What is better than pumpkin-spiced lattes and your favorite oversized hoodie on a Fall evening? What is more enjoyable than scrolling through Pinterest, looking for Halloween-themed DIYs? The answer is simple. Horror movies.
As Halloween creeps closer, watching horror movies becomes a weekend ritual; a fundamental part of life. When we finally get to take a break from the class work, deadlines, grocery shopping, and that one home repair that haunts us - we like to spend our time tensed up on the couch, squinting through our fingers at the gore fest on the television, and dreading the task of walking down the long, creepy hallway to get the popcorn. If you're not holding your breath while smacking at the shower curtain to reveal what's lurking behind it (cue Geto Boys "Mind's Playing Tricks on Me") on a Saturday night - then, you're doing Halloween wrong.
While Halloween is not the only time to enjoy horror movies, it does seem like a good time to applaud some of our favorites of 2023, and to get excited for the ones that we look forward to seeing before the year ends. From harrowing tales of demons to horrific murders - the physical indicators of fear will leave your palms sweaty and your heart racing with these films.
25. The Outwaters
The Outwaters begins with a horrifying 911 call that plays as a foreshadowing of the nightmare ahead. Leaving to shoot a music video, a group of acquaintances are faced with a hellish phenomena in a desolate section of the Mojave Desert.
24. El Conde
Augusto Pinochet, a real Chilean Commander-in-Chief, who died in 2006 after his reign of terror, was given a new storyline. El Conde rewrites history.In this version, Augusto never died. Instead, he becomes a vampire that lives for 250 years. Exhausted with immortality, he begins his search for death, once and for all.
23. Clock
Ella, who is uninterested in having children of her own, begins to feel pressured by friends, family, and society, to become a mother. Wondering if her biological clock is just damaged, she signs up for a clinical trial intended to increase her desire to get pregnant. Unfortunately, there are some side effects she wasn't expecting.
22. Influencer
Backpacking through Thailand, a social media influencer is disappointed when her trip ends up being mundane. Looking for adventure, she meets a free spirit with experience traveling. She thinks everything is going well until her new friend's mask begins to slip, revealing her true psychotic nature.
21. There's Something Wrong With the Children
Ben and Margaret invite a couple and their children, Lucy and Spencer, for some day-time exploring in the woods. Seeking an adventure, the group finds a hidden entrance to an abandoned building. Upon returning home, Lucy and Spencer's behavior becomes eerie and menacing, while Ben attempts to figure out why.
20. Sick
Taking place at the start of the Covid-19 pandemic, Parker and her best friend travel to her family's beautiful lake-side estate with plans to quarantine. With no neighbors for miles, the girls are excited to spend time together during a time that would, otherwise, feel isolating and chaotic. The peace and quiet they anticipated quickly dissipates as they begin to be terrorized by an uninvited visitor - a masked assailant with a thirst for murder.
19. Skinamarink
Two young boys wake up to find that they are alone; their dad is nowhere to be found. Upon further inspection, they realize that their home no longer has doors or windows.
18. Scream VI
The Ghostface Killer is back, again, for another slasher. In New York City to heal from the Woodsboro massacre, the four survivors fight for their lives when Ghostface shows up to turn New York City into a massive bloodbath.
17. Saw X
Looking to cure his terminal illness, John Kramer travels to Mexico City to undergo an experimental medical procedure. Once in Mexico City, John learns that his suffering will not be eradicated - the magic cure was just an illusion perpetuated by crooks. Motivated to hold the fraudsters accountable for their cruel deceit, John Kramer reignites the Jigsaw Killer with a new catalog of torturous traps and gruesome games.
16. The Nun II
A continuation of The Conjuring series, and the sequel to The Nun - The Nun II is set in 1956 France and follows Sister Irene as she confronts an evil entity named Valak. A former angel turned demon, Valak escapes his banishment to Hell, and targets Sister Irene while seeking out an ancient relic that will proliferate his malevolence.
15. The Pale Blue Eye
Set in the early 1800s, in West Point, New York - a retired detective is contacted by the U.S. military to investigate the brutal murders of military cadets. Believing the homicides to be entangled in black magic, the detective enlists the help of one specific cadet, who goes on to become the respected American author and poet, Edgar Allen Poe.
