The end of the year means delivering on our opinions of the Best Horror Movies of 2025. I have now been playing horror journalist for my ninth year at The Scariest Things. Every year, I exclaim that we are in the midst of a Horror Renaissance. Never has that feeling felt more impactful than this past year. 2023 was close, but 2025 delivers the box office rewards as well as the critical praise. This was a year for new, fresh stories, supported by the studios and justified by the audiences. It also helped that a few franchises performed well, and we are likely to see the fruits of their success come Oscar season.
On with the list!
Will Hollywood reward horror with more investment in the near future? In a year when big, expensive four-quadrant films struggled at the box office, horror overperformed. Marvel and DC offered up plenty of options, but none of their offerings broke $600 million, let alone the magic billion-dollar mark. Even the reliably profitable horror-adjacent Jurassic Park franchise fell a bit short. Meanwhile, movies like Sinners, Weapons, The Conjuring: Last Rights, and Final Destination: Bloodlines surprisingly owned their weekends at the box office. The risk-to-reward factor for the horror films proved hugely profitable.
Worldwide Grosses of Notable Horror Features:
Box Office current as of 12.23.25 per Box Office Mojo
Keep in mind: The rule of thumb for profitability is 2.5 X the budget to break even.
| Movie | Box Office | Budget |
|---|---|---|
| The Conjuring: Last Rites | $494,653,512 | $55,000,000 |
| Sinners | $367,953,537 | $90,000,000 |
| Final Destination: Bloodlines | $315,830,814 | $50,000,000 |
| Weapons | $269,050,044 | $38,000,000 |
| Nosferatu (Carrying Over from 2024) | $181,764,515 | $50,000,000 |
| 28 Years Later | $151,308,832 | $60,000,000 |
| Black Phone 2 | $132,175,316 | $30,000,000 |
| The Monkey | $68,871,071 | $11,000,000 |
| I Know What You Did Last Summer | $65,808,120 | $18,000, 000 |
| The Long Walk | $62,871,590 | $20,000,000 |
| Until Dawn | $54,105,064 | $15,000,000 |
| Bring Her Back | $39,410,222 | $15,000,000 |
| M3GAN 2.0 | $39,083,707 | $25,000,000 |
| Companion | $36,809,101 | $10,000,000 |
| Wolf Man | $34,151,974 | $25,000,000 |
| Heart Eyes | $33,129,099 | $18,000,000 |
| Together | $32,273,159 | $17,000,000 |
| Him | $27,834,512 | $27,000,000 |
| The Woman in the Yard | $23,311,502 | $12,000,000 |
| Drop | $28,744,167 | $10,000,000 |
| The Strangers: Chapter 2 | $21,921,749 | $8,000,000 |
| Death of a Unicorn | $16,423,085 | $18,000,000 |
| Clown in a Cornfield | $13,850,731 | $1,000,000 |
| Presence | $11,069,405 | $2,000,000 |
| Dangerous Animals | $9,207,719 | $2,000,000 |
| Good Boy | $8,677,663 | $70,000 |
| Shelby Oaks | $6,618,843 | $2,000,000 |
| Keeper | $5,331,845 | $6,000,000 |
| The Toxic Avenger | $3,481,520 | $5,000,000 |
Why do I show the box office totals?
It proves that Horror Movies are PROFITABLE. In the case of the first four movies, they were hugely profitable. It isn’t until you reach M3GAN 2.0 and Wolf Man that you get movies that may have lost money. And, it isn’t until Him that a bona fide flop is found. Here’s a takeaway: if you use your dog as the leading actor in the movie, he’s free! Even with its modest $8 million box office take, it was massively profitable given the movie’s tiny budget. So, this was an epic year for horror movies to rule the box office in a way they have never done before.
It wasn’t just the money.
