2022 was a huge year for horror. It is one of the best we have seen in recent years so naturally, 2023 had a lot to live up to. There was definitely some promise and even though the year started slow when it came to well-made horror movies, it picked up at the end very beautifully. There were plenty of disappointments such as The Exorcist: Believer and Insidious: The Red Door. This year, there was plenty of creativity, great performances, great gore, and great set pieces. There was a little bit of something for everyone. Here are the top 10 best horror movies of 2023.
Honorable Mentions
- No One Will Save You
- The Blackening
- It’s A Wonderful Knife
- M3gan
10. The Last Voyage of the Demeter
One of the most famous horror novels of all time is Bram Stoker’s Dracula and one of the most interesting parts of the novel is the chapter that takes place on the Demeter. All that was left of the doomed ship was the Captain’s log, which detailed all the horrific events that occurred. A lot was left to the imagination in the novel, but this is where the movie fills in.
The movie does a good job of taking one chapter of a book and making it extremely suspenseful and frightening as our crew is stuck in the middle of the ocean being picked off one by one. The atmosphere is perfect, the acting is great and the creature of Dracula hasn’t been this scary in a while.
9. Thanksgiving
When this one was announced, I was super excited. There is almost nothing I love more than holiday horror mixed with cheesy horror. You get the best of both worlds here. The masked killer uses all kinds of Thanksgiving-related items to kill and it is such a fun time at the movies.
The kills are a lot of fun, the cast is pretty great and you get exactly what you are looking for. Yes, there could have been a few more deaths but with a sequel on the way, here’s hoping for bigger and more crazy turkey-filled situations. For a more in-depth review click here.
8. Birth/Rebirth
A morgue technician successfully reanimates the body of a little girl, but she must harvest biological materials from pregnant women to keep the child breathing. When the girl’s mother, a nurse, discovers her baby is alive, the two enter into a deal that forces them both down a dark path.
This is not your regular type of horror movie. There are no jump scares. There is oddly nothing supernatural and there are a lot of dramatic moments. Having said all that, this movie is scary. It deals with motherhood and how far you would go to protect your child.
The movie is well made, bold in its concept and the acting from Judy Reyes as a grieving mother is superb. This one definitely won’t be for everyone but it is still very damn impressive, and one of the most shocking of the year.
7. Scream VI
Scream returned after over 10 years with a bang as Scream 5 was highly successful critically as well as at the box office. The kills were great, and the cast was great. Everything was splendid. So, of course, another sequel was greenlit. Scream 6 is nowhere as good as the movie that came before it but it is still a very solid entry in the franchise.
The setting of New York City is fantastic, the cast is still great and the suspense is top-notch. However, the killer reveal here is one of the weakest in the franchise and it is unfortunate that due to the current cast situation, we may not see another Scream film anytime soon. Still, this entry proves that Scream is still profitable.
6. Evil Dead Rise
Evil Dead is an exciting franchise. For years, Bruce Campbell has been one of the coolest dudes in horror. In 2013, a reimagining was released and was well received overall. Evil Dead Rise is another fun, gory, insane movie in the franchise.
The studios had so much faith in this franchise that they moved it from streaming to be released in theatres- a smart decision as it was a box office success. Not many people thought that Evil Dead could work in an urban setting but it sure does. The apartment setting is claustrophobic and you get everything you want from an Evil Dead film: scary demons, cartoonish gore, and dark humor. On top of it all, Alyssa Sutherland gives one of the best horror performances of the year.
5. Totally Killer
This was easily one of the most surprising movies of the year for me. Totally Killer is in the same vein as movies such as Happy Death Day and Freaky, where they take a previously made comedy and turn it into a horror film. This one is Back to the Future if it were horror.
The movie is so much fun as our main character has to go back in time to stop a killer who hunted down her mother and her mother’s friends. The fish out of water scenario is always a fun one and Totally Killer has some good comedy, some gnarly kill sequences, and a cool 80s vibe.
4. Saw X
Saw is back and I couldn’t be happier about it. When a new Saw film was announced, there was a groan in the air. The previous installments had not been very good and it felt like this series was just dead already. Saw X has breathed life into this franchise.
The story is more personal and Tobin Bell is the undeniable star. The studio decided to go back to basics by bringing him and Shawnee Smith back. This was easily one of the best films in the series. The traps are well thought out, the set pieces and cinematography are stunning, and we get character development. Cannot wait to see what the future holds.
3. Talk to Me
Talk to Me is easily one of the scariest films of the year. In this world, people treat possession like it is a social media challenge. They take turns becoming possessed- but do not stay on the other side too long or you might be trapped.
The practical effects and strong script are the standouts here and the movie is emotionally draining in the best way possible. It is truly a scary fast-paced film that doesn’t let up until the final frame. We go on this journey with our main character and the sense of dread is strong. We can’t trust our own eyes and there are chilling moments behind every corner. It is one of the most impactful horror films in a while.
2. The Angry Black Girl and Her Monster
I loved this movie so much. Vicaria is a genius living in the hood. She has seen so much death that she becomes obsessed with it. When her brother gets gunned down due to gang activity, she decides she is going to find a way to cure death and bring her brother back. She succeeds, but the person who came back might not be who he seems.
One of my favorite horror novels of all time is Frankenstein and this is a beautiful haunting modern adaptation. Laya Deleon Hayes is one to look out for as she carries this movie perfectly. The soundtrack and score are phenomenal. There is a big message about how monsters are made: If you treat someone like a monster they are going to act like one. It is amazing how Mary Shelley’s work is still so relevant today.
The scares throughout work wonderfully and the family dynamic is strong. You become so invested with all these likable characters that when things start to go down it is heartbreaking. It also has an ending I loved so much. Check it out for sure if you haven’t.
1. When Evil Lurks
This is the most creative and messed up horror movie of the year for sure. The plot is about two brothers who find a demon-infested body and decide to dump it somewhere. This begins a chain of horrifying events that just might doom the whole village.
Demian Rugna directed this one after directing the terrifying movie called Terrified and this is just a perfect horror film. I have never seen demonic possession treated like this before. The church is irrelevant. Religion is irrelevant. In this world, possession is a disease. It can spread like a zombie bite. It can attach to your clothes, and your skin, it can follow you anywhere if you aren’t being too careful.
We are surrounded by characters who we don’t know if they have been possessed or not until it is too late. This movie is well-acted, shocking beyond belief, and also puts us in a world where classism is strong. If possession happens in a big city, it can be easily taken care of. In a poor village where no one cares about you, it is damn near impossible.
This is a Spanish-spoken film and I plead for you to watch it with subtitles to get the full effect of the acting and dialogue. It is a movie that stays with you way after it is finished. Look up at the picture of the little girl and dog. What could it mean? I bet you are intrigued now. Go watch this movie.
What were some of your favorite horror movies of 2023? What are you looking forward to seeing next year? Leave a comment below.
