A24 horror movies love to push limits, and apparently, keeping characters alive is one of those limits it’s happy to ignore. Forget the typical slasher flicks. A24’s characters meet their end in ways that are so shockingly graphic and emotionally crushing, you’ll be left in a state of disbelief and lingering discomfort.
These are not just quick deaths. They are gut-wrenching, brutal, and often deeply tragic, leaving a lasting impact on both the characters and viewers alike. Even the seemingly swift deaths are so jarring and graphic that they leave you rattled, as if the intensity of the violence is burned into your memory.
From the most gruesome to the most heart-wrenching, A24 ensures that no one gets off lightly. Here are nine A24 horror characters who suffered the most horrific and graphic fates imaginable.
Charlie in Hereditary
Poor Charlie! Her death has got to be one of the most shocking and disturbing moments in the psychological horror film. I definitely didn't see it coming. While at a party, Charlie consumes cake that has walnuts in it, causing her to have a severe allergic reaction. Her brother Peter drives her to the hospital, but this is when things go wrong. As Peter is driving, he sees a dead deer in the road and swerves the car. Sadly, Charlie has her head sticking out the window, and when the car swerves, her head is brutally decapitated by a telephone pole. Later in the film, her bloody head is shown in the middle of the road with ants all over it.
Annie in Hereditary
Annie's death in Hereditary is one of the most haunting and intense moments in the film. Possessed by a dark force, Annie levitates in the air and gruesomely saws through her own neck with a piano wire. The scene’s horror is amplified by the sickening squelch of blood spurting from her neck and the frozen expression of shock on her face.
Bobby-Lynne in X
Bobby-Lynne had more of a quick death scene in X, but it was still just as unsettling. After finding Pearl standing by the edge of a lake, Bobby-Lynne tries to get her to go back inside. However, a jealous Pearl decides to slap her before pushing her into the lake. Bobby-Lynne looks at her in shock before a huge alligator rises out of the water and grabs her by her head. The water begins to turn red, and all that is heard is Bobby-Lynee screaming as she is devoured, her cries echoing through the night before everything falls eerily silent.
RJ in X
RJ meets his tragic demise at the hands of Pearl. RJ was going to leave everyone behind at the farm after he saw Lorraine participating in the adult film. However, he's stopped by Pearl on his way out. She tries to seduce him, but RJ rejects her advances. This angers Pearl, and she then stabs him repeatedly in the neck with a knife. Blood spurts everywhere, including on RJ's car headlights.
Lorraine in X
After Maxine rescues Lorraine, Lorraine yells at her that she hates her before she runs out the front door of the farmhouse, only to be shot in the face by a shotgun. Although her death is quick, it's still deeply jarring, made even more disturbing by how sudden and merciless it is. She didn’t get a chance to defend herself or escape. She was just killed instantly without hesitation.
Pearl in X
Pearl's death is hands down the most brutal in the slasher film. After going on a murder spree with her husband Howard, Pearl finally meets her end when Maxine gets in a car and runs her over. Guts and blood go flying everywhere, leaving Pearl’s headless and mangled body as a gruesome final image of her downfall.
Christian in Midsommar
What makes Christian's death scene in Midsommar so unsettling is the sheer emotional and physical helplessness he experiences as he's paralyzed, unable to escape or fight back while being stuffed into a disemboweled bear's body and then set on fire. We watch him fully awake, his eyes wide with terror, as the flames engulf him.
The projectionist in Pearl
After basically finding out how unhinged Pearl is, the projectionist tries to leave Pearl's home only for an enraged Pearl to grab a pitchfork and stab him in the chest twice. She then drags his bloody body out of his car before fatally stabbing him in the mouth.
Misty in Pearl
A jealous Pearl invites Mitsy over and confesses to all the murders she has committed. Terrified, Mitsy tries to escape, but Pearl grabs an axe, chases her down, and kills her. Later in the film, Pearl is shown chopping off Mitsy's head with the axe and tossing it into the lake, where an alligator quickly devours it, erasing any trace of Mitsy's brutal death.