There’s nothing quite like sitting in a dark movie theater and feeling a chill run down your spine. The best horror movies can transport us to terrifying yet enticing new worlds, introduce iconic characters, and even reflect the terrors of our own reality back at us in thrilling ways. Plus, with the advent of subgenres like horror-comedy, movie lovers can enjoy several different films within one!
2026 has been a satisfying year for horror film buffs. Beloved franchises like Resident Evil and Evil Dead returned, and horror icons like the Bride of Frankenstein were reimagined in bold new ways. Meanwhile, new original horror films explored everything from Irish witches to medieval werewolves. To help you get your spine-tingling watchlist in order, we’ve rounded up the best horror films of 2026. (And if you need even more recommendations, here’s our list of the best horror movies of 2025.)
The Best Horror Movies of 2026 So Far
'28 Years Later: The Bone Temple'
Release date: January 16
Starring: Ralph Fiennes, Jack O'Connell, Alfie Williams, Erin Kellyman, and Chi Lewis-Parry
Why it's worth seeing: When Nia DaCosta releases a thriller or horror movie, you see it. The Candyman filmmaker took the reins on this movie in the 28 Days Later series, which marks the second in the past two years. In 2025, the series returned with the first movie's original screenwriter, Alex Garland (Ex Machina, Civil War), penning the first of three new sequels. DaCosta put her own stamp on the gory zombie franchise, upping the dread as Spike (Alfie Williams) navigates falling into the sadistic Jimmy Crystal's (Jack O'Connell) cult, and Dr. Kelson (Ralph Fiennes) continues looking for a cure.
'Iron Lung'
Release date: January 30
Starring: Markiplier, Caroline Rose Kaplan, Troy Baker, and Elsie Lovelock
Why it's worth seeing: 2026 is being hailed as the year of YouTuber-made horror. Even so, content creator-turned-director Markiplier’s Iron Lung stands alone as an indie movie that made a whopping $51 million without a major studio behind it. Based on the video game of the same name, the film takes place in the aftermath of an apocalyptic “rapture” as a convict (also played by Markiplier) attempts to steer a submarine through an ocean of blood. Oh, and it’s on the moon! Apart from its unique premise, Iron Lung is a fascinating case study of the non-traditional movie opportunities that an online following could grant creators access to moving forward.
'Undertone'
Release date: March 13
Starring: Nina Kiri and Adam DiMarco
Why it's worth seeing: Undertone was a big word-of-mouth hit out of Sundance—and it's guaranteed to worm its way into your nightmares. A bit creepypasta, a bit Catholic horror, and a bit psychological thriller, Ian Tuason's tight indie centers on a pair of paranormal podcasters—one a believer and one a skeptic—live reading a bizarre message from a listener.
'Ready or Not 2: Here I Come'
Release date: March 27
Starring: Samara Weaving, Kathryn Newton, Sarah Michelle Gellar, Shawn Hatosy, Néstor Carbonell, Kevin Durand, Olivia Cheng, Nadeem Umar-Khitab, David Cronenberg, and Elijah Wood
Why it's worth seeing: We may not get to see Radio Silence's complete Scream series, but thankfully, we got a sequel to Ready or Not. The hunt-to-the-death movie was nasty fun when it became a surprise blockbuster in 2019, and the second film has its own tricks up its sleeve. Just when Grace (Samara Weaving) thought she had it rough on her wedding night, she finds out that the ultra-wealthy still have it out for her—as well as her younger sister (Kathryn Newton). And they're upping the ante: Now she has to survive a disturbing game brought up by not just one affluent family, but several of the richest from across the globe.
'Exit 8'
Release date: May 15
Starring: Kazunari Ninomiya, Yamato Kochi, Nana Komatsu, Naru Asanuma, and Kotone Hanase
Why it’s worth seeing: An ordinary subway commute turns into a deadly puzzle in Exit 8, Japanese filmmaker Genki Kawamura’s reimagining of the 2023 video game of the same name. Just after he receives life-changing news from his ex-girlfriend, a down-on-his-luck man (Kazunari Ninomiya) finds himself trapped in an endlessly looping subway tunnel. While Exit 8 follows in the footsteps of horror game adaptations like The Last of Us and Resident Evil, its embrace of psychological horror sets it apart from its peers.
'Hokum'
Release date: May 1
Starring: Adam Scott, David Wilmot, Austin Amelio, Peter Coonan, Florence Ordesh, and Will O’Connell
Why it’s worth seeing: Hokum is a spooky new Adam Scott movie to help tide us over during the long wait for Severance season 3. Scott plays a horror novelist who arrives at a rural Irish inn to spread his late parents’s ashes. This time around, his grief is compounded not by experimental brain surgery, but by a vengeful, ancient witch.
'Obsession'
Release date: May 15
Starring: Michael Johnston, Inde Navarrette, Cooper Tomlinson, Megan Lawless, and Andy Richter
Why it’s worth seeing: YouTuber Curry Barker entered the horror scene with the full, stylish genre treatment. In Obsession, a music clerk uses a novelty wishing toy to get exactly what he thinks he wants: the woman (Inde Navarrette) he has a crush on. Inevitably, his wish takes an ominous turn—resulting in a star-making performance by new scream queen Navarrette and a smart, eerie commentary on modern dating.
