6 horror movies to watch in 2023 (and 3 to skip)
By Sandy C.
The year 2022 was incredibly generous in the horror genre. From the return of Scream, Ti West’s X, Nope, and many others, we now have new favorites to add to our collection. Will 2023 be just as great? Even better, folks! There are some amazing horror movies on the way. Which horror movies should you keep on your radar come 2023? We list six to look out for (and three to skip).
Horror movies can be hit and miss, but this can be said for any genre. Simply put, not all movies are worth watching. Luckily, these days, several movies either quickly become available on streaming or are released exclusively on a streaming platform. How do you prefer to enjoy movies? Do you wait for the streaming release or head to the theater on opening weekend?
6 horror movies to watch in 2023
M3gan
Directed by Gerard Johnstone, M3gan will be the first horror movie out of the gate in 2023. But that’s not the only reason we’re looking forward to it. The story comes from horror king James Wan (The Conjuring, The Nun, Malignant), who has a brilliant mind. We can’t wait to check out this feature.
M3gan will be in theaters on Jan. 13, 2023. The movie follows Cady (Violet McGraw), a young girl recently lost her parents in a car accident and is now under the custory of her aunt Gemma (Allison Williams). To help Cady feel safe, Gemma buys her an AI doll named Megan, who will stop at nothing to protect her new owner.
Knock at the Cabin
Okay, hear me out. Yes, this is from M. Night Shyamalan, who is known to produce either a hit or a fail, there’s no in-between, but that’s a gamble I’m willing to be part of! Not to mention, you can’t say Shyamalan’s films lack a crazy plot twist. Like most of Shyamalan’s movies, Knock at the Cabin blends horror and sci-fi. The cast includes Dave Bautista, Rupert Grint, and Jonathan Groff, a very interesting mix!
Knock at the Cabin will be knocking in theaters on Feb. 23, 2023. The story is described by Screen Rant as “a home invasion movie set during the apocalypse.”
Scream 6
Following the release of Knock at the Cabin, we’ll get Scream 6, which promises to come with many surprises, including the rumored appearance of OG favorites. One character we won’t see is Sydney Prescott, but if you have been keeping up with the Neve Campbell vs Scream drama, I don’t need to fill you in. As soon as we have more details, we’ll update this post! Scream 6 is set to premiere in theaters on March 31, 2023.
Evil Dead Rise
Sam Raimi’s cult classic franchise is coming back to life, this time, directed by Lee Cronin. Evil Dead Rise stars Alyssa Sutherland, Lily Sullivan, and Nell Fisher. The movie will follow two estranged sisters reuniting after some time. Their time together will be interrupted by evil entities.
Evil Dead Rise will be in theaters on April 21, 2023, and then it is expected to become available on HBO Max after a few short weeks.
Insidious 5
Now, I’m looking forward to all of these titles, but I jumped for joy when I learned Insidious 5 was in the works, and with Patrick Wilson and Rose Byrne returning? Heck yes. Even better? Wilson will also be sitting in the director’s chair for this one!
Insidious 5 takes place 10 years after the first movie. Dalton Lambert (Ty Simpkins) is all grown up and off to college, but he is taking the same demons with him as he continues to astral project in his sleep. Catch it in theaters on July 7, 2023.
The Strangers
The 2008 movie The Strangers shook audiences to their core. It doesn’t feature any sci-fi or supernatural elements, it’s a brutal home invasion that was, sadly, inspired by true events of senseless and random killings. The 2023 installment is a reboot of the original, and while I’m not overly fond of reboots, I am looking forward to checking this one out.
3 horror movies to skip in 2023
Let’s be honest here, do horror fans truly ever want to skip a horror movie? Even when it looks awful? No. We give them all a chance and enjoy the ride. That said, I surely won’t be skipping the three movies listed below, I’m simply not as excited about them as I am about the others.
Saw 10
The Saw franchise stop being great after the first few movies, but we all continued watching them anyway. In the tenth movie, we’ll see Tobin Bell returning as John Kramer. We assume Bell will only appear in flashbacks and memories, as the character died early in the franchise. Other than this and the Oct. 27 release date, we don’t know much about the movie.
The Haunted Mansion
The Haunted Mansion is going to be a fun and spooky family-friendly “horror,” but am I dying to see it? Not really. I’m all about bigger thrills and frights. The movie will be in theaters on Aug. 11.
The Exorcist
Coming to theaters on Oct. 13 is a reboot of The Exorcist. Now, I love the original, and it would be amazing if this reboot captures that same shock and horror, but I highly doubt it. I’ll be watching, though.
From this least, which movies are you looking forward to watching and which do you plan to skip (if any)?