The best horror movies of 2026 (so far), ranked: The Obsession, Resident Evil, The Backyard, and more

2026 has already been a terrible year, from box office duds ("Backrooms," "Obsession") to sequels the world could live without ("Scream 7," "The Strangers - Chapter 3"). In a year full of horror movies, many of them were good to great, a surprise that kept the multiplexes busy. Below are the picks of the year, […]

This year also saw the release of several thrillers — like Adam Wingard's "The Invasion," Awkward Jane's "Hope" and David Robert Mitchell's "The End of Oak Street" — that flirted with horror but ultimately seemed better suited to categories like action, sci-fi, and adventure.

Note: Only films released in their entirety in 2026 have been included so far, so no festival favorites or titles that haven't hit theaters yet — like Zachary Wiggon's "Victoria's Psycho" or Robert Eggers' "Werewolf" — can make it into the festival.

Send Help (20th Century Studios) - Sam Raimi's return to horror, this was a slick little survival thriller, with great performances from Rachel McAdams and Dylan O'Brien as two warring office workers trying to get off a deserted island after a horrific plane crash. While the plot is somewhat predictable, there are some great twists and turns along the way.

Buffet Infinity (Yellow Veil Pictures) - Made up entirely of fake commercials, this wild feature is a trip to watch and will make any fan happy "Great show Tim and Eric, great job!" Or Lost Media Madness Although the clips are initially disconnected, it soon becomes clear that a local pit may be behind a restaurant war, a religious cult, and many more unpredictable twists and turns. It's not for everyone, but those who can get on the same wavelength as Buffet Infinity will be richly rewarded.

Saccharine (Indie and Shudder) – Natalie Erica James' timely film considers the dark side of fad diets as a medical student (Midori Francis) discovers that ingesting the ashes of the dead is the best miracle drug around. While it's not the white-collar ride many fans might want, it's an effectively body-horror story that has a lot to say.

Kane Parsons' dizzying film is a masterpiece of tone and tension, throwing Chiwetel Ejiofor and Renate Rainso into an endless maze of liminal spaces that are claustrophobic, confusing and exhausting. It's hard to describe why "Backrooms" works for the unconverted or unconvinced, but Jeremy Cox's incredible production design and cinematography make up for any limitations in the script's plot. It's exciting to see what Parsons will do next season — and maybe even what he can do beyond the confines of his space.

Adapted from Genki Kawamura's video game, it follows a man (Kazunari Ninomiya) who can't escape walking down a long stretch of subway corridor and gets stuck in an endless loop. However, he will soon be able to discern small clues about how to move forward and overcome some of the dark resonances of life and his decisions to reach the other side. While the hook wears thin, it does so out of necessity as the audience begins to feel the stuckness and despair that is the main character, and every new detail that hints at escape is a breath of fresh air.

Taratoa Steppard's gothic tale examines Maori culture and the colonialists who nearly suffocated it. Ariana Osborne stars as the title character, a Victorian woman who travels to England to learn more about her ancestry, is a witch, but becomes a governess for a mysterious man interested in her Maori heritage. As things darken, Stoppard's vision becomes even more glorious with a devil-filled atmosphere.

The idea of a Faces of Death remake may have once seemed unimaginable, but the creative partnership of Issa Mezzi and Daniel Goldaber was able to transform this oddity into a serial killer movie with a deeper motivation. Docker Montgomery plays a madman who is obsessed with the original film, which apparently contains real images of violence. Recreating his worst parts catches the attention of a content manager (Barbie Ferreira) and a bloody game of cat and mouse begins. Mazzei and Goldhaber make plenty of keen observations about influencers and online culture, while Montgomery is genuinely confused as a killer who tries his best to blend in and be forgettable.

Nia DaCosta, a terrifying and heartfelt spin on zombie movies, leads this series' fourth season. It defies almost every expectation. Ralph Fiennes stars as Dr. Ian Colson, who lives alone in a post-collapse world and gets closer and closer to finding a cure with the help of his dead friend, Samson (Chi Lewis-Parry). Unfortunately, while the pair work together, a wandering leader of the roughnecks, Sir Lord Jimmy Crystal (Jack O'Connell), roams the countryside looking for people to take on. Many thought-provoking moments – as well as a wild Iron Maiden dance sequence – follow in Alex Garland's sharp script that begs for another installment.

