Unmissable Horror Films to Watch in 2026

It’s not easy being a film buff who’s scared to watch horror.

Although you want to keep up with the latest releases, you know you’ll end up watching them through your fingers. On one hand, you’re fascinated by the secrets of haunted houses and psychopathic killers, but on the other, they make you wonder just how much help your boyfriend, cats and dog would be in the case of an attack by some sinister creature.

Sometimes, though, you have to be brave: these horror films are too tempting to resist. Here are a few upcoming scary movies I definitely won’t miss – even if it means I’ll be jumping at every suspicious noise for the next month.

Mārama

UK release date: In cinemas now
US release date: 17 April 2026

The trailer for Taratoa Stappard’s first feature promises a blend of Jane Eyre and folklore, with a touch of Guillermo del Toro style. In Mārama, the writer-director draws on Gothic horror and Māori culture to summon the ghosts of colonialism.

After receiving a letter from someone claiming to have information about her parents, Mary Stevens (Ariāna Osborne), sets off on a journey from Wellington, New Zealand, to the UK. At Hawkser Manor in the English countryside, she is welcomed by the owner, Nathanial Cole (Toby Stephens), who seems deeply fascinated by Māori culture and the young woman herself.

At her host’s request, Mary becomes governess to his granddaughter, Anne (Evelyn Towersey). However, the longer she stays at the manor, the more she begins to doubt Cole’s sincerity. Haunted by dreams and visions, Mary realises the only way out is to uncover the truth about her ancestors.

Backrooms

UK and US release date: 29 May 2026

Clark (Chiwetel Ejiofor) is the mentally unstable owner of a furniture shop. When he discovers an entrance to a bizarre dimension filled with abandoned objects and muffled voices, solving its mystery becomes an obsession. When he disappears into the maze of yellow rooms and corridors, his therapist (Renate Reinsve), initially sceptical, sets off to find him.

Backrooms is a slow burner that evolved from an image posted on 4chan, depicting an empty room with yellow walls and a yellow carpet. The image soon inspired a disturbing story, a so-called creepypasta, and grew into a multilevel maze universe. Based on that, Kane Parsons created a web series that he then developed into a horror film in collaboration with A24.

The labyrinth of deserted rooms may evoke a familiar sense of unease among fans of Severance – and rightly so, as the Backrooms universe was one of the inspirations for the Apple TV+ series.

Clayface

UK and US release date: 23 October 2026

As head of DC Studios, James Gunn promised to replace generic superhero pulp with a variety of film genres. Following the relatively traditional Superman and Supergirl flicks comes the first experiment. With Clayface, written by Mike Flanagan (The Haunting anthology series, Doctor Sleep, Carrie) and directed by James Watkins (The Woman in Black, Speak No Evil), body horror is entering the DC cinematic universe.

In the comics, Clayface is an alias held by several different criminals and adversaries of Batman. Various incarnations of the character have appeared on screen, including in the live-action series Gotham and the animated shows Harley Quinn and Creature Commandos.

In the upcoming DC film, blending elements of several comic book stories, Clayface (Tom Rhys Harries) is an actor mutilated by gangsters. To heal his disfigured face, he decides to undergo a dangerous treatment – as a result, his body takes on terrifying, shape-shifting properties.

Victorian Psycho

UK release date: TBC
US release date: 25 September 2026

We’re all familiar with Gothic tales of an innocent young governess arriving at a remote estate, inhabited by strange children, a grim landowner, and many secrets. Like Mārama, Victorian Psycho, based on a novel by Virginia Feito, takes an unconventional approach to handling this trope.

Brimming with rage and black humour, it reverses the roles of victims and predators, chronicling a murderous spree set against a 19th-century backdrop. On Christmas Day at Ensor House, a hybrid of Patrick Bateman and Fleabag, sporting a corset and crinoline, sets off on a hunt.

The governess, Winifred Notty, is portrayed by Maika Monroe, a scream queen known for her roles in It Follows, The Watcher and Longlegs. The film also features Thomasin McKenzie (Last Night in Soho, The Testament of Ann Lee), Jason Isaacs (Harry Potter, The White Lotus), Amy De Bhrún (Borderline) and Jacobi Jupe (Hamnet).

Werwulf

UK release date: 1 January 2027
US release date: 25 December 2026

Robert Eggers has made a name for himself as a master of raw period dramas with a horror twist and a unique take on myths and folklore. Following tales of a witch, a vampire and a Norse warrior, the American director now retells a story about a werewolf, taking viewers back to 13th-century England.