SXSW 2026 Horror Lineup Reveals ‘They Will Kill You’ and ‘Ready or Not 2’

SXSW 2026 has revealed its first wave of films, and horror enthusiasts are in for a treat. The lineup includes several highly anticipated titles that have already sparked excitement among fans. Among them are Ready or Not 2, They Will Kill You, and Obsession. These are just the beginning of what promises to be an impressive collection of genre-defining films.

Below is a comprehensive list of the genre titles set to screen at SXSW 2026. The festival will take place from March 12 to 18 in Austin, Texas, so make sure to mark your calendars.

Headliners

The headliners section features big names and major talent, with red carpet premieres and gala film events. These films showcase both established and emerging talents in the film industry.

Over Your Dead Body

Director: Jorma Taccone

Producers: Kelly McCormick, David Leitch, Lee Kim, Guy Danella, Nick Spicer, Aram Tertzakian

Screenwriters: Nick Kocher, Brian McElhaney

A dysfunctional couple travels to a remote cabin to supposedly reconnect, but each has secret plans to kill the other.

Cast: Samara Weaving, Jason Segel, Timothy Olyphant, Juliette Lewis, Paul Guilfoyle, Keith Jardine (World Premiere)

Ready or Not 2: Here I Come

Directors: Matt Bettinelli-Olpin, Tyler Gillett

Producers: Tripp Vinson, James Vanderbilt, William Sherak, Bradley J. Fischer

Screenwriters: Guy Busick, R. Christopher Murphy

After surviving the Le Domas attack, Grace faces the next level of the deadly game – now with her estranged sister Faith. With four rival families hunting them, Grace must survive, protect her sister, and claim the High Seat that rules it all.

Cast: Samara Weaving, Kathryn Newton, Sarah Michelle Gellar, Shawn Hatosy, Néstor Carbonell, David Cronenberg, Elijah Wood (World Premiere)

They Will Kill You

Director: Kirill Sokolov

Producers: Andy Muschietti, Barbara Muschietti, Dan Kagan

Screenwriters: Kirill Sokolov, Alex Litvak

A high-octane horror-action-comedy in which a woman must survive the night at the Virgil, a demonic cult’s mysterious, twisted death-trap, before becoming their next offering in a uniquely brazen battle of epic kills and wickedly dark humor.

Cast: Zazie Beetz, Myha’La, Paterson Joseph, Tom Felton, Heather Graham, Patricia Arquette (World Premiere)

Midnighters

These after-dark features cater to genre lovers and the terminally curious.

American Dollhouse

Director/Screenwriter: John Valley

Producers: David Axe, Samuel Butler, Shane Greb

Caught between a grotesque Christmas fantasy and her own childhood trauma, a woman’s search for a fresh start in her hometown is violently interrupted by a psychopathic neighbor.

Cast: Hailley Lauren, Kelsey Pribilski, Tinus Seaux, Danielle Evon Ploeger, Richard C. Jones (World Premiere)

Drag

Directors/Screenwriters: Raviv Ullman, Greg Yagolnitzer

Producers: Jake DeVito, Lucy DeVito, Danny DeVito

A routine robbery at a rural house turns into a nightmare for two amateur burglars when one of them throws out her back. Things spiral out of control as they try to escape before the homeowner returns.

Cast: Lizzy Caplan, Lucy DeVito, John Stamos, Christine Ko (World Premiere)

Fifteen (Argentina, Mexico)

Directors: Jack Zagha, Yossy Zagha

Producers: Jack Zagha, Yossy Zagha, Elsa Reyes, Valentín Javier Diment, Vanesa Pagani

Screenwriters: Andrzej Rattinger, Ricardo Álvarez Canales

A Mexican girl’s quinceañera spirals into chaos when supernatural rumors and small-town gossip collide, forcing her to face adulthood sooner than expected.

Cast: Greta Marti, Macarena Oz, Aminta Ireta, Martha Claudia Moreno, Enrique Arreola, Mercedes Hernández, Malena Sandy, Cloe Juresa Furgan, Andre Fajardo, Silvia Villazur (World Premiere)

Grind

Directors: Brea Grant, Ed Dougherty, Chelsea Stardust

Producer: Chelsea Stardust

Screenwriters: Brea Grant, Ed Dougherty

Four interconnected tales of workplace horror tackle the most terrifying aspect of modern life: making a living! With a wild tone as darkly comic as it is relevant, Grind is the most fun you’ll have in a late-stage capitalistic hellscape.

