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 in particular is shaping up to be a promising year for horror film buffs. Beloved franchises like Resident Evil and Evil Dead are returning, and horror icons like the Bride of Frankenstein are being reimagined in bold new ways. Meanwhile, new original horror films are exploring everything from Irish witches to medieval werewolves. To help you get your spine-tingling watchlist in order, we’ve rounded up some of the most exciting horror films of 2026, including what’s coming soon. (And if you’re interested in watching something right now, 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.
'The Bride!'
Release date: March 6
Starring: Jessie Buckley, Christian Bale, Jake Gyllenhaal, Peter Sarsgaard, Penélope Cruz, and Annette Bening
Why it’s worth seeing: Despite having less than 10 minutes of screentime in her titular 1935 film Bride of Frankenstein, the monster’s Bride has nevertheless become a horror icon. Now, she finally takes center stage in The Bride!, Maggie Gyllenhaal’s bold, punk-inspired reimagining. Set in 1930s Chicago, the film stars Hamnet’s Jessie Buckley as a murdered woman resurrected by mad scientist Dr. Euphronius (Annette Bening) to be a companion for Frankenstein’s monster (Christian Bale). Naturally, chaos ensues.
'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 sleeves. 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.
'They Will Kill You'
Release date: March 27
Starring: Zazie Beetz, Tom Felton, Patricia Arquette, Myha’la, and Heather Graham
Why it’s worth seeing: They Will Kill You puts a comedic spin on the cultish-apartment-neighbors archetype popularized by Rosemary’s Baby. Blending humor, horror, and thriller elements, the film follows a young woman (Zazie Beetz) who takes a housekeeping job at a N.Y.C. high-rise. After learning that the building has seen several disappearances, she’s forced to confront the fact that (gasp!) her new employers are a demonic cult.
'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’ 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’ spine-tingling Backrooms YouTube series. Now, the horror wunderkind has 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.
The Best Horror Movies Coming in Summer 2026
'Evil Dead Burn'
Release date: July 10
Starring: Souheila Yacoub, Hunter Doohan, Luciane Buchanan, Tandi Wright, and George Pullar
Why it’s worth seeing: Part of the fun of the Evil Dead franchise is its capacity for reinvention. Whereas the original Evil Dead told a fairly gory, straightforward tale of college kids accidentally summoning demons in the woods, Evil Dead II leaned into fully gonzo comedy horror. As recently as 2023, Evil Dead Rise played with format once again, introducing a haunted vinyl into a terrifying apartment complex. Although details about the latest entry are scarce outside of director Sébastien Vaniček’s promise that it will be “a film that hurts,” there are endless out-of-the-box possibilities for where the series could go next.
'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.
The Best Horror Movies Coming in Fall 2026
'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. Maybe Raccoon City will get one of Cregger’s trademark creepy basements, too!
'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 at the box office. 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 of a sinister entity haunting a young girl’s home has a stacked cast featuring the likes of Jessica Chastain and Severance’s Dichen Lachman.
'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 to give audiences 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 has teased that the Batman villain’s solo movie will reimagine his origin story as a full-on body-horror tale.
'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’s swapping 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.
