Our Favorite Films of 2023

Join Josh and Allison as we revisit the cinematic landscape of 2023 through yearbook-style superlatives, then reveal our choices for our favorite movies of year! Can you feel the Kenergy?

Movie Yearbook Superlatives!

Best horror movie

JOSH: Lest we thought 2022 was the dawn of a new horror golden age, 2023 continues the trend with many strong contenders. Iconic franchises sprouted forth critically-acclaimed new installments, including the gory masterpiece Evil Dead Rise, a revitalized Saw X, David Gordon Green’s new trilogy-starter The Exorcist: Believer, and even series-closer (and surprise smash hit) Insidious: The Red Door. Suitable Flesh and Infinity Pool filled the quota for weird, sexually-charged delights, while Totally Killer, Sick, and The Conference put a fresh spin on the slasher formula. My two favorite horror films of the year were also slashers: Scream VI and Thanksgiving. Radio Silence returned once more for a fresh stab, tearing open the meta by loudly declaring “who gives a fuck about movies” in the film’s opening scene; on the flipside, Eli Roth’s long-awaited Thanksgiving was a sinister, deliciously evil meal with no leftovers. One can only hope that next year gives us more horror hits to love for years to come.

ALLISON: Totally Killer, Beau is Afraid, and The Sacrifice Game were my favorites.

Best action scene

JOSH: Any sequence set in the playground of the titular games in The Hunger Games: Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes had my heart racing, particularly the big moment where the snakes are let loose on the unsuspecting contestants. John Wick: Chapter 4 has an extended grueling battle royale set on a seemingly neverending staircase, and the time-shifting extended epic climax battle of The Flash is sublime cinema magic.

ALLISON: It’s not a specific scene, however, every time there was a race happening in Gran Turismo, I was on the edge of my seat.

Funniest movie moment

JOSH: I didn’t connect with quite as many comedies that came out this year, for whatever reason. However, the big “Total Eclipse of the Heart” sequence in Bottoms (and the movie as a whole, really) was a stroke of genius. The other two major ones for me were the entire “I’m Just Ken” musical battle scene in Barbie, and in Theater Camp, finding out the truth about Joan’s live feed stream from her hospital bed. As an honorable mention, the UPS delivery phone call in Beau is Afraid got uproarious laughter from our press screening, and was only one layer of that fascinatingly strange film. What were your favorites, Allison?

ALLISON: Definitely a few scenes stand out in this category. For Bottoms, I loved that quote, “Yeah Hazel, let’s DO terrorism.” Awkwafina and Sandra Oh on screen together in Quiz Lady make for great comedic chemistry of sisterly banter. The cock-eyed face Paul Giamatti makes in The Holdovers burned into my retinas from seeing the trailer a million times. The cake scene from Red, White & Royal Blue. So many to choose from.

Scariest scene

JOSH: The ending of The Boogeyman actually gave me nightmares, which has to mean it was an effectively freaky movie. In terms of traditionally scary, what can be worse than the mother of Evil Dead Rise? By the film’s finale she feels so dangerous that the nail-biting suspense reaches its peak. A peak through the peephole where mother taunts and sings to her children sent chills up my spine. Slashers aren’t known for being all that scary (and this year had some of the best in recent years) so perhaps that’s why 2023 felt light on genuine haunting moments.

ALLISON: Every single dating girl’s worst nightmare coming true towards the end of Cat Person. If you know, you know.

Biggest surprise

JOSH: The Color Purple and Dungeons & Dragons: Honor Among Thieves were the best surprises—I was not particularly anticipating either movie, yet walked away impressed with both efforts. Color Purple specifically was host to some of the year’s finest acting performances, and filled with infuriating moments to boot. Dungeons & Dragons had Jarnathan. And a saggy-faced, glitching Chris Pine.

ALLISON: I expected nothing from Leo, despite loving Adam Sandler. The character isn’t exactly cute, and the synopsis seemed underwhelming. However, I left in tears, and it is one of my favorite animated movies of the past few years. 80 for Brady and Gran Turismo were also really pleasant surprises, as I could care less about sports. Thankfully, 80 for Brady is barely about football, and more about acting legends living their best elderly-lady life. Lily Tomlin and Jane Fonda are are always a winning duo on screen. Gran Turismo is a super fun underdog story with a great cast.

