Our Most Anticipated July Horror Releases
Your guide to everything from Evil Dead Burn to Her Private Hell
by Alex Kaan 1 July 2026
StudioCanal
After a June filled with fresh indie horror flicks (Leviticus, Rose of Nevada) and must-see television (The Vampire Lestat, Cape Fear), July has a tough act to follow. Thankfully, the new month is bringing Nicolas Winding Refn’s first film since 2016’s The Neon Demon (Her Private Hell), two shark movies (The Devil’s Mouth, The Bay), and a new Evil Dead film from Infested director Sébastien Vaniček. Meanwhile, scream queens Kathryn Newton and Sophie Thatcher will return to the genre, along with Freddy Krueger himself, as Robert Englund takes on an evil version of Jiminy Cricket in Pinocchio Unstrung.
From slasher melodramas to Finnish folk horror, we’re counting down the 14 biggest films and TV series releasing this month.
Human Vapor (July 2nd)
Netflix
When a man explodes on live TV, the police find themselves hunting an elusive serial killer who transforms into gas to kill his victims from the inside. Train to Busan filmmaker Yeon Sang-ho and Gannibal director Shinzo Katayama team up for this Japanese-South Korean Netflix thriller based on the acclaimed 1960 tokusatsu film of the same name.
Backrooms: Everything Must Go Edition (July 3rd)
A24
Kane Parsons’ smash-hit liminal horror film, following a furniture showroom owner (Chiwetel Ejiofor) who discovers an eerie, endless maze of office space in the basement of his store, is getting an extended cut with 15 minutes of additional footage.
Lockbox (July 3rd)
Aura Entertainment
In this possession thriller based on an episode of the Knifepoint Horror podcast, a woman must defend her cousin amidst his increasingly erratic behaviour and suspicions of murder. Scream queens Carla Gugino (The Haunting of Hill House) and Katharine Isabelle (Ginger Snaps) star alongside Lou Taylor Pucci (Evil Dead).
Evil Dead Burn (July 10th)
StudioCanal
After a fatal car accident, a traumatised widow (Souheila Yacoub) travels to her in-laws to grieve their loss, but Deadites crash the hellish family reunion in this sixth instalment of Sam Raimi’s uber-gory franchise. Souheila Yacoub (Climax) and Hunter Doohan (Wednesday) star, while Sébastien Vaniček (Infested) directs.
Rosebush Pruning (July 10th)
MUBI
The psychosexual thriller meets satirical tragicomedy in this eat-the-rich tale of an ultra-wealthy family that starts to unravel when their beloved son (Jamie Bell) brings home a girlfriend (Elle Fanning). Filled with murder and incest, the film also stars Callum Turner, Pamela Anderson, Lukas Gage, Riley Keough, Tracy Letts, and Elena Anaya.
The Town That Takes (July 10th)
Bankhead Productions
A troubled Army veteran’s (Britt Bankhead) plans to reconcile with his twelve-year-old son are disrupted when they stop in a small backwoods town and he finds himself the prime suspect in a brutal murder. As evidence points to a supernatural explanation, he forms an uneasy alliance with a local detective to uncover the mystery.
The Bay (July 17th)
Vortex Media
Attending a blissful destination wedding, two best friends (Francesa Eastwood and Dani Oliveros) board a tour boat to a tiger shark sanctuary. But when they find themselves on a sinking ship, the dreamy vacation turns into a nightmare.
The Vampire Lestat (Releasing through June 19th)
AMC
After the first two seasons focused on Louis’ (Jacob Anderson) perspective, AMC’s explicitly queer adaptation of Anne Rice’s Interview with the Vampire returns with a rebranded third season centred on Lestat’s (Sam Reid) rock star career in a bloody, erotic deconstruction of the character as he aims to set the record straight after the release of his ex’s memoir.
Her Private Hell (July 24th)
Neon
Nicolas Winding Refn’s (The Neon Demon) first film in a decade follows a melancholic actress (Sophie Thatcher) and a vengeful American GI (Charles Melton), whose parallel storylines are united by the mysterious Leatherman, a brutal slasher killer targeting women across their futuristic metropolis.
Pinocchio Unstrung (July 24th)
Altitude Film Distribution
The filmmakers behind Winnie-the-Pooh: Blood and Honey return with the next instalment in their Twisted Childhood Universe. Influenced by an evil version of Jiminy Cricket voiced by Freddy Krueger himself (Robert Englund), Pinocchio embarks on a violent quest to become a real boy, targeting victims at an elite London prep school.
The Walking Dead: Dead City (July 26th)
AMC
The spinoff of AMC’s celebrated zombie series is back for a third season, with rivals-turned-allies Maggie (Lauren Cohan) and Negan (Jeffrey Dean Morgan) building a thriving community in post-apocalyptic Manhattan. But their lingering wounds and dark past could doom the city.
The Devil’s Mouth (July 29th)
Prime Video
A college friend group’s dream Thailand vacation turns into a survival horror disaster when they take a trip to a shark-infested cave known as “The Devil’s Mouth”. Scream queen Kathryn Newton (Ready or Not 2: Here I Come) stars alongside Lana Condor (Pretty Lethal) and Gavin Casalegno (The Summer I Turned Pretty).
Nightborn (July 31st)
Shudder
In this Finnish folk horror with echoes of Rosemary’s Baby, Saga (Seidi Haarla) and her British husband Jon (Rupert Grint) move to a remote house in the Finnish woodlands while planning to start a family. But when their child is born, Saga suspects that something is terribly wrong.
Cape Fear (Releasing through July 31st)
Apple TV
Remaking the 1962 and 1991 Southern Gothic psychological thrillers of the same name, this Apple TV limited series follows a vicious ex-convict (Javier Bardem) who vows revenge on the married lawyer couple (Amy Adams and Patrick Wilson) who wrongfully sent him to prison. Martin Scorsese and Steven Spielberg executive produce.