2023 proved to be a fertile year for horror films. The genre had quite the creative time with films big and small offering an array of treats for fans, both foreign and domestic. I can’t say it was the best year for quality, but an array of sub genres gave horror junkies their fix, with a new horror picture releasing almost every month, revealing the occasional gem.
The year began with “M3gan”, a so-so creeper about a killer robotic doll that never really “let loose” with its premise. The horror films that followed filled the year with werewolves, evil alien invaders, witches, mask-wearing slashers, ritualistic cults, and more. Ghostface returned (yet again) for a sixth installment of the “Scream” series, “The Nun II” was a surprisingly well-received sequel, and David Gordon Green tried (and failed) to give William Friedkin’s horror masterpiece, “The Exorcist”, the same trilogy treatment he gave to John Carpenter’s “Halloween”.
While I disliked the previously mentioned pictures, the year held some treasures that gave the genre occasional injections of inventiveness. Here are my choices for the 10 best horror films of 2023.
- INFINITY POOL- Brandon Cronenberg
This unapologetically vicious skewering of the depravity and self-righteous privilege of the rich was Brandon Cronenberg’s blood and sex-soaked hallucinatory triumph. An intellectual horror designed to make us uncomfortable as it seduces and challenges. A captivating motion picture that unapologetically destroys the walls of cinematic boundaries.
- TALK TO ME- Danny & Michael Philippou
Teen horror done right. An incredibly unnerving, well-acted, and truly spooky picture that pulsates with an incredible sense of unease. A horror/mood piece that puts an inventive twist on the ghost film.
- NO ONE WILL SAVE YOU- Brian Duffield
An alien/creature feature piece that is clever and entertaining and one that holds more depth than audiences would imagine. A fresh and riveting film that is as thrilling as it is surprisingly soulful.
- WHEN EVIL LURKS- Demián Rugna
A harrowing and atmospheric demonic horror treat. Full of grisly scenes of viciousness, Rugna’s work is grounded in the wildly violent world of Lucio Fulci and gives genre fans one of the most intense horror pictures of the year.
- LORD OF MISRULE- William Brent Bell
A disturbing mystery/horror picture that leans into historical English superstitions and pagan beliefs to create a compelling viewing experience. A clever and well-designed film born of myths and folklore rituals, this is one of the creepiest horror films in some time.
- HELL HOUSE LLC ORIGINS: THE CARMICHAEL MANOR- Stephen Cognetti
Cognetti shows an old school respect for the craft, wanting to earn his film’s scares and does so with skill and precision. Smart, inventive, and unrelentingly creepy, this is one hair-raising chiller.
- EVIL DEAD RISE- Lee Cronin
A wild, raucous, and inventive thrill ride of a horror film that shows respect for fans of the Evil Dead pictures while paying tribute to Sam Raimi’s original creation. A witty explosion of gross-out thrills and vicious chills and one of the most intense and crowd-pleasing horror pictures in years.
- THANKSGIVING- Eli Roth
An entertainingly gruesome holiday horror treat. A blood-splattered homage to the low budget VHS slasher movies of the 1980s with savagely inventive kill scenes. A banquet of ingenuity and a grisly good time.
- MY ANIMAL- Jacqueline Castel
An atmospheric werewolf picture with a potent emotional core where its emotions and situations are grounded in realism, as much as a monster movie can be. Well-drawn characters and a good cast add to the pleasures of this potent allegory.
- COBWEB- Samuel Bodin
A surprisingly inventive and well-crafted piece that is consistently interesting and one that never loses its way. A potent film of palpable terrors done with artistry and a gleeful ambition to thrill.