Editorials
Set Report and Bloody New Images from ‘[REC] 3 Genesis’!
Last week you saw a bunch of behind-the-scenes photos from the wedding of the century, now international Bloody Disgusting stringer Guillermo Tato Reig weighs in with his testimony from the post-vows horror.
Inside you’ll find our set report from Filmax’s [REC] 3 Genesis, which is currently lensing in Spain under the direction of co-creator Paco Plaza. In addition to some cake cutting and bloody family members, BD scored an exlcuisve pair of new photos featuring the happy couple and one of the “infected” bridesmades.
“The action now takes place miles away from the original location and partly in broad daylight giving the film an entirely fresh yet disturbing new reality. The infection has left the building.”
It’s hard to imagine that we are on the set of the third [REC] movie. It’s a sunny day, and we are very near Sant Pere de Ribes, a village 30 minutes away from Barcelona. It’s all very different to the nightly urban look of the first two movies. Here, we are completely surrounded by nature, as the main building, a beautiful and also sinister construction. Like in the movie, this is a building used mainly for weddings, and it used to be a Casino years ago. Big walls welcome us to this ghostly place, scaring the visitors even in broad daylight. All of this brings back memories of “The Shining“, with its undark ghosts and the sinister parties from the old times. There’s a lot of history in this place. But we must remember that we are in the [REC] 3 set. And this is, obviously, a zombie movie.
Like in any other wedding we are received by dozens of guests. Today they’re shooting the banquet, and all the actors are perfectly dressed and happy, unaware of the nightmare that is about to be unleashed. There are few details known about the plot of the movie, as Paco Plaza says “it’s difficult to talk about the plot without revealing part of the mystery. I think that a big part of the success of ‘[REC]’ is down to that mystery. It was a surprising movie and you didn’t know exactly what to expect in the theatre” As far as we’re concerned, there’s a wedding, that will become a nightmare. The wife, Clara, is played by Leticia Dolera; and the husband by Diego Martin. Paco Plaza says that he “was interested to show the greatest horror in a day of great happiness.” And for him, Leticia and Diego are the best actors for that role. “They convey a warmth and humanity that are perfect for this movie.”
Leticia is the wife of Paco Plaza and also a huge fan of fantasy films. For this reason she has been the host of the SciFi Fantasy Film Festival in Madrid for several years. “I feel predilection for fantasy, that’s the way I see the world. And I feel very happy working in this kind of movies, because it’s something very personal to me.” Diego Martín is not so close to the genre, but he thinks that allows him “to do things I have never done in front of a camera. And I’m not only talking about zombies.”
But Paco Plaza reminds us that even with all these differences, [REC] 3 will be part of the [REC] universe. “You must be very respectful with the legacy from the other movies. You try to keep the things that worked and try to contribute with something new.” He also feels very pleased when people compare [REC] 2 with Aliens and he adds that [REC] 3 could be like Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade. He wants to drive the saga towards the adventure genre, but always keeping the “ ‘[REC]’ universe, a combination of black humor and claustrophobic horror. We haven been faithful to the rules of the first two movies.” For this reason, Paco Plaza wrote the movie with Luis Berdejo, who was also involved in the writing of [REC]. “We were talking about how the best possible sequel for ‘[REC] 2’ could be. Luis, Jaume (Balagueró) and I are good friends, and we met frequently. In one of those meetings the idea was norn, the great idea that deserved to continue with ‘[REC].’ Something really new to offer to the audience. Then, we began writing it in May last year, a month before the World Cup.”
This is also a great challenge for Paco Plaza because, unlike the other films, it will be the first that he will direct alone. But he doesn’t feel any difference, because “Jaume and I always felt that the first two movies were a hundred percent of each of us, not fifty percent of each. I hope not to let down all the people that enjoyed the previous films. We are working hard to satisfy the audience, which is the main reason for this movie. And we are trying to give something new, and we hope you enjoy it.”
The [REC] saga has become a huge success around the world, and [REC] 3 will be no exception. Julio Fernández (President of Filmax), reminds us that the movie has already been pre-sold in almost every country, including the United States. And this is the confirmation of the good health of the genre in Spain. Mr. Fernández reminds us that the “great change began with Fantastic Factory. This is part of that evolution, which included Paco Plaza and Jaume Balagueró. Now in the international markets the Spanish genre films are sold in much the same way as the Australian or Canadian genre films. There’s no difference. That’s the great evolution of this industry, and all from Barcelona.” Paco Plaza agrees about this good health of Spanish horror movies in the international markets, “there has been a good trend in the last few years, ‘The Orphanage,’ ‘Julia’s Eyes,’ ‘[REC],’ ‘Timecrimes’… They have had a great reception at international Festivals and have also been released at theatres almost everywhere. Comedy is more local, but we are all afraid of the same things. We are living a golden age.”
