The 27 Best Horror Movies of 2023
Brand-new nightmare fuel, right this way.
Horror movies are not for the faint of heart, which is why we love them here at MC. There's nothing like two hours' worth of jump scares, blood-curdling screams, and ultra-creepy characters to get the heart racing. As with the best horror movies of 2022, this year's slate of scary films included highly-anticipated sequels in classic horror franchises like Scream IV and Evil Dead Rises. But 2023 has also brought a ton of new fears to the big screen—as well as some of the year's biggest twists (see M. Night Shyamalan's Knock at the Cabin). Thrill-seekers, prepare for your watchlist to get much longer with this year's must-watch horror films.
'M3GAN'
Premieres: January 6, 2023
The robotic doll instantly became a meme on social media thanks to her uber-creepy mannerisms and dancing. An AI-enhanced doll created to befriend a little girl was definitely not a good idea. After killing it at the box office, M3GAN is set to return to the big screen in 2025.
'Skinamarink'
Premieres: January 13, 2023
This creepy, low-budget thriller grew a passionate cult following thanks to its experimental style and escalating tension that had viewers squirming in their seats. The story follows two children trapped alone in a house with a mysterious entity, but behind that simple premise is a truly chilling tale.
'Sick'
Premieres: January 18, 2023
A horror flick set during the height of COVID lockdowns could be a tough sell, but this slasher from the creator of the Scream franchise delivers an intense experience full of twists and turns. Parker (Gideon Adlon) and her best friend Miri (Beth Woodlow) decide to quarantine together at a secluded lake house when they get an unexpected (sinister) visitor.
'Infinity Pool'
Premieres: January 27, 2023
This horror flick sees a wealthy couple enjoying their lavish island vacation until a fatal accident causes things to get weird. Like clones and creepy animal masks weird. Alexander Skarsgård Big Little Lies fame stars alongside Mia Goth who is shaping up to be quite the scream queen after 2022's X and Pearl.
'Knock at the Cabin'
Premieres: February 3, 2023
A knock at your isolated cabin's door might seem innocent enough, that is until four strangers take you and your family hostage and claim the apocalypse is coming. Hence is the premise of M. Night Shyamalan's latest horror film. Knowing the iconic director, expect a huge third-act twist.
'The Outwaters'
Premieres: February 9, 2023
This relentless found-footage flick is for the horror fans with iron stomachs, as it's filled to the brim with visceral scenes (and sound effects) of blood and gore. The premise: a group of four friends head into the desert to shoot a music video and find something horrifying along the way.
'Huesera: The Bone Woman'
Premieres: February 10, 2023
In this chilling Mexican folk-horror film, an expectant mother (Natalia Solián) who is initially overjoyed by the pregnancy becomes plagued by a demonic spirit that threatens her physical and mental well-being. (For the curious, "Huesero" is Spanish for "bonesetter," a type of folk healer who specializes in mending and setting broken bones)
'Scream VI'
Premieres: March 10, 2023
In the latest installment of the Scream franchise, sisters Sam and Tara escape to New York City in the hopes of starting a new chapter. But, of course, the Ghostface killer follows. This masked murderer is unlike previous versions you've seen and seems to be even more ruthless in tracking down his victims.
'Clock'
Premieres: March 31, 2023
This sci-fi horror follows Ella (Dianna Agron), a successful interior designer who doesn't want kids, but feels pressured to keep up with societal norms once all her friends start becoming parents. The only problem is that Ella doesn’t want to be a mother. Eventually, she signs up to participate in an experimental therapy in hopes it'll change her mind about motherhood.
'The Pope's Exorcist'
Premieres: April 7, 2023
There's something about demonic exorcisms that's especially unsettling, so a film following the cases of a real-life exorcist sounds blood-chilling. This film follows the life of Father Gabriele Amorth, played by Russell Crowe, the chief exorcist of the Vatican and who performed more than 100,000 exorcisms in his lifetime.
'Evil Dead Rise'
Premieres: April 21, 2023
For horror fans who especially love blood and gore, check out the newest installment of the classic horror franchise, Evil Dead Rise. This one sees the rise of flesh-eating demons and a family forced to fight against their infected mother.
'Beau Is Afraid'
Premieres: April 21, 2023
Hereditary and Midsommar director Ari Aster's latest film continues the director's trend for unsettling psychological horror centered on human relationships. The horror-comedy follows a paranoid man (played by Joaquin Phoenix) through a phantasmagoric odyssey as he travels to visit his overbearing mother (Patti Lupone).