A touching love story about two boys in Australia turns into a nightmare when a religious cure turns the person they love the most into something trying to kill them. From there, Naeem (Joe Byrd) and Ryan (Stacey Clausen) aren't sure if their favorite target is real or a beast out for blood. Crafting an intimate and tender romance, Leviticus is more about tension than simple scares, but it's unlikely there's a more affecting horror film this year.

Zazie Beetz kicks a lot of ass as wild warrior Asia Reaves in this horror-action-comedy. When she breaks into a hotel where she believes her maid's sister has been kidnapped, Asia must fight her way through endless villains loyal to an evil cult who are invincible but may be maimed along the way, leading to surreal scenes like The Adventures of a Creeping Eyeball. A "kill the spade"-style primal contest and a lit torch beatdown in a ballroom are among the flashy props. Beetz is a pro at stunt dancing, which shows the pain of inflicting and receiving intense pain. Cinematographer Isaac Bauman also shoots her in inspired ways, touching on pop touchstones like comic books and martial arts films.

An internet troll with an ax to grind brings this tangled tale of mayhem from first-time director Chris Mars Piliro. This low-budget trailer pays every dollar for an ingenious visual look at how deepfakes can disrupt people's lives even after they log out. Filled with shocking twists and some great practical effects, it's a film that's as funny as it is gripping.

Nicolas Winding Refn received a flurry of mixed to negative reviews, but ignored them. Nobody makes movies like Refn, and if you can get on his wavelength, it's one hell of a ride worth it. Sophie Thatcher, Charles Melton and Havana Rose Liu are passengers on this journey under the influence of giallo hypnosis. Endlessly stylish and bold, 'His Private Hell' is destined for cult classic status.

It's the third time's the charm, as Zach Kreger cements his winning streak as a horror writer with this roller coaster of a video game adaptation. Austin Abrams is a perfect surrogate for the audience as he injects humor into increasingly cruel situations as his life quickly becomes a zombie chase. It's a completely different vibe from both "Barbarian" and "Weapon," and it's exciting to think what Kerger has up his sleeve.

Addison Heyman's wild take on an alien combines countless inspirations: tentacle sex, drugs, Japanese cinema, '80s hip-hop dance and board games. Still, it's a kaleidoscopic adventure: a slacker (Olivia Taylor Dudley) and her gay best friend (Jordan Gavarris) both begin hooking up with an extraterrestrial (Lou Taylor Pucci) whose powers make them feel like they're in a drug-induced euphoria. Unfortunately, the alien has a darker plan than what he wants, and it's up to our unlikely heroes to save humanity. With plenty of humor and unpredictable moments, the ride through Hyman's mind is a joy.

Damian McCarthy's latest, an old haunted house, sends Ohm (Adam Scott) to an Irish hotel full of secrets. When he gets locked in, he must solve a murder mystery before too many supernatural events overtake him. The set design is superb, straddling the line between relaxation and laziness, making the hotel come alive for all the senses. Scott has a prominent role as he plays Ohm as an idiot, but his journey of self-awareness soon becomes as fascinating as what happened to the dead body. All this is coupled with some eyebrow-raising jumps that make for a great rollercoaster ride, best enjoyed in crowded multiplexes.

Gene Schoenbron's award-winning rom-com is rooted in an obsessive love of slashers and begs for repeat viewings to luxuriate in all the pop culture territory it contains. But Stene's is more than just a pastiche: Hannah Inbinder and Gillian Anderson have incredible chemistry together, and the film is full of indelible images and memorable scenes, from a lively KFC dinner to a passionate massacre scene from the Counting Crows soundtrack.

Before all the musings and analysis, The Obsession started life as a little thriller that combined the classic Monkey's Paw scenario with a contemporary look at life in the friend zone. It's a simple story, but the twisted scares and the all-time performance of Ind Navarre put the fear deep into the minds of the audience. Countless WTF moments have been talked about for months, and this bittersweet ending made the movie unforgettable long after it left theaters.