2025 has been one heck of a year for horror. Once upon a time superhero movies reigned supreme, saturating cinemas screens everywhere, but there came a shift this year and horror moved into the spotlight. With so many genre films released across cinemas, digital, and streamers there has been a smorgasbord of horror offerings. Here are some of my favourites. I had to keep the list to a hard ten, so there are many films such as Nosferatu, Final Destination: Bloodlines, Influencers, Good Boy, and Together that sadly had to be cut. The order of the movies is dictated by my own personal preferences.
10. The Dead Thing
Last year The Dead Thing appeared on my Festival Faves list, and this year it has managed to hold onto a place in my heart, rounding out my top ten of the year. Elric Kane’s movie is a beautiful exploration of both modern dating and the all-consuming nature of obsession and toxic relationships. Early interactions between lead couple Alex (Blu Hunt) and Kyle (Ben Smith-Petersen) are infused with Linklater Before Sunrise vibes, Kane sucking the audience in, seducing them in a similar fashion to Alex falling under Kyle’s spell, before morphing into something decidedly colder and darker. They say that the line between love and hate is thin, and this is expertly exemplified in Kane’s tragic and traumatic tale. A film for fans of Nina Forever, and Bad Match, The Dead Thing is an elegant and intoxicating exploration of modern dating that isn’t afraid to highlight just how deadly the search for connection can be.
9. Bring Her Back
After wowing audiences with Talk to Me, all eyes were on Australian directing siblings, Danny and Michael Philippou for their follow-up, Bring Her Back. Those concerned need not have been as the film proved that the duo were more than just a one-trick pony. Bring Her Back is the very bleak and depressing story of Andy (Billy Barratt) and his blind younger sister, Piper (Sora Wong), who are taken in by their new foster mother, Laura (Sally Hawkins). From the outset it is clear that something isn’t right with Laura and boy does that prove to be an understatement. Somehow far meaner and gorier than Talk to Me, it is clear that despite their sunshiny in-person demeanour, the Philippou have a great deal of darkness to work through. I have to also give a shoutout to one of the smartest cinematic cats in horror who got themself out of dodge at the earliest opportunity.
8. Heart Eyes
In the latter half of the ‘90s, thanks to films such as Scream, there was a wave of horror movies that came out that had great rewatchability appeal. These films formed the foundations of the types of horror movies that I personally find comforting, but sadly these films got lost to a sea of torture porn. Fortunately, director Josh Rubin remembers this era of cinema and this year resurrected it with Heart Eyes. Part rom-com, part slasher, Heart Eyes sees two near strangers mistaken and stalked on Valentine’s Day by the infamous seasonal Heart Eyes Killer. A perfect date night movie, Heart Eyes culminates into a beautiful bouquet of bloodshed, lust, love and severely maimed bodies. The cherry on top comes in the form of Easter eggs for fans of both blended genres triggering nostalgia and serotonin kicks. Packed full of humour and heart, Josh Ruben’s latest is one of the easiest and most entertaining horror watches of 2025.
7. I Know What You Did Last Summer
Following in the footsteps of Heart Eyes, which sought to capture the feeling of ‘90s horror, came the newest entry in the I Know What You Did Last Summer franchise. The series began in 1997, and was one of the first to try to replicate the Scream formula, and, in the wake of Scream’s recent resurrection, the franchise is once more following in the other slasher’s shadow. Original stars, Jennifer Love-Hewitt and Freddie Prinze Jr., returned as Julie and Ray, but they were kept in the background to allow the focus to be on a group of new accidental killers. By no means as high quality storytelling as some other films released this year, I Know What You Did Last Summer won me over with all of its cheeky nods to its predecessors. The end credits sting had me cackling with glee and awaiting a sequel. Madelyn Cline’s Danica is sure to be a future icon of horror cinema.
6. Sinners
Ryan Coogler’s Sinners is no doubt the top horror offering for many fans this year, and whilst I can see why this is the case, for me personally, there were others that hooked me in on a different level. There is no denying that Sinners is beautiful to look at, has some very engaging characters, and a score to die for, but it is not a film I have been in a hurry to go back and revisit. It is also not the most overtly horror of genre films, opting to keep its horror trappings to one side in favour of creating a compelling drama, adding horror flourishes to help hammer home its message. Far more than just one of the best modern iterations of the vampire on screen, Sinners uses its horror elements to enhance the tension creating a captivating drama that completely sucks you in.
If you have yet to settle down with Sinners I highly recommend you do so asap as it truly is worthy of every single accolade it has garnered. Just remember to stay through the credits as a big chunk of the ending unfolds within them.
