The biggest question of the new year is whether horror can continue the tremendous hot streak unleashed in 2022. The good news is that, so far, all signs point to yes!
From new adaptations to hotly anticipated sequels, indie darlings, and much more, 2023’s list of horror movies looks incredibly stacked with great offerings.
We’re excited to check out these 35 horror movies in 2023, but perhaps even more excited knowing that this list is only a fraction of what’s in store….
M3GAN – January 6
(from left) M3GAN and Cady (Violet McGraw) in M3GAN, directed by Gerard Johnstone.
Get Out’s Allison Williams combats a state-of-the-art A.I. doll in this horror movie directed by award-winning filmmaker Gerard Johnstone (Housebound), from a screenplay by Akela Cooper (Malignant, The Nun 2) and based on a story by Akela Cooper and James Wan.
Candy Land – January 6
This slasher movie written and directed by John Swab (Ida Red) follows “Remy (Olivia Luccardi), a seemingly naïve and devout young woman who finds herself cast out from her religious cult. With no place to turn, she immerses herself in the underground world of truck stop sex workers, a.k.a. “lot lizards,” courtesy of her hosts, Sadie (Sam Quartin), Riley (Eden Brolin), Liv (Virginia Rand), and Levi (Owen Campbell).”
Skinamarink – January 13
The viral horror hit arrives in theaters soon. It follows two kids that wake to find their father gone, so they create a slumber party and play old videotapes to cope. But it soon becomes clear that something is watching them…
There’s Something Wrong with the Children – January 17
Roxanne Benjamin (V/H/S, Southbound) directs this EPIX release that sees a getaway between friends go horrifically awry when a supernatural occurrence leaves the kids behaving strangely. It stars Zach Gilford (The Purge: Anarchy, “Midnight Mass”), Amanda Crew (“Silicon Valley”), Alisha Wainwright, Carlos Santos, Briella Guiza, and David Mattle.
Kids vs. Aliens – January 20
Director Jason Eisener (“Treevenge,” Hobo with a Shotgun, V/H/S/2, and Vice T.V.’s hit “Dark Side of the Ring”) is back next year with the horror/sci-fi movie Kids vs. Aliens. When siblings are left alone on Halloween weekend, a teen house party turns to terror when aliens attack, forcing the kids to band together to survive the night.
Infinity Pool – January 27
A still from Infinity Pool by Brandon Cronenberg, an official selection of the Midnight section at the 2023 Sundance Film Festival. Courtesy of Sundance Institute.
James and Em are young, rich, in love, and on vacation. Their all-inclusive resort boasts island tours and gleaming beaches. But outside of the hotel gates awaits something much more dangerous and seductive, beyond the edge of paradise. Brandon Cronenberg’s follow-up to Possessor will star Alexander Skarsgård and Mia Goth.
Knock at the Cabin – February 3
From left: Dave Bautista, Abby Quinn, and Nikki Amuka-Bird in KNOCK AT THE CABIN, directed and co-written by M. Night Shyamalan
Up next from M. Night Shyamalan is the Paul Tremblay adaptation Knock at the Cabin, which sees a family held hostage and forced to make impossible choices to avert the apocalypse. It’s the first R-rated movie by Shyamalan since The Happening.
Cocaine Bear – February 24
Don’t coke the bear. The Elizabeth Banks-helmed movie is inspired by true events in Kentucky in 1985, and Jimmy Warden wrote it. Phil Lord and Chris Miller (Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse) produced. Expect things to get violent and hilarious.
The Outwaters – February TBD
‘The Outwaters’ Panic Fest Review – A Singular, Experimental Descent Into Depravity and Gory Chaos!
Despite a familiar initial setup, there’s nothing conventional about found footage nightmare The Outwaters. Nothing will prepare you for the disturbing journey writer/director Robbie Banfitch has in store, either. Banfitch mercilessly lulls viewers with a soothing intro before ripping open a dark abyss beneath them, flinging them into an immersive pit of visceral madness. Look for this one to arrive in theaters before landing exclusively on SCREAMBOX.
Scream VI – March 10
The survivors of Scream 2022 leave Woodsboro behind, only to discover Ghostface isn’t done with them yet. A Scream set in New York City, with the return of Kirby Reed and so much more? We cannot wait to see what’s next from this beloved slasher franchise.
