--- description: From a new 'Exorcist' sequel to a Blumhouse adaptation of a beloved video game, here are 14 horror movies to look out for this fall. title: The Best Horror Movies to Watch This Fall image: https://static.time.com/v3/assets/bltea6093859af6183b/bltb5d7e3e3c2f0d30c/698a400f929fad8a28bfa1f7/Untitled-2400-%C3%97-1600-px.jpg?branch=production&width=3840&quality=75&auto=webp&crop=16:9 ---  * [Entertainment](/section/entertainment/) ## Entertainment Update your preferences in [Account Settings](/account/preferences/) Close * [movies](/tag/movies/) ## movies Update your preferences in [Account Settings](/account/preferences/) Close # The 14 Most Anticipated Horror Movies of Fall 2023  by [Megan McCluskey](/author/megan-mccluskey/)  ## Megan McCluskey Update your preferences in [Account Settings](/account/preferences/) Close Staff Writer Updated: Sep 10, 2023 3:11 PM CUTPublished: Sep 5, 2023 8:23 PM CUT   by [Megan McCluskey](/author/megan-mccluskey/)  ## Megan McCluskey Update your preferences in [Account Settings](/account/preferences/) Close Staff Writer Updated: Sep 10, 2023 3:11 PM CUTPublished: Sep 5, 2023 8:23 PM CUT As [spooky season](https://time.com/4972141/best-halloween-movies-to-watch/ "undefined") approaches, the annual crop of fall fright flicks is beginning to roll out. In a year that's already seen the release of massive horror hits like [_M3GAN_](https://time.com/6244885/allison-williams-interview-m3gan/ "undefined"), [_Scream VI_](https://time.com/6261345/scream-6-ending-killer/ "undefined"), _Evil Dead Rise_, and [_Talk to Me_](https://time.com/6298750/talk-to-me-directors-interview/ "undefined"), the final quarter of 2023 has a lot to live up to. But with offerings that range from new installments in the _Conjuring_, _Saw_, and _Exorcist_ franchises to a diverse array of found footage films to a Blumhouse adaptation of a beloved video game, the season's lineup looks to be a strong one. Here are the 15 most anticipated horror movies of fall 2023\. **Read more:** [_The 35 Most Anticipated Movies of Fall 2023_](https://time.com/6308618/best-movies-fall-2023/ "undefined") ## _The Nun II_ (In theaters Sept. 8) Five years after _The Nun_ became the highest-grossing entry in _The Conjuring_ universe with a [global box office total of over $365 million](https://www.boxofficemojo.com/title/tt5814060/similar/ "undefined"), everyone's favorite evil-banishing nun, Sister Irene (Taissa Farmiga), is back to once again take on the demon Valak (Bonnie Aarons). Directed by _Conjuring_ veteran Michael Chaves, _The Nun II_ builds on the first movie's cliffhanger ending, with Valak using Maurice (Jonas Bloquet) as a vessel to wreak havoc after escaping the Abbey of St. Carta in Romania. "Maurice made his way to France and he's working at this boarding school as kind of a handyman," Chaves told [MovieWeb](https://movieweb.com/director-michael-chaves-taissa-farmiga-return-as-sister-irene-in-the-nun-ii/ "undefined"). "But we know from the first film that there's something terrible inside of him, that Valak escaped within him, and events pull Irene back on this collision course with her old friend." ## _Satanic Hispanics_ (In theaters Sept. 14) Winner of the Best Director(s) Award at Fantastic Fest 2022, _Satanic Hispanics_ is a horror anthology featuring five shorts from five of the genre's leading Latin filmmakers: Alejandro Brugues (_Juan of the Dead_), Gigi Saul Guerrero _(Bingo Hell_), Mike Mendez (_Big Ass Spider!_), Demián Rugna _(Terrified_), and Eduardo Sánchez (_The Blair Witch Project_). The overarching narrative centers on a mysterious figure known as the Traveler (Efren Ramirez), the lone survivor of a gruesome massacre in El Paso who, after being taken in for police questioning, begins recounting a variety of terrifying tales—with each story spinning into one of the film’s shorts—from his unusually long life. ## _A Haunting in Venice_ (In theaters Sept. 15) Based on Agatha Christie's chilling 1969 novel _Hallowe’en Party_, _A Haunting in Venice_ marks Kenneth Branagh's third outing as Christie's famed Belgian detective Hercule Poirot. Set in post-World War II Venice, the supernatural mystery, also directed by Branagh, will see a now-retired Poirot attempting to solve the murder of a guest at a séance he attends