What is actually worth seeing this weekend

Evil Dead Burn, for the horror crowd

This is the one I am most excited about, and if you have read anything I write, you knew that already. Warner Bros. is putting Evil Dead Burn out wide, and it is the next swing at a franchise that keeps proving it has more life in it than almost anything in horror. The cast is Souheila Yacoub, Hunter Doohan, Luciane Buchanan, and Erroll Shand, which is a younger, less familiar lineup, and honestly that has worked in this series' favor before. Evil Dead lives or dies on commitment, on going further than you expect with the practical gore and the sheer nastiness, not on star power.

If you want to actually be scared, be tense, and walk out with your shoulders up around your ears, this is your Saturday night. Bring someone who will grab your arm. This is not the one to take the kids to, no matter how much they beg.

Moana, for the whole family

On the complete other end of the weekend is Disney's live-action Moana. Thomas Kail directs, Catherine Laga'aia plays Moana, and Dwayne Johnson is back as Maui, sailing out once more to turn the tide against Te Ka, the volcanic demon threatening Moana's island. You know the story, you know the songs, and you know exactly what these live-action remakes are: a gorgeous, safe, crowd-pleasing version of a movie you already love.

That is not a knock. If you have kids, or you just want two hours of warmth and ocean and songs you will be humming for a week, Moana is the easy call. It is the only one of these three built for a full family row in the theater.

The Invite, the wildcard

The one I am most curious about is A24's The Invite, a comedy-drama about a social gathering that goes sideways in ways both funny and uncomfortable. The cast is the pitch: Seth Rogen, Olivia Wilde, Penelope Cruz, and Edward Norton in one room. A24 plus a loaded ensemble plus a dinner party that unravels is a very specific kind of movie, and when it works, it really works.

This is the date-night or grown-ups-only pick. Go in knowing it is more talk than spectacle, and let the cast do the heavy lifting.

So, which one

Quick version. Want to be scared, go with Evil Dead Burn. Have the family in tow, go with Moana. Want something for the adults with a great cast and a slower burn, take The Invite. It is a genuinely good weekend at the movies, which does not happen as often as it should. Me, I am starting with the horror and not apologizing for it.

If you would rather stay in and read, I also wrote about why horror keeps winning the weekend in 2026. You can find everything this studio builds at jcmobileappstudio.com.