This past year has been an absolute feast for horror fans. As we enter 2023 and take a look at the list of upcoming horror movies, we get a warm feeling way down deep in our little black hearts. 2022 delivered in a big way, and we have high hopes for what’s to come in 2023. Release dates have felt a bit like a moving target as of late, so the release dates on the list below are current to the best of our knowledge at the time of publication. Crossing our fingers things don’t get moved around too much because we are excited. Here’s a list of 30 horror titles coming our way this year, and we’d bet even more will be added to studios’ release calendars as we get 2023 underway.
M3GAN – In Theaters January 6
Our January cover girl is starting us off strong, strutting into the new year. M3GAN is a marvel of artificial intelligence, a life-like doll programmed to be a child’s greatest companion and a parent’s greatest ally. Designed by brilliant toy-company roboticist Gemma (Get Out’s Allison Williams), M3GAN can listen and watch and learn as she becomes friend and teacher, playmate and protector, for the child she is bonded to. And she’ll run on all fours to chase you down or slash you in half if need be.
The Pale Blue Eye – Netflix January 6
Christian Bale. Edgar Allen Poe. Murder. West Point, 1830. A world-weary detective is hired to discreetly investigate the gruesome murder of a cadet. Stymied by the cadets’ code of silence, he enlists one of their own to help unravel the case — a young man the world would come to know as Edgar Allan Poe.
Enys Men – UK Release January 13, US Release TBD
Director Mark Jenkin describes his upcoming 16mm horror as “a lost Cornish Folk Horror.” A wildlife volunteer on an uninhabited island off the British coast descends into a terrifying madness that challenges her grip on reality and pushes her into a living nightmare. Evoking the feeling of discovering a reel of never-before-seen celluloid unspooling in a haunted movie palace, this provocative and masterful vision of horror asserts Mark Jenkin as one of the U.K.’s most exciting and singular filmmakers.
The Offering – January 13
In the wake of a young Jewish girl’s disappearance, the son (Blood) of a Hasidic funeral director returns home with his pregnant wife(Wiseman) in hopes of reconciling with his father. Little do they know that directly beneath them in the family morgue, an ancient evil with sinister plans for the unborn child lurks inside a mysterious corpse.
Skinamarink – In Theaters + Shudder January 13
Making noise on the festival circuit and social media (the #Skinamarink hashtag attracted 6.8 million views on TikTok and 1.7 million Twitter impressions in the month of November alone), this has been called a ‘cursed film. The found footage horror focuses on two children as they wake up in the middle of the night to find their father missing. Oh, and all the windows and doors in their home have vanished. To cope with the strange situation, the two bring pillows and blankets to the living room and settle into a quiet slumber party situation. They play well-worn videotapes of cartoons to fill the silence of the house and distract from the frightening and inexplicable situation. All the while in the hopes that, eventually, some grown-ups will come to rescue them. However, after a while, it becomes clear that something is watching over them.
There’s Something Wrong With The Children – Digital + On Demand January 17
If you happen to have kids at home, you might want to send them to a sleepover the night you watch this one. When Margaret and Ben take a weekend trip with longtime friends Ellie, Thomas and their two young children, Ben begins to suspect something supernatural is occurring when the kids behave strangely after disappearing into the woods overnight.
Junji Ito Maniac: Japanese Tales of the Macabre – Netflix January 19
A new anime adaptation of Junji Ito’s signature brand of horror. The series will feature 20 stories from Ito’s vast well of works with the shared theme of — madness! Stories include “Hanging Blimp”, “Tomie”, “Photo”, “Four x Four Walls” and “Intruder.”
Kids vs Aliens – In Theaters + On Demand January 20
All Gary wants is to make awesome home movies with his best buds. All his older sister Samantha wants is to hang with the cool kids. When their parents head out of town one Halloween weekend, an all-time rager of a teen house party turns to terror when aliens attack, forcing the siblings to band together to survive the night.
Sorry About The Demon – January 22 Shudder
Director Emily Hagins burst onto the scene with her first feature-length film, Pathogen, which she made at the age of twelve. Yeah, twelve! This sixth feature is a horror comedy about a breakup, and a very sad guy who moves into a haunted house. Scare Package producer Aaron B. Koontz teamed up with Hagins to bring this latest project to life, which you can read all about in our latest issue.
Infinity Pool – In Theaters January 27
Brandon Cronenberg, Mia Goth, Alexander Skarsgård, and Cleopatra Coleman. Do we have your attention yet? While enjoying an idyllic, luxury vacation, James (Skarsgård) encounters the seductive Gabi (Goth), who promises to show him the hidden side of the island resort. Once beyond the gates, she exposes him to a shocking underworld of violence and sex that pushes his boundaries with terrifying consequences.
