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The 15 Best Horror Movies of 2025 So Far: From Sinners to 28 Years Later

<p>Discover the 15 best horror movies of 2025 plus the most anticipated horror releases still to come.</p>

Raise your hand if 2025 scared the absolute hell out of you. This wasn’t just another year of predictable jump scares and tired vampire clichés — filmmakers completely lost their minds (in the best way).

We got Southern Gothic vampire musicals, AI girlfriends gone rogue, and folk horror so bone-chilling it made us question our heating bills.

This year, horror didn’t just push boundaries; it obliterated them with a rusty chainsaw and a cheeky grin.

From Ryan Coogler’s genre-bending vampire epic to Steven Soderbergh’s experimental ghost story, 2025 delivered horror films that stuck around long after the credits rolled.

Whether you crave psychological thrillers that mess with your head or gory spectacles that make you watch through your fingers, this year’s lineup has something to haunt everyone’s nightmares.

Best Horror Movies of 2025: The Standout Scares

1. Sinners: Ryan Coogler’s Vampire Masterpiece

Ryan Coogler’s back, and he brought vampires to the party. Michael B. Jordan absolutely destroys it playing twin brothers running a 1930s juke joint, until Jack O’Connell rocks up as a feral Irish bloodsucker with serious anger management issues.

Think Django Unchained meets The Lost Boys, but with more blues music and significantly more gnarly bar fights.

The film’s production design is utterly gorgeous. Every frame drips with Southern Gothic atmosphere that makes you want to book a trip to Louisiana (then immediately reconsider).

Coogler’s direction is confident and imaginative, weaving supernatural horror into a rich tapestry of music, family drama, and social commentary. You’ll never hear a harmonica the same way again, and that’s a promise.

2. Bring Her Back: The Philippou Brothers Strike Again

Sally Hawkins gives a performance that will mess you up as a foster mum hiding something sinister in her basement.

The Talk to Me directors have crafted another grief-soaked nightmare that’s equal parts heartbreaking and terrifying.

Hawkins channels serious Annie Wilkes energy (if Annie baked cookies between psychological breakdowns).

The film’s exploration of maternal trauma feels authentic and devastating, even when things get supernatural.

It’s handsomely shot with a colour palette that somehow makes suburban Australia look like the seventh circle of hell.

Fair warning: bring tissues and possibly a stress ball/fidget toy.

3. 28 Years Later: Danny Boyle’s iPhone Apocalypse

Danny Boyle’s return to zombie territory is bold, divisive, and absolutely mental.

Shot primarily on iPhones (yes, really), the film has this raw, documentary-style urgency that makes every infected encounter feel uncomfortably real.

Jodie Comer delivers a powerhouse performance while outrunning zombie hordes, and Cillian Murphy haunts the edges of the narrative like a beautiful, terrifying ghost.

The stylish cinematography transforms smartphone footage into something genuinely cinematic.

Aaron Taylor-Johnson and Ralph Fiennes add proper grit to their supporting roles, proving that great actors can elevate even the most experimental filmmaking choices.

Your morning commute will feel different after this…

Genre-Bending Horror Films 2025: When Directors Get Bold

4. Nosferatu: Robert Eggers’ Gothic Romance

Robert Eggers made terrifying again. Bill Skarsgård’s Count Orlok isn’t your suave, charming bloodsucker—he’s more like a plague rat with psychic powers and questionable personal hygiene.

Lily-Rose Depp’s performance as the hypnotically drawn heroine is captivating, even when she’s making questionable life choices.

Every frame feels like a gothic painting come to life. The production design is meticulous, the atmosphere is suffocating, and the whole thing makes you want to wear black and light candles whilst contemplating mortality.

It’s gloriously excessive in all the right ways.

5. Companion: Your Alexa’s Worst Nightmare

Ever worried your smart home devices might want you dead? Sophie Thatcher plays an AI “girlfriend” manipulated into murder, and it’s every bit as unnerving as it sounds.

This twisted sci-fi thriller mixes Black Mirror vibes with Fatal Attraction energy, whilst Jack Quaid delivers peak tech-bro boyfriend from hell performance.

The film draws you in from the opening scene and demands multiple viewings to catch all the clever details.

Thatcher’s performance is another badass addition to her growing resume of complex, morally ambiguous characters.

You might only buy screw top bottles of wine from now on.

6. Final Destination: Bloodlines – Death Gets Personal

Who would’ve thought the sixth instalment in this beloved franchise would be such a crowd-pleaser?