5. Weapons
As with the Philippou brothers, all eyes were on Zach Cregger, who returned to horror after the fantastic Barbarian, with Weapons. A film whose story was kept out of the marketing, as with Barbarian before it, Weapons raced off in directions that nobody could have anticipated. Just like Barbarian, Cregger proved himself a master of balancing tone, as the film shifted from intense and eerie moments of horror to laugh-out-loud instances of comedy. These ebbs and flows of tone push the audience on edge. Typically, moments of comedy within more stressful genre films are used as a way of easing the tension, but the frequency that Weapons flits back and forth between the two tones means that there is no safe space.
If you enjoyed Barbarian, the chances are high that Weapons will win you over too. Although very different films, there is a kinship between them, and Zach Cregger does work several storytelling tricks from his first film into this second one. The result is a movie that has undoubtedly been made by the same director, but is still its own terrifying and traumatic creation. Another scare-fest smash from Zach Cregger, Weapons proves that there is no one better at balancing toe-curling horror and bleak hilarity.
4. 28 Years Later
Another highly discussed horror film of 2025 is 28 Years Later. The film marked writer Alex Garland and director Danny Boyle’s return to the world of zombies – sorry infected – that they created in 2002 with 28 Days Later. As the title suggests, 28 Years Later picks up 28 years after the Rage virus ravaged the United Kingdom. Rather than a desolate wasteland overrun with infected, society has continued in pockets, and the story follows the coming-of-age journey of young boy Spike (Alfie Williams) as he embarks on his first visit to the mainland with his father.
Those expecting a high-octane zombie film were left wanting as 28 Years Later is a far more subdued and contemplative movie. Filled with heartache and agonisingly emotional beats, 28 Years Later had far more viewers in tears than cowering in terror. It is this point of difference that makes 28 Years Later far more interesting than the original not-so-great sequel, 28 Weeks Later. Since Boyle’s first film the market has become saturated with zombie related media, most famously The Walking Dead, and so 28 Years Later needed to do something different, and it certainly did that, most notably with the most tonal whiplash inducing ending in forever.
3. The Ugly Stepsister
The Cinderella story has been adapted for the screen hundreds of times, through a variety of genres. There have been sickly sweet adaptations, modern reversionings, horror heavy tales, and everything in between, but all have one thing in common – they all focus on Cinderella. It’s the obvious approach given the title of the story, but this year Emilie Blichfeldt approached the tale from a new angle in her directorial debut, The Ugly Stepsister.
Rather than retread familiar ground, Blichfeldt retells the story of Cinderella from the perspective of Ugly Stepsister Elvira (Lea Myren). In this version, Evira and her sister, Alma (Flo Fagerli), are moved into the home of their new stepfather, by their mother. There she encounters the beautiful and sophisticated Agnes (Thea Sofie Loch Næss), of whom Elvira is immediately envious. Later, in the wake of the death of Agnes’ father, an invitation is extended to a ball in four months’ time. At the ball, the Prince is to pick his bride. With the household in dire need of money, the two young women set out to woo the Prince, but whilst Agnes is naturally alluring, Elvira will have to go to extreme lengths to achieve her goal.
A wicked spin on the Cinderella story, The Ugly Stepsister analyses the extreme lengths that some will go to to attain perceived perfection. Plenty of comparisons have been drawn to The Substance, but although both explore some similar ideas, they are films that compliment, rather than copy, one another and would make for an engaging double-feature. A film worthy of merit all on its own, The Ugly Stepsister is a grim and grotesque body horror that feels entirely modern with its barbaric search for beauty, and is a riveting debut from Emilie Blichfeldt.
A word of warning for anyone who hasn’t seen The Ugly Stepsister, the film is not afraid to get gnarly. Throughout its runtime The Ugly Stepsister is packed full of squirm-inducing moments that those with aversions to eye trauma in particular should be wary of. This however, is just the tip of the iceberg, as it isn’t until the finale that The Ugly Stepsister gets really grim; it even managed to make my usually icon-cast stomach churn. A debut that will turn heads (and stomachs), The Ugly Stepsister is a fascinating slant on a time old story.
2. Dangerous Animals
Sean Byrne’s Dangerous Animals was one of my biggest surprises of the year. Essentially Wolf Creek with sharks, Dangerous Animals provided some of the best fun on screen in 2025. The story follows an American nomadic surfer, Zephyr (Hassie Harrison) who is captured by shark-obsessed serial killer (Jai Courtney). As she is taken out to shark-infested waters, Zephyr must do everything in her power to escape the mad man’s clutches.
Jai Courtney is exceptional as a Mick Taylor at sea murderer, and the actor commits 110% to his role of Tucker, and gives one of the zanniest turns of the year. As Tucker, Jai Courtney completely transforms, and right from his introduction there is a menacing aura that surrounds him. The opening scene fully highlights just how deadly this man is, and yet rather than be outright creepy, Tucker masks that side of himself with an overly friendly demeanour. It is the type of OTT jovialness that sets people on edge, and Courtney has effortlessly created a successor to fellow Aussie tormentor, Mick Taylor (played by John Jarratt), from the Wolf Creek franchise. Courtney’s performance is a dangerous blend of menace and unhinged that leaves the audience just as on edge as Zephyr as they try to figure him out.
