Horror fans have been treated well as of late. The last few years have been good for the horror genre, with the franchise at its highest peak in years. 2023 has already seen plenty of smash hits including Scream VI, Renfield, and Evil Dead Rise. The year is still young, and plenty more horror films are on the horizon. From returning franchises to new scares, there are more than a few 2023 horror movies for fans to put on their radar. Many summer 2023 movies will be horror, which is good news for genre fans. Today, we are looking at the 10 best horror movies in 2023 you need on your radar.
10. The Boogeyman (July 2nd)
Films based on Stephen King are hit or miss, but they all show promise. This year, the big King adaptation to look out for is The Boogeyman. The film is based on King’s short story of the same name found in the Night Shift collection. Sadie and her sister Sawyer are coping with the death of their mother, and their father Will, a psychiatrist, is of no comfort. While the family is dealing with their loss in their own ways, a patient appears at their doorstep. The patient is accompanied by an entity that feeds on the suffering of the family. Originally planned to be released on Hulu, the film will see a theatrical release in July of this year.
9. Insidious: The Red Door (July 7th)
The popular Insidious franchise is set to return once more as a summer 2023 movie. The upcoming fifth entry follows the events of the first two movies. Now college age, Dalton seems to finally have moved past the horrors of his childhood. After his father, Josh drops him off at his new chapter, the demons from their past once more return. This is the first time the Lambert family has been the center of the story since the second film. Patrick Wilson and Ty Simpkins reprise their roles as Josh and Dalton respectively, with Wilson also making his directorial debut. The Insidious films have always delivered the scares, and fans hope this film will continue the tradition.
8. Cobweb (July 21st)
One of the more intriguing and original horror films slated for a 2023 release is Cobweb. The film looks to tap into the fears of a child, a child who is ultimately alone. Peter is an eight-year-old boy who hears a mysterious tapping coming from his bedroom walls. As the tapping grows louder, Peter’s parents insist it is all in the boy’s head. Peter soon realizes that only is there something in his walls, but his parents are harboring a dark secret. The film stars Lizzy Caplan and Anthony Starr. Cobweb will be directed by Samuel Bodin, who recently made a splash in the horror world with Netflix’s Marianne.
7. Sympathy for the Devil (July 28th)
Nic Cage will be featured in not one, but two 2023 horror movies. The first one, Renfield, saw Cage take on the role of the legendary Count Dracula. The second is a summer 2023 movie titled Sympathy for the Devil which looks to be far less light-hearted. Joel Kinnaman plays a character simply known as The Driver. As the name suggests, he is forced at gunpoint to be the driver for a deranged stranger. As The Driver continues on this road trip from hell, he comes to realize that nothing is as it seems. Nicolas Cage rarely turns in a bad performance, and this film looks to give him a chance to be terrifying. Joel Kinnaman has also proved himself to be a great actor, so this film is certainly one to look out for.
6. Meg 2: The Trench (August 4th)
Other than Jaws, most shark movies are subpar at best. One recent exception is The Meg from 2018. The Meg, based on the novel of the same name, follows a research team that discovers a Megalodon living in the depths of the ocean. The film wasn’t afraid to have fun but still managed to be a serious film that holds together well. Summer 2023 will see a sequel that looks to ramp things up to eleven. The trailer makes it clear that, once again, the movie knows exactly what it is and isn’t ashamed of it. the trailer shows giant sharks and dinosaurs, which is all one needs in a film. While the plot is unknown, Meg 2 looks to be based on the 1999 sequel to the Meg novel titled The Trench. The novel sees the research team find a prehistoric creature known as Kronosaurus, meaning the film will likely follow a similar plot.
5. The Last Voyage of the Demeter (August 11th)
It seems as if Dracula fever is in full swing. After Universal released a humorous take on the character in Renfield, they are showing just how scary the vampire can be in The Last Voyage of the Demeter. Based on the chapter The Captain’s Log from the original Bram Stoker novel, the summer 2023 movie sees the crew of a ship sailing from Transylvania to London. On board is a mysterious box, which they learn holds a creature known only as Dracula. Stranded in the middle of the sea, the crew must survive the voyage while the bloodthirsty vampire hunts them down. The movie shows Dracula with more in common with the Nosferatu version than the human one.
4. The Nun 2 (September 8th)
In addition to Insidious returning in 2023, the Conjuring series is set to return as well with The Nun 2. Set four years after the first movie, the film sees Sister Irene once again face off with Valak, an evil force taking the form of a demonic nun. The gothic horror film will once more explore the origins of one of the scariest demons in the franchise, and fans are all in for it. While many franchises run out of steam after a while, this will be the 8th entry. 9th if one counts The Curse of La Llorona as an entry in the franchise. Regardless of this, the series is still one of the best in all of horror, and this movie will likely add to that legacy. Of all the 2023 horror movies, this is one Conjuring fans are looking forward to the most.
3. The Exorcist: Believer (October 13th)
This is one of the 2023 summer movies fans are cautious about. The original Exorcist is seen as one of the greatest horror films of all time. The film had two sequels and two prequels, and outside of the third entry, most fans find them all subpar. After David Gordon Green resurrected Michael Myers with Blumhouse’s Halloween trilogy, he looks to reinvent the world of The Exorcist next, directing a trilogy for the studio. The Exorcist: Believer is a direct sequel set 50 years after the original. A father realizes his daughter has become possessed by something terribly evil. Desperate, he turns to somebody with some experience in possessions, Chris MacNeil. Chris was of course the mother of Regan and will be once again played by Ellen Burstyn.
2. Five Nights at Freddy’s (October 27th
A film adaptation of Five Nights at Freddy’s has been a long time coming. The film is finally set to be released later this year, and fans can hardly contain their excitement. The movie will likely follow the plot of the first game. A man played by Josh Hutcherson is hired to work as a night guard at Freddy Fazbear’s Pizzeria. What should be a simple job becomes a nightmare when he realizes the restaurant’s quirky animatronics come to life at night, and they are deadly. With Matthew Lillard joining the cast and animatronic effects courtesy of Jim Henson’s Creature Workshop, it is no surprise as to why fans are excited about the movie.
1. Saw X (October 27th)
One of the 2023 horror movies will see the return of the iconic Saw franchise. After Jigsaw and Spiral, the tenth entry looks to once again follow the original seven movies. The plot is being kept under wraps, but it has been confirmed both Tobin Bell and Shawnee Smith will reprise their roles as John Kramer and Amanda Young, respectively. Given the events of earlier films, these reprisals will likely come in the form of flashbacks.
So there you have it. That wraps up our list of the best horror movies coming in 2023 that you need on your radar.
