2025 yielded one of the best years ever for the horror genre, with a seemingly endless parade of groundbreaking original movies and high-profile franchise sequels earning both critical acclaim and box office profits. 2026 looks poised to deliver more of the same, and the first major original horror movie that should make a splash is Sam Raimi’s survival horror film Send Help.

Send Help is set for a January 30th, 2026 release date, meaning it will be among the first major horror movies to make an impact in 2026. Raimi’s latest acts as somewhat of a benchmark for him, as he hasn’t directed a true horror movie since 2009’s acclaimed supernatural horror movie Drag Me To Hell, although he has been a producer on a number of horror projects since then.

The twisted island survival story also marks drama and romance veteran Rachel McAdams‘ long-awaited return to the horror genre. She hasn’t starred in anything approaching horror since 2005’s Red Eye, and whether that’s more horror or psychological thriller is certainly debatable.

The involvement of both Raimi and McAdams, along with her costar Dylan O’Brien, immediately designates Send Help as a high-profile project with big box office potential. With a script that was good enough to get Raimi back in the director’s chair and entice its talented cast, Send Help will be the first indicator of where horror is headed in 2026.

Send Help Is 2026’s First Major Original Horror Movie After A Loaded 2025

2025 has been marked by huge successes in horror, particularly at the box office. Several major sequels were massively profitable, riding good reviews and the built-in franchise audience to huge numbers, including The Conjuring: Last Rites, Final Destination Bloodlines, and 28 Years Later.

As encouraging as the franchise successes were, 2025 will really be remembered for a veritable onslaught of outstanding original horror movies. Sinners and Weapons are the most significant callouts, as each has earned Oscar buzz in addition to box office hauls of over $350M and $250M, respectively.

They were supplemented by a number of wholly original movies that were critical and financial successes, even if they didn’t reach the heights of the two headliners. Companion, Heart Eyes, Together, and Bring Her Back all earned massive critical acclaim, and thanks to their low budgets, were modest successes at the box office.

Send Help will be the first major original movie that could flirt with the success that Sinners and Weapons had thanks to the extra weight behind Sam Raimi and Rachel McAdams’ attachment to the project. While its success is far from guaranteed, it will be a good measuring stick for the year considering that it debuts in January, which is typically one of the weakest box office months.

Raimi’s return to horror has very little competition as far as the genre itself is concerned, as it will land in theaters two weeks after 28 Years Later: The Bone Temple and a full month before the highly-anticipated Scream 7.

Send Help will also benefit from being a survival horror movie. The movie’s first trailer indicates that while there will be plenty of blood, it should appeal to a broader demographic than the die-hard horror audience, as it should include plenty of dark humor too (as most of Sam Raimi’s projects do).

While it’s likely too much to expect a January release to achieve the same heights as the spring and summer releases of Sinners and Weapons, Send Help could be a pleasant surprise. Coming off an unbelievable year for horror in 2025, Sam Raimi’s return to the genre should be a strong initial indicator if the moviegoing public’s ravenous appetite for original horror is still going strong.

Release Date

January 28, 2026

Director

Sam Raimi

Writers

Damian Shannon