After a 14-year gap, Bloodlines proves there’s still plenty of creative ways to cheat death—and plenty of inventive ways for death to get revenge.

The film cleverly focuses on family members instead of random strangers, adding emotional weight to the increasingly elaborate death sequences.

The kills are perfectly balanced between funny and cringe-worthy (exploding espresso machines, anyone?), and Tony Todd’s heartfelt farewell appearance hits right in the feels.

Perhaps don’t watch this before your next IKEA trip.

Best Thriller Movies 2025: The Psychological Mind-Benders

7. Presence: Soderbergh’s Experimental Ghost Story

Steven Soderbergh filmed an entire ghost story from the spirit’s point of view, and it’s absolutely brilliant.

No cheap jump scares here—just voyeuristic dread as we watch a family implode through supernatural eyes.

The experimental approach creates this quiet, unsettling atmosphere that gets under your skin.

It’s sad, beautiful, and genuinely creepy without relying on traditional horror tropes.

David Koepp’s script adds layers of mystery that keep you guessing, and Soderbergh’s direction is characteristically confident.

You’ll never look at your hallway the same way again.

8. Drop: Dating App Horror

Meghann Fahy delivers a brilliant performance in this restaurant-set thriller where your phone decides whether your date lives or dies.

It’s Speed meets Tinder, and every notification becomes a potential death sentence.

The film feels incredibly current (my son had to explain the whole ‘drop’ concept to me), and the restaurant setting is genuinely stunning.

The twist is rather satisfying, even if the film leans more thriller than straight horror.

Fahy absolutely shines in the lead role, carrying the tension beautifully throughout the confined setting.

You might leave your phone at home next time you go on a date.

9. The Damned: Icelandic Guilt Trip

This 1800s folk horror follows fishermen who make a morally questionable decision and face supernatural consequences.

The frozen Icelandic landscapes swallow hope whole, creating an atmosphere that makes The Revenant look like a beach holiday. It’s The Witch meets survival horror, with guilt as the real monster.

The film’s exploration of moral compromise feels genuinely haunting, and the cinematography captures the harsh beauty of the landscape perfectly.

Latest Horror Releases of 2025: The Surprisingly Fun & Twisted

10. Dangerous Animals: Sharks and Serial Killers

Jai Courtney feeds victims to sharks whilst Hassie Harrison fights back with vigour.

It’s ridiculous, slightly gory, and weirdly beautiful in its own twisted way. The shark cinematography is genuinely stunning, Courtney clearly relishes playing the villain, and Harrison makes for a proper badass final girl.

It’s exactly as bonkers as it sounds, but sometimes you need a film that delivers exactly what it promises without pretension.

You might think twice about going to the aquarium.

11. Heart Eyes: Valentine’s Day Slasher

This rom-com-turned-slasher starts with Olivia Holt and Mason Gooding having chemistry hot enough to melt steel, then throws a masked killer into their first date.

The laughs outweigh the scares, but it’s a clever genre twist that horror fans will appreciate.

The killer reveal and ending are ridiculous, but the journey is entertaining enough to forgive the silliness.

The Valentine’s Day premise feels fresh compared to the usual holiday horror fare, and the supporting cast (including Gigi Zumbado and Devon Sawa) adds memorable flourishes throughout.

12. The Monkey: Stephen King Goes Cartoon Chaos

Osgood Perkins follows up Longlegs with this bloody dark comedy about a demonic toy monkey.

Theo James has a blast playing identical twins trying to keep this malevolent force buried, whilst the monkey causes “cartoon” deaths that would make Wile E. Coyote proud.

Think anvil drops, acid pies, and other Looney Tunes-style fatalities, but with proper gore and genuine scares.

It’s deranged in the best possible way, and some of the year’s freakiest deaths come courtesy of this furry menace.

Hide your childhood stuffed animals immediately.

Ambitious Horror Cinema 2025: The Big Swings

13. M3GAN 2.0: Cloud-Based Chaos

She’s in the cloud now, and she’s absolutely livid about it. The sequel is campier, dance-ier, and somehow darker than the original.

M3GAN hacks drones, tanks, and your smart fridge with equal enthusiasm. Never trust a robot wearing leg warmers—that’s the lesson here.

The film embraces its own ridiculousness whilst delivering genuine scares and surprisingly sharp social commentary about our relationship with technology.

14. I Know What You Did Last Summer: 90s Nostalgia Done Right

Freddie Prinze Jr. and Jennifer Love Hewitt return, and so does that persistent fisherman with his hook.

