Knock on Wood

Happy March everyone! We are not far into 2026, but horror is already making its mark on this year’s cinematic landscape. 28 Years Later: The Bone Temple is one of the best movies of the year so far, Sam Raimi has blessed us yet again with his manic intensity and comedic style with his survival thriller Send Help, and we’ve gotten a miraculous indie horror phenomenon straight from YouTube with Iron Lung, a massive surprise full of atmosphere and fun sequences. There’s no shortage of the genre for anyone paying attention to their local theaters, but there’s even more to discover from what may have gone under your radar. Have fun with these five underseen picks!

Marshmallow (2025)

This month begins on a very accessible note. We’ve got a summer camp slasher on our hands! For one thing, it’s populated by kids this time (weirdly unusual for this sub-subgenre), including our main character, Morgan, attempting to reclaim a normal childhood after a (spoilery!) traumatic event. This movie is best engaged with knowing as little as possible, but isn’t ruined by some slight foreknowledge. It’s a surprisingly serious affair centered around a well-told campfire story that comes to life. Most of the first half of the film can be experienced as a sad drama from Morgan’s perspective, showing how his already traumatic past is hampering him from engaging in any genuine friendship or wholesome childhood experiences. I was surprised how much the film cared about this aspect before engaging in the horror, but once the horror started, it never went in the direction I expected. Even the campfire story itself, which I will not even hint at, isn’t the type of story I was ever told by the campfire. It leads to some shocking developments, and to the ending, the primary thing that makes this film special. It’s existential, uncomfortable, and not cheap enough to give any easy answers to its thorny questions that it doesn’t earn. It’s still living with me, long after I watched it for the first time.

Watch it on Prime Video, Fubo, Tubi, Paramount+, AMC+, The Roku Channel, Hoopla, Shudder, Philo, Plex, Fawesome

Queens of the Dead (2025)

One of the most concrete and notable legacies in all of horror is George A. Romero’s creation of the modern zombie with his 1968 classic, Night of the Living Dead. It still endures as if it’s a trend created a decade ago, spawning multiple classics in its wake and making its monster so iconic that it spawned an entire subgenre. It felt then notable, to me, that since his passing in 2017, his daughter, Tina Romero, comes out with her directorial debut directly in her father’s legacy while creating a distinct identity of her own. This is campy, earnest, and queer as all hell. It’s absolutely chock-full of queer and gender nonconforming people in front of and behind the camera. The zombies this time are going after the drag queens, and this simply will not stand. Our central guys, gals, and non-binary pals are all so distinct and lovable. In terms of caring about the central characters fighting off the zombie onslaught, it rarely gets more endearing and communal as this. The whole thing feels like both a love letter and labor of love to the art of drag, the queer community, zombie films, and their history of allegory that’s meant to give a voice to the voiceless. It’s hard to put into words how much joy this gave me to watch, so I simply must implore you to watch it, and see for yourself.

Watch it on AMC+, Shudder, Philo

Thirst (2009)

It’s rare I ever get to talk about a film from what I’d argue is one of the greatest living filmmakers – in this case, Park Chan-Wook. I’ve loved every single movie of his I’ve ever seen, without exception, so knowing he’s made a vampire film without ever having seen it just seemed too much of an aberration not to correct. As is common with all of Park’s work, there are a million lenses and thematic viewpoints you could view this through, so let’s start with stripping it back a bit from those elements. This movie is an emotional rollercoaster with ups and downs galore. Sometimes it’s a euphoric blast of newfound freedom and power, and sometimes it’s an ironic downward spiral of spiritual doom and confoundingly depressing circumstances. The two lead performances from Song Kang-ho and Kim Ok-bin are both genuinely awards worthy, carrying so much pathos and expressiveness as an excellent stylistic counterpoint to the often cold and calculated presentation. Park shoots this movie with unrivaled creativity in his framing and camera movements, which coming from him is easy to take for granted, but it truly is something to behold. There is also a snappiness with the editing, sound design, and score for this movie that really drives it along at a measured but always engaging pace. There’s never a moment when you aren’t leaning forward in your chair. To say this movie is about one thing or to try and boil it down to one core idea/message would be a disservice to it. It made me reflect on the consequences of blind faith and devotion, recoil in fear about the ability of power to corrupt even the purest of intentions, and marvel at the spectrum of manipulation that can come from those who are truly desperate to find a place to belong. These all intertwine beautifully while also standing as individuals through lines of their own. It all blends together into something deeply insightful and tragically soul-baring. You’ve never seen a vampire tale quite like this one.

Eden Lake (2008)

Some horror movies make you think, some are a ton of fun, some make you laugh, and some are an absolute kick in the balls. It’s rare, but a cruel film that can still feel palatable without holding back is something I can get really into, and Eden Lake is one of those movies. There’s nothing to help you escape here…nothing fantastical, no laughs, no hope for help. It follows a couple played by a physically impressive Kelly Reilly and a (super early in his career) Michael Fassbender, bringing his usual stunning talent level far before he was as world renowned for doing exactly that. They visit a lake from Steve (Fassbender)’s childhood, but run into a group of rowdy teenagers led by a truly baby-faced Jack O’Connell. What proceeds is a continuously escalating series of events that lead to harrowing violence and even more bleak consequences. Amongst those who enjoy this film it has become famous for not letting its characters get off easily – quite the opposite, in fact. When you think it can’t get any worse physically, it most definitely will throw an emotional curveball at you, or when you’re going through something truly traumatic emotionally it’ll surprise you with some quick but consequential violence with even more traumatizing aftereffects. This movie will definitely not be for everyone, and I don’t expect this description to appeal to many, but there’s a reason it has so many fans. Not only does it have an unflinching plot and subject matter, but it’s also a well shot, intelligently characterized, and thoughtfully woven tale of many thematic ideas. None of the brutality is just for the sake of it. There’s a solid read on this film that deals with the social consequence of class separation, or the way that the assumptions put upon the young can turn them into the monsters we fear them to be. Even if none of those appeal to you, the movie is a tense and unforgettable watch at the very least.

Watch it on Tubi, the Roku Channel, Fandango at Home, Kanopy, Plex, Fawesome

undertone (2025)

Sound is one of the most important aspects of creating a truly scary horror movie. Colloquial horror film wisdom is that if you want to make a movie less scary, don’t cover your eyes, cover your ears. I remember scoffing at that the first time I heard it, but has since proven to be surprisingly true in the years since. Naturally, a new horror film entirely based around sound appeals to me. Normally the paranormal isn’t what I find to be the most personally scary, but this movie scared me. Not just in a popcorn way either, like in a get-way-under-my-skin way. It genuinely unnerved me. Kicked me right between the legs. Annihilated. Very few films still do that for me. but this new approach to horror through deeply immersive sound design and clever framing creates a whole new level of immersion and a truly dreadful atmosphere. Seeing the story unfold through the continuously perplexing and disturbing tapes magnifies your anxiety with each continuous one until it builds to a fever pitch at the climax and finally boils over into a truly horrifying finale. There’s lore that’s equally super cool and disturbing, a great central performance from Nina Kiri, and most exciting of all…a truly momentous entrance of an invigorating new voice in horror. The eighth Paranormal Activity is in great hands.

Watch it in theaters now!