on All Hallows' Eve. The adaptation serves as a sequel to 2022's _Death on the Nile_ and features a star-studded ensemble, with cast members including Michelle Yeoh, Tina Fey, and Jamie Dornan. ## _It Lives Inside_ (In theaters Sept. 22) From the producers of _Get Out_ comes a coming-of-age horror that brings a terrifying creature from Hindu and Buddhist mythology to the big screen. The movie centers on Samidha (Megan Suri), a second-generation Indian American who begins rejecting her family's culture in an attempt to fit in at school. But when a demonic entity known as a Pishach latches on to her former best friend, Samidha must come to terms with her heritage in order to defeat the malevolent spirit. _It Lives Inside_ is the debut feature from writer-director Bishal Dutta, who drew on his own childhood experience of emigrating from India to North America at the age of four as inspiration for the film. "As it developed, _It Lives Inside_ formed its own dual identity much like mine," [he said in a statement at SXSW](https://www.indiewire.com/features/general/it-lives-inside-trailer-neon-horror-movie-1234832495/ "undefined"). "On one hand, it is a love letter to the community and culture that raised me while on the other, it is a visceral experience that is designed to instill the same raw terror in its viewers that my favorite horror films instilled in me." ## _No One Will Save You_ (Streaming on Hulu Sept. 22) Sci-fi psychological thriller _No One Will Save You_ stars Emmy and Golden Globe-nominated actor Kaitlyn Dever as Brynn Adams, an anxiety-ridden homebody who awakens one night to the sound of aliens breaking into her house. As the night goes on, Brynn must do whatever it takes to survive while battling the extraterrestrial beings that have invaded her safe space. In July, director Brian Duffield [tweeted](https://twitter.com/BrianDuffield/status/1683871101695463425 "undefined") his own synopsis of the film: "If you wanted a movie where a bunch of greys try to abduct Kaitlyn Dever and she keeps being like, no thank you, we made that movie." ## _Saw X_ (In theaters Sept. 29) Set between the events of _Saw I_ and _II_, the latest _Saw_ installment brings back Tobin Bell as Jigsaw Killer John Kramer for a sequel that takes viewers on a blood-soaked journey into the past.Directed by franchise veteran Kevin Greutert, _Saw X_ follows a terminally-ill Kramer as he journeys to Mexico for an experimental medical procedure—only to realize the entire operation is a scam. This doesn't sit right with ol' Jigsaw, who goes to work devising a series of sadistic torture traps to unleash on those who wronged him. This time around, the story will be told from Kramer's perspective rather than that of his targets, according to Greutert. "\[_Saw X_\] is an emotional journey that you go on with John Kramer, and less a slaughterhouse that you experience from the point of view of the victims," he told [_Empire_](https://www.empireonline.com/movies/news/saw-x-tobin-bell-jigsaw-exclusive/ "undefined"). "Obviously there will be people that can’t handle it, but I think it has a good chance of appealing to people beyond gore freaks." ## _The Exorcist: Believer_ (In theaters Oct. 6) Fifty years after _The Exorcist_ launched an entirely new subgenre of horror films, director David Gordon Green is revisiting the terrifying franchise for a new tale of demonic possession. _The Exorcist: Believer_ serves as a direct sequel to William Friedkin's 1973 classic and sees Ellen Burstyn return in the iconic role of Chris MacNeil, mother of the once-possessed Regan MacNeil (Linda Blair), to help save two young girls who have fallen under the control of a demonic entity. It's intended to be the first entry in a new _Exorcist_ trilogy, with the second film, _The Exorcist: Deceiver_, currently set for release on April 18, 2025. ## _Pet Sematary: Bloodlines_ (Streaming on Paramount+ Oct. 6)  Jackson White as Jud Crandall Philippe Bosse/Paramount Players Serving as a prequel to the 2019 film adaptation of Stephen King's terrifying 1983 novel _Pet Sematary_—the author's self-proclaimed “scariest property of all time"—_Bloodlines_ is based on a previously untold chapter from the book that was also written by King. Set in 1969, filmmaker Lindsey Anderson Beer's feature debut