Goodbye 2023! You were a bit of an odd year for our favorite genre.
Big Studio came out in force and the festivals — barring a few blazingly bright lights — were somewhat lackluster. Lots of good diversity this year as well with Australia and Argentina running full bore into frightening fare. Granted, that’s been par for the course for Australia in recent years. There’s something not quite right Down Under….. and we love it!
But enough about my opinions.
Let’s talk about my opinions! Here are my Top 10 movies of 2023:
1. Talk To Me – Written/Directed by Danny Philippou + Michael Philippou
Sophie Wilde exploded onto the Big Screen in her debut feature film. Her character, Mia, is grieving the loss of her mom and her circle of friends has come into possession of a spooky embalmed hand capable of contacting the dead. What could go wrong??
2. Evil Dead Rise – Written/Directed by Lee Cronin
The creepy ol’ book is back and this time it comes with a spooky ol’ collection of records! Don’t play the records. Don’t play the records! Ah, well. Now we’re doomed. Connected to the rest of the Evil Deadverse by the Book of the Dead (a.k.a., Necronomicon Ex-Mortis), Evil Dead Rise grabs you by the throat and never lets go.
3. Godzilla Minus One – Written/Directed by Takashi Yamazaki
The Big Radioactive Lizard gets a reboot! And what a reboot it is. Spectacular special effects, wonderful characters, emotional resonance, and a story that packs a punch. Best Godzilla movie ever. Full stop.
4 (TIE). Totally Killer – Directed by Nahnatchka Khan
When the “Sweet Sixteen Killer” kills again after 35 years, 17-year old Jamie Hughes gets wrapped up in the madness. Along the way, she’s accidentally transported back in time to 1987 and now has a chance to stop the killer’s original killing spree! Fantastic writing, great characters, and Kiernan Shipka’s experience as a lead shines bright!
4 (TIE). Onyx the Fortuitous and the Talisman of Souls – Written/Directed by Andrew Bowser
Friendless loner/endearing goofball, Marcus Trillby — a.k.a., Onyx The Fortuitous — wins a once-in-a-lifetime chance to attend a demonic ritual at the mansion of his Satanic hero, Bartok The Great. Ghouls, witchcraft, and hilarity ensues. PLUS, Barbara Crampton & Jeffrey Combs in the SAME MOVIE! Never in any scenes together, but I’ll take what I can get.
5. The Fall of the House of Usher (TV) – Created by Mike Flanagan
An absolutely glorious homage to the legacy of Edgar Allen Poe. Eight well-crafted episodes full of references to Poe’s work all bound together in what can only be described as a loose, extended adaptation of Edgar’s 1839 short story, “The Fall of the House of Usher”. Top notch casting, gorgeously luxurious sets, and some pretty gruesome deaths. Edgar Allen Poe never looked so good.
6. When Evil Lurks – Written/Directed by Demián Rugna
The Argentinian mastermind behind 2017’s Aterrados (a.k.a., Terrified) is back with a real gut-punch of a movie. Two brothers discover a demon-infected man in their remote village who’s about to “give birth” to Evil with a capital “E”. With no help forthcoming, the two men take things into their own hands and decide to ditch the infected guy somewhere away from their town. As one would expect, things most decidedly do not go according to plan. Gory, vicious, and bleak. This one will stick with you long after the credits roll.
7. Suitable Flesh – Directed by Joe Lynch
Writer Dennis Paoli whips up another H.P. Lovecraft adaptation — this time for Lovecraft’s 1933 short story, “The Thing on the Doorstep” — and, once again, Barbara Crampton is right there with him. Just like old times! Lead actor, Heather Graham knocks this one out of the park in her role as Dr. Elizabeth Derby. The good doctor becomes a little too involved with one of her patients causing her life to spiral out of control. Eroticism, insanity, and the concept of self collide in this love letter to the bygone days of Stuart Gordon’s Lovecraftiness.
8. Renfield – Directed by Chris McKay
Hey, let’s get one of the directors behind TV’s Robot Chicken to direct a horror screenplay written by comic book phenom Robert Kirkman and Emmy Award winning Rick & Morty writer Ryan Ridley! And we can get Nicolas Cage wielding his over-the-top Nicolas Cageyness to play Dracula! Oh, man. This’ll be a hoot.
9. Sister Death – Written/Directed by Paco Plaza
Oh, Paco Plaza. How do I love thee. As a prequel to his fantastic 2017 chiller, Verónica, I was already pretty sure I would like Hermana Muerte (a.k.a., Sister Death). Ol’ Paco didn’t let me down. Lead actor Aria Bedmar — playing a younger, non-blind version of Hermana Narcisa, the spooky old nun in Verónica — does a phenomenal job in her debut feature film. Daniel Fernández Abelló brings his cinematography A-game with panache; undoubtedly learned from his music video work. Flowing robes, powerful performances, and a mildly-predictable-yet-still-enjoyable mystery edged this one into the Top 10.
10. Birth/Rebirth – Written/Directed by Laura Moss
Marin Ireland and Judy Reyes go to a very dark place in Laura Moss’ debut feature. Reyes plays a mother whose young daughter has just tragically died from a sudden illness. Ireland is the Dr. Frankenstein analog who’s driven to conquer death itself. When the two meet, their shared goal — albeit for different reasons— sends them down a path that gets darker and darker.
And that’s all there is! Thanks for sticking with us for another great year of horror goodness. We couldn’t do this without you, our Scariest Family!
Happy Holidays!
Article by Robert Zilbauer.