Comfort Horror. It's a thing. It keeps the fandom fed. We come back time and again to get scared, and we love it. Why? This is the third of my series of Crypticon Seattle convention panel recordings. Panels are the lifeblood of this annual horror gathering, feeding the fandom's macabre knowledge cravings. Horror movies are the bonds this community shares, and to understand why, this panel examines the lure of horror for many of us. It seems antithetical that many of us crave the experience of being scared.
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!


