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40 of the Best New Horror Movies to Watch in 2023
2022's horror films walked so 2023's movies could run.
Last year's scary movies will be tough to beat — from the new Scream to Terrifier 2 and The Black Phone — there were plenty of thrills and chills to be had. But horror fans can rest easy in knowing that 2023 will be another hauntingly good year for the genre. From dark takes on classic children's stories to reboots of hit horror franchises from the '70s, this year will have you peeking out from under the covers for months to come.
For die-hard horror fanatics, scary movies aren't just for October, which is why we compiled a list of highly anticipated scary movies premiering all year long. Keep checking back here regularly, as we'll be updating it in real-time when new movies are announced and trailers drop on YouTube.
M3GAN
When it premieres: January 6, 2023 in theaters
What it's about: If you're a fan of the Child's Play movies or that creepy Black Mirror episode with Miley Cyrus and the doll, then this is the movie for you. What happens when a robotic, anthropomorphic doll becomes a little girl's new best friend? Nothing good.
MORE: 10 M3GAN Costume Ideas to Slay (and Serve Dance Moves) In This Halloween
The Pale Blue Eye
When it premieres: January 6, 2023 on Netflix
What it's about: This ominous movie follows a detective named Augustus Landor (Christian Bale) who is investigating the homicide of a West Point cadet. When he realizes the victim's fellow cadets won't help him solve the case, Augustus enlists the help of one cadet, a young man known as Edgar Allan Poe (Harry Melling) — yes, that Edgar Allan Poe.
FYI, Harry Melling is best-known for playing the vile Dudley Dursley in the Harry Potter movies, so getting to see him in a totally different type of role sounds like a real treat.
Sick
When it premieres: January 13, 2023 on Peacock
What it's about: Two friends decide to quarantine at a secluded lake house during the early months of the COVID-19 pandemic. Unfortunately, they're not alone and soon find themselves being stalked by a sinister person.
Kevin Williamson, aka the writer of Scream, co-wrote this movie with Katelyn Crabb. The film stars Gideon Adlon, who played Becca on Netflix's canceled-too-soon series, The Society.
Snow Falls
When it premieres: January 17, 2023 On Demand
What it's about: Featuring Aaron Samuels from Mean Girls, aka actor Jonathan Bennett, this Colton Tran-directed horror film follows five friends who get snowed in at an isolated cabin over New Year's Eve and slowly start to go mad.
There's Something Wrong With the Children
When it premieres: January 17, 2023 on MGM+
What it's about: Two sets of couples go on a weekend trip with their kids, but the fun times don't last after the children disappear into the woods. When the kids are found, one of the adults believes something sinister and supernatural is going on with them.
Teen Wolf: The Movie
When it premieres: January 26, 2023 on Paramount+
What it's about: This movie revival of the hit MTV series that ended in 2017 reunites most of Teen Wolf's original cast.
A new evil emerging in Beacon Hills brings old friends and allies back together to fight a deadly enemy.
Infinity Pool
When it premieres: January 27, 2023 in theaters
What it's about: If you missed seeing Mia Goth play super creepy in films like X and its prequel, Pearl, then this sci-fi thriller is for you.
Featuring Mia and Big Little Lies star Alexander Skarsgård, this film follows a wealthy couple enjoying a vacation on an island resort. However, after an accident happens outside the resort grounds that turns their happy world upside, they must fight for survival.
The society's zero-tolerance policy for crime leaves them two options: be executed or pay an ungodly amount of money to watch yourself die.
Skinamarink
When it premieres: Streaming exclusively on Shudder February 2, 2023 (Release in theaters began January 13, 2023)
What it's about: In the middle of the night, two siblings awake and learn their father is missing and their house's doors and windows are gone. As the night progresses, the kids notice that more objects in their home begin vanishing, too.
If you think this is going to be like other horror movies you've seen, guess again.
Knock at the Cabin
When it premieres: February 3, 2023 in theaters
What it's about: A vacationing family of three minding their own business are soon taken hostage by a gang of four mysterious strangers. According to them, the family must make a choice to stop the apocalypse from happening.
This M. Night Shyamalan-directed movie that stars Harry Potter's Rupert Grint is based on Paul Tremblay's 2018 novel, The Cabin at the End of the World.
Winnie-the-Pooh: Blood and Honey
When it premieres: February 15, 2023 in theaters
What it's about: Winnie-the-Pooh and Piglet are NOT your friends in this slasher movie about the Hundred Acre Wood characters.
