Good afternoon! 2023 was a busy year for the horror genre, but it wasn’t the strongest release schedule. It goes to show, horror is a challenging genre to tackle. Also, studio executives are more worried about checking boxes instead of telling a good story. Here are the horror movies I recommend the most from the 2023 roster.
Appendage This Hulu exclusive is definitely the strangest film on today’s post. A woman’s insecurities literally manifest as an evil parasite on her body. It’s almost like a more serious version of Malevolent with a bigger emphasis on suspense instead of action. The parasite becomes stronger and larger as the protagonist struggles with her lack of confidence. Appendage is very interesting, although totally weird. It has a valid message about self-esteem and our personal demons. Some people can overcome these obstacles and others fall prey to their own worst enemy. This movie also makes good use of practical creature effects. I doubt many people watched this film last year, so give it a shot. The Boogeyman I’ve always been a fan of cryptids, urban legends, and folk tales. The Boogeyman is about the shadowy monster that lives in the closet and lurks in the shadows. Most believers of this monster are children, but it menaces adults as well. It’s one of those rare PG-13 horror movies that still works pretty well within the genre. It’s suspenseful, creepy, and the creature effects are pretty cool. I must admit, the pacing can be quite slow, but the overall film is still a decent creature feature. Cocaine Bear This flamboyant movie includes a solid combination of horror and comedy. Cocaine Bear is exactly what you’re imagining: a bear that found a stash of cocaine and went on a murderous rampage. You know what? This loony idea actually works pretty well. The script is surprisingly good, the characters are entertaining, the humor is consistent, and it has plenty of surprises. Believe it or not, this movie is loosely based on a true story. Say no to drugs, everybody! Dark Harvest MGM buried this rural horror film in the 2023 schedule. I don’t understand why they didn’t promote this movie because it should appeal quite well to horror fans. If you enjoy Pumpkinhead, Children of the Corn, and other typed of folk horror, you might want to watch Dark Harvest. The townspeople made a deal with a pagan entity and they must hold a dangerous hunting game every Halloween. If the town’s teenagers can successfully kill a scarecrow-like demon, they will have an excellent harvest. Keep in mind, the townspeople are harboring many secrets and the film has a twist ending. Dark Harvest isn’t a masterpiece, but it might develop a cult following over time. Evil Dead Rise I was pleasantly surprised with the latest entry in the Evil Dead franchise. It has a dark tone and grisly death scenes with a similar flavor to the 2013 remake. This movie takes place in a rundown apartment complex, which is a completely different setting for this franchise. Evil Dead Rise includes a combination of scares, dread, gore, and tragedy. We don’t spend a lot of time with the characters before the story becomes ugly, but it’s easy to feel invested in the characters. If you’re familiar with the other Evil Dead films, you’ll probably assume many characters won’t make it out alive. This movie is another stellar entry in the series. Haunted Mansion It’s hard to imagine a Disney film landing on this post, but here we are. Haunted Mansion might not have bloodcurdling scares or gruesome death scenes, but it’s atmospheric, spooky, and packed with interesting lore. It’s a faithful recreation of the Haunted Mansion theme park ride, including the set pieces and characters. Truthfully, I wouldn’t recommend showing this film to young kids because it’s probably too scary. If you like ghost movies or amusement parks, check out the Haunted Mansion reboot. Insidious: The Red Door Despite having many films in the franchise, the first Insidious remains the strongest entry. However, The Red Door isn’t bad by any means. Many years have passed in the series and the Lambert family is fractured. The son goes to college, but the spectral menace from the previous movies follows him. He paints a red door, which traps the demon temporarily. The runtime is a bit excessive and the film isn’t super frightening. With that said, the story is interesting, the atmosphere is creepy, and it’s refreshing to see an emphasis on different characters. The Red Door is a good step in the right direction for the Insidious franchise. M3GAN Here’s another fun and weird film on this post. M3GAN is a PG-13 horror movie that has plenty of suspense, creepy elements, dark humor, and an effective commentary about AI. This film has a very modern take on AI horror, which makes the story more thought provoking. M3GAN was a pleasant surprise at