Most Anticipated Horror Titles in 2023

Hannah
Hannah - Editor/Instagram Manager
11 Min Read

There’s a horror renaissance of sorts happening right now between many genre releases of 2022 and the more to come in 2023. Last year hosted an impressive number of popular titles to get the momentum going. The Scream re-quel, Mia Goth dazzling in X and Pearl, Smile, Barbarian — all amongst the many titles released last year that got the ball rolling for the genre again.

2023 promises to keep the momentum going with a stacked list of releases. While the following are only a small glimpse of what’s in store, these are the titles I’m most looking forward to.

Note: These are not ranked.

Scream VI (Film)

The survivors from the 2022 re-quel are returning for Scream VI, along with remaining original survivor Gale Weathers and Scream 4‘s Kirby Reed. Woodsboro has been left behind once again for this sequel, with the survivors heading to the opposite coast to attend college in New York City. The problem is … there’s no running from Ghostface.

A short description of the film reads:

“Following the latest Ghostface killings, the four survivors leave Woodsboro behind and start a fresh chapter.”

Based on the full trailer that was released on January 19, fans are in for a treat — this Ghostface taunts that they’re different than any others who have come before, and from the footage, it certainly seems like they will be able to back up their claim. This version of Ghostface (number of killers to be determined) appears to be less clumsy, more focused and seems overall more deadly. What piqued franchise fans’ interest in the trailer most, however, is the shrine this Ghostface has built to the murders spanning across decades — all nine of the other killer’s robes, along with many other victim and killer-related costumes and items.

Release Date: March 10, 2023
Watch the trailer below.

The Fall of the House of Usher (Limited Series)

While the upcoming Edgar Allan Poe-inspired series has yet to receive an official release date, director Mike Flanagan recently stated he anticipates the series to release sometime in the latter half of 2023 (via his Tumblr blog).

The limited series, inspired by the works of Poe, receives its title from the short story of the same name originally published in 1893. While details on the series are scarce in its beginning, Netflix did announce that the series will tell its story across eight episodes. Mike Flanagan, the genius behind other terrifying Netflix series such as Midnight Mass, describes the limited series as a “modern remix” of some of Poe’s most well-known stories.

The Fall of the House of Usher has an impressive cast, with the first two waves of announcements touting that this will be the largest cast for Intrepid Pictures (Flanagan’s production banner) yet. In the first waves Carla Gugino, Mary McDonnell, Carl Lumbly, Mark Hamill, Henry Thomas, Samantha Sloyan, T’Nia Miller, Rahul Kohli, Kate Siegel, Sauriyan Sapkota, Zach Gilford, Katie Parker, Michael Trucco, Malcolm Goodwin, Crystal Balint, Kyliegh Curran, Paola Nuñez, Aya Furukawa, Matt Biedel, Daniel Jun, Ruth Codd, Robert Longstreet, and Annabeth Gish were all revealed as cast members, with several more announcements coming since.

Release Date: TBA, Expected Late 2023

Evil Dead Rise (Film)

Every time I watch the trailer for Evil Dead Rise, a certain moment makes me clench my eyes shut and immediate nausea washes over me — and this is a sentiment I’ve heard echoed by several others who have watched the trailer as well.

The fifth theatrical entry to the franchise, Evil Dead Rise promises to continue on the level of violence and horror found throughout the franchise — and apparently the elevated gore from the 2013 remake, Evil Dead. From director Lee Cronin and a production team consisting of franchise creators Sam Raimi, Bruce Campbell, and Robert Tapert, the film will continue to tell a story separate from Ash Campbell.

In Evil Dead Rise, a woman, Beth, visits her older sister who is raising three children on her own in a cramped Los Angeles apartment. The heartwarming reunion is cut short by the discovery of a dark and mysterious book in the bowels of the building and the rise of demons. The battle for survival that ensues thrusts Beth into the worst version of motherhood imaginable.

Release Date: April 21, 2023
Watch the trailer below (be aware it is age restricted).

