The world’s greatest genre film festival, Fantastic Fest, is just about to finish its 20th anniversary event and io9 was on the ground to watch movies over the past several days. The aim, as always, is to find, or at least be able to recommend, great genre movies coming out in the next few months, and, in that aim, we were successful. Over the course of about four days, we watched 15 movies, which is but a mere fraction of what the festival has in store. Out of those 15, though, about half of them were films we liked, with a select handful being the true standouts. That’s what you’ll read below. Five films we saw, loved, and want you to be ready for as they come out in the coming weeks, months, or maybe even years. A few of these you’ve definitely heard of, a few you haven’t, but we can safely say that each is worth seeing and getting excited about. Obsession Be careful what you wish for. You may just get it. That’s the moral of Obsession, the best film we saw at Fantastic Fest this year. It follows a man who wishes for his crush to like him, and it works. He just doesn’t consider the consequences. What happens next are some of the most intense, terrifying, and even occasionally hilarious things you’ve seen in a recent horror movie. Filmmaker Curry Barker announces himself as a writer and director to reckon with. Read our review here. When can I see it?: Obsession was picked up for distribution by Focus Features, so expect it sometime in 2026. Black Phone 2 Sequels in general usually suck, and horror sequels in particular can be atrocious. With Black Phone 2, though, the team behind the original figured out a way to not just evolve the story of an evil kidnapper and the child who defeated him, but elevate it too. There’s more horror, more lore, more mystery, and more excitement. It’s an excellent sequel that takes everything you liked about the first movie and makes it even better. Read our review here. When can I see it?: Black Phone 2 opens in theaters October 17. Beast of War An Australian transport ship sinks during World War II. Hundreds are dead, and the few that remain have to deal with not just hunger, thirst, and the elements, but a big-ass killer shark too. Imagine if USS Indianapolis speech from Jaws became a movie, and that’s basically Beast of War. But while that story was ultimately very sad, this movie is not just funny and fun, it’s hopeful. That’s in large part due to camaraderie built between the soldiers. But don’t worry, there’s plenty of gross shark action too. When can I see it?: Beast of War will be in select theaters and on digital download October 10. Shelby Oaks What happens when the film critic becomes the filmmaker? That’s one of the many, many stories that make Shelby Oaks so unique. The feature film debut of YouTuber Chris Stuckmann, Shelby Oaks takes the tried-and-true found footage genre and gives it a kick in the butt. Through not just found footage but also faux documentary and traditional narrative, the film follows a woman trying to find her missing sister. It’s scary, interesting, and just plain good. Read our review here. When can I see it?: Shelby Oaks opens in theaters October 24. The Plague Kids can be shits. Especially kids who go to water polo camp, which is the setting for this intense and endlessly fascinating film. Set in the summer of 2003, a group of water polo players shun members of their group who they believe have a highly contagious plague. But is the plague real? Does it mean something else? And if it does, what does that say about the nature of childhood? To be honest, while The Plague teases genre elements and even dips its toe into body horror, it’s more a film about youth, loyalty, and friendship. So it’s not exactly an io9 movie. But it’s incredibly fascinating nevertheless and well worth your time. When can I see it?: The Plague is scheduled for release December 24. And, as mentioned above, these are just a few of the great movies that played at Fantastic Fest. We also saw and enjoyed Primate, a movie about a killer ape that’s coming to theaters in January. There was a fun animated film called Decorado, which follows a mouse who thinks he’s living in a sort of simulation. And we heard great things, but didn’t see, a ton of other films such as Night Patrol, The Forbidden City, Reflections of a Dead Diamond, A Useful Ghost, Deathstalker, The Cramps: A Period Piece, Cruel Jaws, and more. We also saw a lot of films we did not care for, such as The Curse, Vicious, Haunted Heist, Bulk, Tree of Knowledge, and Appofeniacs. The movies may not have been as universally fantastic this year, but, as always, the festival was just that.