Knock at the Cabin – In Theaters February 3
M. Night Shyamalan returns with a bit of vacation horror. While vacationing at a remote cabin, a young girl and her parents are taken hostage by four armed strangers who demand that the family make an unthinkable choice to avert the apocalypse. With limited access to the outside world, the family must decide what they believe before all is lost.
Huesera: The Bone Woman – In Theaters February 10 + On Demand February 16
Michelle Garza Cervera’s directorial debut is a supernatural Mexican horror led by Natalia Solián as Valeria, a young woman expecting her first child who becomes cursed by a sinister entity. Plunged into a terrifying and dangerous world, a group of witches emerge as her only hope for safety and salvation, but not without grave risk. Also starring Alfonso Dosal, Mayra Batalla, Mercedes Hernández, Aída López, and Martha Claudia Moreno. (Check out this list
Winnie The Pooh: Blood and Honey – In Theaters February 15
Christopher Robin is pulled away from them, and he’s not [given] them food, it’s made Pooh and Piglet’s life quite difficult. Because they’ve had to fend for themselves so much, they’ve essentially become feral. So they’ve gone back to their animal roots. They’re no longer tame: they’re like a vicious bear and pig who want to hunt prey.
Cocaine Bear – In Theaters February 24
Precisely what it sounds like, loosely inspired by some real-life events involving a real-life bear inhaling a buttload of cocaine dropped by drug smugglers in 1985. This wild dark comedy finds an oddball group of cops, criminals, tourists and teens converging in a Georgia forest where a 500- pound apex predator goes on a coke-fueled rampage for more blow … and blood.
Unseen – On digital and on Demand March 7
Yoko Okumura helms this horror, starring Yoko Okumura, Midori Francis, and Midori Francis. Sam, receives a call from Emily a nearly blind woman who is running from her murderous ex in the woods. She must survive the ordeal with Sam being her eyes using video call.
Scream VI – In Theaters March 10
Melissa Barrera, Jenna Ortega, Mason Gooding, and Jasmin Savoy Brown return for the latest installment, which sets the action in the Big Apple. The first teaser gave us Ghostface(s) wreaking havoc on the subway, aside from that, all we know so far is that this one follows the four survivors as they leave Woodsboro behind and start a fresh chapter.
Yellowjackets – Showtime March 24
A wildly talented high school girls’ soccer team becomes the (un)lucky survivors of a plane crash deep in the Canadian wilderness. Some of that unluckiness is attributed to some potential cannibalism and maybe a little bit of ritual sacrifice, which is why we are 100% here for it. After that season one cliffhanger, the sophomore season of Showtime’s hit series sounds like we’ll be getting a look at some more of the crash survivors in the present day. According to recent casting announcements, we have more survivors to meet. Showtime subscribers will have a two-day exclusive window for streaming and on-demand, before it makes it way on-air on March 26.
Renfield – April 14
Chris McKay’s horror comedy gives us Nicolas Cage as Dracula, accompanied as ever by his trusty titular servant (Nicholas Hoult). After encountering a “perenially angry traffic cop” (Awkwafina), Renfield starts to imagine a better life for himself … and maybe even something like redemption.
Evil Dead Rise – In Theaters April 21
A new Evil Dead movie produced by Sam Raimi, Bruce Campbell and Rob Tapert, helmed by director Lee Cronin is ample cause for celebration! In the fifth Evil Dead film, a road-weary Beth pays an overdue visit to her older sister Ellie, who is raising three kids on her own in a cramped L.A apartment. The sisters’ reunion is cut short by the discovery of a mysterious book deep in the bowels of Ellie’s building, giving rise to flesh-possessing demons, and thrusting Beth into a primal battle for survival as she is faced with the most nightmarish version of motherhood imaginable. Also, we just got a sweet poster and it sounds like… a trailer is coming very soon.
Insidious Chapter 5: Fear The Dark – In Theaters July 7
This latest entry will take place roughly a decade after the events of 2013’s Insidious Chapter 2 and will once again focus on the Lamberts. Ty Simpkins, who played Dalton Lambert in the original and the first sequel, will return to reprise his role alongside Patrick Wilson (who again stars, and also directs). Josh Lambert heads east to drop his son, Dalton, off at school. However, Dalton’s college dream soon becomes a living nightmare when the repressed demons of his past suddenly return to haunt them both.
