Upcoming Horror Movie Releases for 2026: Films and Digital Dates

i’ve seen the Curry Barker film which was fun but not always super frightening. looking for recommendations on the scariest movies you have seen this year already.

avoid spoilers please!

All the new horror movies (and some shows) releasing throughout August 2026. A few promising looking horrors in the lineup this month. Enjoy

I’ll continue editing and adding to this list frequently as new info comes out.

Which releases this month look interesting? And which releases would you recommend? .

⇩ Slide to left ⇩

Releases Notes Date & Location Link Synopsis ◇Digital Releases: SOULM8TE (sci-fi/thriller/horror) A.I. robot; psychological; erotic; M3GAN universe August 1 - VOD IMDB A man acquires an Artificially Intelligent android to cope with the loss of his recently deceased wife. In an attempt to create a truly sentient partner, he inadvertently turns a harmless lovebot into a deadly soulmate. Tinsman Road (horror) found-footage; supernatural; indie August 3 - VOD IMDB A young man, Robbie, returns home to investigate the disappearance of his sister, Noelle, while his mother believes Noelle's spirit is still in the house. Evil Follows (horror) supernatural August 4 - VOD IMDB A husband's fight to save his wife from a demonic possession that began the moment the dybbuk box chose her as its next host. Ragebait (horror) found-footage; supernatural; anthology August 4 - Screambox IMDB On Halloween, a socially parasitic live streamer becomes the target of an entity after a mysterious viewer curses his stream, forcing him to watch a collection of disturbing videos from missing content creators. Evil Dead Burn (horror/thriller/mystery/dark fantasy) supernatural; splatter; zombies; body horror; folk horror August 4 - VOD IMDB A grieving widow seeks solace with her in-laws at their secluded property. Horrified, she watches them one by one transform into deadites. And soon discovers that the vows she took in life - survive even in death. Lockbox (horror) supernatural August 4 - VOD IMDB A woman puts everything on the line to defend her enigmatic cousin from a dangerous otherworldly entity determined to track him down. Haunted Heist (horror/comedy/mystery) supernatural; haunted house August 4 - VOD IMDB Four estranged friends reunite at a house, where one plans to find a valuable antique by robbing it. However, the haunted house's ghosts force them to overcome differences to survive. The Shards (series; thriller/mystery/crime/horror) serial killer; whodunit; psychological; coming-of-age; 80’s elite prep school; erotic August 5 - FX; Hulu IMDB Privileged teens in an L.A. prep school are terrorized by a serial killer in their city, around the same time as the arrival of a mysterious new student. The Last House (horror/sci-fi/thriller/action/mystery) supernatural August 7 - Netflix IMDB A family of four is suddenly sealed inside their house with no way out and must work together to survive against both their dwindling resources and the mysterious, looming threat that is keeping them trapped. Big Baby (horror) slasher; killer; psychological August 7 - VOD IMDB A horror screenwriter named Adam finds inspiration from a terrifying reoccurring nightmare featuring a maniacal killer wearing a baby mask. As he delves deeper into the story, the line between reality and fiction begins to blur. The Boy From Below (horror/thriller) slasher August 11 - VOD IMDB A movie nerd must put her genre knowledge to the test in order to survive when she’s targeted by a killer in a creepy truck who is obsessed with horror movies on Halloween night. Harbinger (horror) supernatural; cursed object August 11 - VOD IMDB Julia, sole survivor of late serial killer Decker, is lured back to the house she shared with him for a ghost hunting TV show. The crew discover the 'Harbinger' - a fairground fortune telling machine that reveals their fates one by one. Feed (horror/thriller) vampire; supernatural; Irish folklore August 14 - VOD IMDB Five friends spend a weekend at a forest retreat but inadvertently awaken the world's original vampire. Carry the Darkness (horror) supernatural August 14 - BloodStream IMDB In 1993, Travis Baldwin is a misunderstood metalhead teenager amidst a world steeped in the Satanic panic. When a mysterious entity begins wreaking havoc in his small town, Travis becomes the prime suspect. Hunted by suspicion while the true evil remains hidden, he must protect himself and his friends before paranoia and darkness consume them all. Hellcat (horror/thriller) psychological August 14 - Shudder; AMC+ IMDB A woman wakes in the back of a moving camper trailer with a badly infected wound. A voice from the truck towing it tells her they must reach a doctor within the hour or she'll suffer a horrific fate. Rose of Nevada (sci-fi/mystery/fantasy/horror/drama) time-travel; supernatural; eerie; surreal; lo-fi August 18 - VOD IMDB Mysterious boat returns to a village 30 years after vanishing. Two men join its crew hoping for better fortune. After one voyage, they find themselves transported back in time, mistaken for the original crew. Bury the Devil (horror) supernatural August 21 - VOD IMDB When a hospice nurse finds herself trapped with a dementia patient, she begins to suspect something else is wrong with the woman, something otherworldly, and must fight to survive the night. Blood Shine (horror/thriller) folk horror; religion; cult recruitment; psychological August 21 - VOD IMDB A religious zealot takes a troubled filmmaker captive, subjecting him to sadistic rituals in an attempt to transform him into a god. A Mother’s Secret (horror/thriller) psychological August 21 - VOD IMDB A body is found hidden inside the walls of new mother, Kenzie’s, dream home during renovation. She spirals into paranoia, experiencing terrifying visions concerning her young daughter, Anna. Her husband suggests hiring a nanny, who bonds immediately with Anna. But as the body is finally identified, it uncovers a dark past and a deadly secret threatening their family. Above and Below (horror/action/thrller) survival; sharks; crime August 25 - VOD IMDB Friends embark on a dream vacation of boat partying and cage diving with the sharks, but their trip takes a terrifying turn when criminals attack them at sea. Turning Point (horror) zombie; single-location August 25 - VOD IMDB two thieves become trapped inside a house with a transitioning, mutating homeowner who is turning into a zombie. The Mutant (Chinese; sci-fi/action/thriller) post-apocalyptic August 25 - VOD IMDB In 2150, artificial intelligence mutated, seized control of the earth, and launched an eradication operation against humans. The surviving humans fought a desperate battle with the artificial intelligence army. Penny Lane is Dead (horror/thriller/dark comedy) slasher; Ozploitation August 28 - Shudder; AMC+ IMDB Set in 1986, during an Aussie summer, three best friends' celebration at a beach house turns into a blood-soaked fight for survival when a prank goes horribly wrong. The Whisper Man (thriller/crime/drama) psychological; killer August 28 - Netflix IMDB A grieving father and his young son relocate to the quiet town of Featherbank, which was once terrorized by a serial killer known as The Whisper Man. But rumors circulated that he worked with an accomplice. ◇Theatrical Releases: Namaslay (horror/comedy) supernatural; social commentary; satirical; genre-bending August 6 - LMTD theaters IMDB Focuses on a young woman’s experience at an upscale yoga studio’s demonic instructor training retreat. Attack of the Killer Tomatoes: Organic Intelligence (comedy/horror) creatures; A.I.; sequel August 7 - LMTD theaters IMDB nature pitted against A.I.; reprise and 5th sequel of the 1978 cult classic. The Weird Kids (horror) hand-animated; creatures; 80’s nostalgia; coming-of-age August 7 - LMTD theaters IMDB Three young friends go camping with an older brother and his girlfriend, encountering a local monster legend called the "Night Child" and other horrors. Ice Cream Man (horror) body horror; splatter August 7 - theaters IMDB An idyllic summer town descends into madness as an ice cream man serves children sweet delights with terrifying consequences. Teenage Sex and Death at Camp Miasma (horror/thriller/romance/drama) slasher August 7 - theaters IMDB A director making a slasher sequel becomes obsessed with casting the original film's 'final girl,' leading both women into psychological and sexual chaos. Alterity (sci-fi/thriller/horror) supernatural August 7 - theaters IMDB set in an abandoned mall where a ghost hunt uncovers a government conspiracy involving alien assimilation, leading to a fight for survival against an alien threat. The End of Oak Street (sci-fi/thriller/adventure/action/mystery) dinosaurs; survival August 14 - theaters IMDB A suburban street is ripped from reality and sent to a prehistoric, alien landscape, forcing residents to band together to survive. It Ends (horror/thriller) spatial loop; psychological; indie August 21 - theaters IMDB Friends on a late-night food run become trapped on an infinite highway. Confined in their Jeep Cherokee, they must decide whether to accept their fate or attempt escape. Insidious: Out of the Further (horror/thriller/mystery) supernatural; monster; sixth sequel August 21 - theaters IMDB A young mother raising her daughter in the house she grew up in, discovers she can travel into The Further, where she possesses an ability to bring what lives there back to the real world. Colony (S.Korean; action/horror) zombie; disaster; body horror August 28 - theaters IMDB A biotech professor and other survivors are trapped in a high-rise as a virus turns people into evolving, colony-like infected creatures. The Dog Stars (sci-fi/thriller/drama/horror) post-apocalyptic; quest; survival August 28 - theaters IMDB A pilot and his dog live in an abandoned airport hangar after a deadly pandemic. A mysterious radio signal prompts him to search for hope and other people, leading him on a dangerous journey. Buddy (horror/comedy) slasher; set in 1999 August 28 - theaters IMDB A group of children on a TV show must escape when their unicorn host becomes a brutal killer after one child disobeys.