65 – March 17
Sam Raimi has joined forces with A Quiet Place writers Scott Beck and Bryan Woods for 65, an original sci-fi thriller starring Adam Driver, Ariana Greenblatt, and Chloe Coleman. Driver brings the big guns to what appears to be a suspenseful battle against dinosaurs.
Holy Shit! – March 21
Lukas Rinker’s bonkers black comedy sees an architect locked inside a portable toilet at a construction site set to detonate. Look for this wild ride to arrive only on SCREAMBOX.
Family Dinner – March 28
Meet a new Easter horror favorite this year. A teenager heads to her Aunt’s farm for Easter, hoping to get help losing weight. She quickly suspects something is deeply amiss…
Enys Men – TBD
This NEON folk horror release is set in 1973 on an uninhabited island off the British coast, where a wildlife volunteer descends into a terrifying metaphysical and ecosophical journey that challenges her grip on reality and pushes her into a living nightmare. While it currently has no release date, we’ll likely see this one in the year’s first half.
Living with Chucky – April 4
A full-blown Child’s Play documentary that celebrates the entire franchise, directed by Kyra Elise Gardner. Featuring interviews with cast and crew, including genre icons such as Lin Shaye, Alex Vincent, Jennifer Tilly, franchise creator Don Mancini, and more, expect this doc from SCREAMBOX to tug at your heartstrings.
Renfield – April 14
Nicholas Hoult (The Menu) plays Dracula’s (Nicolas Cage) lackey Renfield, who’s long grown tired of his boss. He finds potential redemption in angry traffic cop Rebecca Quincy (Awkwafina). Chris McKay (The Tomorrow War) helms this modern-set horror-comedy.
The Black Demon – April 21
When oilman Paul Sturges (Josh Lucas) takes his family to Bahia Negra, he unwittingly awakens the Black Demon, a massive black shark hellbent on protecting nature from human threats. Time is of the essence in this killer shark feature.
Evil Dead Rise – April 21
Beth pays an overdue visit to her older sister Ellie, who is raising three kids alone in a cramped L.A. apartment. The sisters’ reunion is cut short by the discovery of a mysterious book deep in the bowels of Ellie’s building, giving rise to flesh-possessing demons and thrusting Beth into a battle for survival as she is faced with the most nightmarish version of motherhood imaginable. Directed by Lee Cronin, the fifth entry in the franchise was initially deemed for streaming but will now head to theaters.
The Blackening – June 16
Directed by Tim Story (Ride Along, Think Like A Man, Barbershop) and co-written by Tracy Oliver (Girls Trip, Harlem) and Dewayne Perkins (“The Amber Ruffin Show,” “Brooklyn Nine-Nine”), The Blackening skewers genre tropes and poses the question: if the entire cast of a horror movie is Black, who dies first? The Juneteenth-set horror-comedy appropriately releases around Juneteenth.
Insidious 5 – July 7
Insidious (2010)
Patrick Wilson returns to the franchise not only to star but to direct as well. The fifth entry sees Josh Lambert (Wilson) dropping his son Dalton (Ty Simpkins) off at college, only to discover Dalton’s past demons haven’t entirely left him.
Meg 2: The Trench – August 4
Jason Statham will be back as Jonas Taylor in director Ben Wheatley’s (Kill List, Sightseers, A Field in England, High-Rise, Rebecca, In the Earth) upcoming sequel to the 2018 action-horror movie The Meg, along with Cliff Curtis, Sophia Cai, and Page Kennedy. Exploring the Mariana Trench should bring the horror.
The Last Voyage of the Demeter – August 11
The latest by André Øvredal (The Autopsy of Jane Doe, Scary Stories to Tell in the Dark) focuses on a specific chapter from Bram Stoker’s classic novel, with horror stalwart Javier Botet as Dracula. That Demeter was bumped from its January 2023 release to a cushy summer spot bodes well.
Haunted Mansion – August 11
Justin Simien (Dear White People, Bad Hair) is directing a new live-action movie based on the popular Disney attraction. It follows a mother and her son who come across a mansion that is more than it seems while being orbited by various characters key to undressing the spooky mystery.