Hassie Harrison does wonderful work at convincing the viewer that this is a character that might be able to endure. Zephyr’s past has armed her with survival skills lacking in Tucker’s other prey, and the cat and mouse interplay between the pair is riveting to watch unfold. But one of the most fascinating aspects of Dangerous Animals is that the sharks themselves are not the villains. Those expecting a Jaws or a Deep Blue Sea story of the sea creature ravaging innocent folk will be disappointed as the sharks are kept very much in the background with the focus far more on the human monster of Tucker. Byrne orchestrates a near perfect ever-increasing pressure cooker of tension, gradually upping the stakes and creating plenty of opportunity for the audience’s heart to be in their mouths.
With Dangerous Animals, Sean Byrne offers a different kind of shark movie, freshening up the subgenre and creating another film set to impress and delight the horror community. Jai Courtney has never been better, and after several years of searching, we may just have found a new modern Aussie horror icon that is a perfect successor to legendary Mick Taylor.
1. The Long Walk
Author Stephen King has been adapted time and time again, but 2025 was a bumper year for new screen outings for his work. The Monkey, Welcome to Derry, The Life of Chuck and The Running Man were just some of the new King content, but of them all The Long Walk ruled as King of the King adaptations.
Based on the 1979 novel of the same name (written under King’s pseudonym of Richard Bachman), The Long Walk is a dystopian horror in which young men from each American state ‘volunteer’ to participate in an annual endurance competition. Whomever amongst them walks the longest, wins untold riches and the right to having one wish granted. But there can be only one winner, meaning that it is a matter of walk or die. It’s a tantalising premise that director Francis Lawrence is familiar with thanks to his stint on the Hunger Games films, and yet The Long Walk never feels like a retread of that franchise. Instead, this is a more urgent and impactful story that places the audience right into the heart of the ordeal.
Where many adaptations fail, is with the script. Translating King’s prose to screen is a tricky task, but Strange Darling director JT Mollner has done exceptional work. With little in the way of setup, save for seeing lead character Ray Garraty (Cooper Hoffman) say goodbye to his distraught mother (Judy Greer), The Long Walk starts at the beginning of the arduous trail. Fifty young men eye each other with a degree of suspicion as they try to suss out the competition. At the same time, they are aware that some of them at least will be together for a while; the group splinters into smaller components and friendships begin to forge. It is these interpersonal interactions that make The Long Walk so riveting. This film and story only work if the viewers are invested in these characters, and getting glimpses into who these men were before they started walking is fascinating.
The mixture of characters are all familiar to those with a longstanding relationship with the work of Stephen King, and borrow elements from some of the best. The easiest ones to recognise are that of The Shawshank Redemption and Stand By Me. An easy and immediate companionship is struck between Garraty and Pete McVries (David Jonsson) and their exchanges conjure up Andy and Red. Their friendship circle also encompasses Art (Tut Nyuot) and Hank (Ben Wong); this foursome is reminiscent of the boys in Stand By Me. Waiting on the perimeter though are the typical King villains with one of the walkers providing echoes of The Stand’s Harold Lauder, and this is just the tip of the iceberg. Almost every character on screen can be traced to another work of King and it is fascinating to see all these personalities interact with one another.
It is not only the stunning performances and tightly written script that make The Long Walk a near instant masterpiece, it is also its technical elements. The score is kept to an absolute minimum to instead allow the sound design to focus on those walking feet. The aural landscape is full of boots hitting concrete, beginning loud before fading down as the number of walkers dwindles. This means that by the finale there is an almost silence to the film, which serves to make the final act even more emotionally charged. The cinematography is superb as Jo Willems expertly captures the desolated wasteland of this post war America world. More than that though, the camera is forever moving, keeping pace with the walkers, weaving in and out of them, but always maintaining forward momentum. It is this trick that places the audience in the shoes of the boys, making them the silent and unseen 51st contestant, and just like the characters on screen, the viewer quickly wants out of the oppressive ordeal. As Stephen King adaptations go, they don’t get much better than The Long Walk. JT Mollner has perfectly adapted the essence of The Long Walk, twisting it to become a story that feels even more resonant within our modern society. Francis Lawrence then used the tricks he learned on The Hunger Games series to craft an intoxicating story of brotherhood, survival, and hope. Despite its bleak premise and harrowing moments, The Long Walk also presents moments of lightness and beauty, encouraging the audience to look for the beauty in the world, a message that is vital given the current state of the world. It is this that makes The Long Walk more than just an entertaining 100 or so minutes of screen time, and moves it into the arena of a future masterpiece.
Film Disclosure 
You must be logged in to post a comment.