2023 has seen many films released that are labeled thrillers, sci-fi, and so on. While they aren’t technically horror, they’re close and have won the hearts of horror fans worldwide, and good enough to make us want to ensure you don’t miss them. Here’s our favorite “Top 10” of them.
10. John Wick: Chapter 4
In Chapter Four, John Wick (Keanu Reeves) uncovers a path to defeating The High Table. But before he can earn his freedom, Wick must face off against a new enemy with powerful alliances across the globe and forces that turn old friends into foes.
9. The Passenger
In the film, which we called “an intense thriller with heart” in our review, “A man is forced to face his fears and confront his troubled past. He must find a way to survive when his co-worker snaps and goes on a violent killing spree.”
Carter Smith, who sat down with us for an interview, directed from the script by Jack Stanley. The film stars Kyle Gallner (Smile) and Johnny Berchtold (“Tiny Beautiful Things”), as well as Liza Weil, Billy Slaughter, and Morgan Shaw.
8. A Haunting in Venice
The film, based on Agatha Christie’s 1969 novel “Halloween Party,” has a star-studded cast that includes Tina Fey, Jude Hill, Kelly Reilly, and Jamie Dornan. Kenneth Branagh reprises his role as Hercule Poirot from Death on the Nile and Murder on the Orient Express.
“Set in post-WWII Venice on All Hallow’s Eve, Poirot, now retired and living in exile, reluctantly attends a seance. But when one of the guests is murdered, it is up to the former detective to uncover the Killer again.”
7. Unseen
In the movie, two women form an unlikely connection when a depressed gas station clerk, Sam (Jolene Purdy), receives a call from Emily (Midori Francis), a nearly blind woman running from her murderous ex in the woods. Using a video call, Emily must survive the ordeal with Sam, who is her eyes from afar.
6. Cocaine Bear
Directed by Elizabeth Banks (“The Boys”), the movie finds an oddball group of cops, criminals, tourists, and teens converging in a Georgia forest where a 500-pound predator has ingested a staggering amount of cocaine and gone on a coke-fueled rampage for more blow … and blood. The craziest part? The movie was inspired by a true story.
5. The Killer
Michael Fassbender reunites with fellow Snowpiercer star Tilda Swinton (Suspiria) in the film that also stars Charles Parnell, Arliss Howard, Kerry O’Malley, Sophie Charlotte, and Emilian Pernia.
The Killer, described as a “brutal, bloody, and stylish noir,” centers on a solitary, cold, and ruthless killer who lurks in the shadows, awaiting his next victim. However, the longer he waits, the more he begins to believe he’s losing his sanity.
4. Poor Things
From filmmaker Yorgos Lanthimos and producer Emma Stone comes the incredible tale and fantastical evolution of Bella Baxter (Stone), a young woman brought back to life by the brilliant and unorthodox scientist Dr. Godwin Baxter (Willem Dafoe). Under Baxter’s protection, Bella is eager to learn. Hungry for the worldliness she lacks, Bella runs off with Duncan Wedderburn (Mark Ruffalo), a slick and debauched lawyer, on a whirlwind adventure across the continents. Free from the prejudices of her times, Bella grows steadfast in her purpose to stand for equality and liberation.
3. Killer of the Flower Moon
This actual story-inspired film is based on the book “Killers of the Flower Moon: An American Crime and the Birth of the FBI” by David Grann. It sees the serial murder of members of the oil-wealthy Osage Nation and a string of brutal crimes that came to be known as the “Reign of Terror.” Directed by Martin Scorsese, it stars Leonardo DiCaprio.
2. Oppenheimer
Director Christopher Nolan’s new film Oppenheimer may be the year’s most unnerving film. The film industry is buzzing about the film ahead of its July premiere. Everyone is talking about how the film leaves critics noticeably shaken and devastated. It doesn’t hurt that the movie is inspired by a true story, which always makes it more intense.
In real life, J. Robert Oppenheimer was an American theoretical physicist who served as a physics professor at the University of California, Berkeley. In the 1930s, among other things, he gained acclaim in the field of nuclear weapons.
1. SISU
SISU, which HorrorFuel’s Kelli Marchman McNeely called “F*cking fantastic” in her review, is a brutal, action-packed must-see movie from director Jalmari Helander! Be sure to watch our interview with Helander (here), in which he talks about the making of the movie and much, much more.
Set in 1944, “during the last desperate days of WWII, a solitary prospector (Jorma Tommila) crosses paths with Nazis on a scorched-earth retreat in northern Finland. When the Nazis steal his gold, they quickly discover that they have just tangled with no ordinary miner. While there is no direct translation for the Finnish word “sisu,” this legendary ex-commando will embody what sisu means: a white-knuckled form of courage and unimaginable determination in the face of overwhelming odds. And no matter what the Nazis throw at him, the one-person death squad will go to outrageous lengths to get his gold back – even if it means killing every last Nazi in his path.”
I don’t know if it was the combination of action, incredible acting, and a brilliant story, but this film brought me to my feet and had me screaming at my TV. It left me excited for days after watching it. That rarely happens anymore. That’s why it earned the title of “Best Thriller / Nonhorror Movie of 2023.”
For more information about the movies or to watch the trailers, click on the title.
Looking for another movie to watch? Check out HorrorFuel.com’s Top 10 Horror Movies of 2023!
