Horror fans have had a lot to scream about in 2026. We got a video game movie that critics actually loved, a tiny-budget chiller that became a box office hit and a classic zombie saga that went somewhere new.
Not every horror film this year landed, of course. Big names like Scream 7 and Lee Cronin’s The Mummy struggled with critics. But the best ones were some of the most creative scary movies in years.
So we went through the reviews and picked the 11 top rated horror movies of 2026 so far. Some are loud and gory. Others are quiet and creepy. All of them are worth a watch with the lights off.
The scores below are Rotten Tomatoes critic scores at the time of writing, so they may shift a little as more reviews come in.
The 11 Top Rated Horror Movies of 2026
| # | Movie | Director | Type of horror | RT critics score |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Resident Evil | Zach Cregger | Zombie, action horror | 96% |
| 2 | It Ends | Alexander Ullom | Existential, road horror | 95% |
| 3 | Teenage Sex and Death at Camp Miasma | Jane Schoenbrun | Slasher | 93% |
| 4 | Obsession | Curry Barker | Supernatural | 93% |
| 5 | Leviticus | Adrian Chiarella | Supernatural, coming-of-age | 93% |
| 6 | Send Help | Sam Raimi | Survival, horror-comedy | 92% |
| 7 | 28 Years Later: The Bone Temple | Nia DaCosta | Post-apocalyptic | 91% |
| 8 | Hokum | Damian McCarthy | Ghost story, folk horror | 90% |
| 9 | Buddy | Casper Kelly | Surreal, killer mascot | 88% |
| 10 | We Bury the Dead | Zak Hilditch | Zombie drama | 87% |
| 11 | Backrooms | Kane Parsons | Liminal, psychological | 86% |
1. Resident Evil
Director: Zach Cregger | Stars: Austin Abrams, Zach Cherry, Kali Reis, Paul Walter Hauser | Released: September 18
After years of so-so game movies, Resident Evil finally got the film fans wanted. The Barbarian director follows a medical courier making a delivery to Raccoon City’s hospital just as the outbreak begins. It is fast, gory and often funny, thanks to Austin Abrams. It is now the best-reviewed video game movie ever made.
2. It Ends
Director: Alexander Ullom | Distributor: Neon
A group of friends turn onto a forest road, and it simply never ends. No exits, no way back. This debut feature plays with your nerves rather than throwing jump scares at you. It is also a smart metaphor for that stuck feeling many young adults know too well.
3. Teenage Sex and Death at Camp Miasma
Director: Jane Schoenbrun | Stars: Gillian Anderson, Jasmin Savoy Brown, Hannah Einbinder
The director of I Saw the TV Glow takes on the summer camp slasher. A young filmmaker is hired to revive an old horror franchise, and things get weird fast. Gillian Anderson is a highlight. Expect something stranger and more personal than your usual camp kill-fest.
4. Obsession
Director: Curry Barker | Stars: Michael Johnston, Inde Navarrette
A lonely young man wishes the girl he loves would love him back. She does, and it’s terrifying. Made on a small budget, this one turned into one of the biggest horror surprises of the year. It is creepy, uncomfortable and hard to shake off afterward.
5. Leviticus
Director: Adrian Chiarella | Stars: Joe Bird, Stacy Clausen, Mia Wasikowska
Two teenage boys are hunted by a creature that takes the shape of the person they desire most. This Australian chiller mixes supernatural horror with a tender, painful coming-of-age story. It is scary and sad in equal measure.
6. Send Help
Director: Sam Raimi | Stars: Rachel McAdams, Dylan O’Brien | Released: January
An office worker and her awful boss survive a plane crash and wash up on a deserted island. Now the power has flipped. Sam Raimi brings his trademark mix of gore and dark humor, and Rachel McAdams is clearly having the time of her life.
7. 28 Years Later: The Bone Temple
Director: Nia DaCosta | Stars: Ralph Fiennes, Jack O’Connell, Alfie Williams | Released: January
The rage virus story keeps going, and it gets darker and bolder. Ralph Fiennes steals every scene. The gore is intense, but the film also asks a big question: can people still be kind when the world has ended?
8. Hokum
Director: Damian McCarthy | Stars: Adam Scott, David Wilmot, Peter Coonan | Released: May 1
Adam Scott plays a novelist staying at a remote Irish inn that is haunted by a witch. McCarthy, who made Oddity, sticks to the classics: dark corners, things that move when they shouldn’t and perfectly timed jump scares. It is a proper old-school ghost story.
9. Buddy
Director: Casper Kelly | Stars: Cristin Milioti, Topher Grace, voice of Keegan-Michael Key
Imagine a cheerful kids’ TV show, then imagine its unicorn host is a killer. That’s Buddy. From the creator of the cult short Too Many Cooks, it is bright, bizarre and deeply unsettling. You won’t look at children’s TV the same way again.
10. We Bury the Dead
Director: Zak Hilditch | Stars: Daisy Ridley, Brenton Thwaites
After a military disaster, a woman joins the crew clearing bodies from the zone, hoping to find her missing husband. Then the dead start to move. Daisy Ridley gives a strong, emotional performance in this slow-burn zombie drama.
11. Backrooms
Director: Kane Parsons | Stars: Chiwetel Ejiofor, Renate Reinsve, Mark Duplass
Based on the viral YouTube series, this film starts with a strange doorway hidden in a furniture showroom. Behind it is an endless maze of empty yellow rooms. It is less about monsters and more about the creeping dread of being lost somewhere that shouldn’t exist.
Scores from Rotten Tomatoes’ 2026 horror guide, updated October 1, 2026. It Ends’ score was reported in August 2026.
FAQs
Q: What is the best horror movie of 2026 so far?
A: Zach Cregger’s Resident Evil leads with a 96% critic score on Rotten Tomatoes. It Ends is right behind it at 95%.
Q: What is the scariest movie of 2026?
A: That depends on what scares you. For classic jump scares, go with Hokum. For slow, creeping dread, try It Ends or Backrooms. If you like gore, Resident Evil and The Bone Temple deliver plenty.
Q: Which 2026 horror movies are horror-comedies?
A: Send Help and Resident Evil both mix scares with a lot of dark humor. Buddy is funny too, in a very strange way.
Q: Which big horror movies of 2026 disappointed critics?
A: Scream 7, Lee Cronin’s The Mummy and The Strangers: Chapter 3 all earned weak reviews this year.
Q: Will more horror movies be added to this list?
A: Yes. October is peak horror season, so we’ll update the list as new releases hit theaters.