10 Best Horror Movies Of 2023, Ranked
2023 may have been a tough year for many films, but it was a very good year for horror films. While films like Wish , The Flash and Mission Impossible: Dead Reckoning struggled to generate buzz and make money, horror movies became hits almost every month. Horror also had a great year on streaming platforms, with originals released on Hulu, Peacock, Prime Video and, of course, Shudder.
But what are the best horror films of the year? From box office hits to critical acclaim (and in many cases both), these 10 horror films defined 2023 and prove the genre is getting new life.
10. Sick
Since the pandemic, Hollywood has been trying to make stories about the coronavirus...but no one wants them. From the box office failure of Katie Holmes' Alone Together to NBC's Connecting , which was canceled before the end of its first season, the coronavirus remains a very dark and difficult subject for most viewers.
But Sikhs were different. In the film, a group of people who live socially distanced in an isolated lakeside house are stalked by a masked killer. The coronavirus setting added a great feel to the film and was a great way of storytelling to explain why the group stayed away from others and why no one came to help. Sure, the movie has similarities to Aliens , but if you like that style of sustained horror, Sick is a must-see.
9. M3 Jan
M3GAN was released in January and had little competition in theaters. Avatar: The Last Airbender continued to dominate the box office week after week, with almost no new films released aside from forgettable titles like Airplane and House Party . Fortunately, the cheesy horror movie has become a cultural phenomenon.
At the heart of M3GAN is a life-sized domestic puppet equipped with AI technology that kills and dismantles anyone in its path. Also dance. Social media was soon filled with M3GAN . Drag queens dressed up as her, people performed her famous dance moves, and she even appeared at Universal Studios' Halloween Horror Nights. The crazy doll was everywhere , and for good reason. The film was sly but aware of its absurdity, which made it highly entertaining.
8. Five Nights at Freddy's
Five Nights at Freddy's is on this list because even though it is not a great movie, there are many interesting aspects to it. No, it wasn't very scary, and the movie unfortunately completely lacks the jumps that the game is known for. However, it became a hit. Everyone there remembers that deep fear we secretly had at Chuck-And-Cheese, when we knew something about those big, emotionless cartoons wasn't right.
FNAF knows how to tap into our secret childhood fears, which is why audiences flocked to theaters and Peacock to see the movie despite poor reviews. Not only did the film earn more than $287 million at the box office, but it also became Peacock's most-watched film. Thanks to cult favorite Matthew Lillard and numerous Easter eggs for fans of the franchise (including some deep cuts), the film manages to attract audiences regardless of what critics think. FNAF ended up being the highest grossing horror film of 2023, an award it deserves.
7. Tanning
Like a crazy horror version of Jumanji , a group of black friends are forced to play a board game...or risk losing their lives. The game tests their knowledge of black culture and forces them to sacrifice someone if they get a question wrong. Blackening is a fun but poignant film with a deeper story about race and discrimination.
But like Get Out , the issue isn't as heavy-handed as some of PBS's kids' specials, but it's wrapped in a fun, engaging plot. The film questions the identity of the real villains and contains some incredibly clever lines and big moments.
6. I saw X
Another successful sequel this year was Saw X , which actually takes place between Saw and Saw II . Fans and critics alike praised the film's return to form, praising the return of Jigsaw and Amanda, as well as the story-driven plot, reminding everyone that Pill films can be more than mindless nonsense and have compelling plots.
Not only is it one of the best horror films of 2023, it's also one of the best Saw films ever made and a much-needed win for a franchise that many thought was dead for years. Previously
5. No one will save you
No One's Gonna Save You stars drug addict Kaitlyn Dever as she must escape an alien invasion and her own tragic past in this unique first contact thriller . The film begins like a home invasion movie, with Deveraux being chased through the house by an alien intruder. But eventually it becomes clear that the aliens have started to control everyone in their city and intend to take over the world.
What makes the film memorable is the fact that it contains almost no dialogue, so the plot is not told to the audience and they have to interpret it themselves. Nobody Can Save You is best described as unconventional : it doesn't fit easily into horror or science fiction standards, and its atmosphere changes completely as the film progresses. But it keeps you hooked and makes you want to keep watching until the shocking (and funny) ending.
4. The raising of the dead from the wicked
Bruce Campbell returns to the series that made him famous (this time as executive producer) for Evil Dead Rise . In a separate sequel, the family must leave their apartment after the dead return, bringing with them more blood and gore. The film received rave reviews, was a huge success at the box office, and sparked controversy after its premiere at SXSW.
During the question-and-answer session after the film, an audience member began shouting how much they hated the film, to which Campbell responded: “What are you doing here? "Get out of here." Then the audience erupted in applause and the incident went viral. Considering Evil Dead Rise 's 84% score on Rotten Tomatoes and $146 million gross, it seems opinion wasn't too divided from the rest. .
3. Absolutely kill
After debuting to rave reviews at Fantastic Fest in Austin, Texas, Totally Killer became a Prime Video exclusive. The film stars Julie Bowen ( Modern Family ) as a mother who survived a serial killer 30 years ago. But after the killer returns and somehow kills her, her daughter decides to return to the 1980s to prevent her mother's death.
Combining time travel and an 80s setting, Totally Killer is comical, clever, weird and fun, while also being a very smart and solid entry into the slasher subgenre. The film also has an impressive 87% rating on Rotten Tomatoes, which is no small feat for a straight-to-video horror film. But Totally Killer proved that sometimes the best movies can't be found in theaters.
2. The Sixth Call
After the Scream series returned with Scream V, with a new generation of stars including Jenna Ortega on Wednesday , another sequel, Scream VI , was released in 2023. And in classic Scream fashion, it was bigger and more brutal than its predecessor, this time-setting Ghostface in New York. The new setup worked perfectly and the film was as powerful and intelligent as ever.
The new cast continued to grow into their roles and gave better performances than in Scream V, and the film also saw the return of fan favorite Kirby Reed (Hayden Panettiere) from Scream 4 . New additions to the cast such as Jack Campion and Dermot Mulroney also fit the tone of the series perfectly. Scream VI grossed over $168 million at the box office, making it the highest-grossing Scream film since 1997's Scream 2 .
1. Talk to me
One of the most unexpected hits of 2023 is Talk to Me , an Australian film that puts a unique spin on the classic cliché of the monkey's paw. In the film, a mysterious severed hand gives people the ability to communicate with the dead, but if the connection lasts too long, the spirit can possess the victim and cause carnage and mayhem.
Talk to Me has been a hit at film festivals, having premiered to rave reviews at the 2022 Cannes Film Festival before heading to Sundance and SXSW in 2023. Wherever the film was shown, it received rave reviews from the end to universal acclaim. Filmed on a budget of just $4.5 million, Talk to Me grossed nearly $92 million in theaters, making it one of the highest-grossing horror films of the year.
Talk to Me is the best horror movie of 2023 because it is genuinely terrifying and also serves as a good metaphor for family trauma. However, this is not one of those critically acclaimed horror films that plays like a drama; It is a truly terrifying film, and like all great horror films, it leaves a lasting impression.
