The horror genre has had its ups and downs as of late, which is no surprise given its history, but 2022 saw a return to form with films like Scream 5, X, Smile, and Barbarian making waves. It was certainly a better year than 2021, when things seemed to be going through a transitional period thanks to the COVID-19 pandemic. It has now regained its footing, and the genre seems more stable than ever before.
With 2023 being half over, we've seen a lot of good horror films come out this year. Scream 6, The Boogeyman, and Beau is Afraid all performed well at the box office, despite their mixed reviews, while a number of lesser-known foreign films burst onto the scene from first-time directors. We still have Five Nights at Freddy's, Insidious: The Red Door, and The Exorcist: Believer to look forward to, yet before we get to those, let's pause for a moment and take a look at the best horror films so far this year, based on just their Rotten Tomatoes scores.
10 Evil Dead Rise - 84%
It had been 10 years since the last installment of the Evil Dead franchise, so when Evil Dead Rise was announced, fans were eagerly anticipating where the series would go next. Taking it out of its cabin in the woods setting, the story went to unfamiliar territory, that being a condemned apartment complex in Los Angeles. After an earthquake unearths a volume of the Naturom Demonto, the Deadites are unleashed to wreak havoc on an unsuspecting family, leading to one of the genre's newest favorites, Mommy.
Raking in $146 million dollars at the box office, thus making it the highest-grossing film in the franchise, Evil Dead Rise was met with favorable reviews among critics and fans, paving the way for future sequels to be made. While nothing is for certain, Bruce Campbell has said that he, along with Sam and Ivan Raimi, would like to do more films every two or three years.
9 The Wrath of Becky - 86%
A sequel to the 2020 film Becky, Lulu Wilson returned as the titular character to protect her loved ones, rescue her dog, and dish out some bloody justice on a gang of fascists in The Wrath of Becky. Also featuring Seann William Scott, the film debuted at the South by Southwest film festival in March 2023, and hit theaters in May.
More comedic than its predecessor, The Wrath of Becky is a worthy sequel, with more creative kills, and the same outrageous amount of blood the series has become known for. While a third installment is in development, no anticipated date has been set yet.
8 Infinity Pool - 86%
Starring Alexander Skarsgård, and horror darling, Mia Goth, Infinity Pool was directed by Brandon Cronenberg, son of acclaimed filmmaker, David Cronenberg. It gives a twisted, sci-fi horror spin on films like The Wicker Man, and Midsommar, with some fetishized violence thrown in for good measure.
Initially receiving an NC-17 rating, the film was re-cut for a more favorable R. While it had a limited release in Canada, Infinity Pool quickly made its way to VOD, with the uncut version also being made available. Seeing as how this is only Brandon Cronenberg's third feature film, we can expect bigger and brighter things from him in the future, with his next project being an adaptation of the novel, Super-Cannes, which he'll be directing as a limited series.
7 The Blackening - 87%
Released the weekend of Juneteenth, The Blackening serves up some big laughs, while satirizing old horror tropes, and racial stereotypes. It offers up a new spin on the cabin in the woods horror cliché, while at the same time letting audiences know they're in on the joke.
After having its premiere at the Toronto International Film Festival in 2022, The Blackening was picked up by Lionsgate, who released it theatrically on June 16th, 2023. It's so far raked in $8 million at the box office, with the critical consensus being that it's a decent horror parody from director Tim Story, who also gave us films like Ride Along, and 2005's Silver Surfer.
6 Sick - 87%
Perhaps arriving a little too late to make the impact it was intended to, Sick is a self-aware slasher that takes place in 2020 during the height of the COVID-19 pandemic. Co-written by Kevin Williamson, the same writer who brought us Scream, and I Know What You Did Last Summer, Sick examines our fears of isolation, while also capitalizing on the dangers of social media.
Featuring the likes of Gideon Adlon, Dylan Sprayberry, and Marc Menchaca, Sick premiered at the Toronto International Film Festival in 2022, and was released as a Peacock Original in January. Receiving favorable reviews, Sick is definitely worth checking out if you've got 83 minutes to spare.
5 Brooklyn 45 - 89%
What happens when a group of military veterans decide to host a séance in 1945? Chaos, but in the best way possible thanks to the outstanding cast of Brooklyn 45. Featuring the likes of Anne Ramsay, and Larry Fessenden, this supernatural horror film knows what audiences expect from it, and delivers wholeheartedly. With Fessenden delivering what is perhaps one of the best monologues ever by a character actor, Brooklyn 45 takes a special look at grief, while at the same time examining the paranoia following World War 2 that everyone and their mother was a Nazi spy.
Produced by the streaming service Shudder, Brooklyn 45 had its world premiere at the 2023 South by Southwest festival, and a month later premiered in homes across the country as a Shudder Original. While some might be turned off by a period piece, we recommend you don't sleep on this one.
4 Influencer - 91%
Another Shudder Original to make the list, Influencer is a smart horror flick about a social media influencer vacationing in Thailand. While she appears online to be living the high life, things aren't always as they seem, and it's then that the movie descends into darkness, warning us that the grass isn't always greener on the other side.
With commanding performances from Emily Tennant as Madison the influencer, and Cassandra Naud as antagonist CW, Influencer could have drowned in its many themes, but it treads water enough to deliver a movie that examines polar opposite worlds, while offering up some delightful scares.
3 M3GAN - 93%
The most commercially successful film on the list, M3GAN hit theaters on January 6th, 2023, and was a breakout smash that no one expected to do as well as it did. Featuring an artificially intelligent doll that becomes self-aware, M3GAN digs deep into our reliance on technology, and what happens when that tech turns against us. Its premise is what makes the movie fun, delivering as much laughter as it does scares.
With M3GAN being as successful as it was, we can easily see this becoming a franchise. A sequel has already been set for 2025, but with the WGA strike going on, who knows if that date will stick. For now, viewers can check this one out on Peacock.
2 Attachment - 95%
Taking a well-worn horror trope and adding something fresh to the mix isn't easy to do, but Attachment succeeds where others have failed. This film out of Denmark takes the possession trope, and wraps it in a love story between the two main characters, Maja, and Leah. Throw in an overbearing mother, and you have all the fixings for a movie that examines themes of codependency, Jewish folklore, and family secrets.
Keep in mind that Attachment is a slow-burn horror film that relies more on tension than it does gore, so it might not be for everyone, but based on the reviews it's definitely worth viewing at least once. With excellent performances, this directorial debut from Gabriel Bier Gislason definitely makes him a filmmaker to keep an eye on.
1 Huesera: The Bone Woman - 98%
Though it premiered at Tribeca in 2022, Huesera: The Bone Woman didn't get its wide release until February 2023 when it became a Shudder Exclusive. Since then, it's taken home 12 awards, and has been nominated for countless others from various organizations. Rightfully so, as this horror movie out of Mexico is a near-perfect film that delves deep into body trauma, Mexican mythology, and fears of becoming a mother.
Featuring actress Natalia Solián in the lead role as Valeria, Huesera: The Bone Woman riffs on classics like Rosemary's Baby, while delivering fresh ideas on what it's like to be an expecting mother. Stripping away all the trappings of the pregnancy subgenre of horror, it provides raw tension and imagery that will make even the most cynical horror fan gasp. With this being Michelle Garza Cervera's feature film debut, it's a tough one to follow, but if this is any indication of her talents, we can look forward to a wonderful filmography from a top-notch director.
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