They Listen – August 25
Waterston in ‘Alien: Convenant’
The upcoming Blumhouse horror movie They Listen is keeping mum on plot details so far. It stars John Cho (Searching) and Katherine Waterston (Alien: Covenant), which is enough to pique our curiosity.
The Nun 2 – September 8
The Nun (2018)
Michael Chaves (The Conjuring: The Devil Made Me Do It) helms the sequel that’ll reunite Valak (Bonnie Aarons) and Sister Irene (Taissa Farmiga). The pair will battle once more, this time in 1956 France.
Saw 10 – October 27
Shawnee Smith as Amanda in ‘Saw’ (2004)
The tenth entry is poised to bring back franchise favorites, including Jigsaw (Tobin Bell) himself, just in time for Halloween. Franchise stalwart Kevin Greutert, who directed the highly regarded Saw VI and Saw: The Final Chapter, and edited Saw I through V and Jigsaw, is directing the project.
Ghostbusters 5 – December 20
Ghostbusters: Afterlife
After successfully relaunching the franchise with 2021’s Ghostbusters: Afterlife, Sony Pictures continues the Spengler family saga with the film’s writer and exec producer Gil Kenan (Monster House, Poltergeist) taking over as director.
Beau is Afraid – TBD
Formerly titled Disappointment Blvd., the film is described as “an intimate, decades-spanning portrait of one of the most successful entrepreneurs of all time.” Ari Aster’s latest stars Joaquin Phoenix, Parker Posey, Patti LuPone, and more.
Consecration – TBD
Triangle, Black Death, and The Banishing director Christopher Smith returns to horror with the upcoming supernatural thriller Consecration. Jena Malone and Danny Huston star.
Cuckoo – TBD
Luz director Tilman Singer is back with another horror movie. Plot details remain scarce, but production images suggest a potential slasher. We’re in either way, between Singer and a cast that includes Dan Stevens (The Guest) and Jessica Henwick (Underwater) as well as Hunter Schafer (“Euphoria”), Marton Csókás (Freelance), Greta Fernández (Santo) and Jan Bluthardt (Luz).
Dark Harvest – TBD
Set on Halloween 1963, Norman Partridge’s horror novel Dark Harvest is headed to the big screen with David Slade (Hard Candy, 30 Days of Night, “Hannibal”) directing. Every fall, teen boys in a small Midwestern town participate in a hunt to catch Sawtooth Jack. While Dark Harvest was initially expected to release last year, but a recent R-rating gives us hope this adaptation will finally see release this Halloween season.
MaXXXine – TBD
The third entry in Ti West’s slasher trilogy that began with X and continued with Pearl “follows Maxine (Mia Goth), after the events of X, as the sole survivor who continues her journey towards fame, setting out to make it as an actress in 1980’s Los Angeles.”
Salem’s Lot – TBD
Salem’s Lot (1979)
James Wan is producing the new take on Stephen King’s vampire story Salem’s Lot for Warner Bros. and New Line, with Gary Dauberman (It, The Nun, Annabelle Comes Home) attached to write and direct the film. The plot sees an author return to his hometown, only to find it under the sway of a bloodthirsty vampire. After multiple delays and release date shifts, this reimagining will likely finally see release sometime in 2023.
Shelby Oaks – TBD
YouTube critic Chris Stuckmann’s feature debut follows a paranormal investigation that dates back to childhood and will include found footage elements. It stars Camille Sullivan (Hunter Hunter), Brendan Sexton III (Don’t Breathe 2), Michael Beach (If Beale Street Could Talk), Robin Bartlett (Shutter Island), Keith David (The Thing), Charlie Talbert (The Big Short), Emily Bennett (Alone with You) and Sarah Durn (Where the Crawdads Sing). A recent Kickstarter update suggests we can likely expect this one in Fall 2023.
Time Cut – TBD
Vince Vaughn as The Butcher in Freaky, co-written and directed by Christopher Landon.
The writer and director of slasher-comedy Freaky are reuniting for a young adult horror movie titled Time Cut, with Christopher Landon producing and Michael Kennedy writing the script alongside Sono Patel (“The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel”). Hannah MacPherson (“Into the Dark”) is directing Time Cut, recently described as “Back to the Future meets Scream.”
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