I will also argue that there were some incredible movies, in terms of QUALITY as well. It’s not all about the box office, after all. (Though I do find it fascinating.) There is a crop of top-drawer horror directors who are staying in the genre, and we are winners as a result. The Philippou Brothers. Zach Cregger. Oz Perkins. Can Evernol. These directors are committed to quality original horror movies. Guillermo DelToro put everything he had into his passion project to reboot Frankenstein. Plus, this year Ryan Coogler jumped into the horror pool. You’re welcome back any time, Mr. Coogler!
Coming up to join them are new voices like Ben Leonberg (Good Boy), Emilie Blitchfield (The Ugly Stepsister), Alex Ullom (It Ends), Sean Byrne (Dangerous Animals), Kevin McManus (Redux Redux), Zach Ogle, and Aaron Pagniano (It Needs Eyes). Creativity and fresh ideas abound and the Renaissance seems healthy and set for a long run.
Some notable actors made a dent this year, too, and some are getting Oscar buzz. Amy Madigan is on many Oscar short lists for Weapons. Michael B. Jordan and Wunmi Mosaku may garner nominations for Sinners. Sinners is likely to get a nomination for set design and costumes, and The Ugly Stepsister should get costume considerations as well. Plus, is there any way we can get Indy, the wonderdog from Good Boy, a special Oscar nomination? He was… a very good boy.
The Health of Franchise Horror
Final Destination is back, and better than ever! Adding character depth to the elaborate set horror of that franchise proved magical this year. The Predator franchise is crackling with energy and creative ideas. The Alien franchise, freed from Ridley Scott’s moorings, now has new life and direction, with Alien Earth and 2024’s Alien Romulus. And the mad crazy box office success of The Conjuring: Last Rites makes you think that they’ll manage to find some more haunts for the Warrens to investigate, even if they have to depart from the “true” canon. The question is, are Vera Farmiga and Patrick Wilson coming back? They actually are age-appropriate now.
It wasn’t all great, though. I Know What You Did Last Summer couldn’t make up its mind whether it wanted to commit to the new crew or the legacy crew. Same issue that the Scream Franchise has been dealing with. Until Dawn was an uninspired bore-fest that couldn’t even capture the video game storytelling that actually was successful. (It helped that the game had Remi Malek in it.) Also, V/H/S Halloween was nearly impossible to watch. Visually ugly and, with one segment exception, was uninspired.
And, we’re getting a swan song for the kids from Hawkins. Stranger Things is coming to a close. We’ll see what Netflix does next. Welcome to Derry has maintained the promise of the It franchise, and as the quality of horror movies continues to rise, bringing fans into theaters, I’m sure that there will be some interesting premium TV horror productions soon to come.
Eric’s Top 10 Horror Movies of 2025
1. Bring Her Back ★★★★★
Directed by Danny and Michael Philippou
I’m usually a “Feel Good Horror” fan, but this year, Bring Her Back really made an impression on me. And, I would not say that this movie is fun. This is a searingly savage film. Our protagonists, Piper and Andy, are the most vulnerable among us: foster home kids. They are brought into the wolf’s den, where manipulative Laura (Played perfectly by the great Sally Hawkins) sets them up for a selfish and demonic plot. This will get under your skin and has moments you will never forget.
2. Weapons ★★★★★
Directed by Zach Cregger
Zach Cregger is officially a master horror storyteller. Following up on my favorite movie of 2022, Barbarian, Cregger once again manages to keep the best parts of his film a secret. He has a Hitchcockian sense of the tug-of-war with plot dynamics. Weapons is populated with wonderful characters with stars like James Brolin, Julia Garner, Alden Ehrenreich, and, in particular, Amy Madigan, who will almost certainly get an Oscar Nomination for Best Supporting Actress. Fun, engrossing, and hugely original, Weapons set a very high standard for 2025.
3. The Ugly Stepsister ★★★★★
Directed by Emilie Blitchfeldt
In a moment where Intellectual Properties (IP) are being harvested for the worst possible movies (Winnie the Pooh: Blood and Honey, I’m looking at you. Or perhaps I wish I hadn’t been looking at you), Emilie Blitchfield has repositioned the story of Cinderella and made it into a period-piece horror comedy with pitch-perfect timing. Lea Myrin’s Elvira, the ugly stepsister (not THAT ugly), is given the focus this time, and she’s a wonderfully flawed character. She’s sympathetic, but also burdened with jealousy and doubt. Blitchfield manages to weave the body horror into the movie like a master butcher. Bonus points for real castles and Oscar-worthy costumes.