'The Boogeyman'
Premieres: June 2, 2023
The titular monster of this Stephen King adaptation comes straight from your childhood fears. Two siblings who are still reeling from the death of their mother have to face a supernatural entity that preys on families and feeds on the suffering of its victims.
'The Angry Black Girl and Her Monster'
Premieres: June 8, 2023
In this reimagining of the classic horror tale, Dr. Frankenstein is Vicaria (Laya DeLeon Hayes), a teenage girl who sets out to cure death by resurrecting her brother after his gang-related murder. Once she creates her monster, the young girl has to reckon with the effects of her actions on her mourning community.
'The Blackening'
Premieres: June 16, 2023
This self-aware comedy horror is perfect for fans who end up shouting warnings through the screen. ("I told you not to go in there!") A group Black friends who reunite for Juneteenth weekend getaway find themselves trapped in a remote cabin with a twisted killer.
'Insidious: The Red Door'
Premieres: July 7, 2023
Insidious 5, set 10 years after the last installment, sees the youngest Lambert kid off to college and is Patrick Wilson's directorial debut. If it's anything like the other four films in the series, this one is sure to be scary as hell.
'Talk To Me'
Premieres: July 28, 2023
The gruesome possession movie that shocked audiences at Sundance found a cult following online, following a group of teens who use an embalmed hand that lets them connect with spirits of the dead. The ritual and party trick becomes a viral sensation...until one of the spirits stays a bit too long.
'The Last Voyage of the Demeter'
Premieres: August 11, 2023
This standalone horror flick adapts a famous passage of Bram Stoker's Dracula, expanding the doomed sea voyage of the Demeter into a feature-length film. While sailing from Transylvania to London, the ship's small crew faces several strange and bloody incidents as they're stalked each night by a mysterious, merciless presence.
'Birth/Rebirth'
Premieres: August 18, 2023
Following the tragic death of maternity nurse Celie's (Judy Reyes) daughter Lila, morgue attendant Rose (Marin Ireland) sees an opportunity for the ultimate experiment. Celie immediately suspects Rose of stealing the body, and after she confronts her, any assumed conventions of the story go out the window as the two women become dedicated to reanimating Lila in this gruesome, subversive thriller.
'The Nun 2'
Premieres: September 8, 2023
Four years after The Nun made its terrifying debut, Sister Irene (Taissa Farmiga) the demonic Valak faced off again in this latest release from the Conjuring franchise.
'No One Will Save You'
Premieres: September 19, 2023
This terrifying Hulu flick about an alien home invasion counts Stephen King and Guillermo del Toro among its fans. Come for the hype, stay for the truly mind-blowing ending.
'Saw X'
Premieres: September 29, 2023
The Saw franchise continued on this year with a "midquel," set between the stories happening in the OG Saw and Saw II, with original actors Tobin Bell (Jigsaw himself) and Shawnee Smith (Amanda Young) reprising their roles.
'Deliver Us'
Premieres: September 29, 2023
After a nun in a remote convent claims immaculate conception, a team of priests sent by the Vatican fear that she her twins will fulfill an ancient prophecy: one will the Messiah, the other the Anti-Christ.
'Totally Killer'
Premieres: October 6, 2023
Small-town teenager Jamie (Kieran Shipka) has grown up in the shadow of the Sweet Sixteen Killings, when three girls were slaughtered on Halloween night 35 years prior. When she accidentally time travels back to the '80s, days before the murders, Jamie decides to stop the tragedy and right history in this gory horror-comedy.
'When Evil Lurks'
Premieres: October 6, 2023
In a remote village, brothers Pedro (Ezequiel Rodriguez) and Jimmy (Demián Salomón) stumble upon a demon that's on the verge of being physically born. In their desperation to protect the town, they fail to perform a proper exorcism, and bring doom and bloodshed upon their loved ones in this visceral possession thriller.
'Five Nights at Freddy's'
Premieres: October 27, 2023
Based on the popular video game series, this creepy flick follows a security guard who gets a job working the night shift at Freddy Fazbear's Pizza (think Chuck E. Cheese). While working, the guard realizes the establishment's four animatronic mascots turn homicidal after midnight.
'Thanksgiving'
Premieres: November 17, 2023
Sixteen years after the fan-favorite trailer in Grindhouse, Eil Roth has finally made Thanksgiving into a full feature. One year after a Black Friday riot that ended in multiple tragic deaths, an axe-wielding maniac begins picking off residents of Plymouth, Mass. one by one, in this campy, brutal thriller.
