2023 has been a great year for horror!
With movies like Scream VI, M3GAN, Evil Dead Rise, and Saw X putting up impressive box office numbers, critics are once again asking the philosophical question: Is horror back?!
The horror community knows the answer to that: Yes, it’s back! In fact, it never left, and it’s not going anywhere.
Horror fans have reclaimed this phrase to celebrate the genre’s ongoing cultural impact as well as artists past and present who push boundaries with their craft.
I did a challenge that proves horror never left.
This year, I participated in the #100HorrorMoviesin92Days Challenge, created by Twitter/X user @SpookySarahSays. Participants view at least 100 horror movies between August 1st and October 31st. All selections must be new to participants.
I discovered so many incredible films during this challenge, but I chose ten of my favorites to highlight here! They span decades and subgenres, offering a mix of spooky, bloody, funny, suspenseful, and downright terrifying!
These selections demonstrate that horror is and has always been relevant, offering artistic explorations of the darker things in life. My hope is that you find some of these recommendations intriguing enough to include in your Halloween rotation!
These are #1-5. Tune in next week for #6-10!
#1 TALK TO ME (2022)
A couple of teens receive the gift of a deceased medium’s severed hand, which they use to channel the dead and scare their friends at possession parties. Touching the hand allows a random spirit to inhabit your body for a brief period. But hold it too long, and you might get more than you bargained for!
This Aussie horror is wildly inventive and chock-full of creepy moments! Led by a particularly strong performance from Sophia Wilde as Mia, Talk to Me is one of the most talked-about horror films of the year. In fact, it was so popular that A24 has already announced a sequel.
#2 BODIES BODIES BODIES (2022)
A bunch of privileged twentysomethings gather at a friend’s mansion and weather out a storm by playing a game called, you guessed it, Bodies Bodies Bodies. We’ve all played a similar game; you have to guess who the killer is. Until the game becomes all too real!
It’s a very basic premise that spirals into a whirlwind of murder and mystery. I call this Gen Z’s Clue, but Bodies Bodies Bodies is for everyone. Suspenseful, hilarious, and brilliantly acted, Bodies Bodies Bodies made this jaded Millennial laugh and sit on the edge of his seat right up to its surprising conclusion!
#3 STAGE FRIGHT (1987)
Italian horror maestro Michele Soavi delivers one of the most unique slashers ever put to screen. The cast and crew of a musical about The Night Owl killer lock themselves inside a theater in order to put the final touches on their play. Little do they know that they’ve locked an escaped madman inside with them!
Balancing classic slasher and giallo tropes with surrealism and comedy, Stage Fright makes a huge impact with its stylish cinematography and dazzling set pieces. Plus, The Night Owl himself has the best mask in horror. Sorry, Michael Myers!
#4 MURDERCISE (2023)
From the filmmaking duo of Angie De Alba and Paul Ragsdale comes this hysterical homage to 80s workout horror. Yes, that’s a thing!
When fitness fanatic Phoebe (Kansas Bowling) is cast in a workout video, she becomes increasingly annoyed by the sexual antics of the crew and her co-stars. With the guidance of her new Mafiosa pal, Phoebe takes matters into her own hands . . . with bloody consequences!
De Alba and Ragsdale craft a playful narrative with a cast that has more chemistry than a protein shake.
#5 HOLY SHIT! (2022)
Single-location cinema has never been smellier, nor perhaps more entertaining, than this porta-potty-sploitation gem out of Germany.
A guy wakes up to find himself dangling from a piece of rebar in an outhouse. Using the sounds he hears from outside, the few items he finds around the toilet, and the foggy memories that gradually return, he is able to piece together how he got there and devises a plan to get out.
That’s it for now!
Don’t forget to come back next week for #6-10 on this list! What movies are you watching this Halloween?