4. Good Boy ★★★★.5
Directed by Ben Leonberg
Indy! Come here, buddy! Awwwww. Hey? What are you looking at, boy? What’s got you so scared? This is the Indie movie that broke through, and it didn’t rely on cheapo shaky cam to do so. In fact, Ben Leonberg brought us the dog’s-eye view (literally) and executed a unique, nearly flawless perspective. Click on the review link for an interview I did with Leonberg before the movie hit it big. This was the #1 movie I was anxious to see on the Festival Circuit, and it did not disappoint. I have rarely been more proud of an association with a movie, and I fully embrace Good Boy.
5. It Ends ★★★★.5
Directed by Alex Ullom
This is another little Indie Festival Darling that I am willing to go to the mat for. Alex Ullom is a young director with rare talents. He has an ear for natural dialogue, particularly among Gen Z. This movie builds slow, dread-filled tension and is admittedly a bit of a bummer. Still, it is executed so well by an unheralded ensemble that you lose yourself on this road trip down Limbo. The movie just got a distributor with NEON, and will receive a theatrical release in 2026.
6. The Rule of Jenny Pen ★★★★.5
Directed by James Ashcroft
I just lost my father to a prolonged fight with dementia. He was living out his remaining days in a nursing home, and this movie embodied all my fears of what his life could have been. Fortunately, he had wonderful care… but The Rule of Jenny Pen is Example A of neglectful senior care. It also happens to be delivered to us by way of two of our greatest actors: John Lithgow and Geoffrey Rush. Liz put this in her Mean Horror roster, and though the film is light on gore, it is immensely tense and nerve-racking.
7. Sinners ★★★★.5
Directed by Ryan Coogler
Sinners is a modern masterpiece. The one-er shot of the diaspora of ethnic folk music alone is a mind-blowing sequence. Lush, evocative, fun, and exciting, Ryan Coogler enables Michael B. Jordan, Miles Caton, Wunmi Mosaku, and Hailee Steinfeld to let it rip. This is a movie that seems to engage all your senses… remarkably, even taste and smell are present in suggestive ways. This feels like the deep south to its core. The vampire story borrows some great tropes (particularly the invitation requirement), but doesn’t set any new ground horror-wise, which prevents this from getting the full five stars.
8. Sayara ★★★★.5
Directed by Can Evernol
Brutal. Absolutely brutal. Perhaps the most brutal movie I have ever seen. And yet, it’s invigorating. Director Can Evernol knows his way around making violent movies. Baskin is one of the most disturbing depictions of Hell ever brought to screen. With Sayara, he dips into the revenge film… and wow, does Sayara (Duygu Kocabiyik) get some sweet, sweet revenge. You will need a high constitution to get through this movie, but it will be worth it to those with the strong nerve to see violence on this scale. It’s so ironic that such a sweet man can make such a savage movie.
9. Companion ★★★★.5
Directed by Drew Hancock
With the advancement of robotics and AI, the reality of this story is nearly upon us. Sophie Thatcher is Iris, a sex robot, but she doesn’t know it. When she fights back against a man trying to rape her, she fights back and kills her assailant, which she shouldn’t be able to do with the safety protocols. This is all a setup, though, as her master, Josh (Jack Quaid), has disabled her protocols for exactly this outcome. Ethics on many levels are examined in what is a wonderfully entertaining dark satire.
10. Dangerous Animals ★★★★.5
Directed by Sean Byrne
We have been graced with a tremendous new serial-killer character, Tucker (Jai Courtney), a shark-attack survivor who took all the wrong lessons from his survival trial. He has turned his trauma into a psychotic drive to see people eaten by sharks, and started a shark cage dive company to feed his interests. Enter Zephyr (Hassie Harrison), who has the moxie and toughness to battle back. Part shark-survival horror, part serial-killer thriller, Dangerous Animals is a thrill from front to back.
