2026 has been a phenomenal year for horror, with filmmakers finding increasingly novel ways to terrify audiences through everything from supernatural nightmares to disturbingly intimate psychological thrillers. The genre has continued to demonstrate its remarkable versatility, delivering stories that tap into deeply rooted fears while exploring the darker corners of human nature.
Few people are better positioned to appreciate horror’s enduring appeal than Stephen King. Since his debut novel, Carrie, arrived in 1974 and established him as a major voice in horror, King has become one of the genre’s most influential storytellers. The novel’s success, followed by Brian De Palma’s acclaimed 1976 film adaptation, helped introduce King’s distinctive blend of everyday anxieties and extraordinary terror to a much wider audience. Decades later, his influence remains prominent, and his opinions on horror movies continue to attract attention from fans and filmmakers alike.
King’s enthusiasm for horror extends well beyond his own books and their adaptations. Over the years, he has publicly championed films including The Autopsy of Jane Doe, The Blair Witch Project, Train to Busan, and The Descent, demonstrating an appreciation for everything from intimate supernatural mysteries to relentless survival horror. His recommendations are particularly interesting as he rarely limits his praise to the biggest studio releases. In 2026, several very different horror films have caught his attention, offering fans a fresh collection of recommendations from one of the genre’s most recognizable authorities.
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Undertone
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Stephen King described the new A24 horror film Undertone as “nightmarish,” praising lead actor Nina Kiri for “carr[ying] the film on her shoulders.”
Written and directed by Ian Tuason, Undertone follows Evy (Kiri), a paranormal podcast host who returns home to care for her dying, comatose mother. Alongside her co-host, Justin (Adam DiMarco), Evy investigates a series of disturbing audio recordings sent to their show. The recordings feature a couple experiencing increasingly frightening events, and their apparent connection to a demonic presence becomes harder to dismiss as Evy’s own life begins to unravel.
Undertone finds success in the extent to which it elicits fear through sound alone. Instead of constantly showing viewers what they should fear, Tuason allows strange noises, muffled voices, and stretches of silence to do much of the frightening work. The largely confined setting also intensifies Evy’s isolation, while Kiri’s performance anchors the supernatural mystery in recognizable grief and anxiety. For horror fans who appreciate atmosphere over spectacle, Undertone is a worthwhile watch.
3
Thrash
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Reacting to the Netflix shark thriller Thrash on social media, Stephen King wrote, “Thrash (Netflix): Best line of the year (so far): ‘Mommy’s got to fight some ****ing sharks.‘”
Directed by Tommy Wirkola, Thrash follows a coastal community devastated by a catastrophic hurricane. As floodwaters engulf the town, residents find themselves trapped in increasingly dangerous situations, with hungry sharks swimming through streets and buildings that have been submerged. The story follows several groups of survivors, including a young girl confronting her fears, a pregnant woman facing an extraordinarily dangerous situation, and children struggling to survive amid the chaos.
Thrash embraces the wonderfully ridiculous possibilities of shark horror while maintaining a genuine sense of peril. The flooded setting provides an effective twist on the familiar creature-feature formula, while Wirkola keeps the action moving by following multiple characters whose circumstances create different kinds of suspense. Although the premise is deliberately over-the-top, the movie’s combination of disaster-movie spectacle, survival tension, and nail-biting underwater encounters gives it solid entertainment value.
2
Obsession
After watching Curry Barker’s box office smash hit horror feature Obsession, King wrote on Threads, “I gave OBSESSION a B+ in my movie book, but I keep thinking about it.” He added, “That weird mixture of humor and horror.”
Written and directed by Barker, Obsession follows Bear (Michael Johnston), a young man who desperately wants his co-worker Nikki (Inde Navarrette) to reciprocate his romantic feelings. When Bear acquires a mysterious supernatural object capable of granting wishes, he uses it to make Nikki fall in love with him. The wish initially seems to offer the relationship he has always wanted, but its consequences become increasingly disturbing.
Rather than treating Bear’s wish as a harmless romantic fantasy gone wrong, Barker explores the darker implications of attempting to control another person’s feelings. The film’s disturbing moments are balanced by a sharp, occasionally outrageous sense of humor, creating precisely the tonal mixture King praised.
Navarrette’s star-making and awards-worthy performance is particularly effective, giving Nikki a presence that makes the increasingly horrifying situation feel emotionally consequential, especially in scenes in which she deftly switches from the possessed to the normal Nikki. Barker’s powerful direction and intimate visual style also demonstrate how a relatively modest production can deliver an ambitious, unsettling horror experience.
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The Cycle
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Of the four films discussed here, The Cycle received perhaps King’s most emphatic public endorsement. Promoting the upcoming Shudder release on X, King wrote, “I don’t usually pump up horror movies (unless they are mine, haha), but this is special. Put it on your calendar.” King added that it is “a terrific fright flick – The Thing meets The Silence of the Lambs.”
Directed by Jordan Downey, The Cycle stars Deborah Ann Woll as Meg, a forensic anthropologist whose work revolves around examining human remains. Her life takes a disturbing turn when her father’s body, which disappeared nearly 40 years earlier, is discovered in connection with a horrifying crime scene. The discovery forces Meg to confront a mystery that reaches into her own family history.
The Cycle benefits from an intriguing, investigative premise that gives the film a central mystery to follow. Its The Silence of the Lambs-esque framework gives the mystery room to develop before the more frightening elements emerge, while Woll’s central performance provides an emotional anchor for the increasingly disturbing story. Perhaps most interestingly, The Cycle features a compelling third act twist that sees the movie transform into an entirely different film, subverting what one might expect when heading in.
King’s enthusiasm for Undertone, Thrash, Obsession, and The Cycle highlights four very different approaches to horror, each offering something varied for viewers seeking their next fright. Stephen King‘s continued engagement with contemporary horror demonstrates that his fascination with the genre extends well beyond his own stories, and should provide audiences with a range of solid recommendations that are particularly poignant during the Halloween season itself.
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After having gone missing for 36 years, a father’s remains are suddenly discovered at a gruesome crime scene. Now his daughter is left to investigate the circumstances of his death and the darkness of his past.
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