Harbinger (2026)
Written by: Harry Boxley, Simon Cluett
Starring: Peter Woodward, Jeanine Nerissa Sothcott, Nick Nevern
Film Review by: Holly Baker
Harbinger (2026) is a thrilling, feature-length supernatural horror film. The film is directed by experienced horror writer and director James Crow. Crow has exclusively worked within this gory genre, with previous works such as the Christmas scarer Nightmare on 34th Street (2023) and the folk horror/mystery thriller Curse of the Witching Tree (2015) gaining a fair amount of traction and critical praise. Harbinger continues his legacy, with a gripping original story and striking visuals, and fresh, talented faces, adding marvellously to the continuously growing genre.
Horror is certainly having its moment on the cinema stage now in 2026. Films like Curry Barker’s Obsession (2025) and Kane Parson’s Backrooms (2026) are huge successes, both putting an original spin on the genre, using it to provoke ideas, and playing on our biggest fears. Similarly to Backrooms and Obsession, Harbinger uses themes like desire and identity to create fear, warping relationships, family, and intimacy to elicit discomfort. The aspect of identity has always been a huge influence in the horror genre. This is seen in the emergence of the gothic genre, which had creatures of the night, Vampires who would walk among the rest of humanity, their evil nature undetectable and therefore all the more sinister. Harbinger plays excellently on that deep-rooted fear in all of us, that people we know are not who they say they are- starting with our protagonist’s husband, Decker.
We are introduced abruptly to the disturbing truth behind Julia and Decker’s relationship ending. The couple had been happily married before Julia discovered Decker’s gruesome habit of demon worship and serial femicide. This is all revealed in the film’s brutal opening segment, in which Julia almost reaches her own fatal end, but fights back just long enough before authorities can shoot him down. This satisfying scene sets the story into motion, establishing Julia as a heroic and refreshing final girl character, breaking casting stereotypes, notably by being an older woman. Following this traumatic attack, Julia suffers from PTSD and is struggling to get her life back together. She is approached by keen showrunners of a ghost hunting TV show who ask for her involvement in their investigation of the house she shared with him. She reluctantly agrees, hoping to face her demons and be finally free of the hold Decker’s memory has on her. However, their evening of filming does not quite go to plan, as something truly evil seems to reside within the home that the crew are no match for…
Like Obsession, with its infamous “One Wish Willow”, Harbinger brings in traditional folk horror aesthetics of the divine supernatural. In the house, the crew stumbles across a fortune-telling Harbinger, which is fantastically horrifying in its playful yet sinister nature. The costume design in Harbinger is excellently fearful, with the use of practical effects, make-up, and masks which are incredibly creepy yet simple. In this simplicity, the film has a very British, Dr Who-esque feel to it, giving it a nostalgic and homely feel, solidifying its place within the British horror landscape.
By utilising the darkness of the house, combined with neon lighting, particularly the focus on sharp contrasts between blue and red, Harbinger is bursting with colourful character. The fearful atmosphere is buzzing with visual style, similar in look to Halina Reins’s brilliant satire comedy horror Bodies Bodies Bodies (2022), giving the film a smoky, fluorescent edge, and highlighting the dark shadows fabulously.
The choice of containing the action within one space is always at the risk of the film becoming visually repetitive. However, the set design in Harbinger, with its intricate incorporation of the bedroom and bathroom spaces containing vulgar scares, certainly makes this risk pay off. This is all brought home by the cast and their brilliant performances. In typical British, Dr Who-like fashion, the most gruelling sequences are not so over the top, with the performances remaining committed, but wholly naturalistic as the story goes on. Though only featured briefly, Peter Woodward AKA Decker is fantastically vibrant in his villainous role. Decker’s evil is conveyed alluringly, charming and intriguing viewers into his darkness. Most notably, Jeanine Nerissa Sothcott is thrilling, and Julia is Harbinger’s final girl. Viewers can get a strong sense of her trauma and impressive bravery as she faces what she fears most.
Overall, Harbinger excellently incorporates traditional horror tropes in original ways to convey a modern take on the genre. The film contains several striking visuals through honourable practical effects and lighting choices. Sothcott and Woodward carry the film’s most poignant moments through their naturalistic performances, with the support of a fully committed ensemble. Fans of contemporary horror such as Ready or Not (2019) will find the film satisfying, and a healthy amount of both scary and fun. Viewers may look forward to James Crow’s upcoming work, The Wicker Children, also on its way to be released in 2026 along with several other horror features and shorts.
Harbinger is on UK digital 10 August and US digital 11 August from Miracle Media