These horror films prioritize grief and tragedy over jump scares, and hit far harder for it.

Undisputed horror classics like Psycho, The Exorcist, and Get Out are among the absolute best movies in the history of the genre.

Horror has been a particularly vital playground in the movie world of late. As studios make fewer and fewer mid-budget dramas and comedies, major names such as Jordan Peele and Ari Aster have made inroads via low-budget horror.

Here’s our list of the top horror movies of the year thus far. Note: To be eligible for our list, films had to have their widespread U.S. theatrical/streaming debuts in 2026. But some of these may have screened earlier at film festivals or in other countries.

There were many truly exceptional horror movies released during the 1990s, including Scream, Misery, and The Blair Witch Project.

Discover 10 horror movies inspired by real-life incidents to watch this Halloween 2026, from Annabelle and The Conjuring to Indian and Asian films such as Bhoot, Death Whisperer and Vina: Before 7 Days.

The best genre in all of film just keeps getting better and better, thanks to flicks like these 10 fantastic horror movies.

There have been many standout horror masterpieces released in the modern age of horror, including Weapons, The Invisible Man, and Obsession.