With the rush of Halloween season parties, events, and activities just around the corner, the urge to see a horror movie grows stronger. And while we will always have the classics from decades past, 2026 has been generous with new movies worth experiencing the tension and dread for. From box office hits that had everyone talking to underrated releases that might have slipped under your radar, this year has been a good one for horror fans.
So, if you missed them during their initial cinema release or are in the mood for a rewatch as you feel the chills run up your spine and cower in fear under a blanket, add these recent horror movies to your spooky season watchlist.
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28 Years Later: The Bone Temple – One of the Best in the Franchise
Sometimes, a great movie doesn’t automatically translate to box office success. Just look at 28 Years Later: The Bone Temple, which came and went last January. But don’t let its disappointing commercial performance dissuade you from watching one of the best horror movies of the year. The Bone Temple is a dark, dreary, and dreadful film that brings the frights with its zombie and human adversaries. Jack O’Connell is terrifying as Sir Jimmy Crystal, while Ralph Fiennes delivers a masterclass performance as Dr. Ian Kelson. We recommend you watch 28 Years Later first, which is another fine horror movie, to fully enjoy this underrated sequel.
Send Help – I’m the Boss Now
Sam Raimi knows his way around a horror movie. And in his return to the genre this year with Send Help, the director proves that he’s still got it, particularly with blending horror with comedic elements. The movie follows CEO Bradley and his employee Linda, who mutually dislike each other, as they are left stranded on an island after their plane crashes. What follows next is a test of wills as the boss becomes reliant on Linda, who unlocks a power that turns increasingly disturbing. Led by an amazing performance from Rachel McAdams, this gem of a horror movie will have you guessing until the very end.
Hokum – A Haunted Hotel Full of Secrets
The haunted house has been done to death in horror movies. But for director Damian McCarthy, who rose to prominence with his breakout hit Oddity, he gives the trope an Irish folklore twist to horrifying (but in a good way) results. When author Ohm Bauman (Adam Scott) travels to Ireland to scatter his parents’ ashes, he finds himself falling deeper and deeper into the darkness that lies at the heart of the inn he is staying at. The crime thriller succeeds on multiple fronts as a scary haunted house flick with freaky jump scares and a character study of a broken man trying to find redemption in the most unexpected of places.
Obsession – Freaky Nikki
There are movies that become popular, but then there are films like Obsession. Not only did it break box office records to become one of the most profitable indie horror movies in history, but it also took over the pop culture conversation for weeks. And there are reasons why. Led by a new generation of talent in front of and behind the camera, the movie turns the “be careful what you wish for” concept on its head with an exploration of how destructive selfish desire can be.
This goes beyond being a crazy girlfriend story, and instead is one about how insecure men often neglect a woman’s consent and agency in their pursuit of what they want. The moment Bear breaks the One Wish Willow, all hell breaks loose with scenes and moments you’ll be watching through your fingers.
Backrooms – A Descent Into Liminal Spaces
From the internet to the big screen, Kane Parsons’ big-screen adaptation of his own work turned liminal spaces into one of 2026’s buzziest trends. Draped in their signature off-kilter yellow wallpaper, these rooms initially look like oddly placed office spaces and empty rooms, but a deep dive into the Backrooms reveals twisted architecture populated by terrifying creatures and unexplainable surroundings.
In the movie, viewers follow therapist Dr. Mary Kline as she is forced to enter the Backrooms to find one of her patients, Clark, after he discovers an entrance to the Backrooms in the basement of his furniture store. Much like the Backrooms themselves, the longer you get into the movie, the more twisted it becomes as its secrets are revealed.
Leviticus – Queer Horror Done Right
This Australian indie horror movie turns the real-world fears of queer couples being ostracized and villanized for who they love into the central premise of its terrors, and it works so well. Naim and Ryan are two young men who start developing feelings for one another. But when Ryan is outed to the religious local community, he is cursed to be hunted by a demon that takes the form of what Ryan most desires, which is Naim.
When Naim is cursed by the same entity, the two find themselves in the fight of their lives to stay together in the face of the demonic version of themselves. From its story, acting, chemistry between its two leads, and even its title, Leviticus hits hard in the realm of queer horror. Also, stay until the end to hear that needle drop.
Resident Evil – Worst Day Ever
In the never-ending debate of how faithful a video game movie adaptation should be to its source material, Zach Cregger’s Resident Evil proves that adaptations don’t need to be 1:1 remakes, as long as they get the tone and energy right. The best movie adaptation the franchise has ever gotten, the film takes its setting of Raccoon City during the early days of the outbreak as the basis to tell its own standalone story.
Instead of following a familiar character, viewers follow a medical courier who is far from the ideal RE protagonist from the games. But that’s to the film’s benefit, as its unrelenting pace, non-stop action, and edge-of-your-seat scares are enhanced by a main character whose every encounter with the zombies could be his last. This is how survival horror in movie form should look and feel.
Hope – Come for the Monsters, Stay for the Action
While not a horror movie in the strictest sense, this Korean creature feature gets it right with its thrills and tension-building as a group of people from a rural coastal town come face to face with monsters not from this world. But where this film truly shines is in its action, with scenes, sequences, and set pieces that will have you glued to the screen thanks to their adrenaline-inducing pace and execution. From car chases to horseback riding, this is a movie that understands momentum. As long as you don’t take its wonky story too seriously and excuse the at-times spotty CGI, you’ll have a good time.
Honorable Mentions – More Options That Offer Something to Enjoy
The End of Oak Street – This dinosaur movie combines family horror with the dread of an entire community being teleported back thousands of years.
Other Mommy – Jessica Chastain in a horror movie? As you can expect, she delivers a great performance in this doppelgänger tale about a young girl who suspects her mother has been replaced by an evil entity.
Colony – From the director of Train to Busan comes this competent and compelling Korean zombie movie.
Evil Dead Burn – If you can stomach it, the newest entry in the Evil Dead series is generous with its jaw-dropping gore and buckets of blood.
Ready or Not: Here I Come – The horror-comedy feels like an extended version of the first movie, which is not a bad thing.
Undertone – Created by Filipino-Canadian filmmaker Ian Tuason, this low-key horror movie based on podcasts slowly creeps up on you.
Featured Image: IMDB (via Website)
Frequently Asked Questions
MEGA’s 2026 picks are 28 Years Later: The Bone Temple, Send Help, Hokum, Obsession, Backrooms, Leviticus, Resident Evil, and Hope. Honorable mentions include The End of Oak Street, Other Mommy, Colony, Evil Dead Burn, Ready or Not: Here I Come, and Undertone.
Kane Parsons’ Backrooms adapts his own internet work, following therapist Dr. Mary Kline as she enters the Backrooms to find her patient Clark, who discovered an entrance in the basement of his furniture store. The film grows more twisted as its secrets are revealed.
Zach Cregger’s Resident Evil is not a 1:1 remake of the games. MEGA says it gets the tone and energy right, using Raccoon City during the early outbreak for a standalone story that follows a medical courier rather than a familiar character.
Leviticus is an Australian indie horror film about Naim and Ryan, two young men developing feelings for each other. After Ryan is outed to the religious local community, he is cursed to be hunted by a demon that takes the form of what he most desires, which is Naim.
28 Years Later: The Bone Temple came and went last January with a disappointing commercial performance, but MEGA calls it one of the best horror movies of the year. MEGA recommends watching 28 Years Later first to fully enjoy it.
