The nominees for the 2026 FANGORIA Chainsaw Awards have arrived, celebrating the best of the best in horror — including some of our favorite up and coming directors, as well as old favorites making brilliant new stories, one of whom will take home the award for Best Director. From young prodigies to beloved auteurs, horror featured all kinds of voices this past year, telling some of the most gruesome stories you’ve ever seen.
Last year’s award went to Ryan Coogler for his work on Sinners, which also took home the award for Best Wide Release. But who will take home the crown this year? Before you vote, check out all the nominees for Best Director here.
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Obsession — Curry Barker
Curry Barker on set of OBSESSION (Credit: Focus Features) It’s the movie every teen you know has been talking about, and every indie filmmaker dreams of achieving. Twenty-six year old Curry Barker made Obsession for under $1 million and catapulted himself to viral stardom with his story of supernatural coercion, earning over $350 million and becoming Focus Features’ highest grossing film ever.
Obsession also earned Chainsaw nominations for Best Wide Release, Best Lead Performance, and Best Screenplay, as well as becoming the eighth highest grossing film of 2026.
Weapons — Zach Cregger
Zach Cregger on set of WEAPONS (Credit: Warner Bros.) Barbarian director Zach Cregger’s second film became so famous that it was parodied at the Academy Awards, where one of its stars even took home a statue. While it may be heavily memed, Cregger’s sophomore feature launched him to enough success that he landed a Resident Evil film, as well as spawning a prequel film set to release in 2028.
Weapons also earned Chainsaw nominations for Best Wide Release, Best Supporting Performance, and Best Screenplay, as well as winning star Amy Madigan a Golden Globe nomination and an Oscar for Best Supporting Actress.
28 Years Later: The Bone Temple — Nia DaCosta
Nia DaCosta on set of 28 YEARS LATER: THE BONE TEMPLE (Credit: Sony) Picking up where director Danny Boyle left off, Nia DaCosta created one of the scariest zombie films we’ve ever seen — and not because of the Infected. The Bone Temple introduces us to the Jimmies and opens up even more of the world originally created in 28 Days Later, as Spike, Jimmy Ink, and more try to find out how to survive.
The Bone Temple also earned Chainsaw nominations for Best Wide Release, Best Lead Performance, Best Supporting Performance, Best Makeup FX, Best Screenplay, Best Score, Best Cinematography, and Best Costume Design.
Dust Bunny — Bryan Fuller
Bryan Fuller on set of DUST BUNNY (Credit: Roadside Attractions) Hannibal helmer Bryan Fuller makes his feature directing debut with the fantasy horror Dust Bunny, featuring Mads Mikkelsen as an assassin hired by an eight year old girl to kill the monster under her bed. While he’s better known for writing on terrifying tales that’ll have you second-guessing your next stake, Fuller goes hog-wild with the world of Dust Bunny, which takes all your childhood fears and makes them even scarier than you’d imagine.
Dust Bunny also earned Chainsaw nominations for Best Limited Release, Best Lead Performance, Best Supporting Performance, Best Creature FX, Best First Feature, Best Cinematography, and Best Costume Design.
The Bride! — Maggie Gyllenhaal
Maggie Gyllenhaal on set of THE BRIDE! (Credit: Warner Bros.) While Guillermo del Toro took a more traditional approach in adapting the story of Mary Shelley’s Frankenstein, Maggie Gyllenhaal decided to shake things up a bit. Focusing instead on the Bride of Frankenstein — a character immortalized by Elsa Lanchester in 1935 — The Bride! is a Prohibition-era fever dream, letting star Jessie Buckley shine in Gyllenhaal’s delightfully unhinged story of autonomy and redemption.
The Bride! also earned Chainsaw nominations for Best Wide Release, Best lead Performance, Best Makeup FX, and Best Çostume Design.
