, the movie was never released. Over the years, only three scenes from the movie have ever been leaked on line and the movie has reached cult classic status because it was so secretive.

Thirty years later, a reboot of the movie is in the works with a Hollywood budge to match. The new producers have approached the only surviving cast member left and asked for his participation on set. As the only one who knows of all the dark secrets surrounding the original film, he agrees with one request: he gets to revive his role as the films monster, The Thin Kid.

This was wild. I liked the way this was told; if felt like part found footage and part autobiographical from an unreliable narrator. A lot of the information about what happened was given to us by our unnamed narrator who has now written his own book on the topic and so everything was skewed through his view of it. But regardless of if was the clips of the script or stories from the set, the whole scenario just left me feeling very on edge.

The script of Horror Movie itself I think said a lot about peer pressure and loneliness and the more the Thin Kid was ostracized the more unhinged he got. This also said a lot about method acting and losing yourself to a role. I think the power of playing the villain really went to the narrator's head and even thirty years later his entire personality still surrounds the movie that never came out. All in all this was very unsettling and I loved it!

Thank you Netgalley and William Morrow for providing this ARC to me!