14. The Offering
Hoping to reconnect with his estranged father, the son of a Hasidic funeral director returns home with his pregnant wife. A trip meant to build relationships is quickly met with a sinister twist - an evil force lurking in the morgue of the funeral home - searching for a sacrifice. Specifically, a child.
13. Brooklyn 45
Days after Christmas in 1945, a group of military veterans and lifelong friends reunite at a cocktail party to offer support to their Commander, whose wife recently committed suicide. In a spur-of-the-moment séance, the room becomes riddled with unpredictability and paranoia as the group enters a bloody battle with conjured spirits.
12. M3GAN
Designed by Gemma, a robotics engineer, M3GAN is an artificially intelligent doll that is equipped with the ability to listen, learn and teach - the ultimate companion for children. Gemma, who unexpectedly becomes the guardian of her niece, gives her a M3GAN prototype that transforms into a cognizant and aggressive robot.
11. No One Will Save You:
Brynn, who is mourning the loss of her mother, wakes up in the middle of the night to the unwelcome and chilling sound of footsteps creeping around her house. Her life is quickly flipped upside down when she learns that the home invasion is being initiated by otherworldly invaders.
10. Evil Dead Rise
While grappling with the end of her relationship, Ellie and her children begin the process of moving out of their dilapidated apartment building, when Ellie's sister shows up. Soon after, one of the children finds a book bound in human flesh and records of mysterious, dark passages. While investigating its origins, they unknowingly invite a demonic presence into their home.
9. Infinity Pool
James and Em Foster are a married couple who have decided to escape their current monotony by going on a much needed, all-inclusive vacation. On their trip, they are involved in a catastrophic car accident that results in the death of a local, and leads to their arrest. The veil lifts, and The Fosters are introduced to a twisted and violent society that sentences all criminals to death.
8. The Blackening:
Celebrating Juneteenth, a group of seven friends book a weekend getaway in a secluded cabin. Shortly after arriving and getting a little bit boozy, the friends come across a board game called The Blackening. Trapped by a murderer who is forcing them to play the game, the friends must answer trivia questions or face dire consequences.
7. Beau is Afraid
Beau, a quiet man who endlessly wrestles with dread and guilt, sets out to visit his dismissive mother. When things don't go according to plan, Beau is thrust into a long list of tragic and distressing circumstances. Dealing with violence, death, and the abyss that is mental exhaustion - Beau will be forced to overcome his anxieties and face his fears.
6. Knock At The Cabin
While vacationing at a remote cabin in the woods, a couple and their young daughter are held hostage by a group of strangers who have all experienced premonitions warning them of the decimation of humanity.
5. Five Nights at Freddy's
Five Nights at Freddy's follows Mike Schmidt - a man that is tormented by the disappearance of his younger brother. Attempting to care for his little sister, Mike lands a job as a graveyard-shift security guard at Freddy Fazbear's Pizzeria - a family restaurant with four fun-time animatronic mascots. To his dismay, the new job is anything but laid-back as Mike soon discovers that the mascots come to life and will try to murder anybody that is inside the pizzeria past midnight.
4. Huersa: The Bone Woman
Valeria, a woman who yearns to be a mother, finds out that she is pregnant with her first child. To her surprise, food aversions and the anticipation of her child arriving will take a backseat to the bone-crushing entity that she becomes cursed with.
3. Talk To Me
A group of high school friends discover a new party game to play. Using an embalmed hand as a doorway to a less-inviting realm, the friends seek thrills by summoning spirits for 90-second intervals. Of course, things go awry when they break the rules and malicious entities are introduced.
2. The Exorcist: Believer
The Exorcist: Believer follows Chris McNeil, who has been trying to move beyond the demonic possession of her 12-year-old daughter, Regan. Contacted by families who are experiencing disturbing behaviors by their own daughters, Chris has to re-visit the trauma of her past, and face more diabolical entities in this wicked sequel to 1973's The Exorcist.
1. A Haunting in Venice
Taking place in Venice after World War II, a retired man, who is suspicious of mediums, is invited to a séance. His doubts about the supernatural world are suspended when a member of the séance is murdered, and he is forced to acknowledge the sinister powers at play.
