By
Dhruv Sharma
Published Feb 28, 2026, 10:00 PM EST
Dhruv is a Lead Writer in Screen Rant's New TV division. He has been consistently contributing to the website for over two years and has written thousands of articles covering streaming trends, movie/TV analysis, and pop culture breakdowns.
Before Screen Rant, he was a Senior Writer for The Cinemaholic, covering everything from anime to television, from reality TV to movies.
After high school, he was on his way to become a Civil Engineer. However, he soon realized that writing was his true calling. As a result, he took a leap and never looked back.
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May could potentially become the best month this year for horror fans because it will mark the release of four promising movies of the genre.
The horror genre is going through an incredible phase right now, with many movies of the genre even landing Oscar nominations. Horror's newfound respect in modern cinema is encouraging filmmakers to create some of the most ambitious and thought-provoking movies in the genre. 2026, too, seems to have some promising horror movies lined up for the genre's fans.
Interestingly, though, when it comes to horror cinema, the month of May seems particularly stacked this year.
4 Of The Most Exciting Horror Movies Of 2026 Will Release In May
First look at Adam Scott in Hokum
May will start with a bang for horror fans as the first day of the month itself will mark the release of a highly anticipated film, Hokum. Starring Adam Scott of Severance's fame, Hokum centers on a horror novelist who finds himself in a haunted location when he visits Ireland to spread his parents' ashes. The movie has been directed by Damian McCarthy, who is best known for his work on films like Caveat and Oddity.
After Hokum, the month of May will not have any new horror releases up till the 15th. Exactly midway through the month, Curry Baker's Obsession will hit the big screens. After its TIFF premiere in 2025, the movie already boasts a near-perfect Rotten Tomatoes score of 97%, with critics calling it incredibly terrifying and also surprisingly funny.
Movie
Release Date
Hokum
May 1, 2026
Obsession
May 15, 2026
Passenger
May 29, 2026
Backrooms
May 29, 2026
Finally, May 2026 will end with two more horror movies, one of which has a lot of hype around it. On May 29, viewers can not only watch the highly anticipated adaptation of the Backrooms creepypasta but also check out André Øvredal's Passenger. Since Backrooms is based on the famous creepypasta of the same name, it is already one of the most popular flicks of 2026. It also seems quite promising in its first teaser.
Passenger, too, should not be slept on, though, because its director, André Øvredal, has previously given us some incredible horror movies like The Autopsy of Jane Doe and Trollhunter. With so many potentially great horror movies scheduled to be released in May, it is hard not to wait for the upcoming month.
All 4 Movies Could Become This Year’s Best Horror Flicks
A sofa sinking into the floor in Backrooms
Obsession's early reviews suggest that it is already up there among 2026's best horror movies. With Adam Scott as its lead and Damien Mc Carthy at its helm, Hokum, too, seems like a promising addition to the genre. André Øvredal's track record alone in the horror genre is enough to convince one to watch Passenger.
Newsletter for deeper horror coverage and picks
Subscribe to the newsletter for curated reviews, deep analysis, and informed recommendations on May's stacked horror slate — get context and picks that help you choose what to watch next. Subscribe By subscribing, you agree to receive newsletter and marketing emails, and accept our Terms of Use and Privacy Policy. You can unsubscribe anytime.Meanwhile, Backrooms is one movie no horror fan would miss out on, regardless of how it performs critically.
Its young director, Kane Parsons, is making his feature film debut with the movie. However, he has already put his creative vision and fascination for the original creepypasta on full display through found footage Backrooms YouTube videos. Like the Philippou brothers, who directed Talk to Me and Bring Her Back, he, too, could perfectly transition from YouTube to the big screen and deliver a breakout horror hit that feels both internet-born and cinematically assured.
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Hokum
Horror
Release Date
May 1, 2026
Director
Damian McCarthy
Cast
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Adam Scott
Ohm Bauman
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Peter Coonan
Mal
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David Wilmot
Jerry
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Florence Ordesh
Fiona
A writer travels to a secluded Irish inn to scatter his parents’ ashes, but his lodgings may be haunted.
Writers Damian McCarthy Producers Derek Dauchy, Mairtín de Barra, Roy Lee, Julianne Forde, Steven Schneider, Ruth Treacy Main Genre Horror Powered by
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Obsession
Horror
7/10
Release Date
May 15, 2026
Runtime
108 minutes
Cast
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Michael Johnston
Bear
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Inde Navarrette
Nikki
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Backrooms
Horror
Science Fiction
Release Date
May 29, 2026
Director
Kane Parsons
Cast
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Chiwetel Ejiofor
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Renate Reinsve
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Mark Duplass
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Finn Bennett
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Movies
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Hokum
Newsletter for deeper horror coverage and picks
Subscribe to the newsletter for curated reviews, deep analysis, and informed recommendations on May's stacked horror slate — get context and picks that help you choose what to watch next. Subscribe By subscribing, you agree to receive newsletter and marketing emails, and accept our Terms of Use and Privacy Policy. You can unsubscribe anytime. Trending Now
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