Thank you to netgalley for providing an e-galley for review. Horror Movie is an examination of what people will do if they can get away with it, and that drive that people have to stare at a car accident. It's not me and it's not my loved ones. A group of teens are making a movie, and the Thin Kid is the outcast in the group, so he gets the worst of it. Locked in the room, no food, no water, but he becomes so much more. The book is interspersed with actual happenings of the group when not filming then, and adult cast now. Maybe somethings are better left alone.

This book took me about 1/3 way to really get into, I didn’t want to give up because I love his books. I’m glad I stuck with it! The premise was different than other horror books, the characters were relatable!

"The Mask is ugly and grotesque and familiar, and we cannot stop staring at it because all monsters are mirrors."
- Horror Movie

Fans of the horror genre are a jaded bunch. We already know how stories like this go. We cut our teeth on Scary Stories to Tell in The Dark and memorized the how-to-survive speech from Scream (1996). We know that when the roller-coaster finally slows to a stop we will be shaken but safe. Familiarity dulls the edge of fear.

On the surface, Horror Story revels in cliché: a cursed film, a mask, a knife. In the hands of a lesser talent, Horror Movie might have been another forgetful addition to a bloated genre. But not Tremblay. Tremblay is a master of blurring the line between the supernatural and mundane to spectacular effect. He understands that the passage of time can be just as terrifying as a ghost. In fact, it may be more so. Why fear the dark when sunshine causes skin cancer? Why fear the monster in the closet when disease may be lurking inside your own body, about to bloom into being?

Who survives a horror movie, really?

Wow! A gripping read for fans of horror movies and the lore that comes with them. Formatted partially as a movie script, and switching between sharing tales of "then" and "now", the writing keeps the reader on the edge of their seat, unsure of what to expect next. Just when you think you are figuring it out, the author masterfully switches gears and introduces a new piece of the lore to pique your curiousity and throw a wrench into your theory. The narrator, who some would describe as the star of the movie, tells of his time on set of the low-budget film while preparing for a big Hollywood reboot. As he describes the lines between movie and real life blurring, you'll be shocked at what he was willing to do to continue to build the lore for a movie that no one had actually ever seen.

In the summer of 1993 a group of friends get together to make a horror movie. Despite only a few scenes being released on to the internet, it has become the stuff of movie legends inspiring a modern reboot with the original "Thin Kid" (the only surviving cast member) reprising his role. What follows is deeply disturbing. Part social commentary, part cynical jab at Hollywood, part psychological thriller, "Horror Movie" drags the Reader to the shocking yet inevitable climax. This is a must read for fans of Paul Tremblay, horror literature, and scary movies.

You get all the things you expect from a Paul Tremblay novel -- fun chills, great prose, some inventive formal playing around, humor and heart. And this one's got the benefit of some jabs at Hollywood moviemaking and the horror film world. Very much enjoyed this one.

I received an eARC of this book from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

Please check your trigger warnings before reading!!!!

This book made me so uncomfortable! It starts off slow and kind of awkward. The main character is quite awkward and weird and he’s the narrator so it takes a bit to get used to. He also is a unique narrator in that he is an outsider/side character to a lot of the story he’s trying to tell. This makes the storytelling a bit jarring as we skip parts he doesn’t know about or read his thoughts and theories on what happened that he missed. It’s clear the story is told from a skewed perspective, and what seems to be an unreliable narrator. This book also jumps timelines as the narrator reminisces about the original horror movie, and the present remake. At first it’s organized by chapter, but the further into the book we go, and the more odd our narrator gets, the timelines will switch mid chapter. Sometimes several times. In one instance, jumping from one story to the old movie to the new movie before back to the story. If I watched this as a movie, I guarantee I’d not be able to sleep. The characters in this book can be a bit pretentious at times, but I think this book does that intentionally as a nod to the existence of and to poke fun at these kind of individuals in real life in the movie industry and in fandoms. The story is also told to YOU by the narrator, which makes you part of the story, which makes it more uncomfortable and unsettling. It makes you feel like you are complicit in some of the actions that take place and you feel in danger when the other characters feel in danger. The archway scene brought up so many unsettling and uncomfortable memories of sitting alone, terrified, staring out into the darkness; trying to decide if some malevolent entity was out there waiting to get me. I don’t know that I could handle watching this if it got turned into a movie largely because of the scene.