centers on Jud Crandall (Jackson White)—the Creed Family's elderly neighbor from the original story—when he was still a young man with dreams of escaping his hometown of Ludlow, Maine. After discovering a local cemetery where the dead can be brought back to life (sort of), Jud must contend with a sinister family legacy that will forever connect him to Ludlow, and, alongside his childhood friends, battle an ancient evil with the power to destroy everything in its path. ## _Totally Killer_ (Streaming on Prime Oct. 6)  Kiernan Shipka as Jamie and Olivia Holt as Teen Pam Totally Killer Courtesy of Prime Video Starring Kiernan Shipka as a time-traveling teen out to stop the infamous "Sweet Sixteen Killer" from claiming her as a new victim 35 years after his initial murder spree, _Totally Killer_ is a slasher comedy from horror powerhouse Blumhouse that promises to deliver its fair share of gore. Directed by Nahnatchka Khan (_Always Be My Maybe_), the movie follows 17-year-old Jamie (Shipka) as she travels back to Halloween night of 1987 and teams up with the teen version of her mom (Olivia Holt) to stop the masked maniac hunting her in the present from ever killing the three teenage girls that were his original targets. ## _V/H/S/85_ (Streaming on Shudder Oct. 6) Cult favorite horror anthology franchise _V/H/S_ continues with a sixth found footage installment that delves into "the grim underbelly of the forgotten 1980s." Featuring segments from directors David Bruckner (_V/H/S_), Scott Derrickson (_The Exorcism of Emily Rose_), Gigi Saul Guerrero (_Bingo Hell_), Natasha Kermani (_Lucky_), and Mike P. Nelson (_Wrong Turn_), _V/H/S/85,_ like its predecessors, follows a group of people who stumble across a collection of VHS tapes that contain a series of horrific recordings. While details about the plot have largely been kept under wraps, according to [_Deadline_](http://scientists observe an unusual boy fixated on his TV, kids embark on a lake skiing adventure, a TV crew fights to survive a natural disaster, the early days of VR awaken something terrifying, and a deadly dream is captured on tape. "undefined"), the movie spotlights five episodes whose premises contain plenty of chilling promise: "scientists observe an unusual boy fixated on his TV, kids embark on a lake skiing adventure, a TV crew fights to survive a natural disaster, the early days of VR awaken something terrifying, and a deadly dream is captured on tape." ## _Malibu Horror Story_ (In theaters Oct. 20) Set over the course of 10 years, _Malibu Horror Story_ follows a crew of paranormal investigators as they dig into the mysterious disappearance of four teenage boys who went missing in the California hills after discovering a sacred Indigenous cave. Written and directed by Scott Slone, the found footage flick is more than a decade in the making and aims to put a new spin on the haunted Native American burial ground trope. "Our story is told through different perspectives, timelines, and layers of media that were compiled over several years," [Slone said](https://bloody-disgusting.com/movie/3775769/malibu-horror-story-found-footage-horror-debuts-poster/ "undefined"). "The goal was to incorporate all of those elements and place them inside of a conventional horror movie structure that would not only appeal to found footage enthusiasts but to a broader horror audience as well." ## _Five Nights at Freddy’s_ (In theaters and streaming on Peacock Oct. 27) Following the success of [_M3GAN_](https://time.com/6244473/m3gan-horror-doll-history/ "undefined"), Blumhouse is back with another highly-anticipated horror about killer animatronics. Based on Scott Cawthon's video game franchise of the same name, _Five Nights at Freddy_'s stars Josh Hutcherson as Mike Schmidt, a newly-hired night security guard at Freddy Fazbear's Pizza who comes to discover that something deadly is afoot at the abandoned family entertainment center. Directed and co-written by Emma Tammi, the movie adaptation of Cawthon's series has been in the works since April 2015, eight months after the release of the first game. ## _Thanksgiving_ (In theaters Nov. 17) A holiday not often associated with horror gets the scary movie treatment in this slasher from _Hostel_ director Eli Roth. Based on Roth's fake trailer of the