Really weird award

JOSH: Was anything stranger than the cloning mechanic, or visual of Alexander Skarsgard led with a leash on all fours during Infinity Pool? How about the drain-slurping of Saltburn, or the inexplicable reason that Nicolas Cage visited everyone’s dreams (then nightmares!) in A24’s Dream Scenario? A killer sloth let loose on a sorority house in aptly-named Slotherhouse also tries hard to take the award, but Suitable Flesh reigns supreme with its slimy eroticism and unnerving body possession mechanics. Watching this movie amongst an unspecting audience during the Tribeca Film Festival was truly special.

ALLISON: Backwards falling in front of Mia Goth following a screening of Infinity Pool truly defines how much this movie messed me up (as was the comedic moment discovering she later mentioned the experience in press day…oops). Saltburn‘s grave sex and aforementioned scene could not be more shocking. Foreign horror Good Boy successfully leans into oddity by centering around the puppy play kink. Dicks: The Musical was peak weirdness for me—pushing the line between incest, highlighting an escaping vagina, and honestly every element of this film is odd. Unfortunately, Dicks leaned more bad weird than good weird for me.

Favorite musical moment

JOSH: Unlike last year, 2023 was actually overloaded with some excellent musicals. While this category does not strictly belong to musicals, it’s hard not to hone in on them, particularly when they are so wonderfully executed. For me, several stick out this year. The obvious one is Barbie’s “I’m Just Ken,” which I mentioned as being among the funniest. It’s a whole extravagant choreographed sequence filled with hot men that plays out amongst a war battle with the Kens, what’s not to love? Try not to shed a tear during “The Old Therebefore” in The Hunger Games: Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes. Dicks: The Musical has a showstopping number insisting that “God is a faggot,” and that “all love is love.” Both WB musicals, The Color Purple and Wonka, feature their own movie-defining moments of joy in “I’m Here” and “Pure Imagination.” All of the aforementioned excellent choices aside, my favorite musical moment of the year has to be the needle drop of “Murder on the Dance Floor” at the tail end of Emerald Fennell’s Saltburn. Who knew Barry Keoghan dancing in the nude to disco tunes as a post-coital celebration of his character’s accomplishments could feel so sublime?

ALLISON: The Color Purple is leagues above every single musical film this year. I could not stop dancing in my seat through multiple rewatches. “Hell No!” is a powerful feminist banger! The closing scene of Saltburn is definitely a peak moment as well. I loved watching Wonka and Leo, but unfortunately the music wasn’t particularly memorable in my opinion. I also really enjoyed “Knowing What I Know Now” and “This Wish” from Wish.

Queer Excellence

JOSH: A “best dressed” category was kind of bland, but queer excellence? There was plenty of that to go around this year. LGBTQ+ movies seem only to have gotten better over time, and 2023 was one of the strongest yet for representation. Between Saltburn, All of Us Strangers, Red, White & Royal Blue, Bottoms, Down Low, Theater Camp, Eileen, Rock Hudson: All That Heaven Allowed, and Aristotle and Dante Discover the Secrets of the Universe, a shortage on fascinating, varied stories was filled, and then some! All of Us Strangers devastated with its approach to the complicated relationship some gay men have with their parents, and Aristotle was almost the complete opposite in its depiction of a healthy, supportive parental unit. My favorite rom-com of the bunch had to be Red, White & Royal Blue—who knew watching a quarreling prince and president’s son knocking over a gigantic cake would lead to a whirlwind, sexually-charged romance? The breadth of queer stories and variety of their contents happily meant that nearly every single one is worthy of a look. Yes, that includes underwhelming festival favorite Passages, featuring one of the most annoying gay characters depicted onscreen. We used to have so few of these movies produced that just one per year would be a gift. Now, there are so many that even the ability to hate on them should also be celebrated. Did you have any favorites, Allison?

ALLISON: Bottoms is my favorite comedy of the year so that speaks for itself. Saltburn, Red, White & Royal Blue, and Our Son are also absolutely fantastic.

Craziest kill

JOSH: Without a Terrifier entry, 2023 was wide open for other movies to swoop in for the literal kill. Thanksgiving had several of the year’s best, with a standout being cooked alive in an oven to later be served up like a turkey, and another involving a dumpster lid. A dumpster dive of a different variety was my favorite death scene in Scream VI. Going through the horror of the year, the slashers are probably the most creative. The overall best and most memorable for me are the brain surgery trap in Saw X and the wood-chipper finale of Evil Dead Rise. Who’s the brainless meat puppet now?

