As a film critic, I make a particular effort to avoid hyperbole. In any given year, I make a point of seeing between 130-150 new releases, so I make a point of not declaring any title “the best” when we’re only in February. Experience has taught me that it’s impossible to totally predict how everything will ultimately shake out in the world of cinema… but I also can’t help but notice that the 2025 movie calendar has been flush with some awesome horror movies already, and the horror movies on the way in the months ahead show some exceptional promise.
From original concepts to adaptations to franchise features, horror fans are feasting right now, and only making the run more impressive is the fact that there is no dominant subgenre or specific tone. There are many different flavors to taste and try, and the future courses that are being teased on the menu promise that the fantastic meal will continue through the changing seasons.
There Is Some Great, Fun Original Horror In Theaters Now, And The Monkey Is Less Than Two Weeks Away
Let’s start with just this past weekend, shall we? While Josh Reuben’s Heart Eyes would have ideally been released on Valentine’s Day (a release date occupied by Captain America: Brave New World), it’s a cute treat that skillfully blends two disparate genres: romantic comedy and slasher horror. It charms quickly thanks to a well-executed meet cute and the tremendous chemistry between Mason Gooding and Olivia Holt, but it also carves its own place in the legacy of iconography-centric killers with the Heart Eyes Killer a.k.a. HEK: a masked maniac who makes their way across the country slaughtering couples on the most romantic holiday of the year.
This is not a new phenomenon for 2025, though. While I am counted among movie-goers who were left with disappointment after watching Leigh Whannell’s Wolf Man (particularly after his excellent Invisible Man from 2020), January as a whole was far from a letdown from the genre. Writer/director Drew Hancock established himself as an exciting talent to keep an eye on thanks to the brilliant twists and thoughtful themes of Companion – which also further solidifies Sophie Thatcher and Jack Quaid as two gifted stars with an affection for horror.
On the other side of the experience spectrum, Stephen Soderbergh’s collaboration with screenwriter David Koepp has yielded a fascinating twist on the ghost story with Presence. It’s big hook is that the story is told from the first person perspective of a phantom haunting a suburban home, but it also has its own cool contributions to mythos and has a subtle but effective way of reeling you in.
That’s three horror movies that are worth seeing in the first two months of the year – and before the end of February, audiences will not only have a fourth horror movie to enjoy, but a title that can be described as the most audacious of the bunch. Writer/director Osgood Perkins delivered one of the best films of 2024 in Longlegs, and he’s already back in 2025 with what is a very special treat for sick puppies like myself. Adapted from the short story of the same name by Stephen King, The Monkey is an outrageous splatter-fest about a toy that kills whenever its activated, and it’s an absolute riot (you can read my four-star, spoiler-free CinemaBlend review to get ready for the experience).
The Rest Of The 2025 Release Calendar Is Loaded With Anticipation-Worthy Horror Titles
Then there is the rest of 2025 – which we don’t actually know the full scope of just yet. Let’s put it this way: at this time last year, I had never even heard of Coralie Fargeat’s The Substance let alone was anticipating it, and it ended up being not just my favorite horror movie of 2024, but my favorite film of the year overall. It’s possible that what ends up being the greatest genre feature of 2025 isn’t on the release calendar right now (one title that immediately springs to mind is Francis Lawrence’s adaptation of Stephen King’s The Long Walk).
And yet, there is still a bounty of titles that scare-loving movie-goers should have on their radars.
As far as originals are concerned, I don’t know how any horror lover could not be excited for Sinners, which sees Ryan Coogler experiment in the genre for the first time with a vampire tale that he has described as being a cross between a Coen brothers movie and Stephen King’s Salem’s Lot. And we won’t have to wait until Halloween to experience this dose of cinematic terror, as it is primed for release this spring (specifically on April 18).
But that’s not it for spring! Following their successful collaboration on 2017’s Annabelle: Creation, director David F. Sandberg and writer Gary Dauberman have reunited to deliver what very much looks like the latest contribution to the modern run of “video game movies that are actually good.” Until Dawn, based on the Playstation game of the same name and hitting theaters April 25, looks Cabin In The Woods with a time loop twist, and the trailer makes it look both freaky and fun.
We’ll get to learn about more original titles as studios continue to announce distribution plans throughout the year – but I won’t ignore that this looks like a hot year for sequels too. We’re not only getting to see recent hits blossom into franchises with Scott Derrickson‘s The Black Phone 2 and Gerard Johnstone’s M3GAN 2.0, but also continuations of horror legacies. Kevin Greutert is hoping to raise the bar for the Saw movies with Saw XI after Saw X proved to be the series’ best film since Saw II; Michael Chaves is bringing the big screen story of Ed and Lorraine Warren (Patrick Wilson, Vera Farmiga) to an end with The Conjuring: Last Rites; super inventive kills are back on the menu thanks to the resurrection of the Final Destination films with Final Destination: Bloodlines; and Danny Boyle and Alex Garland have finally joined forces again to infect the world with Rage in 28 Years Later.
In the collection of horror titles either now in theaters or set to debut before the end of December, there is something to enjoy and look forward to, and I can’t wait to see how it all unfolds. If 2025 ends up living up to all of its promise, it might end up being one of the genre’s best years ever.