Now, we have to leave this beautiful place, surrounded by the nature, and the sound of the birds singing. A quiet place, maybe too quiet, which makes us think of horrible things that could happen when the zombies spread among us. We are sure that [REC] 3 will be something completely new in the saga, while sticking to its roots. Keeping the [REC] universe identity. As Paco Plaza brightly reminds us, “there’s something peculiar in the ‘[REC]’ universe. A mixture between Berlanga and Rob Zombie. The grotesque and the raw violence.”
We’re now officially in the back half of 2026 now that July is here, but what a year it’s been for horror so far. The sequels and reboots are still holding strong at the box office with films like Scream 7 and Scary Movie, but it’s also been a year where new voices are shattering records in unexpected ways.
Markiplier eschewed conventional production and distribution channels with his feature adaptation of Iron Lung, for example. We’re also still in the midst of Backrooms and Obsession-mania, with the former back in theaters with bonus footage and the latter extending its box office reign. Liminal horror has exploded, and low-budget indie horror is seeing just as much, and sometimes even more, success as big studio-backed fare.
All of which to say that 2026 has been a hell of a year so far for the genre, and it’s only getting warmed up. Still on the way are Evil Dead Burn, Insidious: Out of the Further, Resident Evil, Clayface, Whalefall, and Werwulf, just to name a few.
Also catch up with the Best Horror Books and Best Horror Games of the year so far.
Here are the ten best horror movies of the year (so far).
10) Chime
Horror master Kiyoshi Kurosawa is back with one of his most haunting yet, though one that’d likely be higher on this list if it were more accessible. The 45-minute feature was initially produced and distributed as an NFT before receiving a theatrical run earlier this year, with no plans to distribute digitally or on home media. It spins a somewhat cryptic tale, introducing a culinary teacher, Takuji Matsuoka (Mutsuo Yoshioka, Never After Dark), whose classroom becomes disrupted by a strange sound that leads to violence. It’s a quiet but haunting unraveling, one that leaves no aspect of Matsuoka’s life untouched, in true Kiyoshi Kurosawa style. That it defies any easy explanation also ensures Chime embeds itself under your skin.
9) Send Help
Sam Raimi’s splatstick return to form is a delightfully deranged two-hander that doubles as infectious catharsis for anyone who’s ever had a bad boss. Rachel McAdams (Doctor Strange) and Dylan O’Brien (The Maze Runner) face off when their characters are shipwrecked on an island, prompting a bid for survival in more ways than one. While O’Brien often matches her, It’s McAdams who shines as she deftly handles everything that Raimi, working from a script by Damian Shannon & Mark Swift (Freddy vs. Jason), throws at her. Send Help is full of vibrant personality, packed with all of Raimi’s signatures, making for one of the most entertaining films of the year.
8) Mārama
New Zealand filmmaker Taratoa Stappard’s gothic tale begins in familiar fashion, with Mary Stevens (Ariāna Osborne) arriving in Yorkshire upon invitation to learn more about her parents, only to find the remote manor haunted. Just when Stappard’s period horror story feels doomed to succumb to familiar gothic trappings and jump scares, though, its true horror emerges. The more Mary uncovers about her heritage and her Māori culture, the clearer it becomes that this grim home is built on violence and exploitation. Stappard’s vision comes into its own when it leaves behind its gothic influences and embraces its Māori identity; few scenes are as powerful as when Osborne’s Mary performs a haka in response to her vile oppressors, heralding in a righteous bloodbath.
7) Touch Me
Writer/Director Addison Heimann draws from retro Japanese horror, exploitation cinema, and perhaps even hentai for his campy, psychosexual sophomore feature. A toxic friendship plagued by trauma, codependency, and addiction gets tested to the extreme when Brian (Lou Taylor Pucci), a hip-hop-loving, tracksuit-sporting alien, gets between them. Olivia Taylor Dudley and Jordan Gavaris have an easy rapport and play off each other well as directionless, depressed Millennial besties prone to ignoring their problems until they become insurmountable. But it’s Pucci’s inspired, childlike take on the chicken nugget-loving extraterrestrial with tentacled secrets of his own that steals the show. Heimann has a lot on his mind with his sophomore feature and neatly condenses it all into a quirky, eccentric psychosexual camp odyssey that leans heavily into humor.
