‘One of the best films of the year’ with insane twist quietly released on Prime Video

Horror fans are delighted after stumbling upon a hidden gem on Amazon Prime Video, released just in time for Halloween. 

Directed by Jordan Downey, it’s been hailed as one of the year’s best horror films and boasts an impressive 94% on Rotten Tomatoes. 

Viewers are urging others to ‘go in blind’ and avoid looking for spoilers to protect the big twist that unfolds halfway through the film. 

Released on Shudder via Amazon Prime Video, The Cycle follows a forensic scientist who is roped in to help detectives solve a series of mysterious deaths, one of which involves her estranged father. Before long, she discovers he was harbouring a secret that is now coming to the surface with horrifying consequences. 

The Cycle stars Deborah Ann Wolf, best known for Daredevil, True Blood and The Punisher, in the lead role alongside Will Hochman and Jeffrey Donovan. 

While it may seem like a standard police procedural, a major plot twist turns the entire story on its head and becomes something even more deliciously daring. It’s a bold move that is executed fantastically and has seen it hailed as one of the best horror finds of the year. 

Even horror legend Stephen King billed it ‘The Thing meets Silence of the Lambs.’ 

Sharing their love for the film, X user @JDWerewolf wrote: ‘My review of The Cycle on Shudder. I loved it. My favorite horror film of the season, probably for the whole year.

‘Last night I watched The Cycle, lowkey one of 2026’s biggest surprises

‘I wish this was a theatrical release, but I’m not knocking on Shudder (I’ve enjoyed the stuff I’ve seen). Honestly, this might be my favourite horror film of the year. Top 3 at least.

‘PLEASE go in BLIND.’ 

@timelordbob1 agreed: ‘Just watched the film The Cycle and had a blast with it. Excellent practical effects, good acting and a story with heart combine to make one of my favourite films of the year. Avoid spoilers and watch it.’ 

@gorgeousbrains added: ‘Cannot properly express how much i loved the cycle. gloomy, gory, phenomenally well paced, and scary as hell. this shit had me sitting up straight in bed for the last 20 minutes. you NEED to go in blind, i promise you’ll be so happy you did. my favorite halloween 2026 release.’ 

Downey created the idea with his collaborator Kevin Stewart and recalled the moment they settled on the big idea.

*** SPOILER ***

‘We both looked at each other and stopped and were like, “Wait, that’s a really cool, fun idea and a take on werewolves that we’ve never seen before”,’ Downey told Variety. 

‘Being the horror cinephiles that we are, we were like, “I don’t think anyone’s done that. I can’t think of a movie or a show.” We Googled it and realised, no, it hasn’t been done. What do you do with that idea?’ 

It’s been a stunning year for horror, with films such as Obsession, Backrooms and Resident Evil taking the box office by storm.

The Cycle is available to stream on the subscription service Shudder via Amazon Prime Video.