2026 Horror Movies Off To A Strong Start After 2025’s Record-Breaking Success

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The horror genre is starting 2026 strong, building on a successful 2025. Horror movies have long been a consistent performer in Hollywood. While quality can differ, people love the unique experience of watching scary movies with an audience in theaters.

Lately, horror movies have come in a few main forms: big franchise installments, films made by well-known directors, and smaller, independent productions. Companies like A24 and Neon have become successful by focusing on these independent horror films, and directors like Jordan Peele and Robert Eggers have become major figures in the genre.

Despite a generally difficult year for movie theaters in 2025, horror films performed exceptionally well, benefiting from both established franchises and fresh, culturally relevant stories. Maintaining this level of success in 2026 will be tough, but the genre is off to a strong start.

Horror Had Its Best Year Ever In 2025

2025 was a record-breaking year for horror movies, earning over $1.2 billion in ticket sales. Popular films like The Conjuring: Last Rites, Five Nights at Freddy’s 2, Sinners, and Weapons drove this success. Last Rites had the biggest opening weekend of any horror film ever, and Sinners stood out as the most successful original horror movie, bringing in $368 million globally.

Beyond its box office success, horror films also received positive reviews from critics in 2025. Movies like 28 Years Later, The Long Walk, Final Destination: Bloodlines, Together, Frankenstein, and Bring Her Back each offered something different that critics appreciated.

I’m so excited to see horror finally getting the recognition it deserves! It’s amazing that films like Sinners, Weapons, and even a new take on Frankenstein are being nominated for Golden Globes and Critics’ Choice Awards. I really think they could be serious contenders at the 2026 Academy Awards too – it’s a great time to be a horror fan!

Horror movies rarely get serious award consideration. In fact, only seven have ever been nominated for Best Picture at the Oscars. But the number of horror films among this year’s nominees proves how much of an impact the genre had on film critics and the industry in 2025.

Primate And We Bury The Dead Are Starting The Horror Genre On A High Note For 2026

Gareth Gatrell /© Paramount Pictures / Courtesy Everett Collection

January isn’t usually a strong month for horror movies, but this year is different thanks to a couple of early releases. One of them is We Bury the Dead, an Australian zombie film featuring Daisy Ridley and Brenton Thwaites. The film, directed by Zak Hilditch, follows Ridley’s character as she looks for her husband during a zombie outbreak.

The movie first showed at the South by Southwest Film & TV Festival in March 2025 and was released in theaters on January 2, 2026. Critics generally liked the film, giving it an 84% rating on Rotten Tomatoes, but audiences have been more split, with a score of 47%.

Okay, so everyone’s talking about this zombie film, and for good reason. It’s not just another scare-fest; it actually looks at what a world-ending event would do to people emotionally. It deals with grief and loss in a really thoughtful way, which is something we don’t often see in zombie movies. It’s got some of the classic horror elements we expect, but it’s fresh enough to feel different and genuinely stands out from the crowd. I was pleasantly surprised.

Later this month, audiences can catch Primate, a new horror film where a chimpanzee becomes a terrifying killer. Directed by Johannes Roberts, the movie follows a family whose pet chimp turns violent after being bitten by a rabid animal during a tropical vacation.

The movie debuted at Fantastic Fest in September 2025 and will hit theaters on January 9th. Early reviews have been fantastic, with critics giving it a 92% score on Rotten Tomatoes. They especially love the film’s over-the-top gore and realistic special effects. While the premise is strange, the filmmakers seem to be embracing the weirdness, and it’s working.

2026 Has A Stellar Horror Lineup

As a horror fan, I’m SO excited for 2026! It’s packed with stuff I’ve been waiting for. Sam Raimi is coming back to direct Send Help later this month, which is huge, and we’re finally getting another 28 Years Later movie called The Bone Temple. February looks amazing too – Neve Campbell is back as Sidney Prescott in Scream 7, and The Strangers Chapter 3 is going to finish off that new trilogy. It’s going to be a great year for horror!

This March, Maggie Gyllenhaal offers a fresh take on the classic story of Frankenstein with her new film, The Bride. Plus, Samara Weaving is back for more thrills in Ready or Not: Here I Come. Then, in April, audiences can look forward to a new version of The Mummy directed by Lee Cronin, and the intense survival thriller Apex starring Charlize Theron.

Damian McCarthy, the director of 2024’s Oddity, is back with a new horror film called Hokum in May. Next summer, 2026, will bring sequels to several popular horror series, including Insidious 6, Evil Dead Burn, and Scary Movie 6. Later in September, the DC Universe will explore horror with a film called Clayface, and Zach Cregger, who directed Weapons, will be taking on the Resident Evil franchise.

Several other highly anticipated horror movies are coming out this year, including Terrifier 4, Remain by M. Night Shyamalan, and Werwulf from Robert Eggers. Even if 2026 isn’t quite as strong a year for horror as 2025 was, it’s still a fantastic time to be a fan, with a good blend of established series and original films from exciting directors.

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2026-01-03 03:02