The first half of 2026 certainly made a statement in the horror genre. Reverberations will be felt across Hollywood as studios reassess what constitutes a blockbuster. The recent critical success of Sinners, Weapons, and The Substance appears to be bearing fruit. The results may have led to a diverse slate of offerings for 2026, and it is reflected in the wide array of horror offerings so far this year. If variety is your preference, then you have been in luck, so far. The unimaginable financial and critical success of Obsession and Backrooms, particularly given their low cost, have re-written the horror producer's playbook, and will have a lasting impact for years to come. The Scariest Things evaluated what we've seen so far, and have come back with a report card of our favorites.
★★★★ out of ★★★★★
Intensity: 🩸🩸🩸1/2 out of 🩸🩸🩸🩸🩸
Ladies and Gentlemen, may I present to you the most violent horror movie I have seen this year: They Will Kill You. This stylish and gleefully gory action-horror-comedy takes on a familiar theme and injects it with nitro boosters. Zazie Beetz plays Asia Reves, a woman searching for her sister at her last known location: a New York Hotel that is secretly a Satanic Temple. Is she trapped? Or are the cultists inside the ones who are stuck with a woman with some serious fighting mojo? It's a bit of both. This is a fan-favorite film from the 2026 festival circuit, now available on HBO.


