"My theory is that we’re in hell. Some of us are demons and some of us make demons because we don’t know what else to do."

I had become a bit disillusioned with Paul Tremblay in recent years. I was so pleasantly stunned by "A Head Full of Ghosts" — it stuck with me in a way most fail to do. His subsequent works didn't resonate with me in the same way.

And then, there's "Horror Movie." This is something else entirely in a class of its own. It's in the vein of this more elevated horror (OK, A24) that's become more prominent recently. There are no ghosts, no jump scares, hardly any gore… but it sticks with you in the most satisfying way through this very intentional build-up of tension and the slow burn that comes with it.

One complaint — I feel like the cover design undercuts the power of this story. It would be a better fit for a campy 80s slasher. That's just me, though.

Thank you to the author, NetGalley and William Morrow for the advance copy in exchange for my honest review.

Paul Tremblay's *Horror Movie* is a masterful blend of psychological terror and suspense that will keep readers on the edge of their seats. Set in June 1993, the story follows a group of young guerrilla filmmakers who spent four weeks creating a disturbing, art-house horror flick. Though only three scenes from *Horror Movie* were ever released to the public, it has amassed a cult following over the decades.

Fast forward thirty years, Hollywood is eager to reboot this enigmatic film with a big budget, thrusting the only surviving cast member, known as "The Thin Kid," back into the spotlight. As he revisits the original screenplay's dark secrets and the eerie events that transpired on set, the lines between reality and fiction, past and present, begin to blur.

Tremblay crafts a haunting narrative that delves deep into the psyche of his protagonist, exploring the traumatic experiences that have haunted him for decades. The tension is palpable as he navigates the cynical world of Hollywood producers, egotistical directors, and obsessive fans, all while confronting the demons of his past.

*Horror Movie* is a tour de force of storytelling, combining an intricate plot with rich character development. Tremblay’s prose is both evocative and unsettling, drawing readers into a world where the boundaries of reality are constantly shifting. The climax is a mind-bending and unforgettable experience that will leave readers questioning what is real and what is merely a figment of imagination.

For fans of psychological thrillers and horror, *Horror Movie* is an absolute must-read. Tremblay has crafted a chilling narrative that not only pays homage to the art of filmmaking but also explores the dark recesses of the human mind. This novel is a testament to Tremblay's genius and a thrilling journey from start to finish.

Thank you to NetGalley, the author, and publisher for an advanced copy to review for my honest opinion.

This book left me with a creepy feeling that I haven't been able to rid myself of, and I like horror! I'm not sure if that's a good thing or a bad thing, but I think it does make it successful. It's hard to truly review this book without giving anything away, but it's a book about horror movies for fans of horror movies that also like going behind the scenes — so, for example, if you like 'The Blair Witch Project' and also reading about the making of 'The Blair Witch Project,' this may be for you. I'm still not sure how I feel about this and it made me feel like a bug was crawling around in my brain, so unclear if I'd recommend it to anyone.

Thank you NetGalley, Paul Tremblay and William Morrow for the e-ARC of this book in exchange for an honest review.

This was...fine? I had such high hopes for this, I have really like PT's past work and imagination that comes with his horror stories, but this was overall meh. I thought I would love the mash up of horror book + horror movie but I couldn't stand reading the script parts, omg, I almost DNF'd it because of it. I just thought it took us out of the story- I feel like he was trying to do something creative and it just fell flat and was a hinderance more than anything else. Luckily, it is a very fast read.

I think I really wanted more of the Hollywood and the aftermath of the film/Thin Kid but it just never stayed on that part long enough for me. Maybe this would be much better horror movie who knows!

My random thoughts on HORROR MOVIE by @paulgtremblay

To me this is a story of dehumanization, but you tell me, who is becoming less human here? The Thin Kid being compliant or the others with what they do to him? This is the Tremblay Ambiguity rearing it’s head, because maybe, just maybe, they are all just really into the roles they are playing in the movie.

This story is in first person and I picture Tremblay acting these scenes as the Thin Kid. It feels like Paul wrote himself into the character. Its rather uncomfortable because I feel like I’m there during the filming, not watching in a theater. It’s disturbing and not just because I pictured Paul in baggy, stained tighty-whities, but because it makes you look at this kind math teacher and just shiver.

