Calling all horror lovers! 2023 has a greatly terrifying lineup of new releases. Here are the top five new horror films to look forward to in the coming months.
1.“Beau is Afraid”
From Ari Aster, the director of A24’s most reputable scary movies “Midsommar” and “Hereditary,” “Beau is Afraid” seems to live up to the same hype. It’s based on a short film released by Aster in 2011 about a paranoid man named Beau (Joaquin Phoenix) embarking on a journey to visit his mother. The paranoia has taken over his life, and he can no longer tell what is real and what is fake. The trailer looks like Aster plays around with animation when portraying Beau’s imagination, such as claymation-esque backdrops and paper mache characters taunting him. You can’t tell much about his journey from the trailer, but all I know is it’s going to be packed with suspense and fantastic cinematography. The movie is three hours long, so there’s a lot in store for both Beau and you as the viewer.
“Beau is Afraid” will be released in theaters on April 21. You can watch the trailer here.
2. “Insidious: Fear the Dark”
The Insidious franchise is back with its fifth movie (this goes for chronology as well). In the movie’s plot, 10 years have passed since “Insidious: The Last Key.” In this 2023 revival, Dalton (Ty Simpkins) is ready to go to college. We don’t know much about the specific details, but what we do know is the demons we have seen in past “Insidious” movies come back to haunt Dalton and his father (Patrick Wilson). The anticipation for this film is huge, as the first one of the series has been named one of the scariest horror movies ever. Personally, I wasn’t a huge fan of “Insidious: The Last Key,” so I’m eager to see if they can reel me back in.
“Insidious: Fear the Dark” will be released in theaters on July 7. There is currently no trailer.
3. “The Pope’s Exorcist”
This film was inspired by the experiences of Father Gabriele Amorth (Russell Crowe), the Chief Exorcist of The Vatican. He performed over 100,000 exorcisms during his position and this film unravels the horrifying truth behind them. It’s likely a disturbing watch, as descriptions say it uncovers the trauma of young children that caused them to have to undergo these exorcisms. So even though it is a new, scary and supernatural take on Father Amorth’s files, it also has more serious topics between the lines. The trailer shows how much of a difficult yet intriguing watch it is, and I’m very excited for its release.
“The Pope’s Exorcist” will be released in theaters on April 14. You can watch the trailer here.
4. “Haunted Mansion”
This is for those who are into more lighthearted horror films but still like to be a little spooked. Disney released “The Haunted Mansion” in 2003, and this is an entirely new take (with, in my opinion, an even better cast). Gabbie (Rosario Dawson) is a single mother who moves into a new, unfortunately, haunted house with her young son (Chase W. Dillon). To cast away the evil spirits, Gabbie hires a priest (Owen Wilson), a history professor (Danny DeVito), a psychic (Tiffany Haddish) and a paranormal expert (LaKeith Stanfield) to do the trick. Based on the cast listed, you can probably already tell this is going to be funny. However, the trailer shows a great mix of horror and comedy, making it a fairly family-friendly paranormal journey.
“Haunted Mansion” will be released in theaters on July 28. You can watch the trailer here.
5. “The Boogeyman”
From the mind of Stephen King and the producers of “Stranger Things,” “The Boogeyman” looks like it has a lot to offer. A recently widowed father and therapist named Will (Chris Messina) is struggling to move on from the death of his wife. His daughters Sadie (Sophie Thatcher) and Sawyer (Vivien Lyra Blair) are also struggling, but their sightings of paranormal beings are making the process much harder. Sawyer and Sadie long for their father’s attention and belief and in addition to worrying about being possessed by the Boogeyman, they must beg him for his help before it’s too late.
“The Boogeyman” will be released in theaters on June 2. You can watch the trailer here.
By Amena Ahmed