This year we have seen so many amazing horror movies in the theater that not only make you scream and cover your eyes, but also have underlying themes that make you sit with yourself after it’s over. I’ve noticed a shift where theaters aren’t just showing the same redundant sequels for a quick cash grab, but instead creating these original horror movie ideas with really creative concepts. I’m going to highlight my favorite horror movies of the year and dive deeper into the themes they explored.
Backrooms
One of the most anticipated movies of the year was Backrooms, directed by Kane Parsons. This movie idea originates from a Gen Z internet phenomenon about an alternate dimension that is a liminal space that looks like a yellow-tinted office building. This all started from a picture of a real office building that felt eerily familiar to many people that was posted in 2019, and then the director of the movie created a video series on YouTube about the Backrooms, allowing the lore to gain more and more popularity. This movie is a psychological horror movie that explores themes of trauma, guilt, and the unconscious mind. A lot of this movie’s symbolism, underlying themes, and ending are up for interpretation, and not a lot is spelled out for you. The film did receive some criticism because some fans felt it strayed too far from the original internet lore, but I personally really enjoyed it.
Obsession
One of my other favorite horror movies of the year was Obsession, directed by Curry Barker. This movie follows a guy who has a crush on one of his good friends, so he buys this gimmicky item called a “one wish willow,” which supposedly grants you one wish of your choosing. He wishes that his friend loves him more than anyone in the world, which leads to her losing control of herself and being forced to love her friend. At first glance, she is seen as the monster/villain of the movie, but instead the director frames the guy as the villain for taking away her control and turning a blind eye to things that were clearly wrong, in order to fulfill his selfish interest of dating this girl. I love the themes that this movie explores, including autonomy, consent, and the entitlement of men to women’s bodies and desire. On top of all that, the movie is also incredibly scary and has tons of fantastic jump scares.
Leviticus
Finally, the last 2026 movie I am going to be discussing is Leviticus, directed by an Australian filmmaker, Adrian Chiarella. This movie explores a queer relationship between two teenage boys who have to navigate living in a very religious small town. They are both forced to participate in a conversion therapy ritual, which then leads an entity to come after them that takes the form of each other. This film touches on themes of religious trauma, internalized homophobia, and coming of age as a queer teenager. I loved this movie, and I think it perfectly balanced elements of horror as well as thoughtful observations about the trauma of growing up religious while being a part of the queer community.
Gen Z Horror
Obsession and Backrooms have Gen Z directors, and the majority of people who saw all three movies in theatres were also Gen Z, which I think represents a new era where this generation is creating and consuming a lot of content. Also, I think horror lore and content has always been a point of fascination with Gen Z, such as Slenderman and Five Nights at Freddy’s, so it’s really interesting to see that translated onto the big screen and in more mainstream media. This year has made me very hopeful for the future of horror movies in theatres and excited for Gen Z’s era of involvement in these projects.