From Jeff Nelson

The world of horror had its fair share of big moments this year, from the phenomenon that was M3GAN to the major IP of Scream VI and Five NIghts at Freddy’s. However, Hollywood studios weren’t the only distributors to enjoy success, as independent offerings, such as Kyle Edward Ball’s Skinamarink, generated an abundance of discussion. Here’s a look at the top 10 best horror movies to grace the screen in 2023:

10. Hell House LLC Origins: The Carmichael Manor

Cold case investigators Margot Bentley (Bridget Rose Perrotta), Rebecca Vickers (Destiny Leilani Brown), and Chase Bentley (James Liddell) stay at the Carmichael Manor, determined to uncover the secrets of the haunted building. However, they went missing after spending four days alone on the property. The footage they captured proves terrifying suspicions regarding the manor.

The terrifying Hell House LLC proved itself a horror gem back in 2015, followed by disappointing sequels that couldn’t capture the magic of the original. Enter Hell house LLC Origins: The Carmichael Manor, which isn’t a prequel, despite its name. Fortunately, Stephen Cognetti’s scares go back to the basics that made the original so effective, delivering on a wildly entertaining 98 minutes.

9. In My Mother’s Skin

A family is left stranded in the Philippines during World War II, where the daughter becomes desperate to save her dying mother. She puts her faith in a seemingly trustworthy fairy, only to discover that the creature’s motives are far darker than she ever could have imagined.

Kenneth Dagatan’s In My Mother’s Skin is a slow-burn fairy tale that goes down a macabre path. The pacing may turn some audiences off to its world, but this is a chilling fantasy that stuck with me since its premiere at the 2023 Sundance Film Festival. It’s upsetting, eerie, and unshakable.

8. No One Will Save You

Brynn (Kaitlyn Dever) lives on her own, constantly battling extreme anxiety and unable to escape her past. When an alien suddenly finds its way into her home, she’s forced to fight for her survival.

Brian Duffield’s No One Will Save You suffered the unfortunate fate of going directly to Hulu, skipping the theatrical experience. Running on next to no dialogue, there’s a tension laced through the entire film. Dever turns in a stellar performance in a minimalistic role, once again demonstrating why she’s such a talent. Even if aliens aren’t your thing, No One Will Save You is an effective exercise in extraterrestrial terrors.

7. Saw X

Trap-mastermind John Kramer (Tobin Bell) travels to Mexico to undergo a risky and experimental procedure to cure his cancer, desperately seeking a way to live a healthy life. When he discovers that it’s all a scam, he begins planning deadly games for his new subjects.

Saw X takes place in between 2004’s Saw and its first sequel, finally pitting Kramer as the lead character, thereby allowing Bell to stretch his acting muscles farther than other installments did. Director Kevin Greutert certainly doesn’t skimp on the gore, unveiling one of the most gruesome traps ever to grace the franchise. Not only is Saw X one of the best series installments, but it’s one of the best horror films of 2023.

6. Evil Dead Rise

Ellie (Alyssa Sutherland) and her children reunite with her sister (Lily Sullivan), where they begin to come to terms with family drama that separated them. Their night suddenly transforms into a fight for survival against flesh-possessing demons that are determined to claim all of their souls, unless they figure out a way to send them back where they belong.

The Evil Dead movies make a formidable horror franchise, and Lee Cronin’s Evil Dead Rise is no exception. He brings a contemporary flair to the evil Deadites, while still maintaining their core qualities of deceit and taunting methods. Sutherland is utterly terrifying as the possessed mother, capturing the film’s biggest moments. Evil Dead Rise is violent and mean spirited in the best ways. Let’s also not forget that you won’t find a better opening title card in a movie released this year.

5. When Evil Lurks

Set in a remote village, two brothers join forces to rid the area of a demon-infected man on the verge of giving birth to a greater evil. However, their attempt to transport the body elsewhere unintentionally spreads the chaos in what becomes a fight to save the world.

Demián Rugna’s When Evil Lurks goes incredibly hard with some of the most depraved scenes of the year. The protagonist lacks common sense to a frustrating degree, but there’s no questioning that Rugna has a gift for capturing an unsettling atmosphere, executing the “demon possession as a disease” to a surprisingly impactful degree.

4. Attachment

A washed up Danish actress named Maja (Josephine Park) falls in love with Leah (Ellie Kendrick), a Jewish academic from London. Their romance grows increasingly complicated after Leah’s mysterious seizure, where Maja agrees to return to her home. There, she meets Leah’s overly-protective mother (Sofie Gråbøl).

Attachment intertwines romance and comedy with the horror elements, concocting a singularly absorbing experience. Park and Kendrick have solid chemistry, wisely developing a relationship that we come to care for. Writer/director Gabriel Bier Gislason generates a unique take on the sub-genre in this layered horror flick.

3. Talk to Me

A group of friends make a party game out of an embalmed hand that has the ability to conjure spirits. When their fun goes too far, they must figure out a way to contain the evil that they unleashed.

Danny and Michael Philippou’s Talk to Me made big splash on the horror scene, utilizing a clever hook to explore its supernatural threats. It gets off to a superb start, building to some fairly shocking sequences. The Philippous don’t entirely stick the ending, but this is an overall strong feature debut.

2. Red Rooms

A model (Juliette Gariépy) possesses an unhealthy obsession with a high-profile murder trial that seeks justice for the brutal torture and murder of young girls. Her fascination with the macabre subject puts her life in a downward spiral.

Pascal Plante’s Red Rooms achieves an astounding level of uneasiness without showing very much, but it will make you think otherwise. Perhaps it’s more of a thriller than an outright horror movie, although it generates a level of shock and disgust that makes it feel right at home here. Gariépy’s bone-chilling performance only further elevates Red Rooms into one of the year’s most memorable genre offerings.

1. The Outwaters

Four travelers venture into the Mojave Desert to shoot a music video, where they encounter strange and unexplainable occurrences. Their fear was captured on tapes discovered after their mysterious disappearance.

Robbie Banfitch’s The Outwaters is disorienting and blood-curdling. It grabs you by the neck and drags you down into a hellscape that somehow feels both highly claustrophobic and petrifyingly void. Companion shorts “Card Zero” and “File VL-624” compliment the unhinged reality unleashed in the feature film, but it still stands on its own, reshaping its desert landscape into an unforgettable location of dread. The Outwaters is ambitious, scary, and utterly disturbing, and there’s no question why it’s so polarizing. But, for this critic, its impact is undeniable. It’s the best horror movie of 2023.

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