Set in the Agency area of Andhra, Kampanalu (translates to The Tremors ) introduces Rathapisaachi —a demon that latches onto villages during land disputes. The horror is visceral: victims hear bells under their skin, then begin to walk backward, then… melt. The film’s low budget works in its favor, using practical effects and real tribal performance art.
No jump scares for the first 40 minutes. Instead, the film uses silence, long takes, and the oppressive heat of the Indian summer. Critics called it “ The Wailing meets Telangana folklore.” 2. 36 Vayadhu… Chivaraku (December 2025) – Psychological Terror Genre: Home invasion / Memory loss Where to watch: Netflix (Telugu original) latest horror movies in telugu
Nireekshana surprised everyone with its atmospheric dread. It follows a pregnant woman who moves into her late grandmother’s isolated farmhouse in Telangana’s cotton belt. A local folk spirit— Pilli Jogamma (a cat-faced guardian)—begins to appear not as a monster, but as a protector. The horror lies in whether the spirit is saving her from or preparing her for something darker. Set in the Agency area of Andhra, Kampanalu
It avoids the “urban skeptic vs. rural belief” cliché. Instead, the heroine is a local forest officer who half-believes the myth, making the dread feel earned. 4. Mukha Mukhamuga (August 2025) – AI Horror Genre: Tech-horror / Doppelgänger Where to watch: Disney+ Hotstar No jump scares for the first 40 minutes
A 5-minute single-take where the protagonist washes her face, and the mirror reflection slowly smiles differently. 3. Kampanalu (October 2025) – Folk Horror on a Budget Genre: Rural legend / Body horror Where to watch: Prime Video (Telugu with subs)
Watch Telugu horror with headphones. The regional ASMR-style dread (crickets, temple bells, whispered folk rhymes) is half the experience.
The most modern of the lot. A video editor (Sundeep Kishan) gets hired to restore old footage of a dead actress. But the AI enhancement tool starts generating new frames—showing murders that haven’t happened, in the editor’s own house. Soon, his streaming devices play recordings of him sleeping, his phone autocorrects to threats, and his own face on screen mouths words he never said.