6) Backrooms
Director Kane Parsons translates the vast liminal labyrinth of his web series to the big screen in his feature debut, one that instills existential dread with its atmospheric horror and narrative. The ‘ 90s-set horror movie introduces a protagonist with a serious chip on his shoulder over life’s many disappointments, who then discovers his furniture store harbors a hidden door that leads to an endless labyrinth. It’s not just the incredible production design that instills a disorienting sense of doom and terror, but the lead characters’ palpable and profound sense of loneliness and isolation. Parsons exudes impressive confidence and control as he methodically entrusts his quiet worldbuilding and talented leads to carry the dramatic weight. While Backrooms does deflate by the film’s cryptic, cliffhanger-y end, it’s arguably the most effective and scariest yet at capturing the uncanny valley of generative AI.
5) Leviticus
Writer/Director Adrian Chiarella uses an It Follows-like supernatural entity that relentlessly stalks its prey as a launchpad to immerse audiences in the horror of constantly living in fear for simply existing. A conversion therapy ritual among a deeply conservative community plunges a pair of erstwhile lovers into a nightmarish bid for survival when it summons a force that takes the shape of those whom the afflicted desires most. Chiarella refines the horror mechanics and metaphor with much sharper precision, ensuring that the scares and emotional gravity of the young couple’s terrifying predicament reach their intended impact. It’s the central layered performances by Joe Bird (Talk to Me) and Stacy Clausen (Thrash) that clinch emotional investment in their heartbreaking plight, ensuring that the social horror cuts deep.
4) Redux Redux
The McManus Brothers, writer/director duo Matthew and Kevin McManus (The Block Island Sound), dials up the intensity of a classic revenge story by setting it within a multiverse, where Irene Kelly (Michaela McManus) seeks to snuff out every single iteration of her daughter’s murderer, Neville (Jeremy Holm). The more she stalks and slays every world’s Neville, the more she risks losing her humanity entirely. Through a narrative foil in Mia (Stella Marcus), Redux Redux smartly bypasses repetition as it explores the moral complexities and vulnerabilities of Irene’s extremely violent quest. Holm becomes utterly terrifying in the climax, ensuring that no matter whether Irene loses herself to vengeance for good or not, it’s justified if it means ridding the world of this sick maniac.
3) 28 Years Later: The Bone Temple
Director Nia DaCosta takes the reins in the second entry in writer Alex Garland and original director Danny Boyle’s trilogy, picking up from the previous conclusion that saw Spike (Alfie Williams) fleeing from the infected straight into the welcoming arms of Sir Jimmy Crystal (Sinners’ Jack O’Connell). From here, DaCosta presents a stark contrast between humanity’s best and worst. The former sees the tender studies of Dr. Kelson (Ralph Fiennes) make poignant strides toward humankind’s future, while the latter unleashes more pain and bloodshed courtesy of the Jimmies. The dual paths of light and dark collide in one epic conclusion, an inspired confrontation between good and evil on a stunning set piece of heavy metal insanity. Yet it’s DaCosta’s handling of both extremes that impresses most, teeing up one epic conclusion to this trilogy.
2) Obsession
Sketch comedian turned horror filmmaker Curry Barker (Milk & Serial) wrings blood-curdling terror from a classic Monkey’s Paw wish fulfillment scenario in a way that no one could have ever anticipated. To say that it’s taken the box office by storm would be a massive understatement; Obsession is the top horror movie of the year in terms of gross. It’s not hard to see why, either. While Monkey’s Paw scenarios often yield predictable outcomes, and this outcome is practically telegraphed from the start, Barker manages to surprise with the journey itself. And it’s one insane journey paved with blood-soaked violence and no shortage of nightmare fuel. What truly sets it apart, though, is leads Michael Johnston and Inde Navarrette as the central pair undone by one vicious wish. Expect to see a lot more from breakout Navarette.
1) Hokum
A surly, traumatized writer must break free from his self-imposed shackles of guilt when confronted by a wicked witch haunting a quaint Irish inn in the latest by writer/director Damian McCarthy (Oddity). Adam Scott’s Ohm makes for an atypical but rewarding protagonist, and his complicated emotional journey gives way to a deeply moving story of a man so thoroughly broken by personal trauma that he constantly dwells in darkness. In true McCarthy style, expect the creepy as hell witch to dole out some supernatural retribution for crimes committed, but never in the way you’d expect. The filmmaker has a way of making whimsy pure nightmare fuel; Hokum distorts a kids’ show into eerie, uncanny valley-induced terror in its torment of Ohm. Channeling Stephen King, this creeper plays like a traditional campfire tale in mood and style, infusing genuine scares with a sense of magic and heart.
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