With 2023 basically in the rearview, it’s time for all of those reflective, “best-of” lists. While I don’t think 2023 was quite as strong of a year for the horror genre as previous years, it still had plenty of decent offerings, with some features outside of franchises that terrified. My list only includes films that received distribution this year and either played in theaters or hit streaming. I would have loved to include Strange Darling (probably my favorite movie of the year) and Mami Wata, but both features only had festival releases thus far. Hopefully, they reach a larger audience in 2024.

Without further ado, here’s my Best of 2023 horror movie list!

M3GAN

Okay, okay, I know that some horror purists and black shirts may gripe that I included a PG-13 horror movie on this list, but the truth is that no other genre movie this year had the cultural impact of M3GAN. The Blumhouse film birthed a new icon, and this will likely spawn at least a few sequels. She’s sassy. She has her own dance, and she’s a metaphor for the dangers of AI.

Infinity Pool

Other than Jenna Ortega, Mia Goth has been the genre’s it girl since 2022. She’s all kinds of sinister and delightful as Gabi in Brandon Cronenberg’s third feature Infinity Pool, which also stars Alexander Skarsgard as James, who’s psychologically tormented and abused by Gabi. While this one has plenty of WTF moments, it’s also the most mainstream of Cronenberg’s work thus far, while still addressing heavy issues such as cloning and technology.

The Outwaters

If I had to give an award out for the most WTF moments in a single movie this past year, I’d give it to The Outwaters, the feature debut of Robbie Banfitch. This gnarly found footage film released around the same time as Skinamarink, maybe the most divisive horror film of 2023. Both generated plenty of healthy debate in the horror community, and while I really appreciate Skinamarink and its portrayal of childhood fears and (maybe) abuse, The Outwaters is a leaner movie with some truly Lovecraftian horror moments. It’s currently streaming on Screambox.

Talk to Me

Talk to Me is now A24’s highest grossing horror movie. That’s right. It beat Hereditary. This year, I included the feature on the syllabus for my Horror Literature and Film class, and it generated the most discussion out of any film on the list. Some students told me it was their favorite film we covered, so I’m not surprised this movie generated so much money at the box office. It found an audience and through a spooky hand, it put a clever spin on the tired possession subgenre. Sophie Wilde’s performance as the grief-stricken Mia really carries this film. After losing he mother, she’ll do anything to communicate with the dead, including holding a creepy hand and saying, “Talk to me and let me in.” While this movie deals with grief, the “possession” plot here is also an apt metaphor for addiction.

The Passanger

Okay, okay, so The Passenger is a bit more of a thriller than straight-up horror, but there’s plenty of violence after fast food worker Benson (Kyler Ganner) shoots a bunch of his co-workers and boss after one of them bullies the hapless Randolph Bradley (Johnny Brechtold) to eat a day-old burger. From there, the two go on a twisted joy ride and Benson urges Randolph to take control of his life and be more active instead of well, a passenger. Director Carter Smith (The Ruins, Swallowed) is no stranger to genre films. His work often explores male relationships, and that’s very much true here. Benson comes across like an alpha sorta male who refuses to let anyone tell him what to do, but he’s also prone to eruptions of violence, be it with his fists or a gun. The performances here are top-notch, especially Ganner. For as explosive as this one is at times, it’s also really funny at moments.

Birth/Rebirth

Birth/Rebirth was a festival darling this year, and for good reason. Writer/director Laura Moss’ feature debut is a clever and feminist take on Frankenstein. It stars Marin Ireland in a knock-out performance as Rose, a doctor who harbors dead bodies in the hopes of well, finding a cure for death. Ireland stars alongside Judy Reyes as Celie, a nurse who loses her daughter and will do anything to bring her back. The performances are great, and this feels like a fresh take on a classic story.

Appendage

Anna Zlokovic’s Appendage started out as a short that played Sundance a few years ago. The feature, which debuted at SXSW in March before hitting Hulu, expands upon the short’s concept about a fashion designer plagued by self-doubt who has a foul-mouthed appendage monster that jumps to life. The feature fleshes out the initial concept and calls to mind films like Basket Case, The Fly, Raw, and other body horror and creature features. This one also contains two fantastic female performances, Hadley Robinson as the lead and Emily Hampshire as the cunning Claudia.

When Evil Lurks

I suspect Demian Rugna’s second feature, When Evil Lurks, will be on a lot of best-of lists this year. The Argentinian film is one of the most brutal movies released this year to have a theatrical release before it landed on VOD and Shudder. Like Rugna’s first film, Terrified, When Evil Lurks tackles the theme of possession again, only this time, an entire village is possessed. There are sequences in this movie that you just can’t forget once the credits roll, and there’s no promise of any sort of happy ending here. Like Talk to Me, When Evil Lurks did something new, interesting, and horrifying with the well-worn possession subgenre. This is my favorite horror film of the year and the scariest on this list.

Thanksgiving

Ever since the fake Thanksgiving trailer that debuted as part of the Grindhouse double feature in 2007, Eli Roth has teased turning the concept into a feature-length film. Well, this year he finally did that. In short, Thanksgiving is an absolute blast with plenty of dark humor and gnarly kills. It sticks to the mission at hand and doesn’t stray. Oh, and it’s already getting a sequel. Me thinks the crazed John Carver killer pilgrim will be a new slasher icon. It’s also nice to have a new slasher in which every character isn’t hyper-aware they’re in a slasher movie.

Godzilla Minus One

Who would have thought 70 years into the franchise, we’d get a kaiju movie as great as Godzilla Minus One? This one returns the franchise to its post-WWII roots and focuses on a disgraced kamikaze pilot. Part horror and part Japanese melodrama, the movie, like the 1954 original, addresses trauma and effects of war and the bomb. Oh, and the King of the Monsters is horrifying in this film. HIs blue atomic breath has the effects of the bomb. It slaughters civilians, shatters windows, and pulverizes buildings. The shots of the big G at sea are equally as terrifying. All hail the king!

Overall, while 2023 wasn’t quite as strong for the horror genre as the last few years, there are still plenty of features I plan to rewatch heading into 2024. I’m looking forward to covering more film fests in the new year and seeing what films end up on my best-of list for 2024!