Phrasemaker

Last year gave us plenty of mainstream horror hits—Evil Dead Rise, Talk to Me, The Boogeyman—but some of the best and bloodiest gems flew under the radar. Whether you’re craving relentless carnage, slow-burn psychological terror, or something that feels like it crawled straight out of the underworld, 2023 had plenty to offer. These ten films deliver the kind of nightmare fuel horror fans live for.

WHEN EVIL LURKS WILL LEAVE YOU SHAKING

Demián Rugna (Terrified) doesn’t just play with possession horror—he sets it on fire and lets it burn. When Evil Lurks throws you into a world where demonic infection spreads like a disease, and there’s no priest, no prayers, and no way out. It’s brutal, unpredictable, and mean as hell, with some of the most disturbing kills in recent memory. This one doesn’t just linger—it burrows under your skin and festers.

BROOKLYN 45 TRAPS YOU IN A SUPERNATURAL PRESSURE COOKER

Five WWII veterans, one séance, and a creeping sense of doom that won’t let up. Brooklyn 45 plays out like a supernatural 12 Angry Men, except instead of legal drama, you get paranoia, ghostly revenge, and a slow unraveling of the human psyche. Director Ted Geoghegan (We Are Still Here) crafts a period horror film soaked in tension, political dread, and claustrophobic terror.

THE OUTWATERS WILL BREAK YOUR BRAIN

Think you’ve seen everything found-footage horror has to offer? Think again. The Outwaters starts off as a typical lost-in-the-desert nightmare, but by the time it shifts gears, you’re trapped in a full-blown cosmic horror meltdown. The visuals are raw and hallucinatory, the sound design is straight-up terrifying, and the whole experience feels like slipping into madness with no hope of escape.

HUESERA: THE BONE WOMAN TURNS MOTHERHOOD INTO A NIGHTMARE

Forget Rosemary’s Baby—Huesera: The Bone Woman takes pregnancy horror to a whole new level. This Mexican supernatural chiller follows a woman whose body—and mind—start cracking apart after she becomes pregnant. With eerie folk horror vibes, unsettling body horror, and a creeping sense of existential dread, Huesera is a slow-burn descent into pure terror.

LATE NIGHT WITH THE DEVIL BRINGS SUPERNATURAL CHAOS TO LIVE TV

Imagine The Tonight Show, but hosted by Satan. That’s the energy Late Night with the Devil brings, turning a fictional 1970s talk show into a demonic, blood-soaked trainwreck. David Dastmalchian is pitch-perfect as a desperate late-night host willing to gamble with the occult for ratings, and once things go off the rails, there’s no coming back. Stylish, creepy, and devilishly fun.

INFLUENCER PROVES SOCIAL MEDIA HORROR STILL HAS TEETH

Horror loves skewering social media, but Influencer isn’t just another cheap cautionary tale—it’s a razor-sharp thriller that knows exactly what it’s doing. When a travel vlogger meets an enigmatic stranger, what starts as a dream trip turns into something far more sinister. The tension builds slowly, the performances are chillingly good, and the film taps into modern fears in a way that sticks.

PROJECT WOLF HUNTING IS BLOODY MAYHEM ON A FREIGHTER

What do you get when you mix The Raid with Jason X? Pure carnage. Project Wolf Hunting is a South Korean action-horror hybrid that doesn’t hold back, following a group of criminals trapped on a ship with an unstoppable killing machine. The violence is next-level brutal, the kills are jaw-dropping, and the whole thing is a blood-drenched adrenaline rush.

BIRTH/REBIRTH GIVES FRANKENSTEIN A DISTURBING TWIST

Science and horror collide in Birth/Rebirth, a cold and clinical take on the Frankenstein mythos. When a pathologist discovers a way to bring the dead back to life, things get messy—fast. This one isn’t just about playing God; it’s about motherhood, obsession, and the horrifying lengths people will go to in the name of love. Disturbing in all the right ways.

THERE’S SOMETHING WRONG WITH THE CHILDREN TURNS KIDS INTO PURE NIGHTMARE FUEL

Creepy kid horror is nothing new, but There’s Something Wrong with the Children dials up the dread with unsettling precision. A weekend getaway turns into a waking nightmare when two kids go missing in the woods—only to return… different. The film plays with paranoia, gaslighting, and eerie folk horror elements, delivering a psychological gut-punch that lingers.

PERPETRATOR IS A BLOODY, FEMINIST BODY HORROR FEVER DREAM

Jennifer Reeder (Knives and Skin) serves up a surreal, blood-soaked coming-of-age story with Perpetrator. When a teenage girl undergoes a strange transformation on her 18th birthday, she’s forced to navigate a world of supernatural violence and deep, unsettling change. It’s weird, wild, and unlike anything else you’ll see this year—a perfect pick for fans of horror that doesn’t play by the rules.

If you think last year was all about mainstream studio scares, think again. These ten films prove that horror is still pushing boundaries, getting weirder, meaner, and more unrelenting. Whether it’s blood-soaked mayhem, creeping psychological dread, or something that crawls under your skin and refuses to leave, 2023 had it all. So fire up your watchlist, turn off the lights, and prepare for the nightmares—because these hidden gems are ready to ruin your sleep.