Horror Movie is definitely a Tremblay novel. Though at times it felt disjointed with all of the bouncing around, Tremblay did a great job keeping a dark atmosphere through out with some oh fuck moments that kept you wanting more. It was hard to follow at times, took a minute to get into the meat of the story and just as soon as it took off, it ended. It ends in true Tremblay fashion leaving you thinking and wondering but it also felt a bit off, and was a bit hard to fathom. Overall, I enjoyed the story but not so much the ending. I felt the story took it's time building up to something only to end quickly and with an ending from left field.

Thank you NetGalley and William Morrow for providing me with the advanced copy of this novel to read, enjoy and review!

In a desolate narrative tapestry, four adolescents find themselves woven into the fabric of a tale much grander than the limits of their youth. They embark on a journey of creation, a cinematic endeavor that eclipses their own reality. This narrative is heavy, its essence reminiscent of the grim storytelling found in "The Cabin at the End of the World," yet it charts a distinct and captivating trajectory that captures the reader's intrigue.

The story unfolds in a dual timeline, oscillating between the past — the original filming — and the present, where echoes of that film are resurrected through a contemporary remake. One can't help but ponder if the author's own dance with film adaptations has bled into these pages, painting a portrait of the movie industry rife with vividly detailed caricatures of its denizens. As the plot deepens, the shadows of the original film's notoriety loom, unraveling the reasons behind the narrator's deep-seated scars from the project.

Yet, he's drawn once more into the fray of a grand-scale production. The premise unfolds with a series of bizarre and disconcerting developments, gripping the reader in its suspenseful grasp.

However, the novel falters in segments where the narrative assumes the form of a screenplay — Cleo's creation. The script sections, laden with excessive expository detail, break the cardinal rules of screenwriting, presenting a challenge for visualization. These moments, potentially transformative if confined to pure prose, struggle under the weight of their format, jarring the reader from the immersion.

Navigating this story is akin to walking through a house of mirrors — fascinating yet perplexing, with the truth shimmering elusively. The unreliable narrator's tale is not one of straightforward paths but of twisted corridors and shifting perspectives. He is a character marred by his trials, psychologically intricate and not without his faults.

The crescendo of the tale, the denouement, deviates from the author's trademark subtlety. It lands with the resounding thud of conventionality, perhaps an intentional mimicry of a Hollywood ending, yet it leaves a lingering question of its intent.

On the whole a 4 star read for me.

I was thrilled to see Paul Trembley had a new novel coming out and even more thrilled to recieve an ARC. In true fashion, Trembley left me in a page turning suspense that had me finshing the story in two days. What I thought was coming was not. Set between different decades of a young mans life, a man whose true name we never learn, we are led through the story by a group of teenagers making a horror movie. The author has us garner the teen's relationships with each other through narrative and movie script style. Fans of the horror movie (and novel) genre will be enamored by this tale of what happens during and after the "Horror Movie" is made.

Paul Tremblay is just one of the best horror writers out there. Horror Movie was an incredible read. I was immediately sucked in based on the back cover plot, but I was weary to how it would play out. But it was absolutely phenomenal and I couldn't put it down.

When you dive into a Paul Tremblay novel, you expect the bleak non happy atmosphere all around. It’s also always nice to see what new elements he will add to make the story more than just a generic horror. However, I felt Horror Movie took too much time setting up the atmosphere so that when the time came for the fast paced ending- the reader doesn’t have enough emotional investment in the characters to let the horror sink in and actually shock. The narration reminded me more of The Pallbearers Club than any of his other work, which I think hurt the amazing potential of this story when locked into a narrator that keeps all his cards close to his chest until it’s too late.

A super cleverly written little book! I admit I'm already a sucker for the "cursed film" genre in horror, and this was a worthy example. Time-hopping through chapters and gradual exposition was deftly handled (I mean, Tremblay is a pro) - more so than a couple of others I've read in the genre. While some may consider the ending anticlimactic, I thought it was a perfect culmination of the book...and, more importantly, the message behind the book. Part of which was - as is the case with all good monster media - the creature is never the villain. The people are the monsters, whether literally or figuratively, and the havoc the creature wreaks is entirely on the shoulders of the human characters. Highly recommended.