These characters are broken and make me feel so hollow but I love them. Multiple startling moments and awkward feelings. You want to put on the mask and just pretend you’re someone else. Hide in the closet, create another version of yourself.

“Some of us will get tired of waiting for death and some of us will want it to hurry up and finally get here for fuck’s sake, all the while still being bone-deep, pants-shitting scared of dying.”

“There are so many types of horror movies and different ways of approaching them. My favorites are like fever dreams that on the surface defy the logic of our everyday yet, somehow, expose what’s really underneath.”
This quote from Cleo feels like Tremblay’s thoughts on his own books. It feels like it was personal and that he put a lot of himself on these pages. It’s beautiful.

I fear this book did not hold attention throughout until the very end. Wow i love slow burns but this didn’t start burning for me until about 80% of the book. By that time every thing was almost over. I’m glad i paid attention for the most part because I understood why someone did what they did. But other wise if the ending would have been like that maybe even at that 50% mark or just about them making the movie and then a chapter about the future I would have probably liked it more.

I am a sucker for the cursed movie set trope, so I was excited to give this book a try. However, it never sucked me in, and I didn't connect with any of the characters past or present. It just never delivered on the horror aspect of the genre. I give this 3/5 stars.

Thank you to NetGalley for the opportunity to review Horror Movie opinions are my own.

I'm reading this novel [because of course I read every Paul Tremblay title, and have since I devoured A HEAD FULL OF GHOSTS], and I'm thinking a lot about the Experiments conducted beginning in August 1961 by Yale psychologist Stanley Milgram, in which subjects inflicted pain on others. Milgram's apparent intent was to discover if individual integrity and moral compass could overcome obedience to authority (and I suppose possibly also succumbing to peer pressure). In this novel there are a number of instances in which it seems that individual integrity (and common sense) fall prey to peer predation. I might also here reference William Golding's LORD OF THE FLIES, possibly THE classic fictional example. However, the converse of this consideration is: given the possibility of opting out, WHY would any individual submit to what amounts to sustained (albeit intermittent) torture?

There are other considerations: such as what does it take for a human being to absorb a fictional character (in acting, in writing, in art, etc.) to the degree of being subsumed by that character?

Yes, HORROR MOVIE is a Horror novel [eeks!! That horrifying Nature-overtaken abandoned school!!] but to me this unrolls as a study in the psychology of human evil, on its continuum from indifference to suffering, all the way to destruction, absolute destruction. And THAT is terrifying.

Many thanks to the publisher and NetGalley for the advanced copy!

Unfortunately, this was not for me. I read about 100 pages but couldn’t get into the story. The pacing was too slow for me. I encourage others to pick it up, as I could see people who love movies / horror movies enjoying this.

With a title like, "Horror Movie", I was expecting more....horror. Paul Tremlay's latest novel is more of a slow-burn read although it picks up and pays off well in the end. I favor slow-burn for the most part. When I read, I want to be hooked and immersed in the story that I'm reading and excited about the rules and characters that are presented in the world that the author created. And I want to get to the meat of it right away. Horror Movie kept me engaged in the characters and the story so I was surprised that I kept reading. I found comfort in reading this novel. It was like an old movie that I've seen hundreds of times but I've never set out to watch it. Movies that you just stumble upon while changing channels in a hotel room and you end up watching the entire movie, even through you didn't plan on it because it was familiar and good and you are glad you stumbled upon this gem. That is how I felt reading Horror Movie. I never read it, but the characters felt familiar in some way.

I was ready to read about something that was going to scare me deep down to my bones or something that felt like an old slasher movie with a growing body count from a psycho serial killer. In the end, I wasn't scared and the story didn't meet my slasher film expectations but I still enjoyed every moment from beginning to end. Maybe Horror Movie isn't the best title for this novel. Skip past the name of the novel, skip past the cover art for this book (the VHS tape make this feel like this is The Ring or... VHS) and just ready it because you know it was written by Paul Tremblay and you know it is going to be a great read.

I want to thank Paul Tremblay, William Morrow, and NetGalley for providing me with an ARC in exchange of my honest review.

I really enjoyed this book! I have enjoyed all of this author’s books. I would love to see this book adapted to film like another of his books.

I wish I read this sooner! "Horror Movie" by Paul Tremblay is a spectacular and modern telling of a teen slasher. Nostalgic horror for fans of "The Texas Chain Saw Massacre", "Evil Dead" and the like.

