To cap off cinema in 2023, I decided to do something a bit different this year. Other than giving you my list of my top favorite movies of the year, I want to do something extra and give you a list of my favorite films of a certain genre, subgenre, or medium of 2023. This year, in the build up to my list of the best films of the year, I will also do an individual list of the best horror movies of 2023, best animated movies of 2023, and a ranking of all the superhero movies of 2023. This would be the perfect way to give certain films some love and recognition that I might not have gotten to in my main top list because it just missed the list. I plan on publishing one list every Sunday for the rest of the month, concluding with my list of the top overall films of 2023!
To start off this little marathon to end the year, let’s look over ten films in the horror genre that I believe are worth a watch! Keep in mind, this is NOT in number order and are only in the order of the time which it came out! The only exception to this is my very final pick, with what I believe was the best horror film of 2023!
Let’s not waste anymore time and get straight into it!
M3GAN
I don’t how I would judge M3GAN if this was a film to NOT come out in January, most often regarded as the toxic wasteland month for movies. Even so, regardless of what time and month it came out, there is a lot to like and recommend with M3GAN. There is a certain warmth and heart here with plenty of laughs, scares, thrills, and meaningful messaging involving A.I. and the way humans respond to it. Not to mention, the character of M3GAN herself makes for an instant horror movie icon, suiting greatly as this generation’s Chucky! It’s quite uneven and there are certain kills you will likely see coming from a mile away but for what it’s worth, M3GAN was a damn fun time and I’ll definitely watch a sequel if it gets made. This was a movie that not only kicked off this year’s horror movies on a high note but also this year’s films in general.
Scream VI
Although, there probably isn’t a WORSE time to talk about this movie in a positive light after everything that has happened for the past few weeks regarding this franchise, Scream VI was about as good, if not better, than it’s 2022 predecessor and deserves recognition for it. The new cast equipped themselves admirably and don’t need the legacy characters themselves to carry it, the kills are still effective and satisfying, the returning cast are better utilized here than the last movie, and it does give you a brighter sense of the future that lies ahead for franchises that actually dare to move forward without their main face of the franchise. And even if this is the very last Scream movie now due to incompetent management from the higher ups at Spyglass, this would be a satisfying note to end on as it does bring proper closures to characters old and new. Justice to Melissa Barrera!
Renfield
I wasn’t the nicest camper to this when it came out, but it has slightly grown on me since it’s release. It’s far from the best version of itself and lacks the tonal control or brain in it’s head that M3GAN had but Renfield is still an enjoyable time overall! The humor and set pieces does it’s job when it arrives, Nicholas Hoult and Ben Schwartz are always welcome presences, and Nicolas Cage as Dracula is as much of a match made in heaven as you would expect. While it falls just shy of being an instant horror movie classic, Renfield is worth a watch for those that are in a massive horror fix or Halloween mood.
Evil Dead Rise
Who would’ve thought that 40 years after the original Evil Dead that the series would still have plenty of juice left in it? Evil Dead Rise is able to continue the franchise momentum in pushing itself forward to new territory while still sticking to the roots of what Evil Dead stands for. Here we see mum Ellie getting possessed by the spirits with her sister and children in the fight for their survivals! The characters themselves are engaging, the kills still deliver in fresh and exciting ways, and the creativity that the series is known for is still on display! Even if it’s not quite the very best movie in the franchise, Evil Dead Rise still succeeds greatly at reintroducing Evil Dead to a new generation. Five movies in and it doesn’t seem like Evil Dead is losing momentum anytime soon, making for perhaps the best (or at least most consistent) horror movie franchise out there!
