Best Horror of July 2026: ‘Evil Dead Burn,’ Nicolas Winding Refn Returns, a Bloodthirsty Pinocchio and More
by William Earl · VarietyWelcome to Horror Explorer, a curated column showcasing the month’s best movies, series, books and everything else spooky worth checking out. I’m William Earl, the executive digital director of Variety and the publication’s resident horror enthusiast. Please drop me a line at wearl@variety.comif there’s something I should check out for next month’s missive.
Marquee Madness
Image Credit: Courtesy of Warner Bros. Pictures Evil Dead Burn (In theaters July 10 via Warner Bros. Pictures) — The stomach-churning franchise returns with another blood-soaked installment, as a family reunion gets grim when everyone starts turning into Deadites. “Infested” director Sébastien Vaniček helms this chapter, and early footage looks appropriately wild and, dare we say, groovy?
Her Private Hell (In theaters July 24 via Neon) — After focusing on television for nearly a decade, Nicolas Winding Refn returns with his first feature since 2016’s “The Neon Demon.” Sophie Thatcher, Charles Melton, Kristine Froseth and Havana Rose Liu star in the futuristic serial killer tale, which received plenty of hate in mixed-negative reviews at its Cannes debut. But is there anything more exciting than a divisive movie from an audacious auteur?Off the Beaten Path
Image Credit: DAVID INCE Thingy (Debuting on Screambox on July 21) — This mysterious Screambox original is part of a Joe Swanberg package the streamer acquired, which makes it an intriguing blind watch.
Pinocchio Unstrung (In theaters July 24 via Viva Pictures) — The fifth movie in the Twisted Childhood Universe looks a bit more promising than the previous killer “Winnie-the-Pooh” films that Rhys Frake-Waterfield helmed, but is that enough? Unfortunately, the franchise — which also includes twisted stories about Peter Pan and Bambi — hasn’t pushed absurd concepts far enough, and the films devolve into cheapo slashers. But maybe having the participation of horror icons like Robert Englund and Richard Brake in “Unstrung” will amp things up?
Nightborn (Debuting on Shudder on July 31) — This parenting nightmare stars Seidi Haarla and “Harry Potter” alum Rupert Grint as new parents who begin to think something is terribly wrong with their baby. Any more details spoil the spooky mystery, which is directed by “Hatching” helmer Hanna Bergholm.Killer Series
Image Credit: Courtesy of Netflix Human Vapor (Now streaming on Netflix) — The first season of this high-concept thriller is about the pursuit of a serial killer who can turn into a gaseous form and explode people. Gnarly! From there, there’s a secret society and cops in pursuit, as well as crazy gore.
Bloodcurdling Books
Image Credit: Courtesy of St. Martin's Press “Carry Me to My Grave” by Christopher Golden (Available July 21 via St. Martin’s Press) — This fast-paced thriller is about a man trying to travel to Maine with his mother’s body to get it buried, and the supernatural entities working to stop him on the ensuing train ride. A true summertime page-turner, this novel from the author of “Road of Bones” and “Ararat” is tons of fun for fans of things that go bump in the night.
Fathom Press — This new-to-me indie publisher specializes in reprinting rare mass market paperbacks that are full of bloody, pulpy goodness. They first came to my attention after the gory cover and package design of shark tale “Riptide” went viral, and I can’t wait to get the bonkers-looking “Chainsaw Terror” next.
Frightening Festivals
Image Credit: Courtesy of Fantasia Film Festival Fantasia Film Festival (July 16-August 2 in Montreal) — The massive genre festival has many intriguing world premieres, including Corrin Evans’ “Corpus,” The Adams Family’s latest film “The Glorious Dead” and Nick Taylor’s documentary “Rubberhead: The Life & Monsters of Steve Johnson.”