ALLISON: As in previous years, I hate slashers, but Thanksgiving definitely had some of the most absurdly creative kills.

Animated perfection

JOSH: In a year that begun with few animated stand-outs, I was surprised to enjoy quite a bit of animated movies as we got deeper and deeper in. Echoing probably everyone, Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse makes many in this genre look poorly conceived in comparison. The style explodes onto every frame, punctuating exciting action with gripping storytelling in a manner rarely seen in big-budget superhero blockbusters. NEON’s Robot Dreams comes close behind, reveling in its simplistic charms and endlessly adorable vibes. Rounding out my favorites are Leo, the latest Adam Sandler animated flick, carrying wonderful messages and catchy musical numbers, and the long-awaited Super Mario Bros. Movie, which gave me everything I ever wanted from a video game adaptation. Disney’s Wish also deserves a bit of recognition for its eye-popping style and easter-egg-filled journey along a century of Disney.

ALLISON: Leo is a heartwarming and tender film supporting the importance of therapy for children. It is highly underrated based on the mixed reception it received. I also quite liked Ruby Gillman, Teenage Kraken, but I think I’m in the minority on that one. Robot Dreams was a huge surprise as I was not even initially interested; such a sweet and tragic story about unconventional friendship. The New York representation particularly made it a personal standout.

MVP actor

JOSH: Major shoutout to Nicholas Galitzine for his legendary roles in two of my favorite movies of the year, playing vastly different characters in Red, White & Royal Blue and Bottoms. Honorable mention as well to Ryan Gosling’s manic Ken and Timothee Chalamet, who manages to make his Wonka a worthy successor to previous depictions from Johnny Depp and Gene Wilder. My favorite male performances of the year are four-fold: Andrew Scott made me weep in Andrew Haigh’s All of Us Strangers; Barry Keoghan transforms into an obsessive sociopath in Saltburn; May December would fall apart without Charles Melton as the grounding, stunted suburban dad; and finally, Zac Efron delivers the final blow emulating naturalism and conflict as Kevin Von Erich in The Iron Claw. All four belong on the ballot at the next Academy Awards.

ALLISON: I second Nicholas Galitzine for the same films; he plays the best traditional teen super jock I have seen in years! Paul Giamatti finally deserves his Oscar for his stunning turn in The Holdovers. Nicolas Cage is incredible in Dream Scenario; he makes some of the craziest facial expressions I have ever seen. Jeffrey Wright in American Fiction and Cillian Murphy in Oppenheimer are also wonderful.

MVP actress

JOSH: Last year’s MVP actress, Mia Goth, was a rather obvious one considering the power of her dual X/Pearl performances. This year feels decidedly less so. The three leads of The Color Purple (Fantasia Barrino, Taraji P. Henson, Danielle Brooks) carry that film on their shoulders, and each have a major musical moment coupled with powerhouse vocals. Anne Hathaway’s Rebecca in Eileen exudes badass feminine energy, catching the audience’s eye just as she has caught Eileen’s. Julianne Moore’s lispy display juxtaposed against the obsessive observer actress played by Natalie Portman make May December essential pre-awards viewing. Annette Bening vulnerably fills the wetsuit of a sixty-year-old swimmer in Netflix’s NYAD, and by the end we feel her every ache and pain. Ultimately though, my MVP is Margot Robbie. More on her later…

ALLISON: Danielle Brooks deserves all the awards for The Color Purple! I really enjoyed Cailee Spaeny’s quiet performance in Priscilla juxtaposed with Emma Stone’s powerhouse sexy baby character in Poor Things. All three tremendously show the female experience in a variety of unique ways. Florence Pugh’s emotional turn in A Good Person is also highly underrated. Da’Vine Joy Randolph is equally wonderful in The Holdovers.

Most underrated

JOSH: Last year, I went to bat for The Munsters and Halloween Ends. While nothing quite so maligned made my list of favorites this year, I do think many people have been overlooking both Wonka and The Iron Claw. Each swept in super late to the party, and have their own merits that rank them among the year’s finest. Aside from those two, I am hearing almost no one talking about Lovecraftian body horror flick Suitable Flesh, or gay coming-of-age adaptation Aristotle and Dante Discover the Secrets of the Universe.

