#30. There’s Something Wrong with the Children
There’s nothing wrong with the family drama that is skillfully developed in the first third of this film, nor with the way the script weaves the supernatural horror of the second act into all the cracks in those relationships to see who breaks first. Some uneven acting and questionable decisions of the characters in the last act prevent this from getting any higher on this list, but don’t throw it off the cliff entirely.
#29. The Exorcist: Believer
Sure, you’ve seen the little-girl-possessed-by-a-demon thing before, but have you seen TWO little girls possessed by a demon? It’s quite by-the-numbers, but a great performance by Leslie Odom and generally competent filmmaking make this worth a watch. There are some interesting ideas here, such as bringing in multiple belief systems working together to vanquish the demon, or pitting the parents of the two girls against each other in a twisted game of chicken – but they are sloppily implemented and ultimately amount to very little.
#28. Influencer
#27. Perpetrator
#26. Thanksgiving
#25. The Angry Black Girl and her Monster
What if Dr. Frankenstein were a precocious teenage girl in the projects? It’s an intriguing premise (even if the hand-wavey “science” behind it gets a bit silly), and it makes for an excellent vessel to comment on the issues facing these communities. This is a world where a vengeful zombie can seem justified in ripping people apart, and a drug king pin can become a trusted ally. Strong acting and wonderful slice-of-life scenes between the main characters more than compensate for a somewhat half-baked script.
#24. Leave the World Behind
When strangers knock at the door in the dead of night, it feels like we’re getting set up for a social thriller ala Speak No Evil. Surprisingly, the uncomfortable interactions in the first act quickly are forgotten, and we’re treated to a series of strange events including deer socials, planes falling from the sky, autonomous killer Teslas, and a woeful inability to watch the Friends finale. It takes a while to start getting answers but the family dynamics keep your attention in between the mysterious set pieces. The end is satisfying, giving just enough to sorta figure out what’s going on while still making you think. In fact, reflecting on the message and implications is when the real horror sets in.
#23. Sick
Although this debuted in September 2022 on the festival circuit, it didn’t reach the US until January 2023. By then, maybe we were all a little sick of pandemic-focused media. Fortunately, at least for most of the runtime, this film is simply using COVID-19 as a setup to isolate our protagonists and make them sitting ducks for a home invasion. I’m a sucker for characters who use their knowledge of their surroundings to outsmart the killer, and we see plenty of that in this one. It’s only at the very end of the film, as we learn the motivation behind the attack, that Sick loses me a bit.
#22. The Passenger
#21. Where the Devil Roams