‘Oddity’ Is the Underrated 2024 Horror Movie That’s Perfect for Halloween

Horror fans in search of a truly unsettling movie to watch this Halloween need look no further than Oddity, an Irish chiller written and directed by Damian McCarthy (Caveat). Although released in 2024, this independent horror film slipped through the cracks due to a lack of promotional resources. Yet most critics, casual viewers, and hardcore horror fans alike agree that Oddity ranks among the best horror movies of recent years. In fact, the film is so frightening that the Science of Scare project ranked it among the scariest movies ever made.

On its surface, Oddity is a supernatural tale about a wooden totem that comes to life and terrorizes the inhabitants of a secluded country house. Digging deeper, Oddity is about a grieving woman reeling over the death of her twin sister. With old-school hair-raising fright and spine-tingling terror, Oddity is sure to shake even the most calloused and jaded horror movie fans this Halloween.

What Is ‘Oddity’ About?

Written and directed by Damian McCarthy, Oddity is an Irish supernatural horror movie released in August 2024. Wasting no time delivering the pain, the original Shudder film opens with a gory murder in a secluded country home, when an unknown assailant savagely slaughters a young woman named Dani (Carolyn Bracken). Dani’s husband, Ted (Gwillym Lee), is a psychiatrist whose client, Olin (Tadhg Murphy), is suspected of the murder, only to turn up dead shortly after.

One year later, the story shifts the focus to Dani’s twin sister, Darcy (also played by Bracken), a blind clairvoyant who owns a curiosity shop filled with old trinkets and totems. When Ted arrives to give Darcy Dani’s glass eye, Darcy examines it, senses something amiss, and ventures to the country home where her sister was murdered. There, Darcy meets Ted’s new girlfriend, Yana (Caroline Menton), who begins noticing bizarre behavior from a wooden Golem statue and becomes haunted by Dani’s ghost.

It’s best to leave the rest discoverable for the uninitiated. Beyond the genuinely unnerving and unpredictable third act, what’s of note with Oddity is the emotional stakes that Darcy encounters along the way. Between Darcy’s psychic abilities and the clues she finds by examining Dani’s glass eye, the golem turns out to be as much of a helpful red herring as a paranormal threat masking the true culprit.

Why ‘Oddity’ Is the Perfect Halloween Horror Movie

IFC Films / Shudder

Lost in a sea of mediocre remakes and uninspired knock-offs, Oddity rises above its contemporaries as a terrifying original horror movie. Made for little money and a small cast and crew, Oddity overcomes its lack of resources through ingenuity and expert execution. The deft usage of shadowy jump scares and cramped spaces amplifies the claustrophobic dread, tightly coiling the tension and suspense as it progresses. The combination of the original premise and old-school fundamental horror movie techniques delivers unforgettable scares, perfect for Halloween.

It’s also hard to praise Oddity without speaking about Bracken’s impressive dual performance as Dani and Darcy. For a small cast and a unique premise like this, the central acting becomes paramount, and Bracken is convincing every step of the way. Her performance, combined with the throwback bumps in the night, is partly why Oddity has earned some of the best horror movie reviews this past year.

Without betraying the best moments, Oddity has also been lauded for its provocative final images, with many agreeing that McCarthy nailed the ending, offering satisfying closure. In a day and age when most horror movies fumble the final moments, Oddity gets better as it goes and leaves viewers with as much to think about as it provides terror to run from.

For genre completists who’ve enjoyed previous, equally overlooked European folk horror movies like All You Need is Death, You Are Not My Mother, Relic, Citadel, Without Name, or even McCarthy’s prior film Caveat, Oddity is a must-see this Halloween. Fans of elevated horror movies such as The Babadook will also appreciate Oddity‘s metaphorical terror as an expression of grief, loss, and remorse, providing far more substance than most hollow fright flicks.

Where To Watch ‘Oddity’ This Halloween

Horror fans have several options to watch Oddity this Halloween. The movie is available to stream in HD on Hulu or in 4K for subscribers who’ve bundled Hulu and Disney+ or Hulu and HBO Max. Oddity is also available to stream in HD directly on AMC+ or AMC+ via Apple TV and Prime Video.

As a Shudder production, Oddity can also be streamed in HD directly through Shudder’s streaming service. Shudder can also be accessed through Apple TV and Prime Video. Viewers can also stream Oddity through Philo.

Luckily, for those without paid subscriptions, Oddity can be streamed for free on Hoopla and Kanopy. Of course, those who want to skip the sub fees can rent Oddity in 4K for $3.99 on Prime Video, Apple TV, Fandango at Home, and Google Play. Oddity is also available to rent in 4K for $5.99 on Plex.

Finally, those who wish to purchase Oddity outright also have options. Digital copies of the film can be bought in 4K for $7.99 on Amazon and Fandango at Home. Apple TV charges $9.99 for a 4K digital copy, while Barnes & Noble offers hard copy DVDs for $13.79 and Blu-rays for $15.59.

Regardless of how it’s seen, Oddity is well worth the effort. The film not only announces McCarthy as a talented director to keep an eye on moving forward, suffering no sophomore slump following Caveat, but it also boasts authentic thrills and chills sure to unsettle even the most cynical horror fans.