23 New Horror Movies You Should Watch This Winter

Released in theaters in early October, the Grabber comes home in time for Thanksgiving. The snowy, winter-set sequel to Scott Derrickson and C. Robert Cargill's mega hit is worthy of becoming an annual winter watch.

Our favorite horror siblings Finny and Gwen are cut off from civilization in a snowed in camp with the Grabber in hot pursuit (he's even got ice skates) this would be an excellent double feature paired with The Shining. Mason Thames and Madeleine McGraw shine and it's a rarity to get to watch the growth of young actors so wildly talented at what they do.

Black Phone 2 is currently in theaters and available to watch at home December 3.

Guillermo del Toro has been waiting his whole damn life to make Frankenstein and it shows. The master of horror excels when unleashed into a gothic setting, and his prowess is on full display here. His adaptation of an old favorite is achingly beautiful and haunting in all the ways we anticipated, and hits hard in all the ways we did not.

Jacob Elordi brings the gentle creature to life with such care, Mia Goth was born to play ethereal Victorian beings, and Oscar Isaac makes for a wickedly wonderful Victor. The movie has nothing to do with Christmas, but the snowy and unforgiving terrain combined with the gothic beauty of it all feels like a shoe in for a new annual December watch.

Frankenstein is streaming on Netflix. For more, check out our FANGORIA Presents: Frankenstein bookazine now in stores.

Dan Trachtenberg returns for his follow-up to the wildly successful Prey, with what BJ Colangelo called “a valiant and violent addition to the franchise” in her official Predator: Badlands review. This entry follows a Yautja cast out from its clan, the alien hunter and an unlikely ally embark on a treacherous journey in search of the ultimate adversary in what Colangelo likens to a buddy action flick, dubbed one of the most entertaining movies of the year.

Predator: Badlands is in theaters and will likely be streaming on Huly/Disney+ in early 2026.

I've written extensively about why this is one of the most unexpectedly important movies of the year (it's also on FANGORIA cover #29). For now, I'll tell you George Romero's daughter carried his legacy proudly and put her own deeply personal and hilarious stamp on everything we love about Romero zombie films. Drag queens and zombies explode onto the screen in a firework of glitter and a whole lot of heart. When we bang the drum about supporting indie horror, this is precisely what we're talking about.

Queens of the Dead is available to rent or buy on Digital and will stream on Shudder, exact date TBD.

Neon has been maddeningly quiet about the details on this one! After shooting Longlegs, Oz Perkins headed to a cabin with his team, eager to make another movie. They felt it out as they went along, and it seems the result is a uniquely strange and unsettling Oz Perkins folk horror nightmare. Find out for yourself.

Keeper is in theaters.

Edgar Wright's adaptation of the dystopian Stephen King story boasts a star-studded cast, with Glen Powell in the lead as protagonist Ben Richards. Also starring Michael Cera, Karl Glusman, Josh Brolin, Colman Domingo, Katy O’Brian, William H. Macy, Daniel Ezra, and Lee Pace.

For the unfamiliar, the story follows a dystopian reality television show in which contestants win money by evading a team of hitmen sent to kill them.

The Running Man is in theaters.

Our favorit Creeps are back! Mark Duplass and Patrick Brice, the masterminds behind the found footage horror franchise Creep , return with a second season. What aliases with Duplass' “Peachfuzz” assume this season? We have an exclusive behind the episode look at the second episode of the latest season right here, featuring plenty of BTS photos.

The Creep Tapes Season 2 is now streaming on Shudder.

No, Nicolas Cage is not playing Jesus but that doesn't make this any less weird. The movie is billed as “a horror spin on Jesus' childhood.” Cage stars as Jesus' dad, Joseph, opposite FKA Twigs and Noah Jupe. But Nic Cage will be battling some demons hellbent on tempting his son, so that sounds pretty weird and cool.

The Carpenter's Son is in theaters.

My teenage nephew (who does not go easy on movies and is by now an avid horror connousier) told me that this was “the most scared I've ever been in a theater in my entire life.” This kid frequents the local rep screenings and he knows his shit, so this is a pretty solid endorsement.

As found footage goes, Shelby Oaks cleverly plays with well established tropes and you may end up somewhere entirely different from what you anticipated. It's hard to tell you much without giving it away, but know that I thoroughly enjoyed this one as well.

Shelby Oaks is available to rent or buy on Digital.

The much anticipated Five Nights At Freddy's sequel drops just in time to be a holiday gift to us all. Returning director Emma Tammi and a bunch of returning cast is a great sign that we are in for more of what made that first installment so great. So does this mark our… sixth night at Freddy Fazbear's Pizzeria? I don't think that's exactly how it works, but I do know I'll be seated (with pizza in hand) when Five Nights At Freddy's 2 drops into theaters December 5.

Found footage horror is having a bit of a comeback moment. I know, I know, it never really went anywhere and there are some strong entries in the last decade BUT the majority of those have gone straight to streaming.

