Half the year is gone already and, surprisingly, there are only a few horror movies that I’m still thinking about. While there have definitely been some major letdowns, the year hasn’t completely lost the plot when it comes to good scares, fun stories, and creative storytelling. Which is I am even more excited for what’s to come for the remainder of the year. So, let’s dive into my list of films I’ll be seated for the rest of 2026.
5. Buddy
Release Date: September 4th, 2026
In Buddy, a group of children are trapped in a 1990s children’s TV show hosted by a psychopathic unicorn. The film also stars one of my favs, Cristin Milioti, as a mother drawn to the nightmare. This one has spent some time on the festival circuit, and I’ve heard good things about it. I’m excited to experience the chaos for myself.
As someone who isn’t normally a fan of horror comedy, I’m shocked this one made my list. The synopsis alone grabbed my attention, but after watching director Casper Kelly’s short in V/H/S Halloween (2025), I’m looking forward to seeing what he does with a feature film.
4. Evil Dead Burn
Release Date: July 10th, 2026
The plot follows a grieving woman who finds her in-laws’ secluded home turning into a nightmare when the family is possessed by the Book of the Dead, transforming them into Deadites. If it’s anything like Infested, you can expect well-developed characters and complete immersion into the world that Sébastien Vaniček has created.
Initially, I was on board with this one because of the writer-director. Vaniček was behind one of my favorite movies of 2024, Infested. Not only was it serving up giant spiders and social messaging, but the French hip hop soundtrack had me in a chokehold for at least three months. After seeing the teaser trailer for Evil Dead Burn, my excitement level for this one went up a few points, even though I wasn’t a huge fan of its predecessor, Evil Dead Rise (2023).
3. The End of Oak Street
Release Date: August 14th, 2026
More horror adjacent in the sci-fi thriller genre, The End of Oak Street follows a family after a mysterious cosmic event rips Oak Street from suburbia and transports their neighborhood to someplace unknown. The Platt family soon discovers that their very survival depends on them sticking together as they navigate their now unrecognizable surroundings.
Starring an amazing duo, Anne Hathaway and Ewan McGregor, this one looks like a good time. As a fan of creature features, I’m down for watching a present-day family attempt to survive dinosaurs. It’s also written and directed by David Robert Mitchell, the filmmaker behind 2014’s It Follows, a modern-day horror classic.
2. Clayface
Release Date: October 23rd, 2026
Co-written by Mike Flanagan and Hossein Amini, this story is a body horror approach to the comic book character’s beginnings. Should I be brushing up on my Batman knowledge? Probably. However, we all know I’ll be seated mainly for the body horror.
I admit, this one wasn’t on my radar at all until seeing the trailer at my showing for Obsession. Director James Watkins (Speak No Evil, Eden Lake) is giving the well-known DC villain a horror origin story in his upcoming film, Clayface.
1. Colony
Release Date: August 28th, 2026
When Professor Se Jeong attends a biotech conference, things spiral into catastrophe when a rapidly mutating virus is unleashed. As the outbreak spreads and the infected transform, authorities seal off the entire facility. I won’t say too much about the zombies in Colony because I wish I hadn’t watched the trailer and just waited to experience it. However, if you need the extra push to add it to your watchlist, definitely check it out. Yeon Sang-ho doesn’t need to reinvent the wheel here; he just needs to do what he does best. It looks like he has definitely put in the work to give us something fresh when it comes to the zombie subgenre.
I’ve become a much bigger fan of zombie horror in the past two years, and that’s mostly due to Sang-ho, the director behind one of the greatest zombie films to date, Train to Busan (2016). The filmmaker decided to up the ante with this upcoming story about a new kind of zombie in Colony.
So far, this year’s horror has been a mixed bag of original stories, revived franchises, and attempts at reaching past successes. And yet the genre continues to be versatile and creative as more indie creators work to give us dynamic stories. I’m excited to see what the remainder of the year brings and if we will see some new ideas emerging.