ALLISON: It is truly frustrating how few people seem to have seen A Good Person. Cat Person and Our Son also got dumped on smaller distributors when they definitely deserved better.

Most disappointing

JOSH: The biggest offender here honestly: Good Burger 2. From beginning to end, this Nickelodeon flick was a misfire so glaring that I had to rewatch the original afterward immediately just to get the taste out of my mouth. Waiting fifteen years for a follow up to Kingdom of the Crystal Skull, I have not felt as upset and appalled at the direction they decided to take that franchise in quite some time. Who thought putting time travel into Indiana Jones was a good idea? Dial of Destiny was such a letdown. After hearing raves about it for months, Skinamarink was baffling in that I found it to have zero substance beyond visuals. Experimental cinema is not for me, apparently. I was also disappointed with Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Mutant Mayhem, Peter Pan & Wendy, Magic Mike’s Last Dance, and The Wrath of Becky.

ALLISON: I had high hopes for Wish, but it might be the most underwhelming Disney movie I have seen in years. Trolls Band Together had amazing trailers, but the actual film did not live up to what I had built it up to as an unwavering Justin Timberlake super fan. It was very much just okay, and the music wasn’t as memorable as earlier iterations.

Best performance of the year

JOSH: For me, the best performance of the year goes to Margot Robbie’s Barbie. Convincingly playing a living doll seems effortless in the hands of Robbie, as if this was the role she was born to play. Whether it eventually gets sequelized or not, Barbie made Robbie into an even bigger phenomenon to the general public than she already was as Harley Quinn in the Suicide Squad films.

ALLISON: Honestly this is impossible for me, as there are so many fantastic performances this year. It is too hard to choose only one. I’ll opt out of this one.

Josh’s Favorite Films of the Year

SPIDER-MAN ACROSS THE SPIDER-VERSE

Where to watch: Netflix

Serving as the definitive Spider-Man cinematic experience, Across the Spider-Verse expands the scope of the mythology like never before, forming a deeply emotional visual extravaganza. While the previous animated iteration, Into the Spider-Verse, was one of the best reviewed comic book movies ever, this sequel tops it in every imaginable way. The stunning animation and deep characterizations give this superhero movie more depth than expected.

SAW X

Where to watch: VOD

This one has it all: grisly traps, deepening of mythology and series lore, and Tobin Bell’s best performance yet as John Kramer aka Jigsaw. How many other movies ten entries deep can stay this good? In many ways, Saw X could be viewed as the ultimate movie in a franchise that constantly builds on previous entries. Saw X acts as a love letter to a wonderful franchise that defined my teenage years.

BEAU IS AFRAID

Where to watch: VOD

Forget Napoleon, this is the Joaquin Phoenix movie of the year. A homeless encampment home invasion, car accidents, an old flame named Elaine (Parker Posey), childhood flashbacks, the greatest cinematic use of Mariah Carey’s “Always Be My Baby” of all time, a giant penis-monster, an atrophied-orgasm corpse, a suspiciously friendly couple and their daughter, a community rehearsal of a strange play by The Orphans of the Forest, an epic Patti LuPone monologue, and enough metaphorical subtext to write an entire dissertation: Beau is Afraid carries auteur Ari Aster’s macabre sensibilities and channels them through a deranged filter of hilarious, increasingly preposterous situations.

SUITABLE FLESH

Where to watch: Shudder

This memorably zany slice of erotic horror burrowed deeply into my brain, and refused to leave in the months since catching it at this year’s Tribeca Film Festival. Director Joe Lynch and screenwriter Dennis Paoli take the audience on an outrageous journey filled with patient hypnosis, bone-cracking orgasms, blurred gender lines, billowing clouds of smoke, and disturbing body horror. An epically entertaining and stylish ode to 80s sleaze, Suitable Flesh must be seen to be believed.

GUARDIANS OF THE GALAXY VOL. 3

Where to watch: Disney+

Cementing itself as one of the greatest action/sci-fi trilogies of all time, Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3 delivers a stunning spectacle of effects, and dazzling emotionality to boot. As a longtime fan of the series, I was just happy to see it close out on a high note. Darker and more complex than any other entries, this became the movie that made me cry at a bunch of adorable lab experiments. Rocket Raccoon, you need a hug.

