The Best Horror Movies Released In 2023 So Far
It's no industry secret that horror films usually find success at the box office no matter when they're released, which is why so many come out every year.
In recent years, horror movies from singular directors (think Jordan Peele's "Get Out" and Ari Aster's "Hereditary") have elevated the genre by telling well-crafted and scary stories that explore psychological themes or offer critiques of society. However, fright flicks in 2023 seem to have taken a slight turn away from the subgenre dubbed "prestige horror" toward gnarlier, more experimental, and campier pastures. These movies include indie films from debut filmmakers, art-house fare from legacy directors continuing to work in a unique mold, and the occasional update to a beloved franchise.
This means there are tons of new offerings worth any "scarephile's" time. To help cut through the noise around this year's newest releases, we made this list of the best horror movies of 2023 so far.
Infinity Pool
The first entry on our list is Brandon Cronenberg's "Infinity Pool." The shocking movie tells the story of a vacationing author who discovers he can get away with crime in the country he's visiting by paying for a physical clone to be punished in his place. Naturally, this has sticky implications for all things related to morality, justice, and the influence of money on both.
Since this movie is directed by the son of David Cronenberg, it should come as no surprise that "Infinity Pool" is not a subtle, restrained meditation on its subject. Instead, it's a gnarly, ghoulish, and violent experience with some pretty wild turns from the actors at its center, Alexander Skarsgård (who plays author James Foster) and Mia Goth (who plays his twisted muse of sorts, Gabi).
Reviews of the movie heralded Goth's performance and Cronenberg's direction. The viewing experience itself is something akin to witnessing a train wreck in slow motion: audiences will likely feel simultaneously compelled to look away and keep watching Cronenberg and company's nightmarish vision of privilege.
Sick
Our second entry comes from the mind of writer/director Kevin Williamson, the mind behind the original "Scream" and other '90s horror jams like "I Know What You Did Last Summer." His latest movie, "Sick," is a slasher flick set in the early days of the COVID-19 pandemic.
The film follows college friends Parker Mason (Gideon Adlon) and Miri Woodlow (Beth Million) as they settle into quarantine at Parker's parents' lake house. This being a slasher film, it should surprise no one that seclusion doesn't make the girls particularly safe. While this setup may seem like a cliché dropped into a pandemic setting, Williamson and company lean into the genre's chaotic energy for surprising results. In particular, some of the movie's chase scenes play out like tiny action vignettes because (spoiler alert) the girls are definitely dealing with humans, not monsters.
Some critics noted the movie takes its time getting to its most interesting bits in the third act, but positive reviews heralded the movie as well-crafted and suitably gory. If college students avoiding bad folks with knives in the woods is in your wheelhouse, "Sick" is a movie for you.
Knock at the Cabin
When M. Night Shyamalan makes a horror film, critics and audiences are usually a tad divided on the results. His 2023 horror thriller "Knock at the Cabin" seems to have united them, with both audience and critics' scores sitting in the 60% range on Rotten Tomatoes.
However, the movie is worth checking out for a few reasons. For starters, its plot is the kind of mystery box that simply screams Shyamalan. The movie begins when a little girl, Wen (Kristen Cui), and her adoptive parents, Eric (Jonathan Groff) and Andrew (Ben Aldridge), fall victim to a home invasion during their vacation. The group of invaders, led by an excellent Dave Bautista as Leonard, claims one of the family members has to willingly sacrifice themselves to save the world.
Breaking down what happens after this interesting premise would ruin the movie's fun, but Shyamalan does a good job of keeping the audience on its toes until the final frame. Admittedly, not every critic felt the film does the best job of answering its central question — do we save the ones we love or humanity — but Mr. Bautista's performance makes this movie worth seeking out. For an actor largely known for playing muscle-bound henchmen and heroes, Bautista takes a subtle turn here that's truly unsettling. Leonard is simultaneously physically imposing and believably kind, even though he's suggesting great evil. His acting elevates the movie beyond its plot-heavy machinations.
