The Fantasia International Film Festival is one of the best showcases of genre cinema on the planet, and the 2026 edition kicks off this week in Montreal. While I sadly won't be there in person, I will be covering the festival virtually for Pop Heist, experiencing as many weird new movies as I can, from things I've never heard of to things I simply can't wait to see.
And speaking of things I can't wait to see, Fantasia 2026 is a feast of hotly anticipated horror films, including new work from the directors of Train to Busan, Mother of Flies, The Neon Demon, and much more. So, ahead of the fest's launch later this week, here are the six films I'm most eager to see at the 2026 fest.
Colony
Korean horror maestro Yeon Sang-ho returns with another tale of cannibalistic, monstrous humans rampaging through the world. In Colony, we follow a biotech conference disrupted by a scientist who believes he's developed the only vaccine for a virus that's about to be unleashed. Meanwhile, a professor just looking for a job gets swept up in the chaos as the virus grows out of control, mutating everyone in the building into ravenous, rapidly changing monsters. The director of Train to Busan returning to this kind of horror is definitely reason to celebrate.
The Glorious Dead
The Adams Family of independent filmmakers are back with another handcrafted nightmare, and that's more than enough to get me excited about The Glorious Dead. The film follows a small-town sheriff (Toby Poser) amid a town's shift into supernatural mayhem that no one can quite explain, and promises something that looks not unlike a horror-Western from a filmmaking team that's constantly shifting subgenres and thematic concerns. Fantasia's long been the home of new Adams Family stories, and I can't wait for this one.
Her Private Hell
It has been a full decade since Nicolas Winding Refn made a new feature film, and while he's busied himself with streaming series since then, it's so thrilling to know that a new NWR feature is at my fingertips again. Starring Stophie Thatcher, Her Private Hell is set in a fog-shrouded futuristic city where a serial killer roams, and upon its debut at Cannes earlier this year it immediately proved divisive. I would expect nothing else from a new NWR project, and I'm so excited to experience this one for myself.
The Last Temptation of Becky
If you'd told me six years ago when Becky arrived that we'd still be getting movies about this vicious little Nazi-killing kid, I wouldn't have believed you, but I'm happy that I was proven wrong. Starring Lulu Wilson once again in the title role, The Last Temptation of Becky promises at least one more brutal ride for Becky as she takes her brand of brutal vengeance to the worst people imaginable. I am there with bells on.
Los Vampires
The most intriguing premise I've come across at Fantasia this year, Los Vampires promises to tell a heavily fictionalized version of the making of two versions of Dracula in 1930. While director Tod Browning was filming his soon-to-be classic film starring Bela Lugosi in the title role during the day, another crew was moving in at night, shooting the cult classic Spanish-language version of the film on the same sets with Carlos Villarias in the Dracula role. Los Vampires tells the story of that crew and that film, set against a backdrop of murder and Old Hollywood mayhem. This is everything I want from a re-imagining of a legendary moment in horror cinema history.
Unholy Night
Christmas horror! If you've been reading my work for any amount of time, you know I'm down for basically anything in this particular subgenre, which is why I've got my eye on Unholy Night. The premise is pretty simple: A family just wants to celebrate Christmas, but the reanimated corpse of their matriarch has other plans, and a festive dinner becomes a fight for survival. That's all I need, y'all!
Keep an eye on Pop Heist for more Fantasia Fest coverage over the next two weeks!
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