Cast: Rob Huebel, Barbara Crampton, Vinny Thomas, Jessika Van, Christopher Rodriguez-Marquette, James Urbaniak, Courtney Pauroso, Jon Gabrus, Ify Nwadiwe, Aubrey Shea (World Premiere)

Imposters

Director/Screenwriter: Caleb J Phillips

Producers: Thomas Bond, Sara Seligman, Joe Bandelli

After a couple’s baby boy is taken, the desperate mother learns of a way to bring him back. However, her husband begins to suspect that what she returned with isn’t their son.

Cast: Jessica Rothe, Charlie Barnett, Yul Vazquez, Bates Wilder, Luisina Quarleri, Thomas Parobek, Ian Lyons, Taylor Karin, Lee Bennett, Declan Bennett (World Premiere)

Monitor

Directors/Screenwriters: Matt Black, Ryan Polly

Producers: Marty Bowen, Wyck Godfrey, Isaac Klausner, John Fischer, Adrian Guerra

A social media moderator unleashes a deadly terror when she refuses to publish a cryptic video.

Cast: Brittany O’Grady, Taz Skylar, Viveik Karla, Ines Høysæter Asserson, Gunner Willis, Sara Alexander, Camila Wahlgren (World Premiere)

Never After Dark (Japan)

Director/Screenwriter: Dave Boyle

Producers: Dave Boyle, Kento Kaku, Kosuke Tsutsumi

A medium travels deep into the Japanese countryside to perform a routine exorcism, where she is forced to confront the most terrifying enemy of all: the living.

Cast: Moeka Hoshi, Kento Kaku, Kurumi Inagaki, Mutsuo Yoshioka, Bokuzo Masana, Tae Kimura (World Premiere)

Narrative Spotlight

These unforgettable features receive their World, North American, or U.S. premieres.

Family Movie

Directors: Kyra Sedgwick, Kevin Bacon

Producers: Kevin Bacon, Kyra Sedgwick, Sosie Bacon, Travis Bacon, Vince Jolivette, Casey Durant, Greg Lauritano, Russell Wayne Groves

Screenwriter: Dan Beers

A filmmaking family’s low-budget horror movie turns into a real-life slasher when a dead body shows up on set. Chaos ensues as the Smiths fight to keep the production on track. After all – the show must go on!

Cast: Kevin Bacon, Kyra Sedgwick, Sosie Bacon, Travis Bacon, Liza Koshy, John Carroll Lynch, Jackie Earle Haley, Andrea Savage, Austin Amelio, Scoot McNairy (World Premiere)

Forbidden Fruits

Director: Meredith Alloway

Producers: Mason Novick, Mary Anne Waterhouse, Diablo Cody, Trent Hubbard

Screenwriters: Meredith Alloway, Lily Houghton

Free Eden employee Apple leads a secret witch cult with coworkers Cherry and Fig. New hire Pumpkin questions their sisterhood, forcing them to confront inner darkness or meet violent ends.

Cast: Lola Tung, Victoria Pedretti, Lili Reinhart, Alexandra Shipp, Emma Chamberlain, Gabrielle Union (World Premiere)

Festival Favorites

These acclaimed standouts have been recognized at festivals around the world.

Obsession

Director/Screenwriter: Curry Barker

Producers: James Harris, Haley Nicole Johnson, Christian Mercuri, Roman Viaris

After breaking the mysterious “One Wish Willow” to win his crush’s heart, a hopeless romantic finds himself getting exactly what he asked for but soon discovers that some desires come at a dark, sinister price.

Cast: Michael Johnston, Inde Navarrette, Cooper Tomlinson, Megan Lawless, Andy Richter

Visions

These audacious, risk-taking films demonstrate innovation and creativity.

And Her Body Was Never Found

Director: Polaris Banks

Producers: Polaris Banks, Mor Cohen, Hilarion Banks

Screenwriters: Polaris Banks, Mor Cohen

A couple treks deep into the wilderness to make a movie about their troubled relationship, but takes the opportunity to kill each other instead.

Cast: Mor Cohen, Polaris Banks, Grae Drake (World Premiere)

Keep an eye on Dread as more lineup announcements are expected.