same name that appears in 2007's _Grindhouse_, _Thanksgiving_ chronicles the exploits of a serial killer who sets out to make a festive carving board out of the residents of a small Massachusetts town. While plot details are scarce, it was announced in February that [Tiktok star Addison Rae had been cast](https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/movies/movie-news/tiktok-star-addison-rae-eli-roth-horror-thriller-thanksgiving-1235332736/ "undefined") in a lead role. ## _The Wait_ (TBD) Described to [Bloody Disgusting](https://bloody-disgusting.com/movie/3769927/the-wait-exclusive-poster-f-javier-gutierrezs-folk-horror-tragedy-heads-to-sitges-2023/ "undefined") as a "sinister folk horror tragedy" that "portrays the macabre descent into hell of a man who suffered the tragic loss of his family," _The Wait_ centers on the devastating fallout that ensues after Eladio (Victor Clavijo), a hunting estate keeper in the Andalusian countryside, takes a bribe from a veteran hunter. Written and directed by Spanish filmmakerF. Javier Gutiérrez, the film is expected to hit theaters in late 2023 or early 2024 following an expansive festival run. ## ```json [{"@context":"https://schema.org","@type":"NewsArticle","@id":"https://time.com/6309850/best-horror-movies-fall-2023/","mainEntityOfPage":{"@type":"WebPage","@id":"https://time.com/6309850/best-horror-movies-fall-2023/"},"headline":"The 14 Most Anticipated Horror Movies of Fall 2023","datePublished":"2023-09-05T20:23:55.000Z","dateModified":"2023-09-10T15:11:07.000Z","description":"From a new 'Exorcist' sequel to a Blumhouse adaptation of a beloved video game, here are 14 horror movies to look out for this fall.","url":"https://time.com/6309850/best-horror-movies-fall-2023/","keywords":["movies","list","culturepod"],"thumbnailUrl":"https://static.time.com/v3/assets/bltea6093859af6183b/bltb5d7e3e3c2f0d30c/698a400f929fad8a28bfa1f7/Untitled-2400-%C3%97-1600-px.jpg?branch=production&width=1200&quality=75&auto=webp&crop=1200:675&height=675","author":[{"@type":"Person","name":"Megan McCluskey","jobTitle":"Staff Writer","url":"https://time.com/author/megan-mccluskey/"}],"articleSection":"Entertainment","image":[{"@type":"ImageObject","url":"https://static.time.com/v3/assets/bltea6093859af6183b/bltb5d7e3e3c2f0d30c/698a400f929fad8a28bfa1f7/Untitled-2400-%C3%97-1600-px.jpg?branch=production&width=1200&quality=75&auto=webp&crop=1200:675&height=675","width":1200,"height":675,"headline":"upcoming fall horror films","caption":"","creditText":"","representativeOfPage":true}],"publisher":{"@type":"Organization","name":"Time","url":"https://time.com/","logo":{"@type":"ImageObject","url":"https://time.com/images/logo.png","width":528,"height":156},"foundingDate":"March 3, 1923","sameAs":["https://www.facebook.com/time","https://www.instagram.com/time/?hl=en","https://twitter.com/time","https://www.pinterest.com/timemagazine"]}},{"@context":"https://schema.org","@type":"BreadcrumbList","itemListElement":[{"@type":"ListItem","position":1,"item":{"@id":"/section/entertainment/","name":"Entertainment"}},{"@type":"ListItem","position":2,"item":{"@id":"/tag/movies/","name":"movies"}},{"@type":"ListItem","position":3,"item":{"@id":"https://time.com/6309850/best-horror-movies-fall-2023/","name":"The 14 Most Anticipated Horror Movies of Fall 2023"}}]},{"@context":"https://schema.org","@type":"VideoObject","name":"The Nun 2 | Official Trailer | Warner Bros.","description":"New Line Cinema brings you the horror thriller “The Nun II,” the next chapter in the story of “The Nun,” the highest grossing entry in the juggernaut $2 billion “The Conjuring” Universe. 1956 – France. A priest is murdered. An evil is spreading. The sequel to the worldwide smash hit follows Sister Irene as she once again comes face-to-face with Valak, the demon nun.","thumbnailUrl":"https://cdn.jwplayer.com/v2/media/o6Sfj1nY/poster.jpg?width=720","uploadDate":"2023-09-06T15:24:36.000Z","contentUrl":"https://cdn.jwplayer.com/manifests/o6Sfj1nY.m3u8","embedUrl":"https://time.com/6309850/best-horror-movies-fall-2023/","duration":"PT2M11S","potentialAction":{"@type":"SeekToAction","target":"https://time.com/6309850/best-horror-movies-fall-2023/?jw_start={seek_to_second_number}","startOffset-input":"required name=seek_to_second_number"}}] ```