Some primer notes on my evaluations:
In reviewing the list of films that I’ve watched, evidence clarified some of my tendencies.
- Click on the highlighted movies for links to our reviews!
- Since I don’t get paid to see movies, I typically avoid movies that sound boring or won’t be to my liking. Therefore, my list is typically front-loaded with pretty good movies.
- I do tend to be a little generous with films, particularly with small indie films, but they don’t get a free pass.
- Not all of the reviews linked are mine, but are my colleagues here at The Scariest Things. Not surprisingly, we disagree all the time.
- Bad movies don’t motivate me to write a review for them. I believe that good movies should get applauded and promoted. Bad movies take more energy, actually, to discuss. That said, I do want to get the message out about V/H/S Halloween, which is continuing the backslide of the once-proud franchise, and I think corrective measures need to be taken.
- I’m going to keep adding to this list as I continue binge-watching 2025 movies. I believe I have seen most of the necessary films for this year, but there are a few that deserve a watch. My completionist tendencies always end up having me in binge mode in December. I do it for you! The Scariest Things fans!
The Master List of 2025 Movies that I watched:
- Bring Her Back ★★★★★
- Weapons ★★★★★
- The Ugly Stepsister ★★★★★
- Good Boy ★★★★.5
- It Ends ★★★★.5
- The Rule of Jenny Pen ★★★★.5
- Sinners ★★★★.5
- Sayara ★★★★.5
- Companion ★★★★.5
- Dangerous Animals ★★★★.5
- 40 Acres ★★★★.5
- Beast of War ★★★★.5
- Crossword ★★★★.5
- Predator Badlands ★★★★
- Alien: Earth ★★★★
- Final Destination: Bloodlines ★★★★
- Welcome to Derry ★★★★
- 28 Years Later ★★★★
- A Blind Bargain ★★★★
- Kombucha ★★★★
- Frankenstein ★★★★
- Predator: Killer of Killers ★★★★
- Daydreamers ★★★★
- It Needs Eyes ★★★★
- Toxic Avenger ★★★★
- The Monkey ★★★★
- Drop ★★★★
- Alma and the Wolf ★★★★
- The Gorge ★★★★
- The Mother, the Menacer, and Me ★★★★
- The Sinister Cinema Story ★★★★
- Hallow Road ★★★★
- The Long Walk ★★★.5
- Together ★★★.5
- Redux Redux ★★★.5
- It Feeds ★★★.5
- The Wild ★★★.5
- Wolf Man ★★★.5
- Coyotes ★★★.5
- Tribe ★★★.5
- Keeper ★★★. 5
- The Damned ★★★.5
- The Devil and the Daylong Brothers ★★★.5
- Edgar Alan Poe’s The Oval Portrait ★★★.5
- The Conjuring: Last Rights ★★★.5
- Dooba Dooba ★★★.5
- Bark ★★★
- Witchboard ★★★
- Clown in a Cornfield ★★★
- Monster Island ★★★
- Opus ★★★
- Night of the Reaper ★★★
- Primitive War ★★★
- The Woman in the Yard ★★★
- Control Freak ★★★
- Pancake House of Horror ★★★
- Teacher’s Pet ★★.5
- What the Tide Dragged In ★★.5
- I Know What You Did Last Summer ★★.5
- Shelby Oaks ★★.5
- Cannibal Mukbang ★★.5
- The Bayou ★★.5
- The Lookout ★★.5
- Popeye the Slayer Man ★★.5
- Ash ★★.5
- Queens of the Dead ★★
- Ick ★★
- A Breed Apart ★★
- Him ★★
- Abraham’s Boys ★★
- St. Patrick’s Day Massacre ★★
- House of Ashes ★★
- Until Dawn ★.5
- V/H/S Halloween ★.5
- Popeye’s Revenge ★.5