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This year’s box office boom in horror films delivered some of the best and worst of the genre to the big screen, with more than 120 frightening flicks debuting in theaters and on streaming platforms in 2025.
From critically-acclaimed hit movies like “Sinners” to low-performing misses like “The Home,” the horror industry varied widely this year. Several of this year’s horror movies were long-awaited films of series, such as “Final Destination: Bloodlines” and the upcoming “Black Phone 2.”
The Final Destination franchise reached its 25th year, releasing its sixth movie in May. The film ended with what many fans are claiming to be a “callback,” and they could be right. The supernatural franchise’s co-writer, Lori Evans Taylor, confirmed a seventh movie to be in the works.
Production company Causeway Films has been a fierce competitor in the horror industry, debuting the terrifying “Bring Her Back” to theaters in May. Causeway Films is also responsible for the twisted minds behind immediate cult classics such as the spine-chilling “Talk to Me” and “The Babadook.”
Another anxiously-awaited film was Columbia Pictures’ “28 Years Later,” the third movie of the series. The franchise follows the aftermath of a horrifying epidemic, starting at 28 days, then 28 weeks and now 28 years later. The film grossed a staggering $60 million during its first weekend in theaters, showing that the series is more popular than ever, even nearly 20 years after its last entry.
After watching dozens of horror movies released this year, my top recommendation is “Together,” while the “The Home” takes last place.
“Together” follows a couple with obvious codependence issues, which I believe the movie is a metaphor for. The film brought a refreshingly new plot to life with its detailed body horror and underlying themes about unhealthy relationships. The film’s jump scares left my hairs standing on end, and the jarring conclusion was very well written.
I watched “The Home” on a whim, and I was shocked to see comedian Pete Davidson playing a serious role in a horror movie. Davidson’s acting performance was far from the worst part of this film, however.
The story followed a man working at a strange nursing home where mysterious happenings begin to occur. The film’s buildup and climax were very interesting, until it took a turn. The tension-building occurrences turned into uncomfortable, unsettling scenes, and the film ends with a clichéd slasher episode. Overall, the movie was intriguing, but left me with many questions for the film’s writers.
Notable 2025 horror films ranked, best to worst (according to my viewings):
- Together
- Weapons
- Sinners
- Heart Eyes
- Companion
- Until Dawn
- Dangerous Animals
- The Woman in the Yard
- The Monkey
- The Home
“Weapons,” while not my favorite horror film of the year, is still worth a watch.
The movie, which centered on the strange disappearance of 17 children, was entertaining but ultimately lacked cohesion. It had many unexplained scenes, loose ends at its conclusion and its antagonist lacked a true motive. It certainly had terrifying jump scares and good acting, but the film fell short of my expectations.
A film that pleasantly surprised me was the genre-twisting “Heart Eyes.” The rom-com slasher flick crossed the genres in a way that truly worked. It was scary, romantic and action-packed all at the same time, without crossing into corny territory. It was truly an unexpectedly enjoyable film.
There are even more horror flicks coming to theaters to finish the year out, such as “The Conjuring: Last Rites” and “The Man in My Basement.”
