Plot: Londoners Maya and Jamie escape their urban nightmare to the tranquility of rural Ireland only to discover malevolent, murderous goblins lurking in the gnarled, ancient wood at the foot of their new garden. When heavily pregnant Maya’s relationship with a local family turns sour, who – or what – will come to her rescue and what extremes will she go to protect her unborn child?

Horror Subgenre(s): Folk Horror Films, Home Invasion Films

KBZ’s Take: This film starts off as a Home Invasion film but slowly changes gears in the second and third acts to feature some very dark and gory Folk Horror. It does take awhile to get to the ‘creatures’ but when they start appearing, bloody and vengeful chaos ensues.

Where to Stream / Buy: Amazon

Plot: Young Peter is plagued by a mysterious, constant noise from inside his bedroom wall – a tapping that his parents insist is in his imagination. As his fear intensifies, he starts to believe that his parents are hiding a terrible and dangerous secret.

Horror Subgenre(s): Films About The Paranormal, Hauntings & Ghosts

KBZ’s Take: Cobweb is a perfect example of a film that builds a sense of dread while also putting the viewer in a child’s view of nightmares. There are some very, very creepy scenes in this film and it’s one horror film from 2023 you shouldn’t miss.

Where to Stream / Buy: Amazon

Plot: Seven friends go away for the weekend, only to find themselves trapped in a cabin with a killer who has a vendetta. They must pit their street smarts and knowledge of horror movies against the murderer to stay alive.

Horror Subgenre(s): Horror Comedies, Films With Slashers

KBZ’s Take: This is the first of two Slasher Comedies from 2023 on our list and The Blackening has some very, very funny moments but also some surprisingly suspenseful moments as well. It plays against the stereotypes and tropes developed in previous slasher films while also adding some innovative slasher kills of its own. It’s a great ‘fun’ horror film for Halloween Night.

Where to Stream / Buy: Amazon

Plot: Guided by a seductive and mysterious woman, a couple on vacation venture outside the resort grounds and find themselves in a culture filled with violence, hedonism and untold horror. A tragic accident soon leaves them facing a zero tolerance policy for crime: either you’ll be executed, or, if you’re rich enough to afford it, you can watch yourself die instead.

Subgenre(s): Psychological Horror Films, Survival Horror Films

KBZ’s Take: This is a Brandon Cronenberg film and has an equal number of fans and detractors. It’s not a pure horror film as it tackles unique themes of morality and cloning. But it’s also a Survival Horror film that amps up the horror elements in its second half. We would only recommend this film for horror fans that are looking for more thought-provoking horror on Halloween Night.

Additional Lists: Best Films About Cloning #5

Where to Stream / Buy: Amazon

Plot: Four survivors of the Ghostface murders leave Woodsboro behind for a fresh start in New York City. However, they soon find themselves in a fight for their lives when a new killer embarks on a bloody rampage.

Horror Subgenre(s): Films With Slashers

KBZ’s Take: We weren’t huge fans of the Scream (2022) reboot which was the fifth entry in the classic horror franchise. However, Scream VI won us over with some great characters and suspenseful scenes. One of our favorite horror sequences of the year is from this film – the subway ride with multiple people dressed up in Ghostface costumes for Halloween. It’s definitely a film worth checking out for Halloween even if you’ve soured on the franchise over the years.

Where to Stream / Buy: Amazon

Plot: The crew of the merchant ship Demeter sets sail from Carpathia to London to deliver a cargo of 50 unmarked wooden crates. However, they soon discover they’re not alone as Dracula’s unholy presence turns the trip into a nightmarish fight for survival.

Horror Subgenre(s): Films About Vampires

KBZ’s Take: Two of the scariest films we’ve recommended for Halloween include The Autopsy of Jane Doe (2016) on our list of films for adults and Scary Stories to Tell in the Dark (2019) on our list of films for kids. Both films were directed by André Øvredal and he has created another Halloween Night classic in The Last Voyage of the Demeter. This is an old-school Vampire Film in the vein of Bram Stoker’s Dracula (1992) with plenty of suspense and scares for Halloween Night.

Where to Stream / Buy: Amazon

Plot: A reunion between two estranged sisters gets cut short by the rise of flesh-possessing demons, thrusting them into a primal battle for survival as they face the most nightmarish version of family imaginable.

Horror Subgenre(s): Cosmic Horror Films, Films About Exorcism & Possession, Survival Horror Films, Films About The Devil, Demons & Hell, Splatter & Gore Films

KBZ’s Take: If you’re a fan of the Evil Dead franchise but were let down by the 2013 remake of the original, Evil Dead Rise is a must-see film. This is a film that drops the comedy for an all-out horror and gore fest that harkens back to The Evil Dead’s (1981) groundbreaking roots in the horror genre. If you haven’t seen any of the Evil Dead films, we would suggest watching the original Evil Dead film first so you know what you’re getting into with The Book of the Dead….

Where to Stream / Buy: Amazon

Plot: Thirty-five years after the shocking murders of three teens, an infamous killer returns on Halloween night to claim a fourth victim. When 17-year-old Jamie comes face-to-face with the masked maniac, she accidentally time-travels back to 1987. Forced to navigate the unfamiliar culture, Jamie teams up with her teenage mother to take down the psycho once and for all.

Horror Subgenre(s): Horror Comedies, Films With Slashers

KBZ’s Take: Our second Slasher Comedy on our list and it’s one of the best recent horror films of the year. The film has been likened to Back to the Future (1985) meets Scream (1996) and we agree with that assessment. There are as many funny moments involving Jamie’s (Kiernan Shipka) awkward interactions with her teenage parents as there are gruesome kills. It’s a film that leverages its time travel concept in a unique way for one of the best horror films of 2023.

Where to Stream / Buy: Amazon

Plot: Brynn finds solace within the walls of the home where she grew up until she’s awakened one night by strange noises from unearthly intruders.

Horror Subgenre(s): Home Invasion Films, Psychological Horror Films

KBZ’s Take: Though this film sits squarely in the Alien Invasion and Alien Abduction film subgenres, it’s much more of a horror film. There is the home invasion (with Stalker Film elements) that takes up a good portion of the film and it’s very suspenseful and terrifying – especially once you get your first glimpses of the aliens. This is a film that doesn’t let up and is a horror adrenaline rush from start to finish. One of the best horror films from 2023 you can watch on Halloween.

Where to Stream / Buy: Hulu

Plot: When a group of friends discover how to conjure spirits with an embalmed hand, they become hooked on the new thrill and high-stakes party game – until one of them goes too far and unleashes terrifying supernatural forces.

Horror Subgenre(s): Films About Exorcism & Possession, Films About The Paranormal, Hauntings & Ghosts

KBZ’s Take: Though this film is clearly aimed at a younger teen audience, if you’re an older fan of 70’s and 80’s horror, you won’t want to miss it. The film harkens back to those good old days of horror when films were more reliant on storytelling, atmosphere and creepiness vs. CGI. Our advice is to follow our path of just going into the film knowing little to nothing about it. You’ll be pleasantly surprised with a film that brings the best aspects of old school horror to Generation Z.

Additional Lists: Best Recent Films About Ghosts & Hauntings #3

Where to Stream / Buy: Amazon