Scream VI
Not only is the "Scream" movie franchise still alive in 2023 but "Scream VI" also proves it's still kicking. A follow-up to 2022's lauded franchise reboot "Scream," "Scream VI" tracks the new generation of perpetual victims as they start their college careers in New York City. Naturally, the freshman 15 isn't the only thing creeping up on these young folks, because a new Ghostface is on the prowl in Manhattan.
Jenna Ortega, Melissa Barrera, Mason Gooding, and Jasmin Savoy Brown return in their roles from "Scream V" and do great work as the next generation of young adults to duel with the death-dealing madman known as Ghostface. The cast also includes strong turns from other franchise survivors, including Courteney Cox (back as Gale Weathers once again) and Hayden Panettiere (returning as "Scream IV's" standout player Kirby Reed).
Critics hailed the movie as a worthy successor to the franchise and cited certain sequences — including a vicious attack on a subway — as standouts among the franchise itself.
Clock
The horror genre tackles all manner of fears, including some of our most personal. "Clock" takes on apprehensions over pregnancy, childhood, and child-rearing.
In the film, 37-year-old Ella (Dianna Agron) is constantly pressured by her friends and family to get pregnant and have children. Under particular emotional duress over the fact that she may end her family line, Ella decides to engage in an experimental process aimed at impregnating those who are somewhat on the fence about the idea. It is a chilling premise. Naturally, the experiments layer on multiple feelings of dread, angst, and some moments that can only be described as "horrifying health class videos."
The film, released on Hulu, is the feature film debut of director Alexis Jacknow. She's definitely a talent to watch. The body horror and dread recall something similar to early Cronenberg movies and highlight the anguish the therapy causes Ella. Viewers be warned, "Clock" is not an easy watch, but it is a gruesome horror with a lot on its mind.
Evil Dead Rise
"Evil Dead Rise," the latest entry in "The Evil Dead" franchise — kicked off by legendary director Sam Raimi in 1981 — proudly displays everything the franchise is known for: wild gore, creative character deaths, and an acid-tipped ironic attitude that might just leave some viewers feeling burnt. Anyone going in without context may be a bit surprised to find a horror movie happily playing in the "hardcore-camp" sandbox in 2023, but fans of the franchise will love "Evil Dead Rise."
Essentially, the movie's plot moves in the same vein as its predecessors: demonic "Deadites" are loosed on the unsuspecting victims, and all manner of possessions, carnage, and shocking scares ensue. However, "Evil Dead Rise" twists the formula by taking the action out of the usual isolated cabin in the woods and dropping it into a Los Angeles parking garage.
Reviews of the movie called attention to the film's gleeful amounts of gore. Anybody sitting too close to the TV for this one be warned — you may have sat in the splash zone.
Skinamarink
"Skinamarink" is the brainchild of YouTuber Kyle Edward Ball. Like the videos Ball's famous for, "Skinamarink" is basically the writer/director's attempt to capture the feeling of having a nightmare on the big screen. If that wasn't enticing (or frightening) enough for horror fans, "Skinamarink" specifically sets out to immerse its viewers in the same fears they may have suffered as children.
The film follows 4-year-old Kevin (Lucas Paul) and 6-year-old Kaylee (Dali Rose Tetreault) one evening when they wake up to discover their parents are gone. What unfolds after the opening is hard to describe in terms of plot because this is a movie entirely obsessed with atmosphere and mood. The result of this obsession is one of the most unsettling experiences to wind up on screens in a long, long time.
To pull all of this off, Ball leaves his camera focused on a dark space where the wall meets the ceiling to keep his audience looking up as if they were children, plays with how sound registers in an empty house, and plays many other tricks to remind his viewers just how terrifying being alone could be when they were kids.
"Skinamarink" doesn't play by any of the genre's rules beyond its guiding principle: freak the audience out. It's so unusual some critics even argued the movie presented something almost wholly new to the genre.
