7 New International Horror Movies To Kick Off 2026

Star Wars star Daisy Ridley faces off against the undead in We Bury the Dead, a survival horror film written and directed by Zak Hilditch, whose previous credits include the Stephen King adaptation 1922. The movie sank its teeth into theaters on January 2. 

Shot in Albany, Western Australia, and set on the island of Tasmania, We Bury the Dead sees some victims of a catastrophic military disaster reanimating and roaming around, despite brain death. The military says they’re harmless, and who wouldn’t trust the military? But when volunteer Ava (Ridley) breaks away from her unit to search for her missing husband, she learns the disturbing truth: the dead aren’t just walking, they’re hunting.

If, like me, you missed psychological horror-thriller Hallow Road during its limited theatrical run last fall, you can catch it on VOD as of January 6. 

Directed by Babak Anvari, who also helmed the fantastic Under the Shadow, Hallow Road stars Rosamund Pike and Matthew Rhys as a couple dragged into a late-night nightmare when their daughter Alice (Megan McDonnell) calls to tell them that she’s hit a girl with her father’s car. As the couple race to the scene of the accident, talking Alice through what to do before they arrive, the phone call starts to take an unsettling turn. For such a contained film with a tiny cast, Hallow Road is surprisingly stressful and incredibly gripping—perfect for a cozy night on the couch.

If an apple a day keeps the doctor away, you might want to reach for a Granny Smith after watching the trailer for Doctor Plague! The directorial debut of Ben Fortune, this serial killer thriller hits digital platforms on January 12. 

Doctor Plague stars Martin Kemp, best known to British viewers for his stint in the band Spandau Ballet and for portraying Steve Owen in the long-running soap opera Eastenders. Here, Kemp plays John Verney, a cynical London detective on the hunt for a killer dressed like a 17th century plague doctor.

While his superiors dismiss the crimes as gang killings, Verney soon finds himself drawn into a terrifying web involving deadly rituals, cults, and—wait for it—even Jack the Ripper. Sold? Sold. 

Horror aficionado that you are, I probably don’t need to remind you that the highly anticipated sequel 28 Years Later: The Bone Temple sprints into theaters on January 16—but I want to talk about it, so I’m going to anyway!

Nia DaCosta of the underrated (fight me) Candyman reboot is in the director’s chair this time around, with Alex Garland back on scripting duties. Picking up from the events of Danny Boyle’s 28 Years Later, Bone Temple sees Spike (Alfie Williams) trapped in a nightmare after his bizarre encounter with the tracksuit-clad Jimmy Crystal (Jack O'Connell) and his gang. Meanwhile, Ralph Fiennes’ Dr. Kelson finds himself in a shocking new relationship with potentially world-altering consequences. 

Excitingly, 28 Days Later star Cillian Murphy will officially return as Jim in 28 Years Later: The Bone Temple after audiences mistook a rotting corpse for him in the trailer for the previous film (sorry, Cillian).

Ghost in a vacuum cleaner. Need I say more? That’s the bizarre central premise of director Ratchapoom Boonbunchachoke’s A Useful Ghost, blowing into theaters on January 16.

In the Thai-language film, which mixes elements of dark comedy, fantasy, horror, and human-vacuum romance (you read that right), the late Nat (Davika Hoorne) possesses a vacuum cleaner to reunite with her husband, March (Wisarut Himmarat). After initially rejecting the unconventional relationship, March’s family soon realizes that Nat may be able to help cleanse their haunted factory after it was shut down due to a worker’s death.

With Johannes Roberts’ Primate coming to theaters this month, why not enjoy an animal attack double feature? If some combination of Orca and learning the truth about SeaWorld didn’t screw you up enough as a child, director Jo-Anne Brechin’s Killer Whale is here to finish the job. 

Virginia Gardner (Fall) and Mel Jarnson star in Killer Whale as Maddie and Trish, best friends who travel to a private lagoon for a little R&R after a life-shattering tragedy. Unfortunately, there’s trouble in paradise in the form of a bloodthirsty orca called Ceto, who is out for revenge after a brutal life in captivity. The R-rated Aussie horror film swims onto VOD platforms on January 16.

Director Brad Watson’s coming-of-age thriller Savage Flowers finds a home on SCREAMBOX this month. Set in a plague-ridden world where children are carriers, the film follows a young girl who finds refuge in a ramshackle foster home, only to realize that the true danger isn’t outside. 

There isn’t a lot of information available about this one yet, but the film's visuals—Pitchforks! Creepy masks! Girls tied to trees!—have me intrigued. Could be folk-y! Find out if that’s at all accurate when Savage Flowers takes root on January 20. 

Looking to expand your horror palate even further? Check out our list of the best underrated horror movies of 2025, including several killer international titles you may have missed. And, of course, come back next month for more new releases from all around the world.