Our Most Anticipated Horror Movies at SXSW 2026
From Diablo Cody-produced comedy Forbidden Fruits to buzzy TIFF hit Obsession
by Alex Kaan 10 March 2026
© Warner Bros.
We’re flying down to Austin for a heavy dose of horror cinema at South by Southwest. As always, the festival promises a thrilling selection of genre films, from the long-awaited Ready or Not sequel to the Adam Scott-starring Irish supernatural chiller Hokum.
SXSW has a storied horror history, with A Quiet Place, Talk to Me, Lake Mungo, The Cabin in the Woods, and much more all playing at the Texas-based festival before becoming critical and commercial successes or cult classics. With this year’s stacked line-up, we’ll soon find out which film becomes its next great horror hit.
Ready or Not 2: Here I Come
© Searchlight Pictures
After surviving a deadly game of “Hide-and-Seek”, Grace (Samara Weaving) is forced to compete along with her sister (Kathryn Newton) in a double-or-nothing Round 2. Her vicious opponents are four rival families—including David Cronenberg and Sarah Michelle Gellar as a father-daughter duo.
Obsession
© 21st Century Film Corporation
A hopeless romantic uses a novelty toy, the “One Wish Willow”, to get his crush to fall in love with him. His wish is granted, but, as you might guess, terrible consequences follow in this buzzy new film from Curry Barker, director of the viral found footage film Milk and Serial.
Over Your Dead Body
© Searchlight Pictures
A jaded couple (Jason Segel and Samara Weaving) try to reconnect on a romantic getaway at a secluded cabin, only to discover they both have plans to kill each other. Expect blood and laughs from this remake of Norwegian action horror comedy The Trip.
Hokum
© NEON
When a reclusive author (Adam Scott) travels to a remote Irish inn to scatter his parents’ ashes, he becomes fixated on the staff’s stories of an ancient witch haunting the honeymoon suite. Already acquired by NEON, Hokum marks the third feature for Caveat and Oddity director Damian McCarthy.
Forbidden Fruits
© IFC and Shudder
Produced by Diablo Cody (writer of Jennifer’s Body and Lisa Frankenstein), this horror comedy follows a witchy femme cult (Lili Reinhart, Victoria Pedretti, Alexandra Shipp) at a Dallas mall store. Their dynamic is tested when new hire Pumpkin (Lola Tung) joins the coven.
Black Zombie
© Manuela Hidalgo
Tracing the undead archetype from Haitian spiritual traditions to Hollywood horror, this documentary unearths the buried origins of the zombie while exploring its deeper cultural significance—ultimately reclaiming the figure as a symbol of survival for the Black community.
They Will Kill You
© Warner Bros.
A desperate woman (Zazie Beetz) takes a job at a New York City high-rise, only to uncover the building’s sinister history. From the producers of It, this horror action-comedy blends Kill Bill with satanism. Myha’la and Patricia Arquette also star.
Pretty Lethal
© Amazon
A bickering ballet troupe (Maddie Ziegler, Lana Condor, Millicent Simmonds, Iris Apataow, and Avantika) is forced to shelter in a remote inn. Unfortunately for them, it’s run by a bitter former ballerina prodigy (Uma Thurman) who wants them dead in this comedic horror thriller.
Family Movie
© Dominic Leon
A filmmaking family’s low-budget scary movie becomes a real-life slasher in this meta horror comedy from Kevin Bacon, Kyra Sedgwick, and their children, Sosie and Travis Bacon.
Never After Dark
© XYZ Films
A travelling medium specialises in guiding restless spirits out of the world of the living. But on a visit to a remote country house, she encounters a grotesque force that puts her abilities to the test in this supernatural thriller from House of Ninjas director Dave Boyle.