Tremblay writes a quick paced story following the creation of 'Horror Movie', the passion movie that was made by a motley crew of college graduates but never seen. Garnering a cult following in present day 'Horror Movie' is finally in the works to be "rebooted".

Written partly a screen play, partly from the past, and partly in present time, "Horror Movie" creates a 3-D experience for the reader. We are in the movie, we are equally playing all parts-- the slasher and the slashed. It's a perfect blend of suspense, off-screen slashing, and horror. I highly recommend "Horror Movie" to current devotees to the horror genre as well as newbies to the horror genre.

Thank you Paul Tremblay for writing this book, thank you William Morrow, and thank you NetGalley for the ARC!

Tremblay's "Horror Movie" is a deliciously meta mindfuck, serving up a fever dream of celluloid nightmares and Hollywood hubris. We dive into the eerie mythos of a never-finished student film through "The Thin Kid's" selective memories, watching as this barely-seen flick somehow spawns a rabid cult following. Tremblay nails the sweet spot between spooky urban legend vibes and the nitty-gritty of indie filmmaking, all while poking at the weirdness of memory and perception. His take on fan culture - think horror cons and "cursed" film lore - feels spot-on, asking some uncomfortable questions about fame, tragedy as commodity, and the often messed-up relationship between creators and fans. All this to say...it took me a long time to finally fall into the rhythm of this story, And by the time I did--it was over! And speaking of the finale: while the ending may prove divisive, it's very quintessential Tremblay - challenging and thought-provoking. Ultimate, this book was trying to do some really interesting things, and I recognize and admire that, but at the end of the day, there was something missing for me, something vague--but somehow important when it comes to how satisfying a story is--that I can't quite put my finger on or articulate, but I know when it's missing. This, too, is part of the classic Tremblay experience.

This one just didn’t work for me. It was difficult for me to get into Paul Tremblay’s writing. I almost DNF’d three or four times. I did enjoy the script that was interspersed throughout the book, however, it did take me some time to understand what was going on. I ended up getting into it, but by then the pay off was too late.

This was a story about the void- it’s always watching and always hungry.

As a huge fan of cult classic horror films- this book was absolutely up my alley. This was an exploration of the lines between what define a story vs a film & the ways in which we are consumed by art if it’s done well enough. Bonus points for the things @paulgtremblay always does- please continue to keep the scary moments for the parts where I’m least expecting them, bc I’ve been lulled into false security.

Thanks you so much @netgalley & @williammorrowbooks for the eArc!

Candidly, I did not enjoy this book. I felt like the writing was not for me. I felt that the writing ruined the delivery of the store. And I felt that it was such an interesting premise as well.

This latest from Paul Tremblay is slow-burn horror, with a simmering creep factor and explorations of the darker parts of the human psyche.

The story unfolds in past and present. The past follows a group of friends who reunite to shoot a low-budget horror film in an abandoned high school. The present follows a key cast member of that shoot, who is the last remaining one alive following a series of tragedies that befall the others, as he collaborates on an upcoming 'remake' of the horror film, which was never actually completed and released but ended up having a cult following regardless due to the mystery surrounding the shoot. In addition, portions of the original screenplay are weaved into the narrative.

For me, these portions of the screenplay were one of the most interesting elements, along with the past story of the original shoot. There's one part of the screenplay, in Chapter 16, which I thought was genius in its exploration of the uncertainties and fears we all have deep within us around the unknown and our own mortality.

This book is not traditional horror, but rather more an exploration of what underpins the horror genre and why it resonates with us. It is unsettling and intellectually engaging -- a must-read for fans of Tremblay.

Thank you for William Morrow for the ARC!

I am quite stunned by this book. I enjoy Paul Tremblay’s writing but this has to be my favorite so far. Without spoilers of course, this book did not go the way I thought it would. I enjoyed the jumps in time in this book, and I normally find them confusing, Very well written and kept me engaged from the beginning.

I've enjoyed Tremblay's horror books (and movies) in the past. This one was a bit too graphic and disturbing for me. Admittedly this built up during the book in a surprising way (but you really had an inkling all along). But won't he surprised if this also sees the big screen.

I struggled through this book. Maybe it was the writing style/narrator. The main character was very pompous and full of himself. I couldn’t relate and didn’t enjoy reading this.