When you think of horror movies, you might think of R-rated horror flicks, full of blood and guts and things deemed too extreme for teenagers (or maybe just a few too many swears for the Motion Picture Association’s comfort levels). Whatever the reason, a lot of horror films are rated R.
But there are plenty of horror films in the PG-13 range, perfect for teens hanging out at the movies without their parents or adults looking for something just a little bit lighter. In fact, several of Blumhouse Productions’ most popular horror films fit into this category, including M3GAN, Insidious, and Happy Death Day.
Here are some new and upcoming PG-13 horror movies we’re excited about in 2023.
The Invitation
The Invitation is a PG-13 horror film that begins with an idyllic trip to the English countryside. Evie (Nathalie Emmanuel) discovers she has a long-lost cousin (Hugh Skinner) and an impossibly wealthy extended family. She gets invited to an upcoming wedding in the family—and who could turn down the invitation?
The trip quickly turns dark in a way that echoes the R-rated film Ready or Not before it—but with a vampiric twist.
The Invitation is now streaming on Netflix.
M3GAN
In addition to the origin of the meme from several months ago, M3GAN is also the story of a dollike robot designed to protect and entertain an eight-year-old girl. Things do not go as planned.
If you took one look at the animatronic prototype baby from Twilight and thought, “Wow, that’s super creepy,” this movie agrees with you.
M3GAN is now streaming on Amazon Prime Video.
The Boogeyman
Inspired by the short story from Stephen King, The Boogeyman follows two sisters coping with their mother’s death. The two are terrorized by The Boogeyman, a supernatural entity that hides in closets and kills young children.
The Boogeyman opened in theaters on June 2 and will be coming to Hulu in the near future.
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Insidious: The Red Door
The fifth installment in the Insidious franchise opens with Josh Lambert (Patrick Wilson), a man trying to repress his supernatural experiences from past movies, as he drops his son Dalton (Ty Simpkins) off at college.
Unfortunately for both of them, Dalton is just as susceptible to horrors from beyond as his father, and both father and son have to deal with demons from their pasts.
Insidious: The Red Door opened in theaters on July 7. You can also stream the first two movies on Max, the third on Tubi, and the fourth on VOD.
Haunted Mansion
Okay, this one is more of a light horror comedy than something truly scary, but it’s probably a good way to take a break between terrors. Based on the Disney Parks ride of the same name, Haunted Mansion follows a woman (Rosario Dawson) and her son as they move into a new home. Unfortunately for them, their house is already inhabited by a lot of unhappy souls. (And there’s always room for one more!)
Along the way, they encounter characters played by Jamie Lee Curtis, Danny DeVito, Owen Wilson, Hasan Minaj, and more. Not Eddie Murphy though; you’ll have to watch the Haunted Mansion movie from 20 years ago to see him.
Haunted Mansion opened in theaters on July 28, and we have a sneaking suspicion that it’ll be on Disney+ just in time for Halloween.
Five Nights at Freddy’s
Chances are, if you’re old enough for PG-13 movies but too young for R-rated movies, you already know a thing or two about Five Nights at Freddy’s. The jump-scare-heavy video game series of the same name has been wildly popular with tweens and teens since the first installment came out in 2014.
After several games, books, and an appearance in every toy aisle in America, the franchise is ripe for a film adaptation, and Blumhouse Productions is taking the first bite.
FNAF’s full lore could fill several hours of YouTube video essays, but in a broad sense, FNAF is about a security guard (Josh Hutcherson) trying to survive the night shift at a run-down pizzeria filled with spooky animatronics. The cast also boasts Matthew Lillard of Scream and Scooby-Doo fame, and you know he’s got this one on lock.
Five Nights at Freddy’s opens in theaters and will stream simultaneously on Peacock on October 27.
Olivia Bono loves entertainment, and she’s never going to shut up about it. Here at CableTV.com, you’ll find her writing about the wild world of streaming. Her specialty is animation—you can find much of her work at our anime hub page. Olivia previously wrote for the Cornell Daily Sun, where in addition to television, she reviewed movies, albums, and video games. Outside of work, she loves to listen to audiobooks and go on hikes at local parks.
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