There was probably no television series I was more excited for than Crystal Lake. After seventeen years without a new film, false starts, lawsuits, canceled projects, and endless speculation, Friday the 13th was finally back. More importantly, it wasn't returning with another masked slasher sequel. Creator Brad Caleb Kane chose a far riskier path by building an entire series around Pamela Voorhees and asking viewers to care about the woman behind one of horror's most infamous legends.
Read MoreCrystal Lake Review: A Bold Reinvention of Horror's Most Tragic Family
After nearly two decades away from screens, Friday the 13th finally returns with Crystal Lake, Peacock's ambitious prequel series from Brad Caleb Kane. Rather than rushing audiences toward familiar slasher territory, the show takes an unexpected route by placing Pamela Voorhees at the center of the story and exploring the tragedy, grief, and paranoia that helped shape one of horror's most iconic families. It is a bold creative choice that immediately separates Crystal Lake from the films, and whether that works for viewers will largely depend on how willing they are to embrace something very different from what they traditionally expect from the franchise.
Read MoreA Special Day: The Most Disturbing Home Movie You'll See This Year
Found footage horror works best when it feels authentic, and Dennis Cahlo's A Special Day immediately understands that assignment. Screening at Unnamed Footage's 24HR26 At Home Festival, the short presents itself as recovered VHS footage connected to a police investigation, drawing viewers into its world from the opening moments. The format is familiar, but Cahlo uses that familiarity to his advantage, creating an experience that feels unnervingly real rather than simply nostalgic.
Read MoreSomething Ugly Is Over There Turns Santa Muerte Fear Into Found Footage Dread
Found footage horror succeeds when it can convince viewers that what they're seeing might actually be real. For much of its runtime, Something Ugly Is Over There, the debut film from writer-director Noe Perez, accomplishes exactly that. Screened as part of the Unnamed Footage 24HR26 at Home Festival, the short delivers an unsettling blend of religious horror, Mexican folklore, and analog paranoia that lingers long after the static clears.
Read MoreHorns Up, Guts Out: Deathgasm II Is the Sequel Fans Dreamed Of
Ten years after Deathgasm earned its place as a cult horror-comedy classic, Deathgasm II: Goremageddon arrives with one goal: to be bigger, bloodier, louder, and even more ridiculous than its predecessor. Somehow, against all odds, writer-director Jason Lei Howden manages to pull it off. This is not a sequel interested in dialing anything back.
Read MoreInfluence, Identity, and Cults: #VanLife Gets Lost on the Highway
I remember first hearing about #VanLife through a random post on Twitter. There was barely any information available, but the marketing confidently called it one of the scariest movies of the year. The images looked striking, and having recently watched the Gabby Petito documentary, I was immediately intrigued by the idea of a horror film built around the culture of vanlife influencers.
Read MoreBabybacks Is Equal Parts Road Thriller and Backwoods Nightmare
I caught Babybacks at the Houston Horror Film Festival, and from its opening moments, it felt like stepping into a different era of horror. Everything about the introduction screams 1990s, right down to the retro title treatment and credit font. It immediately establishes a grimy, throwback atmosphere that fits the film's blend of road thriller, survival horror, and backwoods nightmare.
Read MoreThe Pitchfork Retreat: Horror Royalty, Anthology Chaos, and One Hell of a Payoff
There are few things more appealing to horror fans than a cast list packed with familiar faces, and The Pitchfork Retreat certainly delivers on that front. Screening at Houston Horror Film Festival 2026, the latest production from Fuzz on the Lens Productions assembles what feels like an entire convention guest roster under one roof. Nearly every scene introduces another recognizable genre veteran, from Tony Todd and Danielle Harris to Dee Wallace, Andrew Divoff, and a seemingly endless parade of horror personalities.
Read MoreUntil You’re Alone: A Love Letter to Giallo That Nearly Loses Its Edge
Seen at the Houston Horror Film Festival 2026, Until You're Alone is a film that wears its influences proudly. Writer-director Christopher Wesley Moore crafts a loving homage to Hitchcock, De Palma, and especially the Italian giallo tradition, delivering a murder mystery that is often stylish, occasionally hilarious, and consistently engaging, even when its pacing threatens to derail the experience. The film follows an architect who becomes the prime suspect in a string of brutal murders and reluctantly teams up with a free-spirited sex worker to uncover the truth before they become the next targets.
Read MoreHollow Lake Is the Queer Slasher We’ve Been Waiting For
Seen as a secret screening at the Houston Horror Film Festival 2026, Hollow Lake was one of those pleasant surprises that remind you why festivals are so much fun in the first place. Going in, all we knew was that it was the latest film from Troy Escamilla, the filmmaker behind Party Night, Mrs. Claus, and Teacher Shortage. Coming out, it felt like we had witnessed a filmmaker take a genuine leap forward.
Read MoreSundown Turns Family Trauma Into Effective Found Footage Horror
Found footage horror isn't exactly starving for haunted house stories. In fact, Sundown arrives carrying many of the same narrative fingerprints that helped make Paranormal Activity a phenomenon years ago. Yet while the film rarely reinvents the formula, it succeeds where many of its contemporaries fail by grounding its supernatural scares in believable performances, genuine family conflict, and a surprisingly effective emotional core.
Read MoreThe Barn Part III: Bigger, Bloodier, and Further From Its Roots
I caught The Barn Part III at Houston Horror Film Festival 2026, and going in, I found myself in an interesting spot with the franchise. I absolutely adored the original The Barn, but I never connected with Part II the same way. Maybe that left me with lowered expectations, or maybe it simply made me more hopeful that Justin M. Seaman could recapture some of the magic that made the first film such a lovable slice of Halloween horror.
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