Last Voyage of the Demeter – In Theaters August 11
Based on a single chilling chapter from Bram Stoker’s classic novel Dracula, 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.
The Nun II – In Theaters September 8
Michael Chaves (The Curse of La Llorona) is directing the sequel, written by Akela Cooper (M3GAN, Malignant). Aside from that, very little has been revealed, but the sequel was confirmed by Warner Bros. during its CinemaCon presentation, and we are looking forward to Bonnie Aarons reprising her titular role.
The Exorcist – October 13
Directed by David Gordon Green, with a screenplay he co-wrote with Peter Sattler, from a story he co-authored with Sattler, Scott Teems, and Danny McBride. This is a sequel to the original 1973 film about a 12-year-old girl who is possessed by a mysterious demonic entity, forcing her mother to seek the help of two priests to save her. Extra good news— Ellen Burstyn is returning!
Saw X – In Theaters October 27
Zero plot details for this one, but we’re guessing there will be some brutal game-playing involved! Tobin Bell is returning for this latest installment in the franchise. Bell’s John Kramer (aka Jigsaw) was killed off at the end of the third installment, but that was far from the last we saw of him.
Cuckoo – 2023
Plot details are still tightly under wraps for NEON’s upcoming horror film, but here’s what we know about the project so far. Cuckoo is written and directed by Tilman Singer, the mind behind 2018’s Luz. Cuckoo is the German filmmaker’s sophomore feature and stars Euphoria‘s Hunter Schafer. Along with Schafer, the cast also includes Dan Stevens, Jessica Henwick, Marton Csókás, and Greta Fernández.
Salem’s Lot – TBD
Ah yes, Salem’s Lot — release date… who even knows!? Warner Bros took this much-anticipated title off its release schedule back in August. Originally due to open in September of 2022, it was kicked down the road to April 2023. Now? Who knows! We’re hoping this one gets a concrete release date and solid promotion behind it soon. Director Gary Dauberman’s take on the King classic that follows a writer who travels to a town where the people become vampires is finished and awaiting the world’s eyeballs. Starring Lewis Pullman, Alfre Woodard (Annabelle), Bill Camp (The Outsider), William Sadler (The Shawshank Redemption), Makenzie Leigh (The Assistant), and Spencer Treat Clark (Glass).
Nightbitch – TBD
Amy Adams leads this upcoming horror comedy based on Rachel Yoder’s novel of the same name. The story focuses on a stay-at-home mom begins to worry that she may be turning into a dog. The film will be released as a Hulu Original, no release date has been announced just yet. Directed by Marielle Heller, also starring Scoot McNairy, Ella Thomas and Garrett C. Phillips.
Cello – TBD
Director Darren Lynn Bousman (Repo!, Spiral) brings us a story about an aspiring cellist who learns that the cost of his cello is a lot more insidious than he thought, starring Tobin Bell, Jeremy Irons, and Samer Ismail.
The Strangers – TBD
Production wrapped for this one back in November, and it’s expected to hit theaters sometime this year. The remake of Bryan Bertino’s 2008 home invasion flick will be headed up by director Reny Harlin, and kicks off a proposed Strangers trilogy. “The remake centers on a couple (Madelaine Petsch and Froy Gutierrez) who drive cross-country to begin a new life in the Pacific Northwest. When their car breaks down in Venus, Oregon, they’re forced to spend the night in a secluded Airbnb, where they are terrorized from dusk till dawn by three masked strangers.”
Late Night With the Devil – TBD
According to Variety, the story takes place in 1977 and follows the live broadcast of a late-night talk show “unleashing evil into the nation’s living rooms.” Australian filmmaking duo Colin and Cameron Cairnes said, “In the ’70s and ’80s there was something slightly dangerous about late-night TV. Talk shows in particular were a window into some strange adult world. We thought combining that charged, live-to-air atmosphere with the supernatural could make for a uniquely frightening film experience.”
You can read more about Kids Vs Aliens, go behind the scenes ofM3GAN with the puppeteers and FX artists, dig up the dark side of motherhood in Huesera, discover why the kids aren’t alright in Roxanne Benjamin’s There’s Something Wrong With The Children, go off the rails with Cocaine Bear, find out why Emily Hagins is Sorry About The Demon, visit Knock At The Cabin‘s titular abode with author Paul Tremblay, and sit down with Junji Ito for a deep dive into Maniac in our new issue (making its way to mailboxes at this very moment) and hitting newsstands soon. You can grab a copy of FANGORIA Volume 2 Issue # 18 right here for a head start on the impending feast. And here’s a handy Letterboxd list to help you keep track.
