We're a bit late for this one, but better late than never (or so I'm told! 2023 had some fantastic movies, and I'm excited to be able to present to you, the faithful readers of The Horror Revolution, with our Best Of list for the past year. I've tried my best to keep it to movies actually released in 2023, so hopefully these are movies that you have been able to enjoy alongside me !
There is so much about Slotherhouse that reminds me of the old Troma films: inexplicably smart animal, wild plot twists, and a full-on commitment to funny above fear. It’s an excellent meta-horror, with a ton of commentary on the current generation and some truly side-splitting insanity.
M3GAN was a lot of fun, and way more violent than I expected. It’s very much a teen horror, but it does it surprisingly well in creating an updated Child’s Play with some bite. It feels like a film that a lot of people will see but won’t give it any love because it’s Blumhouse, but I thought they killed it with an interesting premise and fantastic follow through.
I almost included this in my indie list because it’s definitely more of an indie production than most of these, but the wide release on Shudder made me feel like I could include it in this list. Director Ted Geoghegan does a phenomenal job in this historical horror and kept me on the edge of my seat throughout. Really dug this one, and I hope you’ll give it a shot.
Another Shudder flick that could probably be considered indie, this one is so good it’s going to be getting an English remake soon. It’s brutal, disturbing, and is nail-bitingly tense almost the entire time. Excellent film, and will make you never look at your hosts the same again.
I am all about some Kevin Williamson, and this one struck particularly close to home for me as someone who was right in the thick of things with COVID. It feels like a period piece at this point, but it’s exciting, really well-done, and contains one of the most shocking twists in recent memory. Loved it.
I enjoyed this one a hell of a lot more than I thought I would, and it had a ton of chilling scenes. The actors were great, it was genuinely scary, and I really want to play with that hand. This is one that feels like it’ll create a franchise, and it will likely be considered a modern classic along the lines of It Follows.
Final Cut! is also a bit more indie than most of the others on this list, but it got some pretty good distribution and is an international sequel/reboot, so it felt more like it should be included in this list. To be honest, I was tempted to put this One Cut of the Dead remake a lot higher on my list, because it is excellent. Meta as hell and takes advantage of reboots the same way One Cut skewered found footage, this is one that you should absolutely check out if you get the chance.
This one was a deeply personal watch for me, one that genuinely had me in tears because of my own experiences. I don’t feel like it’s a movie that I would have enjoyed quite as much otherwise, which is the only reason it’s not higher on the list than it already is. I really enjoyed this film, and it’s excellently done slow-burn horror with some modern jumpscares thrown in for good measure.
At this point in the list, any of the last three movies could’ve winded up at the top, but When Evil Lurks takes the number 2 spot on this list because it slightly mangles the ending. It’s wonderfully brutal, and a really inventive take on the zombie genre. Thankfully, it’s appearance on Shudder exposed it to a much larger audience than it otherwise would’ve gotten, because this is a damn good flick.
As someone who has never been the biggest Evil Dead fan, I was blown away by this film. It’s gory as fuck, genuinely terrifying, and has some of the best performances of the year. I was invited to an early screening for this one by Warner Brothers, and I’m super grateful for the experience, but this one would’ve been the best movie I’ve seen this year regardless. It’s an excellent addition to the franchise, and it’s scary as hell.