I just need to accept that Paul Tremblay's writing and I do not get along, other than 'A Headful of Ghosts.' I keep trying, and they keep not working, and this newest novel is no exception. I truly could not stand the MC's point of view/narrative voice, and I found myself skimming more often than not to get to the juicy plot points. That's....not an ideal way to read literary horror.

I won’t lie. It was the cover that pulled me in. I was hoping for a mind-bending experience like House of Leaves. Instead it was closer to American Psycho if Patrick Bateman was a college age liberal arts major making a student film in the style of David Lynch. I still can’t decide if I liked it or if it was too “Mulholland Drive” for me.

AN ODE TO HORROR MOVIES

On the philosophical level, it was amazing. A delve into the minds of horror, monsters, and the individuals who choose to make them, a study of horror movies and the people who watch them. It lays out the laws of horror movies and describes how each and every viewer has their own way of watching horror, and their own reasons for watching horror.

However, on the practical side, the plot seemed a bit pretentious. No shade to the author, however! I felt a little dumb at the end as I finished the last page and said “I don’t get it”. Maybe it’s just not for me. Some of you may read it and understand it perfectly. I think I tried too hard to understand it instead of just accepting it for the confusing, twisted, ode to horror movies that it was.

MULHOLLAND DRIVE

I mentioned Mulholland Drive up there at the start of this review. Let me explain. There are those who watched that movie and still furiously debate today about the meaning behind it. The debates surrounding that movie have made it into a bit of a joke in the film world for being pretentious, unnecessarily confusing, and aggravatingly ambiguous. The joke is that film students everywhere sit around in coffee shops wearing berets and discussing Mulholland Drive like it’s the deepest movie on the planet.

I see this book ending in much the same way. People are going to be debating this book and the meaning behind it, the origin of the mask and how it’s a metaphor for humanity or our sins, and the motives behind the main characters, and no one is ever going to agree on a final conclusion. And I think the book knows that. The author is already poking fun at the fact that it’s not supposed to make sense. He wants us to claw ourselves apart wanting to understand it all. The breaking of the fourth wall there is actually genius.

CONCLUSION

Was it entertaining? Yes.

Was it horrifying? No. No parts of this book scared me.

Is it worth reading? If you are into horror movies and horror movie culture you will like it!

If you are in your twenties and maybe in college as a film major, you will definitely like it.

If you like convoluted and twisty stories with surprise endings, you will like it.

However, don’t go into it thinking you will be terrorized. The horror aspects, both psychological and physical, read like a B-Movie budget (again, no shade! I love a good B-Movie!).

Overall, I am a jaded horror movie buff, so it takes a lot to get to me. If you are new to horror this will be a great introduction into the genre.

3/5 ⭐️

READER’S ADVISORY:

The fast paced stream of consciousness reads a bit like American Psycho (with less of a descent into madness).

The found footage feel and focus on film is reminiscent of early 2000’s horror, such as Blair Witch. It feels nostalgic in that way.

The dark themes and interpersonal angst felt a bit like Donnie Darko.

The complex plot line and alternative timelines read like House of Leaves.

The discussion of film and horror as it’s own entity was reminiscent of David Lynch.

TRIGGER WARNINGS

Themes of suicide, blood, abuse, and bullying


Thank you to NetGalley for providing an advanced reader’s copy in exchange for an honest review.

Paul is one horror author that is an auto buy for me. He takes horror and makes it real and adds in thrills and mystery too. His books always leave me thinking about them for days and this one was no different. Delving into making a cult horror movie again, even after it’s dangerous past, you will get chills as you make your way through to the end.

"I'm afraid that I’m a figment of your imagination. That you created me.”

This ended up being NOT AT ALL what I expected... in a good way. It won't be everyone's cup of tea, but I personally enjoy when a book makes me go "what the fuck?!" Tremblay's writing style and characterization really carries me away. I was hooked on the cuts between past and present, screenplay and "real life," and the blurring of those lines. All-around bleak and depressing (TW for suicidality). The Thin Kid and his, let's say, unstable perspective will be rolling around in my head for a while — the urge to re-visit portions is strong. And ironically, I think from start to finish, it *would* make one hell of a movie.