TOTALLY KILLER

Where to watch: Prime Video

The first slasher movie to make my favorites of the year, but certainly not the last. In the vein of camp-tastic slashers The Final Girls, Freaky, and Happy Death Day, this Blumhouse/Amazon Studios production appears destined for yearly Halloween-season viewing. Maybe campy character-driven slashers are just my bread and butter. The script may not change anything significantly when it comes to the slasher mold, yet it has all the makings of an instant classic. Creative and nostalgic, Totally Killer slashes every box, and then some.

ARISTOTLE AND DANTE DISCOVER THE SECRETS OF THE UNIVERSE

Where to watch: VOD

Based on the young adult novel of the same name, after being swept away in its scope and beauty at 2022’s Toronto International Film Festival, I fell down an Aristotle and Dante rabbit hole. Queer co-writer/director Aitch Alberto pulls off an astounding feat of intimate, deeply personal storytelling, injecting the depictions of the book with a deeper understanding of its characters and greater themes. Aristotle and Dante Discover the Secrets of the Universe feels utterly timeless in spite of its 80s setting. Gay teens will be watching (and rewatching) this film for years to come.

THE HUNGER GAMES: BALLAD OF SONGBIRDS AND SNAKES

Where to watch: Theaters/VOD

Fresh off visiting the book for the first time, I headed into Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes anxious for how it would be depicted cinematically. With a few obvious exceptions, director Francis Lawrence does an incredible job at keeping nearly every major beat. Each person cast for their respective characters fit them like a glove, particularly the trio of Sejanus, Coriolanus, and Lucy Gray. Viola Davis absolutely horrifies as Professor Gaul, whilst Peter Dinklage delivers a calm and disheveled depiction of the troubled Hunger Games inventor as only he could. The brilliance of this entry is in how organically it ties itself to the original series, rooting President Snow’s snarky hatred in his life experiences. Forgoing many missteps of a typical prequel, Songbirds and Snakes instead feels vital, and deeply tragic. Strange things did happen here, indeed.

THE COLOR PURPLE

Where to watch: Theaters

Despite my initial hesitations, I was won over by this beautifully-filmed musical almost instantly. Buoyed by three phenomenal female acting masterclasses and emotional, catchy musical numbers, The Color Purple arrives late in the game with a knockout gut-punch of heart-wrenching moments. Admittedly, I’ve never seen the original, but this may be the best movie about friendship since Beaches. Fantasia Barrino needs to win every award, ASAP.

EVIL DEAD RISE

Where to watch: Max, Prime Video

Evil Dead Rise delivers everything fans crave and more on a shiny, eye-popping platter. Between crowd-pleasing moments of horror violence, familial connection and badass one-liners, and a show-stopping Alyssa Sutherland as the signature baddie, I cannot think of a single issue I had with this production from top to bottom. Every nasty moment permanently burned itself into my soul (and swallowed it, too.)

MAY DECEMBER

Where to watch: Netflix

Moral murkiness makes for some seriously entertaining campy dramatics, as perfectly evidenced in May December. Todd Haynes knocks it out of the park, grounded by a fantastic score and great performances all around; echoing literally everyone else, Riverdale/American Horror Story Hotel fave Charles Melton needs to be showered with awards. Low key obsessed with Julianne Moore’s lisp, and let’s not forget about Natalie Portman. The final scene sent chills down my spine.

THE IRON CLAW

Where to watch: Theaters

Anyone doubting Zac Efron’s talent must be eating their words after the emotionally devastating, immaculately constructed The Iron Claw. In a year of outrageously rich performances, Efron’s is one of the best, and honestly deserving of awards recognition. Writer/director Sean Durkin forgoes flashy bells and whistles, instead giving the “Von Erich curse” every bit of the meticulous care it deserves. This is a story of the bond between brothers. The chemistry between all four of them forges a believable bond that leads to a tragic but ultimately poignant endgame. If the last ten minutes does not leave you weeping, do you even have a soul?

WONKA

Where to watch: Theaters

Wonka churns gold on its way to my heart. This sugary-sweet concoction, complete with whimsical music and an adorably charming turn from Timothée Chalamet, lovingly pays tribute to Roald Dahl’s legacy. It fits along nicely with other modern musicals such as The Greatest Showman, made even more adorable by direction from Paddington‘s Paul King. The songs are serious earworms, matching the rhyming ridiculousness from Dahl’s prose.