'Backrooms'
Release date: May 29
Starring: Chiwetel Ejiofor, Renate Reinsve, Mark Duplass, Finn Bennett, and Lukita Maxwell
Why it’s worth seeing: Liminal space horror has blown up in recent years, thanks in no small part to 21-year-old Kane Parsons’s spine-tingling Backrooms YouTube series. Now, the horror wunderkind leaped from unsettling short-form content to feature filmmaking with a Backrooms movie that pays homage to the original series’ lore, all while evoking a Lynchian sense of disorienting surrealism. Chiwetel Ejiofor stars as Clark, a struggling furniture store owner who discovers another dimension full of interconnected, slightly uncanny empty rooms.
'Leviticus'
Release Date: June 19
Starring: Joe Bird, Stacy Clausen, and Mia Wasikowska
Why it’s worth seeing: Internalized homophobia is already scary enough in the real world, but Leviticus takes it to a whole new level. Joe Bird and Stacy Clausen play two teenage boys who embark upon a burgeoning romance within their strict, conservative Australian town. When they’re not dealing with homophobia from people in their own community, they’re fighting to escape a relentless monster who takes the form of what they desire the most: each other.
'Teenage Sex and Death at Camp Miasma'
Release date: August 7
Starring: Gillian Anderson, Hannah Einbinder, Patrick Fischler, Hunter Dillon, and Jordana Summer
Why it’s worth seeing: Fresh off their beloved 2024 film I Saw the TV Glow, director Jane Schoenbrun is taking on a beloved horror subgenre: the slasher. Hacks star Hannah Einbinder leads Teenage Sex and Death at Camp Miasma, playing a young film director mounting a reboot of a Friday the 13th-style slasher franchise. In the process, she becomes obsessed with tracking down the franchise’s elusive original star (played by Gilligan Anderson), with whom she becomes embroiled in a campy, homoerotic encounter. Schoenbrun is a master at nostalgic, cerebral genre moviemaking, and Camp Miasma is no exception.
'Resident Evil'
Release date: September 18
Starring: Austin Abrams, Paul Walter Hauser, Kali Reis, and Zach Cherry
Why it’s worth seeing: With Barbarian and last year’s viral sensation Weapons, comedian-turned-filmmaker Zach Cregger has proven himself as a horror director to watch. While his first two films were out-of-the-box originals that played with structure and tone, this year’s Resident Evil marks his first foray into franchise filmmaking. The video game adaptation includes nods that the OG fans will love, but this journey through a snowy, infested Raccoon City—led by a delightfully jittery Austin Abrams—is a zany ride anyone will enjoy.
'Other Mommy'
Release date: October 9
Starring: Jessica Chastain, Jay Duplass, Dichen Lachman, Sean Kaufman, and Karen Allen
Why it’s worth seeing: If Paranormal Activity and Insidious taught us anything, it’s that a paranormal presence terrorizing kiddos is a reliable crowd-pleaser. If you’re looking for more in this subgenre, The Other Mommy is well worth adding to your list. Based on Josh Malerman’s 2024 novel Incidents Around the House, this tale about a sinister entity haunting a young girl’s home features a stacked cast and delivers on the scares.
'Clayface'
Release date: October 23
Starring: Tom Rhys Harries, Naomi Ackie, Max Minghella, and Eddie Marsan
Why it’s worth seeing: Clayface might be set in the same universe as 2025’s cheerful Superman, but this DC film promises something we rarely see: a superhero movie that fully embraces horror. Featuring a script penned by Mike Flanagan of Midnight Mass and The Haunting of Hill House fame, DC head James Gunn teased that the Batman villain’s solo movie will reimagine his origin story as a full-on body-horror tale.
Horror Movies Coming Soon in 2026
'Godzilla Minus Zero'
Release Date: November 6
Starring: Minami Hamabe, Jun Kunimura, and Ryûnosuke Kamiki
Why it’s worth seeing: Fans of this horror icon won’t want to miss Godzilla Minus Zero, the sequel to 2023’s Academy Award-winning Godzilla Minus One. Two years after the previous film's events, the Shikishima family is once again confronted with legendary kaiju Godzilla as they fight to adapt to post-World War II Japan. Naturally, monster (and human)-driven chaos ensues.
'Werwulf'
Release date: December 25
Starring: Willem Dafoe, Aaron Taylor-Johnson, Lily-Rose Depp, Ralph Ineson, and Simon McBurney
Why it’s worth seeing: Nosferatu director Robert Eggers is back for more festive horror this December. This time, he swaps vampire lore for the beast at the center of Werwulf, who stalks a medieval British village. Featuring returning Eggers collaborators like Lily-Rose Depp, Willem Dafoe, and Aaron Taylor-Johnson, expect plenty of stunning, painstakingly period-accurate bloodshed, just in time for the holidays.