Upcoming Must-Watch Horror Movies In 2026 For Cinephiles
Itching for some jumpscares in cinemas this year? Check out our picks of unsettling horror movies that’ll leave you thoroughly creeped out.
Let’s be real: The 2026 Oscars were a pretty monumental one for the horror genre. With Sinners, Weapons and gothic horror standout Frankenstein, sweeping a total of eight awards that night, it’s undeniable that the horror genre has been experiencing a revival these days.
Now, a fresh new slate of horror movies has arrived to shake up the scene. Whether you’re into campy indie thrills, unsettling horror suspense or just love a good ole jump scare, scroll down for our picks of the best upcoming horror movies in 2026.
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BEST HORROR MOVIES IN 2026
1. Obsession
Similar to the recent viral Netflix horror K-drama If Wishes Could Kill, Obsession is a classic Monkey’s Paw story about love gone wrong. Driven by the desire to get his longtime crush, Nikki to fall in love with him, the protagonist Bear makes a wish by breaking the “One Wish Willow”. What follows are sinister consequences and a realisation that he might have gotten way more than he wished for.
US release date: May 15, 2026
Singapore release date: TBC
2. Hokum
Still riding on that gothic horror high? Lucky for you, director Damian McCarthy is set to release a new gothic supernatural horror film starring the beloved Adam Scott. The film follows Scott as an author who becomes plagued by stories of a witch haunting the premises after he visits a remote Irish inn to scatter his parents’ ashes. It’s a film filled with mysteries, mythical folklore and probably a whole lot of jumpscares.
Singapore release date: May 21, 2026
3. Backrooms
If you were a Creepypasta fan back in the late 2010s, the “backrooms” concept definitely rings a bell. Inspired by a series of liminal space images that felt unresting and eerie, director Kane Parsons released a series of “backrooms” found footage on YouTube in 2022 that has since gathered a whopping 77 million views. Now, he has extended that universe with a highly-anticipated horror film that follows a mysterious doorway that suddenly appears in the basement of a furniture showroom.
Singapore release date: June 18, 2026
4. Leviticus
Set in a religious Australian town, Leviticus follows two teen boys that become haunted by a violent entity, after their forbidden romance is exposed. As the story unravels, they are forced to escape its clutches while navigating their relationship at the same time.
US release date: June 19, 2026
Singapore release date: TBC
5. Her Private Hell
Premiering at this year’s Cannes Film Festival is Her Private Hell a horror-thriller slasher film featuring rising horror it-girl Sophie Thatcher and Beef season two’s star Charles Melton amongst many other Hollywood up-and-comers. It follows a young woman on a quest to find her father as a strange deadly mist engulfs their futuristic city. On this journey, she crosses paths with an American GI determined to retrieve his daughter from Hell.
US release date: July 24, 2026
Singapore release date: TBC
6. Teenage Sex and Death at Camp Miasma
Given that it just received a nine minute standing ovation at Cannes, Teenage Sex and Death at Camp Miasma is probably one of the horror movies to have on the top of your watchlists this year. After being hired to direct the new installment of a film franchise, a filmmaker becomes obsessed with casting the reclusive “final girl” from the original film – which leads to a descent into psychological and sexual chaos. This horror slasher film is also from the director behind the 2024 indie horror film I Saw the TV Glow, so you can probably expect the same ‘90s-inspired neon-soaked aesthetic as before.
US release date: August 7, 2026
Singapore release date: TBC
7. Clayface
If you’re a fan of body horror films like The Substance, you definitely don’t want to miss out on DC Universe’s first horror movie Clayface. Based on the origins of the shape-shifting Gotham City supervillain, this film follows a rising actor’s transformation into a murderous clay-like monster that’s out to seek revenge after being left in a disfigured state.
US release date: October 23, 2026
Singapore release date: TBC