Man Finds Tape will be in select theaters and VOD December 5, produced by Aaron Moorhead and Justin Benson and executive produced by C. Robert Cargill and a stacked cast. With that absolute powerhouse backing, we're pretty freakin excited for this one. The story centers on what seems to be a true crime case, only to delve into the supernatural and a terrifying legend tied to a small town.

Hannibal's Mads Mikkelsen and Bryan Fuller reunite for this fairytale horror-thriller, and that's more than enough to get our butts in the seat. Need more? All right, Sigourney Weaver and David Dastmalchian star in Fuller's feature directorial debut which follows a young girl who believes a monster under her bed has gobbled up her family. She enlists the help of her neighbor (who just happens to be a hitman) as the two set out on a mission to face down their monsters.

Mike P. Nelson reimagines the killer Santa classic with his own twist, and I'm just gonna tell you right now, it's a hell of a lot of fun. Rohan Campbell is sporting the red suit and axe this time around, starring opposite Ruby Modine for a take that may be slightly weirder than you're expecting (complimentary). This one is for sure a theater watch if you can swing it, and if you're able to wear a Santa hat to the theater, it will enhance the overall experience. Naughty!

Kurtis David Harder's follow up to Influencer tales place in the sun-drenched countryside of southern France. “CW lives a quiet, idyllic life with her girlfriend Diane, hiding a dark obsession with murder and stolen identities. During an anniversary getaway, they cross paths with Charlotte, a bold, alluring influencer whose curiosity quickly turns intrusive. When CW acts on a violent impulse, the consequences spiral out of control, and as Diane begins to suspect the truth, CW’s carefully constructed life threatens to collapse around her.”

Influencers is streaming on Shudder December 12.

I didn't know what to get you for Christmas, so I got you this killer snake movie. This reboot stars Paul Rudd and Jack Black, which leads me to believe it's gonna lean hard into comedy territory, but it's still a creature feature, so it makes the list as a horror comedy!

This meta take on the J-Lo flick centers on two friends facing a midlife crisis. They head into the Amazon to remake their favorite film of all time…. 1997's Anaconda, when a real-life giant anaconda crashes the party, things get a little scary.

Primate opened up 2025's Fantastic Fest and I think it's safe to say it was way gnarlier than any of us anticipated. Killer monkey horror with practical FX and gory kills, this is one of those screaming in the theater deals and a hell of a lot of fun. Directed by Johannes Roberts (47 Meters Down, The Strangers: Prey At Night), it's cleverly a high concept idea delivered as a bit of a chamber piece as a family attempts to escape a rabid chimpanzee.

The follow up to the wildly successful (and Chainsaw Award nominated) 28 Years Later thankfully didn't make us wait too long. This time Nia DaCosta (Candyman) is in the director's chair, following the aftermath of 28 Years Later. Returning cast incldues Aaron Taylor-Johnson, Ralph Fiennes, Jack O'Connell, and Alfie Williams. Cillian Murphy executive produces and reprises his role as Jim from the 2002 original, Alex Garland also returns as the screenwriter and with this lineup we have every reason to believe this is going to be a 2026 favorite.

Vampire cops? We're in. Scream king Justin Long proves he's got the chops to be an action star in Ryan Prows' Night Patrol. When an LAPD officer discovers a local police task force is endangering the projects where he grew up, things get bloody. The DNA of '90s action flicks flows heartily through this one.

Return To Silent Hill is a direct adaptation of Konami's 2001 psychological horror game classic Silent Hill 2. Director Christophe Gans returns to the foggy town after helming 2006's Silent Hill, which was a blend of the first three games in the series.

Sam Raimi's survival horror Send Help stars Rachel McAdams and Dylan O'Brien and follows the two co-workers who become the sole survivors of a plane crash while on a business trip. Danny Elfman is composing this one (his eighth collaboration with Raimi), and by all accounts, it sounds like we are in for a treat.

Corin Hardy (The Nun) and Owen Egerton bring us a high school horror with an Aztec twist. When the new girl in school discovers an ancient Aztec death whistle, death is unleashed. Starring Yellowjackets‘ Sophie Nélisse and Logan‘s Dafne Keen. Check out our full review from Whistle‘s Fantastic Fest premiere.

We caught Gore Verbinski's techno horror, action comedy at Fantastic Fest, it preys upon a lot of fears many of us are feeling right now in this weirdly changing technological landscape, and offers some hope in the form of a group of charming anti-heroes led by Sam Rockwell. I know it's early in the year, but there's some major Halloween costume potential here.

Original Scream scribe Kevin Williamson directs this next installment, which sees the return of original Scream cast members, Neve Campbell as final girl Sidney Prescott, Courteney Cox, Matthew Lillard, and David Arquette. Returning franchise cast also includes Mason Gooding and Jasmine Savoy-Brown from the Radio Silence reboot. How exactly will multiple dead characters come into play? Find out when Scream 7 hits theaters February 27.

That's plenty of new horror movies to keep you warm this winter (along with revisiting some classic favorites), and we gave you a peek at what's coming down the pipeline in 2026. Stay tuned for our complete list of all the new horror movies we're looking forward to in the new year! And of course, our best of 2025 year end horror round-ups.