Horror movies to put you in the Halloween spirit
It's that time of the year again. Looking for a horror movie for Halloween? We got you covered with 2023's most acclaimed horror films.
Screenshot from Evil Dead Rise. Photograph: Wion
It’s the spooky time of the year again. This is the best time to watch a REALLY scary film that you usually don’t even dare to click on if you are bringing several friends to stream it together. Here are ten horror movies from 2023 that will definitely give you the shudder and instantly bring you the best Halloween vibe.
1. Exorcist: Believer
In theater now in the UAE, the famed franchise dates back to 1973. Both actress Linda Blair, who played the 12-year-old Regan MacNeil who was possessed by the demon Pazuzu, and Ellen Burstyn, who played the mother of Regan in the first Exorcist movie, also starred in the latest sequel—Exorcist: Believer.
Linda Blair in The Exorcist, 1973. PHOTOGRAPH: EVERETT
Two young girls disappeared into the woods and returned with no memories three days later. It seemed like some mysterious entity had crept on them… the desperate father of one of the girls could only turn to Chris MacNeil, whose daughter had been through exactly the same thing fifty years ago.
2. Totally Killer
If you are looking for an easier-to-watch horror movie that’s mixed with some uneasy comedy, this cheeky retro-vibe movie would be your best choice. It brings you back to the year 1987 when the 17-year-old Jamie travels back in time from the year 2022 in a Back to Future style. Around Halloween time in 1987, three teenage girls were slaughtered by the so-called Sweet Sixteen Killer, and Jamie was going to stop the serial murder from happening.
Watch on Amazon
3. Evil Dead Rise
If Halloween equals blood and gore, then Evil Dead Rise has to be the best fit this year. The story is a twisted tale of a single mother being possessed by a demon through an evil “Book of the Dead” with a cover made from smoked human flesh. For The Shining lovers (like myself), there’s a striking scene that pays homage to the brilliant Jack Nicholson movie for you. A small hint: According to the director Lee Cronin, the movie used 6,500 liters of fake blood.
Watch on Amazon
4. No One Will Save You
There’s only one line for the main character throughout the entire movie, but Kaitlyn Dever contributed such stunning acting without any more lines needed. The movie is a straightforward story of a lonely homebody battling aliens but with a witty and unexpected twist and brilliantly rendered spooky vibe.
5. Talk to Me
A group of teens found out how to conjure spirits using an embalmed hand and became hooked until one of them went too far… The “conjuring” story of our time has to be tied to social media. Some critics have dubbed it “a social media horror for Gen Z.” So there you go, it is both a surreal and very realistic story that links to all the “challenges” you’ve seen on TikTok, Instagram, or other social media platforms.
6. Huesera: The Bone Woman
The word “Huesero” in Spanish refers to those who specialize in bone and muscle therapy. This Mexican-Peruvian supernatural body horror film tells a spine-chilling tale of how the joy of a pregnant young woman was quickly cut short when she was cursed by an evil spirit. The sound effects and the visual shock of the human body will give you goosebumps for sure. But apart from that, the movie also draws to discussions around post-partum depression, same-sex marriage, and other serious social topics. So if you’re looking for a “serious thrill,” this is the one.
7. Infinity Pool
Infinity Pool is a tale of super-rich tourists being cloned on a luxurious and hedonistic holiday from hell. Starring Alexander Skarsgård, it is directed by David Cronenberg’s son Brandon Cronenberg, who splendidly carried on his father’s grotesque aesthetic with a hint of Eyes Wide Shut.
8. Saw X
Saw will always be on the alter of the gore and flesh horror movies. It’s been almost 20 years since James Wan made the first Saw movie in a tiny bathroom with a tiny budget. Now, it’s already a franchise worth over $1 billion. A sick and desperate “Jigsaw” John Kramer (Tobin Bell) travels to Mexico for an experimental medical procedure for his cancer. But the entire operation is nothing like he expected…
In theater now in the UAE
9. M3GAN
M3GAN looks like a ChatGPT-infused combination of the doll in Child’s Play, Dead Silence, and Annabelle. This robotic doll, brought to life by a robotic engineer who recently adopted a little girl, is going to take on a life of its own. James Wan is the producer and writer of this much-anticipated horror film. In many ways, this is a very realistic horror film of our times, when humans’ future is closely tied to robots and artificial intelligence.
10. The Nun II
The world was haunted by the creepy demon nun Valak in The Conjuring, and now, the sequel to her story, The Nun, is back. The young nun Sister Irene has embarked on an investigation of the brutal murder of a priest in France in 1956. A face-to-face encounter with Valak is unfolding…
In theater in the UAE.