Horror Movie by Paul Tremblay – Book Review + Movie Pairings

Book Review: Horror Movie by Paul Tremblay

When I started this blog, my main goal was to read and write reviews as soon as I finished each book—keeping my thoughts fresh, but Horror Movie by Paul Tremblay has haunted me for nearly five months. I couldn’t shake it enough to write about it right away. Now, almost half a year later, it’s still on my mind—and remains one of only two books out of 30 this year that earned a five-star rating from me.

This book seems to be polarizing. On threads and book club chats on Fable, people either love it or hate it. For me, it was a clear love. Tremblay delivers a layered, disorienting story that’s unlike anything I’ve read recently.

What is Horror Movie about?

Tremblay structures the novel around three narrative threads: scenes from the making of unreleased horror movie itself, pages from its original screenplay, and a present-day perspective from the actor who played the film’s infamous monster—the Thin Kid.

The cult film, never officially released, was only partially leaked on YouTube before being pulled. Still, it sparked fan theories, lore, and even fan fiction. In the film, three teens isolate and psychologically torment a fourth friend, transforming him into a monster of their own creation. What unfolds is deeply disturbing—blurring the lines between fiction and reality, pain and performance.

Tremblay doesn’t just tell a scary story—he builds an atmosphere. The use of unreliable narration, fragmented timelines, and the documentary-style recounting draws you into the mythos of the movie and the trauma behind it. As a reader, you start to question what really happened on that set, and what was simply legend.

Skinamarink Meets Hell House LLC

Some of the screenplay excerpts reminded me of what I hoped Skinamarink would be—unsettling, slow-burning, and deeply psychological. The discomfort builds with long, drawn-out scenes that make you unsure of what’s coming next. It also echoes the documentary-style creepiness of Hell House LLC. Together, those films capture the odd tension and unfiltered dread that Horror Movie taps into so well.

Should You Read It?

If you like horror that leans into mood and mystery over jump scares, I highly recommend this book. It’s not overly graphic or traditionally terrifying, but it is deeply eerie and unsettling in all the right ways. As I mentioned earlier, this book tends to be polarizing—but I think the risk is worth the reward. It ticked a lot of boxes for me and, unless something else comes out swinging, it’s most likely going to be my book of the year.

That said, if you’re easily unsettled, this might not be for you. If you’re open to a horror experience that lingers and messes with your sense of reality, Horror Movie is absolutely worth the ride.

Movie Pairings

Two great companion films:

• Skinamarink (streaming on Hulu): For the drawn-out dread and dreamlike horror, I didn’t love this movie, but I think Horror Movie does a good job of what I had hoped this movie would be.
• Hell House LLC (streaming on Amazon Prime and Tubi): For its faux-documentary approach and slow-building tension, after writing this review, I think I need to rewatch this movie.

I’m starting to include movie pairings in my reviews, so if you’ve read Horror Movie, let me know what films you’d match with it—or give me your latest five-star read and its perfect movie pairing!