The Best Horror Movies of 2026 (So Far), Ranked: ‘Obsession,’ ‘Backrooms,’ ‘Hokum’ and More
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- Backrooms (A24), Kane Parsons' film starring Chiwetel Ejiofor and Renate Reinsve in an endless maze of liminal spaces, was called a "masterwork in tone and tension" with standout production design and camerawork by Jeremy Cox
- Obsession (Focus Features) became a low-budget box office hit blending a monkey's paw scenario with a "friendzone" premise, anchored by what the source calls an "all-timer performance" from Inde Navarrette and a bleak, much-debated ending
- Hokum (Neon), Damian McCarthy's haunted-house film starring Adam Scott as an "asshole" hotel guest solving a murder mystery, was singled out for remarkable set design and "highbrow jump scares" best enjoyed at a crowded multiplex
- 28 Years Later: The Bone Temple (Sony), Nia DaCosta's fourth franchise chapter starring Ralph Fiennes as Dr. Ian Kelson alongside Jack O'Connell's Sir Lord Jimmy Crystal, was described as a "heady, heartfelt spin on zombie movies" whose sharp Alex Garland script "begs for another installment"
- Leviticus (Neon), a love story between two boys in Australia that turns into a nightmare when conversion therapy transforms their loved one into a beast, was called "unlikely there will be a more affecting horror movie this year"
- They Will Kill You (Warner Bros.) starred Zazie Beetz as Asia Reaves fighting through a satanic cult in a hotel, featuring a "Kill Bill"-esque showdown, a torch-lit ballroom beatdown, and surreal imagery like a dislodged crawling eyeball
- Send Help (20th Century Studios), Sam Raimi's survival thriller with Rachel McAdams and Dylan O'Brien stranded on a deserted island, was praised for great twists despite a predictable overarching plot, while honorable-mention indies Saccharine, Buffet Infinity, and Touch Me rounded out the year's wildest releases
Why it matters: 2026 has been an unusually strong year for horror, the source argues, with low-budget originals like Backrooms and Obsession thriving at the box office while sequels like Scream 7 and The Strangers – Chapter 3 disappointed as films "the world could have lived without." For horror studios, the article frames this as proof that original concepts are now outperforming tired franchises at the multiplex.
