the Top 10 Horror Movies of 2023

Horror had a decent year in 2023. However contrary to popular belief it is not all A24 of Blumhouse, Shudder brought some strong indie fare. Social Media certainly shapes the way horror is marketed to us now. Most of the movies that got all the buzz were either hyped around concepts like the bear themes of a  bear on cocaine or Winnie the Pooh as the killer, While in other cases they got word of mouth from younger audiences who ignored the finer points of things like character development.  The key to horror is it has to somehow make me feel uneasy. Just gore is not enough, in fact, the new "Saw" movie bored the hell out of me. This year the things that went bump in the night included witches, cults, demons, Aliens, goblins, massive monsters, and the twisted minds of just fucked up people. 

These might not be the movies that got the best Rotten Tomatoes score, though they all did pretty decent, nor are they the most popular as the most mass-marketed movies tend to be for the lower common denominator. If your favorite movie is not on the list, it is not because I did not see it as I saw most horror movies that graced small screens and the inner webs this year, it is because in some cases your favorite movie was unimpressive or trying too hard, in other's well it was not that scary. So, these are movies that proved to engage me in some way more than the other horror movies not on this list. Here are the top ten horror movies of 2023

10 -"Unwelcome" 

This folk horror yarn set in Ireland lives up to the studio pitch of being "Straw Dogs" meets "Gremlins" , though the creatures look like they are from Labyrinth, and the home invasion elements could have been more invasive. 

9-No One Will Save You 

Aliens are an underused theme in horror, this movie is better than the more obtuse '"Nope", despite not having a killer chimp. It also lacks the bouncy house ship but is better for it. Well made though nothing to take all that seriously. 

7-Suitable Flesh 

This movie has a great deal going for it. Heather Graham, who is now popping up in a bunch of horror movies, steals the show. It's more of an homage to Stuart Gordan than HP Lovecraft., despite being an adaptation of "The Thing at the Doorstep". All of which adds up to being great, not the biggest budget, but that helps capture the Stuart Gordon feel, we have Barbra Crampton in it, who does not look 65, to add to the Gordon legacy. It would have ranked higher if everyone's acting lived up to Heather's. 

6-Skinamarink 

This bizarre film feels like a found footage film. I think where I found it particularly disturbing is the presence that drove the children to hurt themselves. Not fond of that idea, but for them to make me uncomfortable le with it means they were effective at what they were doing. Not sure that this is a movie worth multiple viewings as it loses the effect, but works well for the lack of budget, and the creative vision that brought this to life.

https://nastiferateau.blogspot.com/2023/01/film-review-skinamarink.html

6-Malum

This remake of 2014's "Last Shift", benefits from great costuming, and design work that gives it the edge over the original despite falling into a few plot holes here and there the bleak mood of the movie keeps the story fresh.

5-Hellhouse llc Origins : the Carmicheal Manor

I do not have the aversion to found footage movies like some people do. In fact, if they are well done I like them a great deal and enjoyed the bulk of the "Paranormal Activity" films. This takes that formula and makes a mockumentary of it. I binged all of the Hellhouse franchise during Halloween and while this installment feels like a more distant sequel to those films I appreciate how they kept the mythology going and reframed things.

4-Huesra- the Bone Woman This "Rosemary's Baby" like take on pregnancy has been done several times already this year, including the most recent session of American Horror Story.. This is less about a devil baby, but the struggles of being pregnant from a psychological perspective and the witchcraft here is the cure. One of the best takes on witches and one of the most realistic even with some of the movies more nightmarish surrealism.

3-Godzilla  Minus  One 

Where most Godzilla movies are monster movies that present the title character as more of a superhero, this Toho film made him the clear-cut antagonist. Sure it is a cautionary tale against weapons of war, but he presents a real menace against the most fully formed supporting cast of humans we have seen in a Godzilla film yet, it was not just a great horror movie this movie stood shoulder to shoulder with any action or science fiction film taking you back to the classic age of cinema in many ways, it is however not as disturbing or dark as the top two films putting here at number 3.

https://nastiferateau.blogspot.com/2023/12/file-review-godzilla-minus-one.html

2-When Evil Lurks 

This timely film captured an apocalyptic feel, and if you were not paying attention you might assume this to be a zombie flick, but it is actually about demons, and the depiction of the possessed parties is one of the more unique perspectives. Along with characters you care about, even when horror movie decision-making comes into play. The feeling of unease it captures is impressive, making it one of the top horror movies of the year.

1-"Infinity Pool" 

This movie is horror but not in the ways you think of horror. The concept is equal parts sci-fi in the concept of cloning. The body horror twisting the sense of identity was something also explored in director/ writer Brandon Cronenberg's last film "Possessor" Here it is taken a step further. It is bleak and disturbing enough to be horror, in the way it asks questions about the human condition. Each answer to this question is grimmer than the next. 

https://nastiferateau.blogspot.com/2023/01/film-review-infinity-pool.html

Film Review : "Infinity Pool"

This movie is horror but not in the ways you think of horror. The concept is equal parts sci-fi in the concept of cloning. The body horror twisting the sense of identity was something also explored in director/ writer Brandon Cronenberg's last film "Possessor" Here it is taken a step further. The underlying message explores the social/political concepts of how other cultures see Americans. The invasion of drunk tourists who escape consequences, as well as some BDSM themes that are dabbled in. But the main takeaway is the beauty of the storytelling that is unfurled here which shows Brandon very mindfully carrying on his father's legacy. 

I want movies to disturb me and make me feel something. He successfully accomplishes this by creating an offsetting mood, where you see the road the characters are going down in their spiral into this abyss. Mia Goth continues to prove herself and her acting exceeds what she did in her work last year with TI West. There is not a clear-cut antagonist in this movie, but she would be in the running for it. The main theme is man vs himself, often the metaphor is clear, sometimes even literal. Masks are also a powerful symbol used, this sometimes creates a Clockwork Orange feel when things get reckless and characters give in to criminal urges.

What this movie does best is what I look for in not only horror movies but all cinema which is to take the darker ugliness and shoot it in a way that depicts it with stunning beauty. I want to see the worst perversity but shot in a way that makes it a surreal ballet. There is no real gore and even the violence is kept in check, but the violence is more of an attitude shaped by how bizarre trauma fragments someone and makes you question who is their real self. Death of self and shedding the condition weakness of the world unlocks a fearless animal inside and asks where is the line here. An excellent movie that leaves you with more questions like a dream you woke up in the middle of.