Halloween has arrived early this year! May seems set to be the strongest month for horror in 2026. There are a plethora of original horror films releasing this month, and all have fantastic early reactions. Each of them has promising directors behind the wheel as well. The beginning of the year has been a little shaky for horror, but that is going to change this month.
5. Affection
| Release Date | May 8th |
| Director | BT Meza |
| Main Cast | Jessica Rothe, Joseph Cross, Julianna Layne |
| Duration | 90 minutes |
Ellie seemingly has to reconnect with her family every day…
Synopsis
Ellie confronts a condition that resets her memory, leaving haunting recollections of an unfamiliar life
Overview
This is a psychological horror film, and I’m always down for one of those. This is a plot I have seen attempted recently (a film in February called Honeybunch had a similar premise) so I’m curious to see the spin on this one.
4. Hokum
| Release Date | May 1st |
| Director | Damian Mc Carthy |
| Main Cast | Adam Scott, Peter Coonan, David Wilmot |
| Duration | 107 minutes |
He is going to wish he had booked an Airbnb instead
Synopsis
A writer visits an inn to scatter his parents’ ashes, unaware that a witch haunts it.
Overview
This film has a lot of buzz behind it and looks as though it will be the first truly well-done, scary film of the year. The director behind this did Oddity, which many horror fans love and say is scary. The reviews for this suggest it will have a lot of scares as well. I’m super excited.
3. Passenger
| Release Date | May 22nd |
| Director | André Øvredal |
| Main Cast | Melissa Leo, Lou Llobell, Jacob Scipio |
| Duration | 94 minutes |
These two might have seen something they shouldn’t have
Synopsis
A demon relentlessly stalks a couple after they witnessed a gruesome highway incident
Overview
I saw the teaser trailer for this one right before Scream 7 in theaters and remember thinking how excellent it was at creating tension and delivering a great scare. The director behind this one also directed The Autopsy of Jane Doe, which is in my personal top 10 favorite horror films ever. That movie had perfect tension throughout it’s runntime and was also able to deliver some incredibly frightening moments. I have a feeling this film will be able to do the same.
2. Backrooms
| Release Date | May 29th |
| Director | Kane Parsons |
| Main Cast | Chiwetel Ejiofor, Renate Reinsve,Mark Duplass |
| Duration | 105 minutes |
Synopsis
A strange doorway appears in the basement of a furniture showroom.
Overview
This film was picked up by A24 and will feature their youngest director yet! A24 films have a certain quality to them, and their selection, particularly for horror films, always has something to say. I have seen a lot of liminal space shorts on various platforms, and they always make me feel uneasy. I’m certain this will do the same.
1. Obsession
| Release Date | May 15th |
| Director | Curry Barker |
| Main Cast | Michael Johnston, Inde Navarrette, Cooper Tomlinson |
| Duration | 108 minutes |
Synopsis
After making a wish to have their best friend fall in love with them, a romantic soon realizes his wish comes with consequences.
Overview
Out of all the movies on this list, Obsession is the one that every single person coming out of South By Southwest said is the best horror movie they had seen, not only this year, but in the past couple of years. Now, I don’t want to get my hopes up, but I can’t help but be a bit excited for this one. I have no idea how they’re going to take this premise and make it truly scary, to be honest, but I have a feeling this might be more than just a girlfriend being a bit obsessive. We will find out in a few weeks.