The Last Voyage of the Demeter
Critics weren’t too kind to this one but I found himself being one of this film’s supporters. Taking a footnote in Dracula lore and exploring the hidden depths buried underneath it, The Last Voyage of the Demeter was able to deliver the exact kind of Dracula film that 2014’s Dracula Untold could not. The cast is all great with every member bringing their A game, the period setting is very well done and completely buyable, and the tension is build greatly throughout the entire movie, giving us enough of Dracula without him feeling overused or pushed to the side until the climax arrives. While it may not be quite the best horror film of the year, The Last Voyage of the Demeter might just be the most misunderstood horror film of the year. Go into it with a more open mind and you will find that there is a lot to like here than there is to hate!
No One Will Save You
If you want to talk about a sci-fi horror movie that will kick you ass in the best possible ways, No One Will Save You will do that straight and hardcore. This is a silent film that’s lets it’s tension and atmosphere do the talking while every other element is able to walk between those lines quite well. Carried heavily by a brilliant turn from Kaitlyn Dever and stellar direction from director Brian Duffield, No One Will Save You will get under you skin the right way and does it’s every best to leave a lasting impact on you, proving that alien and horror elements can work out well together when they are both done right. It’s certainly not the most conventional sci-fi horror movie out there and may be a bit too “different” for mainstream audience, but for those that welcome something different and scary, No One Will Save You will give you just that and even more.
Totally Killer
Playing like a more diet version of recent slasher flicks such as Happy Death Day and Freaky, Totally Killer is still able to find an identity of it’s own with new modern twists added, even if it does wear it’s inspirations on it’s sleeves. If you ever imagine a traditional slasher flick with a mix of Back to the Future and Groundhog Day thrown in a blender, this is basically what you get. Added by a breezy 105-minute runtime and a charismatic turn from Kiernan Shipka, this is a film that is able to poke fun at generations old and new along with providing an interesting spin on these typical slasher flicks and time travel films. I can’t deny you will see the influences of prior films for Totally Killer and won’t make a comparison or two to other films I mentioned but I also can’t deny that you will have an absolute blast with it all the same. It’s one of those films that doesn’t just work in spite of it’s inspirations but strictly BECAUSE of it’s inspirations.
Saw X
After the divisive reaction to Spiral, the Saw franchise decided to take things back to basics with a straight forward story with plenty of blood, kills, and gore thrown into the mix. The result is the simplistic but mostly entertaining ten installment with Saw X. Instead of trying to expand the lore and timeline even further, it instead returns to it’s traditional roots by putting the kills and scares first and everything else second. For those that appreciated the likes of Spiral for trying to blaze it’s own path forward with new ideas, they will likely find themselves disappointed with this newest Saw installment playing things rather safe. But for those that like their Saw films simple and straight to the point, Saw X will do you good.
Thanksgiving
Talk about a return to form for Eli Roth! Nothing like getting back in the groove than with a good, old-fashioned slasher dasher that happens to take place at Thanksgiving! This is a horror film that basically gives you everything on the cover and doesn’t try to trick you that it’s trying to be anything else. The jokes works, the kills are effective, the gore is present, and there’s is not a single moment that isn’t entertaining on a certain level. Thanksgiving is proof that not only does Eli Roth still have what it takes to deliver horror entertainment but he might have progressed and matured as a filmmaker, with a better hand of sticking to what he is best at without trying to be what he is not.
Best Horror Movie of 2013 goes too…..
Talk To Me
No horror film this year was able to impact me and hit me harder than Talk To Me. This is a thrilling and frightening tale about a group of friends led by Sophie Wilde’s Mia that uses an embalmed hand as a way to talk to the dead, taking the cast on a wild journey that makes them connect to spirits in ways they would never imagine. It’s able to take it’s genius horror premise and does just about everything you possibly can with it. The story is gripping, the set pieces are incredibly inventive, the scares are absolutely heart-racing, the tension is felt in every second of the runtime, and the visuals metaphors still live rent free in my head to this day. A24 is certainly not the most mainstream friendly studio out there but when they deliver, they deliver HARD! Talk To Me doesn’t just stand as my favorite horror film of the year but I wouldn’t be surprised if I was able to make room for it on my favorite films of the year period. Just superb entertainment all around!
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