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*It’s decent work tracking down all the horror films across the internet, and checking up on their ever changing release schedules. These sites help a lot.
Sources:
Bloody-disgusting.com
Horrorsociety.com
Moviesandmania.com
Scarevalue.com
Upcominghorrormovies.com

Which aren't sequels, remakes or reboot. The three I can think of are Backrooms, Hokum and Obsession. Films which have already been released are Primate, Send Help and They Will Kill You.

Also which ones are you looking forward to most?

@ mods could we incorporate a flair for these kind of aggregate release posts? i’d love to be able to easily reference them as a backlog!

as someone who is terrible at keeping up with all new releases in a timely manner but tries to watch as much as possible by year end, these would be a great reference!

I mean, colored me impressed since we got alot of horror films like Obsession and Backrooms and I did see Obsession which was fucking fantastic yet there are so many many many 2026 Horror films I havent seen yet yet its pumping like crazy this year.

I give up 2026 is the Year of the Horror.

Now can Obsession win the Oscar for best Picture now?

Hokum. The most unsettled I felt in a horror movie in a long time. Also, beautiful cinematography, spooky atmosphere, and creepy but subtle imagery.

My favourites have been Bone Temple and Obsession.

Backrooms also very good, especially if you enjoy the internet series.

A man acquires an Artificially Intelligent android to cope with the loss of his recently deceased wife.

A grieving widow seeks solace with her in-laws at their secluded property.

On Halloween, a socially parasitic live streamer becomes the target of an entity after a mysterious viewer curses his stream.