10 Best Horror Movies Of 2026 (So Far)

It feels like 2025 had it all for horror fans. There were offerings both mainstream and otherwise, with the likes of Weapons and Sinners leading the way, even going on to earn critical acclaim and recognition from the Academy, which is impressive given the historical bias against Horror as a genre.

What this also did was immediately up the ante for 2026. With some pretty big boots to fill, the question was whether we'd get as good a year as we just had.

Of course, 2026 is still far from being done, but it's fair to say that the trajectory set in 2025 has carried over well and truly.

A legendary director made his triumphant return to the genre, long-awaited sequels lived up to expectations and then some, zombie movies pushed complex human stories to the forefront, and box office records were smashed in the most unexpected fashion.

Yes, there have been some truly great scream fests so far this year, and that's without us even getting into spooky season, which promises to bring even more thrills and chills to the big and small screen.

But what about the best horror movies of the year so far? What have been the highlights from another stellar year for the genre? Read on to find out...

Whether the one being hurt or the one doing the hurting, or possibly even both, throwing an animal into the thick of a horror film can add a whole new layer of unease and discomfort for an audience.

This was largely the effect that Primate banked on. Ben, the titular rabid chimpanzee, was for all intents and purposes an unstoppable killing machine, while at the same time being inherently and upsettingly innocent. None of his actions were his own fault, leaving audiences to try and reconcile both sympathy and terror simultaneously.

Primate wasted no time at all in getting down to its gnarly monkey antics, showcasing the eponymous ape as a threat almost from the beginning. Said opening also showed there would be no quarter given when it came to gory violence, something that continued through to the very end.

Lucy (Johnny Sequoyah) and her friends were thrown into turmoil by Ben in something akin to a home invasion, only the intruder had no motive and inhuman physical power. The claustrophobic setting of first the house, and then the swimming pool, made Primate an early-in-the-year treat you may find hard to get out of your head.