I was very excited to get approved for an ARC of this book!

In simplest terms it’s a dark, bleak story about four teenagers making a movie, creating something bigger than themselves. The depressing tone is sort of in the same vein as “The Cabin at the End of the World” in that respect. But it’s a very different, interesting plot that really held my interest. I read it quickly because I had to find out more.

The chapters switch between Then and Now, when a sort of modern day version of that same movie is being remade. I have to wonder if Tremblay had some bad experiences with the Hollywood system adapting his own book, (“Cabin at the End of the World”), because this one is all about the movie making process and a lot of the descriptions of industry jerks are oddly specific. Without spoiling anything, we learn about why the original shoot has become infamous and why the narrator is essentially traumatized as a result of his participation. So why is he taking part in this big studio reboot? It’s a great premise with some strange and unsettling twists.

What did not work so well for me were the sections that were written out in script format. We’re presented with the character Cleo’s original screenplay, and she frankly needed to take some screenwriting courses. (Those long paragraphs in the script directions about who the characters really are and what they’re thinking and feeling? Yeah, you’re not supposed to do that and it’s not gonna translate on screen.) It’s probably okay if you’re shooting the movie yourself as a teenager, but a major studio would get one page in and say “We can’t shoot this.” There’s a lengthy section later on that gets very meta with the audience and I think that could’ve been pretty cathartic if it were strictly part of a book instead of a script. Maybe if I hadn’t taken screenwriting classes myself I would feel differently. I do realize this is a bit of a nitpick.

This story is a little difficult to follow sometimes, but it intrigued me for sure. You won’t get much of Tremblay’s signature open-ended storytelling, though the narrator isn’t reliable and will switch his facts around a few times. He’s not the most likable guy and I think he’s designed to be that way, based on what he’s been through. This is psychological horror and a disturbing experience with more going on beneath the surface narrative.

I’m not sure about that ending. The book deserved a more subtle, nuanced conclusion like the ones Tremblay usually writes and that’s not what happened here. It just didn’t feel right to me. But maybe he was going for that Hollywood feel that a mainstream horror movie would have, to illustrate the idea of a mishandled reboot? I’m probably overthinking it. The point is, I wasn’t a fan.

I think my favorite Tremblay book that I’ve read is still “A Head Full of Ghosts,” followed by “The Cabin at the End of the World.” I did like this one even though I had my qualms with it. Please also pay attention to the trigger warnings because it deals with some pretty heavy subject matter.

3.5 stars rounded up!

Thank you so much to Netgalley and to the publisher for allowing me to read a copy of this in exchange for my honest opinion!

TW: Suicidal ideation/suicide, bullying

Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for this ARC copy!

My heebies have been thoroughly jeebied.

Leave it to Tremblay to give me everything that I want out of a novel exploration of the horror genre of film.

A smoothly developing plot divided between past and present? Check.

Non-excessive references to horror franchises and realistic depictions of horror movie consumers? Check.

This book gave me a lot to think about when considering why we make horror qnd what our constant production and consumption of it does to us. The protagonist is also really compelling and there's a strong voice throughout the past and future sections.

I can see my favorite aspects of Tremblay's other novel A Head Full of Ghosts here.

Good spooky read! One wholly worth a reread too.

Paul Tremblay's work is always a bit hit or miss for me. Head Full of Ghosts is one of my favorite horror novels of all time yet I could barely make my way through Survivors Song. But when his books do hit, they hit hard and this one was a knockout.

Horror Movie has so much going for it. Tremblay's skillful, almost effortless weaving of multiple perspectives, lost media influences, pitch perfect 90s settings, and of course, ample horror. For me there were really no misses here, the pacing was immaculate, it drew you in ever so gradually, feeding you just enough information to keep you interested and off balance and the whole thing built and intensified like the worst kind of nightmare into a sickening crescendo.

From start to finish Horror Movie is a solid five stars and it proves that Tremblay is still evolving and growing as a writer. I will be thinking about and recommending this one for a long time to come.