It’s wonderfully silly, appropriately bloody, and feels like finding a VHS tape in your childhood bedroom. The film leans into its nostalgia without becoming a parody of itself.

“What are you waiting for?” Indeed. Sometimes you just want familiar comfort food, even when that comfort food involves creative maritime-themed murders.

15. Skillhouse: Social Media Nightmare

Saw meets Instagram in this satirical horror where likes literally determine life or death.

Influencers fight to survive the “Triller Killer” whilst audience engagement decides who bleeds next. 50 Cent’s in it for some reason, which honestly makes perfect sense in context.

It’s social media horror that doesn’t take itself too seriously, delivering gore and commentary in equal measure.

You’ll log off social media for approximately an hour after watching.

Why 2025 Horror Films Dominated

This year proved horror isn’t just about scares—it’s about reflecting our deepest anxieties back at us through a funhouse mirror.

Technology became the villain (AI, apps, algorithms), established directors embraced the genre with serious budgets, and classic franchises returned with renewed energy.

The genre’s evolution continues to surprise, combining arthouse sensibilities with crowd-pleasing thrills.

Whether you prefer psychological terror or good old-fashioned gore, 2025 has delivered films that you will remember long after the credits roll. And we still have the rest of the year to go!

Upcoming Horror Movies 2025: What’s Still to Come

Weapons (August 8) – Already out and getting rave reviews! Zach Cregger’s follow-up to Barbarian has critics calling it a “masterpiece” with a 95% on Rotten Tomatoes. The film follows 17 children who mysteriously vanish from the same classroom in a Pennsylvania town.

Witchboard (August 15) – A supernatural thriller bringing back the Ouija board horror vibes.

Hell House LLC: Lineage (August 20) – The latest entry in the found footage franchise.

September Must-Sees

The Conjuring: Last Rites (September 5) – The final film in The Conjuring series sees Ed and Lorraine Warren return for one last terrifying case. With Vera Farmiga and Patrick Wilson back, this could be the perfect send-off for the franchise.

Him (September 19) – Jordan Peele’s Monkeypaw Productions is behind this anti-sports psychological horror starring Marlon Wayans as a rising young athlete. Given Peele’s track record, this one’s definitely worth watching.

Saw XI (September 26) – The torture franchise continues its bloody legacy.

The Strangers: Chapter 2 (September 26) – The sequel to the rebooted slasher series.

October Horror Feast

Bone Lake (October 3) – Starring Maddie Hasson, Marco Pigossi, and Alex Roe, this one follows a couple’s romantic vacation at a secluded lakeside estate that turns into a “nightmarish maze of sex, lies and manipulation” when they’re forced to share with another mysterious couple. The 95% rating on Rotten Tomatoes suggests this is going to be something special.

Shelby Oaks (October 3) – A horror film about missing paranormal investigators and the dark legacy they uncovered.

Good Boy (October 3) – Another October horror offering.

Black Phone 2 (October 17) – Ethan Hawke’s villain The Grabber returns from the dead in this winter-set sequel. Finn, now 17, struggles with life after his captivity while his sister begins receiving calls from the black phone and seeing disturbing visions of three boys being stalked at a winter camp called Alpine Lake.

November Blockbusters

Predator: Badlands (November 7) – Elle Fanning teams up with an exiled Predator as they hunt the biggest game on a treacherous alien planet. Director Dan Trachtenberg is back after the success of Prey, and this time the Predator itself is the protagonist. The trailer looks absolutely mental.

Keeper (November 14) – Osgood Perkins’ follow-up to Longlegs. Given how brilliant Longlegs was, this is definitely one to watch.

December Delights

Five Nights at Freddy’s 2 (December 5) – The sequel to the video game adaptation continues the supernatural nightmare at Freddy Fazbear’s Pizza.

Stephen King Double Feature

The Long Walk (TBA 2025) – Francis Lawrence directs this adaptation of King’s dystopian novel about teenage boys competing in a deadly walking contest. Stars Mark Hamill, Judy Greer, and features themes similar to The Hunger Games and Battle Royale.

Streaming Specials

Frankenstein (November, Netflix) – Guillermo del Toro’s long-awaited adaptation of Mary Shelley’s classic, starring Oscar Isaac, Mia Goth, Jacob Elordi, and Christoph Waltz.

V/H/S/Halloween (October 3, Shudder) – The latest entry in the found footage anthology series.

Wild Cards Worth Watching

Together – Starring real-life couple Dave Franco and Alison Brie, this supernatural horror premiered at Sundance and follows a couple whose move to the countryside leads to an extreme transformation of their love, lives, and flesh.

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