Beau is Afraid (Film)

After Hereditary and Midsommar, if Ari Aster is writing/directing a horror film, I can automatically be considered excited. A short synopsis for the film straight from A24 reads:

“A paranoid man embarks on an epic odyssey to get home to his mother in this bold and ingeniously depraved new film from writer/director Ari Aster.”

While the description found nearly everywhere else reads:

“A decades-spanning portrait of one of the most successful entrepreneurs of all time.”

Just as these vastly different suggestions about the film bring a wave of confusion, the trailer for Beau is Afraid is just as baffling, full of surreal imagery and colors that leave viewers questioning if this is an alternate reality or delusions brought on by Beau’s apparent penchant for popping pills as shown early on. Regardless of exactly what the assuredly unique plot turns out to be, the opening line of the trailer — “I am so sorry for what your daddy passed down to you” — promises the same theme of generational trauma present in Aster’s former projects.

Release Date: April 21, 2023
Watch the trailer below.

The Last Voyage of the Demeter (Film)

Based entirely on Chapter 7 — “The Captain’s Log” — of Bram Stoker’s Dracula which tells the story of a merchant ship, the Demeter. The official description reads:

The Last Voyage of the Demeter tells the terrifying story of the merchant ship Demeter, which was chartered to carry private cargo — fifty unmarked wooden crates — from Carpathia to London. Strange events befall the doomed crew as they attempt to survive the ocean voyage, stalked each nice by a merciless presence onboard the ship. When the Demeter finally arrives off the shores of England, it is a charred, derelict wreck. There is no trace of the crew.”

As practically a life-long Dracula fan whose love only increased as I got older and was able to read Stoker’s work for myself, the air of mystery that is imbued into Chapter 7 has always been one of my particular favorites, and I cling to media that represents it. I am certain that with horror virtuoso André Øvredal (Scary Stories to Tell in the Dark) directing from a script by Bragi F. Schut (Escape Room), Stefan Ruzowitzky (The Counterfeiters), and Zac Olkewicz (Bullet Train), this will be an tragic and macabre telling of the Demeter’s story.

As a bonus: Javier Botet is playing Dracula in the film.

Release Date: August 11, 2023

The Outwaters (Film)

I love found-footage horror, and I love found-footage horror when it’s completely unhinged and violent, which seems to be exactly the case for The Outwaters. From the team behind Terrifier 2 — Cinedigm and Bloody Disgusting — comes this throwback to the early days of found-footage. The synopsis reads:

The Outwaters takes viewers off the beaten path and into their own nightmares. The film plays out over three memory cards found in a sun-drenched section of the Mojave Desert. The footage within is that of a foursome, who set out to make a music video while camping, led by a charismatic LA filmmaker. Their trip starts out uneventful, though their peace is occasionally disrupted by unexplained sounds, vibrations, and unnatural animal behavior. Then one night everything changes, sending the foursome on a mind-bending trip through terror.”

With a trailer that is saturated in a deeply unsettling vibe, this found footage promises to take viewers on a nightmarish trip through the desert. The trailer doesn’t reveal much, but just enough to hint at what a primal and visceral story the film has to tell.

Release Date: February 09, 2023
Watch the trailer below.

Honorable Mentions

Insidious: Fear the Dark (July 07, 2023)
The Nun 2 (September 08, 2023)
Consecration (February 10, 2023, trailer)
Salem’s Lot (TBA, Expected 2023)
The Exorcist (October 13, 2023)

Let us know in the comments what you’re looking forward to the most!

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By Hannah Editor/Instagram Manager
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Hannah’s a lifelong nerd, but has been with the team since May 2021. Her life is easily classified by two abbreviations - BBG3 and ABG3 (before Baldur’s Gate 3 and after Baldur’s Gate 3). Especially nerdy about: video games, folklore, Star Wars, D&D, Spider-Man, and horror (all of it). Based in Denver, CO.
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