It has been another fantastic year for horror movies, as the genre goes from strength to strength, with fans eager for more. As other genres struggle to come up with original ideas, horror is in the best place it’s been in for years. The slasher sub-genre has made a comeback with the box office success of the latestScreamandHalloweenmovies, shepherding in a slew of new slasher films. Meanwhile, elevated horror continues to be successful, and possession-based horror also still brings in the crowds.
2024 is set for an even bigger year for the horror genre.Scream 7is likely to come out towards the end of next year. Other films on the horizon include the prequelA Quiet Place:Day One, the long-awaited sequelBeetlejuice 2, and original projects likeNight Swimalso. Horror has no intention of disappearing from the cinema slate anytime soon. Let’s take a look at the best horror movies from 2023.
Tyler Gillett and Matt Bettinelli Olpin
James Vanderbilt and Guy Busick
2 hours, 2 minutes
76%
Rotten tomatoes Audience score
91%
Metacritic score
61
Tyler Gillett and Matt Bettinelli Olpin had a big job on their hands when they were hired to giveScreamthe requel treatment back in 2022. However, they succeeded admirably, with the best sequel in the series sinceScream 2. WhenScream 6was greenlit afterScream 2022’s box office success, they were back on board to produce the goods again. The results were even better than the previous movie, with the box office takings making it the highest grossing entry in the franchise.
Despite the absence of Neve Campbell due to a pay dispute, the movie was well received by critics and fans. It also succeeded in keeping the focus on the newly named Core Four, who were central to the success of the newest entry. The events took place in New York, and the Big Apple proved to be the perfect location for Ghostface to slay his victims. Courteney Cox and Hayden Panietiere returned to their roles as Gale Weathers and Kirby Reed respectively, giving the sequel a link to the past. They were joined by a number of newcomers to the franchise including Dermot Mulroney and Josh Segarra.
Danny Philippou and Michael Philippou
Danny Philippou and Bill Hinzman
1 hour, 35 minutes
94%
82%
76
Once in a while, a movie comes along that nobody was expecting and becomes the sleeper hit of the year. That was very much the case with the Australian horror,Talk to Me.Directed by Danny and Michael Philippou, the movie focuses on a group of friends who discover an embalmed hand that they can use to conjure spirits. The thrill becomes addictive, until one of the group goes too far and unleashes all sorts of horrifying supernatural forces.
Talk to Me earned a staggering $90.5 million at the worldwide box office and is bound to get touted for a sequel, which should look to expand the lore set up in this movie.
1 hour, 40 minutes
67%
63%
63
M. Night Shyamalan was considered the golden boy of the horror genre when he directedThe Sixth Sensein 1999. Unfortunately, his output since his debut hit has been hit-and-miss, and that’s being generous.
However, 2023 saw the release of his best movie in years.Knock At The Cabinis a creepy apocalyptic horror starring Dave Bautista and Jonathan Groff. While on vacation at a cabin in the woods, a girl and her parents are taken hostage by a group of armed strangers who demand the family make a choice that will potentially save all humankind. The central performances were great, and it was genuinely scary from the first knock on the door to the last.
Jeff Rendell and Eli Roth
1 hour, 47 minutes
79%
Slasher movies are back with a vengeance. In 2023, Eli Roth directed one of the best ones of the year, expanding on his fake trailer he directed for Quentin Tarantino and Robert Rodriguez’sGrindhousedouble bill way back in 2007.
Patrick Dempsey takes the lead role as Sheriff Eric Newlon, who investigates a mysterious Thanksgiving-inspired murderer in Plymouth, Massachusetts. The killer appears to be out for revenge after a Black Friday sale ended in tragedy one year before. It features some well-thought-out kills and some great jump scares, while theScream-inspired whodunit mystery keeps the audience guessing throughout.
1 hour, 46 minutes
87%
62
Happy Death DayandFreakyhave been responsible for creating the comedy slasher sub-genre often seen in recent years. The latest movie to sample this trend isTotally Killer, starring Kiernan Shipka as 17-year-old Jamie. A few days before Halloween, Jamie accidentally travels back in time to 1987, where she must attempt to stop the terror known as the Sweet Sixteen Killer before he can start his murderous rampage.
It’s essentiallyBack to the FuturemeetsScream,and mixes comedy and horror to create one of the best horror movies of the year. Full of twists and turns will make heads spin, as well as some quirky 80s nostalgia,Totally Killeris a must-see for all horror fans.
