HORROR

Horror Movie

Morrow. Jun. 2024. 288p. ISBN 9780063070011. $30. HORROR
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Known only as “the Thin Kid” in the script, the only surviving cast member of an indie horror film made in 1993 is invited to assist with its big-budget remake. The original has its devoted fans, even though only three scenes from the film were ever released; there’s a rabid online following, full of rumors and myths about the unfinished 1993 film. As the novel’s protagonist becomes more involved with the remake, secrets buried in the past start to resurface, including details of strange events during the original filming and the tragedy that occurred on set. Narrated with a sardonic tone and Gen-X sensibility, Tremblay’s (The Beast You Are) novel shifts between the filming of the original movie and of the present-day remake, sprinkled with excerpts from the films’ scripts. Unease and terror rapidly build in the book as readers learn details of what happened on the original set and how it threatens the present. The novel is as unsettling and gripping as a slasher while also managing to be funny and thoughtful.
VERDICT Balancing a terrifying cursed film with examinations of artistic creation, fandom, and truth, Tremblay’s latest is smart and well-paced and will have broad appeal. Recommended for fans of Tremblay’s The Pallbearer’s Club as well as Clay McLeod Chapman’s The Remaking.
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