BOTTOMS

Where to watch: MGM+

Here’s one that got better each time I watched it, firmly cementing itself amongst my favorites of the year. Raunchy, satisfying, and unabashedly queer to boot, Bottoms could not have arrived at a better time. Existing in some kind of warped, super satirical version of our own reality, writer/director Emma Seligman serves up the ultimate version of high school ridiculousness. Bottoms is a cartoonish, nostalgic delight I have recommended to virtually everyone I know that loves comedy movies.

RED, WHITE & ROYAL BLUE

Where to watch: Prime Video

Though I had not yet read the book before watching this absolutely adorable movie (the cutest of the year, in my opinion), Red, White & Royal Blue took mere minutes to win me over. The age-old rom-com gets a queer update, courtesy of out director Matthew López. Two undeniably attractive leads in Nicholas Galitzine and Taylor Zakhar Perez supercharge the duo’s red-hot chemistry. An R-rating leaves little to the imagination in their relationship. Is there any way to dislike a movie whose leads hopelessly fall for one another when they do not get low during “Get Low” at a party? I think not. Gay as a maypole, Red, White & Royal Blue is the romantic comedy of the year, full stop.

THANKSGIVING

Where to watch: VOD

Despite seeing Grindhouse in theaters twenty-four times during its run, the amount of walk-outs and box office performance seemed to tell me I was in the minority for my adoration of that throwback double feature. Alas, it took nearly two decades for faux trailer director Eli Roth to finally deliver on his Thanksgiving, and oh boy was it a spectacle. Using the very real idea of Black Friday seeping into the typical holiday festivities, corporate greed was an excellent way in for the story. Either way, a great slasher would not be complete without fully-formed characters, brutal slayings, and ample chase sequences. Thanksgiving has all three. With a Thanksgiving 2 already announced for a 2025 release, perhaps we will not have to wait long for seconds.

SALTBURN

Where to watch: Prime Video

I can never look at Barry Keoghan (or listen to to “Murder on the Dance Floor”) the same way ever again. Visually stunning, entirely shocking, hyper-sensual, and a seriously wicked time at the movies, Saltburn twists and turns with some of the most memorable sequences of the year. The film is much more than a series of shocking moments though, propelled by the strength of this unnerving character study. If Promising Young Woman was Emerald Fennell’s introduction to cinema lovers, then Saltburn may be her magnum opus.

ALL OF US STRANGERS

Where to watch: Theaters

Writer/director Andrew Haigh delicately hand-crafts the year’s most devastating, moving film in haunting ghost story, All of Us Strangers. Its deeply personal exploration of connection, guilt, parenthood, misspent youth, queer identity, and relationship dynamics are executed with the delicate touch of a master storyteller. However, the gay story is not even necessarily the most interesting angle. Our connection to our parents remains at the forefront, threatening to reopen old wounds for those who have lost the ones they hold most dear. The grounded intimacy and focus on this connection are absolutely unforgettable.

BARBIE

Where to watch: Max

What more is there to say about Barbie that has not already been said? Had this been a film made just ten years ago, it would probably be some weird corporate toy commercial. Instead, Greta Gerwig and screenwriting partner Noah Baumbach go for meta whimsy the likes of which have never been put to film before. This is all before talking about the stellar ensemble, America Ferrera’s achingly real monologue, or the bubblegum aesthetic and jaw-dropping production design. A candy-coated colorful extravaganza of meta silliness and gendered mayhem. An instant classic. Way more than Kenough. Barbie is everything.

SCREAM VI

Where to watch: Paramount+

In the words of this film’s Ghostface, “who gives a fuck about movies?” With countless titles to watch, I still found myself revisiting VI over and over again. As with last year’s Scream before it, there was really no other choice for my top spot. Scream VI may have maddeningly lost Neve Campbell over salary negotiations, but the potency of its script and franchise Easter eggs were not sanded down in any way. Radio Silence and the entire creative team from the previous film return, carrying over the franchise’s vital level of consistency to new horizons. With a record-high of seven returning characters, scripting from Guy Busick and James Vanderbilt still manages to expand Melissa Barrera’s Sam into a final girl whose ferocity will go down in the horror hall of fame. The “core four” are a group more than worthy of Scream’s undeniable legacy. Shifting the setting to New York City and upping the intense chase sequences, Scream VI cements its status as one of the best sequels of all time.