The Outwaters
"The Outwaters" — which originally premiered on the festival circuit in 2022, but was released in theaters in 2023 — is the latest entry in the found-footage subgenre. Its bold, surprising approach to the category's well-worn tropes garnered praise from critics for its gnarly twists and turns.
The film — framed as the recordings police are poring through for evidence — follows an indie director, Robbie (Robbie Banfitch) who sets out to film a music video for an aspiring musician, Michelle (Michelle May) deep in the desert with a small crew. From the description alone, audiences can likely guess nothing goes well for the artists once they get out to the middle of nowhere.
What most audiences won't be able to guess is just how bad things get for our protagonists. The secret sauce separating "The Outwaters" from other found-footage films is the movie's unhinged descent into chaos. Once evil descends on our unlucky hipsters, the movie never takes its foot off the gas. There are hints about what's haunting the film crew, but "the what" isn't the point. In "The Outwaters," "the how" is the point, and it's a nasty series of unfortunate events, to say the least. The result is a psychedelic fever dream that's equal parts disturbing and disorienting.
Malum
Anybody who enjoys B-movies like "Assault on Precinct 13" and "The Void" will be thrilled to discover 2023's "Malum," if they haven't already.
"Malum" tells the story of rookie cop Jessica Loren (Jessica Sula). One night shift, Officer Loren is left to man the station by herself while the majority of her precinct sets out to respond to mass emergencies. Unfortunately for our hero, followers of a violent occult leader have gathered around her station, and things inside start to get spooky as well.
Will Loren survive her shift? Check out "Malum" to find out, but more importantly, check it out to see how far a talented director, in this case one Anthony DiBlasi, can take a modest budget. Considering the film is a reimagining of his 2014 indie gem "The Last Shift," it's impressive to witness what DiBlasi was able to pull off with just a bit more backing. Reviews of the film have anointed Anthony as a rising star to watch.
Cocaine Bear
Like "Snakes on a Plane," 2023's "Cocaine Bear" is one of those rare movies that does exactly what it says on the tin. In an ode to campy creature features, director Elizabeth Banks delivers a project (loosely based on a true story) about a bear that gets high on cocaine and goes on a rampage in the 1980s.
Any viewer not immediately hooked by that premise can probably skip this movie, but anybody who's very curious to see a rampaging bear tear across a small town can rejoice. If its premise wasn't enough enticement, it features a wild cast, including Keri Russell, Alden Ehrenreich, O'Shea Jackson Jr., Isiah Whitlock Jr., Matthew Rhys, and one of the final turns from the late great Ray Liotta (yes, Henry Hill himself is in "Cocaine Bear").
Positive reviews of the outing praised the movie for being a deeply (if not very profound) entertaining entry in the comedy-horror genre. Any horror fan who longs for the day of "Tremors" or "Piranha 3D" should definitely take the time to check out Ms. Bank's well-crafted throwback.
M3GAN
Last, but certainly not least, on this list is "M3GAN." Being the first proper horror release in 2023, "M3GAN" set a high bar for the movies that followed.
In the movie, Allison Williams plays a robotics engineer named Gemma who works for an AI toy company. When Gemma is charged with caring for her 9-year-old niece, Cady (Violet McGraw), Gemma struggles with parenting and decides to give her a robotic best friend.
The catch? Cady's new animatronic companion is a prototype toy called Model 3 Generative Android or "M3GAN" with a deadly serious protection feature. Not to spoil anything the film's trailers already haven't, but M3GAN's ability to go full T1000 when Cady feels threatened presents problems for Gemma, Cady, and anyone foolish enough to tease a child with a robot companion.
This twisted sci-fi fable is absolutely bonkers. The film's general weirdness needs to be seen to be believed. Positive reviews noted the fantastic VFX that brought "M3GAN" to life and how her tactile presence pushes the movie into something akin to a good episode of "The Twilight Zone." If you haven't already, run, don't walk to this box-office behemoth.