After Christopher Robin (Nikolai Leon) leaves his childhood friends to go to college, they feel abandoned and quickly turn murderous. Their rampage hits a new high, though, when Christopher eventually returns to the forest to introduce his old friends to his new wife.
Cocaine Bear
When it premieres: February 24, 2023 in theaters
What it's about: What's more terrifying than coming face-to-face with a bear? Coming face-to-face with a bear that's high on cocaine and "out of its mind."
Based on a true story (yes, really!), this horror-comedy follows a bear who consumed a bunch of coke and goes on a drug-fueled killing spree.
Children of the Corn
When it premieres: March 3 (in theaters), March 21 (On Demand and digital)
What it's about: Creepy kids go on a killing spree in a small Nebraska town after the adults ruin the community's crops. However, one teen refuses to join the gang of killer kids, which quickly creates tension in the town.
Scream VI
When it premieres: March 10, 2023 in theaters
What it's about: A follow-up to the 2022 smash hit Scream, this sixth installment follows the four survivors who ditch the fictional town of Woodsboro to start a new life in New York City. Naturally, though, they can't escape Ghostface's clutches.
Wednesday star Jenna Ortega reprises her role as Tara, and Scream 4's Hayden Panettiere returns to the franchise as Kirby. Unfortunately, the saga's beloved "final girl," Sidney Prescott (Neve Campbell), will not return due to disagreements over salary.
The new teaser reveals that Ghostface has followed the survivors to Manhattan, as they ride a crowded subway car on Halloween night. With most everyone dressed in costume, it's almost easy to miss the masked villain — but then they strike.
The Pope's Exorcist
When it premieres: April 14, 2023 in theaters
What it's about: Russell Crowe stars as real-life figure Father Gabriele Amorth, a priest who performed more than 100,000 exorcisms before he passed away in 2016.
This film is inspired by his one of his cases about a possessed boy and the centuries-old conspiracy the Vatican has tried to keep secret.
Renfield
When it premieres: April 14, 2023 in theaters
What it's about: Remember when the entire internet freaked out over those pics of Nicolas Cage walking around New Orleans dressed as Dracula? Well, it was for this movie. For those who don't know the original Dracula story by Bram Stoker (or haven't seen the 1931 Universal classic), Renfield is Dracula's henchman.
Renfield is a horror-comedy that follows the exploits of Renfield (Nicholas Hoult), who ditches his job working for Dracula (Nicolas Cage) after he falls in love with a traffic cop named Rebecca Quincy (Awkwafina).
Beau Is Afraid
When it premieres: April 21, 2023 in theaters
What it's about: If you prefer "elevated horror," aka "scary but with complex emotional and thematic underpinnings" like Jenna Ortega's character describes in the opening of Scream, then this is the movie for you.
Written and directed by Ari Aster, the same person who gave us Hereditary and Midsommar, his new film follows the life of a successful entrepreneur who has some serious mommy issues. How does that plot make for a scary movie? Check out the bonkers trailer below and see for yourself.
Evil Dead Rise
When it premieres: April 21, 2023 in theaters
What it's about: The fifth installment in the Evil Dead franchise, this movie is about two estranged sisters whose reunion is cut short when they're forced to battle sinister creatures known as Deadites.
Clock
When it premieres: April 28, 2023 on Hulu
What it's about: Glee's Dianna Agron stars in this movie about a woman who, pressured to have children, agrees to participate in a clinical trial to fix her seemingly broken biological clock.
The Boogeyman
When it premieres: June 2, 2023 in theaters
What it's about: Based on the short story of the same name by Stephen King, The Boogeyman is about two siblings who are reeling from the death of the mother. But when an ominous presence enters their lives, they beg their grieving father to take heed before something terrible happens.
Follow Her
When it premieres: June 2, 2023 in theaters and On Demand
What it's about: This indie thriller shows the true horrors of social media. Jess, a successful streamer who secretly films people and posts those clips online, is hired by Tom to finish a screenplay. The first red flag? They do so in a secluded cabin. The second red flag? Tom is definitely not what he seems. How far would you go for fame?
Stacey Grant is a senior editor at Seventeen who runs the brand's Snapchat Discover channel. She also covers entertainment topics specializing in nostalgia, such as classic '90s and '00s Disney Channel and Nickelodeon content.
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