the beginning of the year and that’s an impressive feat because January is a dumping ground for bad scary movies. The titular character might not be the Terminator, but she’s a formidable foe. Missing It’s always nice to see a rare horror film that focuses on the story. Missing is about a teenager who’s trying to find her missing mother. At first glance, it just seems like the protagonist’s mother is on a romantic trip with her boyfriend, but something doesn’t feel right. It’s a spinoff of the popular film, called Searching, which also had an effective story. Missing has an intriguing mystery and several unexpected moments. The runtime is nearly two hours, but the pacing moves along pretty well. It’s a satisfying watch all the way through the conclusion. The Nun II Sure, The Nun isn’t the most impressive IP in terms of ghost stories. Regardless, I thought this sequel was entertaining in all of the right ways. This movie has a brisk pace, effective jump scares, a spooky church, several creepy moments, and a few returning characters. In fact, I enjoy The Nun II better than its predecessor. Furthermore, this film expands on the lore and leaves the door open for future installments. I wasn’t a fan of the original Annabelle either, but the following movies were quite good. So, I feel optimistic about future spinoffs in The Conjuring universe. Pet Sematary: Bloodlines Some people don’t like the reboot of Pet Sematary, but it works for me. Bloodlines is a prequel to the remake and it’s a serviceable streaming film. It might not sound like a ringing endorsement to you, but I’ve seen much worse on virtually every streaming service. This Paramount+ original is pretty creepy and it explains a big part of the cursed town’s background. Additionally, it’s a unique take on the zombie genre. Bloodlines is the type of film that’s suitable for Halloween and late night viewings. Saw X Public disclaimer: I’m not a fan of the Saw franchise. I can’t believe so many of those movies came to the big screen. They were surprisingly popular in the past. What’s different about Saw X? Unlike most torture porn flicks, this one has a legitimate story. Jigsaw had faulty logic in most of his films, but Saw X has a solid morality tale. It might not be the best storytelling, but this movie makes some good points and the death traps feel justified. I know many people can’t handle these types of films, so view at your own discretion. Scream VI Here’s another iconic franchise that’s moving to a different setting. Scream VI takes place in New York City instead of quaint suburbia. That means the Ghostface Killer can hide in plain sight and attacks more people, including background characters. It changes some elements, but the overall vibe and spirit of Scream remains. This movie features the characters who were introduced in the previous film, kicking Sydney Prescott to the curb. Honestly, it works perfectly fine and I think the franchise needs to move on from the original cast. Scream VI is thrilling, fun, violent, and humorous. It’s hard to maintain a film series for so many entries, but Paramount is doing a good job. Thanksgiving I wouldn’t call this film torture porn, although it’s definitely a hardcore slasher flick with shocking kill scenes. It has the same gore level as Saw and Hostile. Despite this level of gratuitous bloodshed, Thanksgiving is very clever and surprisingly funny. The death scenes are creative and the killer’s big reveal isn’t predictable. Dare I say the writing is decent? I might have to admit this violent slasher movie has a good script that makes valid points about consumerism. The context is tricky to understand without watching the film. Give it a shot if you’re curious. Totally Killer If you like Scream, I Know What You Did Last Summer, and other teen slasher flicks, this movie should be on your radar. It’s more accessible to general audiences than many horror movies with a certain amount of violence that won’t make you turn away. However, it’s still a fun viewing with many twists. You might find this part weird, but Totally Killer features a lot of time travel. A teenage girl travels back in time to prevent her mother’s murder and various characters die through repeated attempts to alter history. This film is less confusing than most time travel movies and it still feels like a legitimate horror film. It’s also a good Amazon original, which is a rare occurrence. There you go! Have you watched any of these horror films yet? Do you feel happy or disappointed with the current horror scene? Tell me all about it in the comment section. Some of you probably have a three day weekend, so enjoy it. Be safe, treat each other with respect, and I’ll see you next week.
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May 2019
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