The state of horror in 2023 is strong. Familiar names such as Brandon Cronenberg and Eli Roth returned with "Infinity Pool" and "Thanksgiving" and so did "Re-Animator" screenwriter Dennis Paoli, writer of "Suitable Flesh," his first realized feature script in over 20 years. Old franchises returned, too, with "Evil Dead Rise" and even "Saw X" doing well critically and commercially. Less established filmmakers have also made an impression, namely Nahnatchka Khan, director of "Totally Killer," and Danish debut filmmaker Gabriel Bier Gislason, who helmed "Attachment."

But away from "M3GAN," "When Evil Lurks" and the numerous other highlights, there were still some disappointments that were lackluster, recycled, underplayed, overplayed, or in one or two cases, just underwhelming in almost every aspect of production. There is little pleasure to be had in chronicling such disappointment, but it is a service any critic must provide at one time or another. So let's dig into some...