As 2025 comes to a close and the new year rolls in, instead of reflecting on the school year or dreaming up my New Year’s resolutions, I am instead still thinking about all the great horror films I saw over the past year. To my surprise, 2025 was an incredible year for horror, and I even gained some new favorite films.
Many memorable movies were released, including new additions to popular franchises such as “Final Destination” and “28 Days Later,” several successful Stephen King adaptations, including “The Monkey” and “The Long Walk” as well as an abundance of unique independent films that brought to light all the possibilities of the genre. While there were dozens of great horror films released in 2025, here are my top five terrifying watches of the year.
“Good Boy”
Are you tired of animals always dying in horror movies for a quick scare? Are you sick of watching a bumbling, stupid protagonist wander around a haunted house when you would much rather be following the dog? Then “Good Boy” is the film for you! In his feature length directorial debut, Ben Leonberg features his own dog, Indy, as the protagonist, in which the brave pup tries to save his owner from a malevolent force inhabiting his late grandfather’s house.
While the plot is somewhat simplistic, the film more than makes up for it in beautiful cinematography, high tension and the cutest main character you will ever see. More than just a spooky film featuring a dog, “Good Boy” touches on the nature of illness, the inescapability of death and the bittersweet reality of letting go.
“Bring Her Back”
In their second film since their smash hit “Talk to Me” in 2022, Danny and Michael Philippou have returned with another terrifying film, “Bring Her Back.” The film follows recently orphaned Andy (Billy Barratt) and his visually impaired stepsister Piper (Sora Wong) as they find themselves trapped in a dangerous ritual by their new foster mother, Laura (Sally Hawkins). Similar to “Talk to Me,” “Bring her Back” is littered with some truly disgusting imagery, body horror and plot twists that will make you sick to your stomach. What brings this film to even greater heights is the amount of love that ties the plot together. Whether it be the relationship between Andy and Piper (which has quickly become one of my favorite sibling portrayals in any horror film), or Laura’s longing for her lost daughter, “Bring her Back” is a film about what you are willing to do for those you love, no matter how horrifying.
“Frankenstein”
When it was announced that the king of creature films, Guillermo del Toro, was working on an adaptation of Mary Shelley’s “Frankenstein,” a whole world of horror fans threw up their hands in celebration. When it was finally released, it did not disappoint, quickly becoming one of the best adaptations of the famous novel ever made. Filled with incredible visuals, practical effects, performances and music, del Toro’s “Frankenstein” is an adaptation done right. He both takes scenes from the novel that are rarely adapted and finally brings them to the screen (such as the often forgotten arctic opening), while also changing various plot elements in order to fit his vision of the tale. “Frankenstein” is del Toro at his very best, and one of the best releases of the year, horror or otherwise.
“The Ugly Stepsister”
Original Language Title: «Den Stygge Stesøsteren»
My favorite fairy tales are always the darkest ones. “The Ugly Stepsister” is the debut film of Norwegian director Emilie Blichfeldt, a black comedy, satirical take on the classic tale of Cinderella. Instead of following Cinderella herself, our protagonist is Elvira (Lea Myren), one of Cinderella’s ugly stepsisters, who must undergo a series of surgeries and trials in order to make herself beautiful enough to marry the prince. An obvious but well concocted critique of the beauty industry, “The Ugly Stepsister” dives into the inherent misogyny within early fairytales with blood, bitterness and tapeworms. It is not often a film can make me actually gag, but this film made me feel sick not only once, but three times. If you have a strong stomach and a love of body horror, “The Ugly Stepsister” is a film you do not want to miss.
“Sinners”
By far the most talked about horror film from 2025 is Ryan Coogler’s “Sinners,” which has garnered massive amounts of praise for its acting, cinematography, music and writing. This is unsurprising for me, as “Sinners” is not only my favorite horror film of 2025, but one of the best horror films I have ever seen. The story takes place in the segregated American South, in which two twin brothers, Smoke and Stack (Michael B. Jordan), attempt to open up a juke joint with the help of their younger cousin Sammy (Miles Canton), until a group of vampires seek out Sammy for his magical singing voice. The soundtrack of “Sinners” is unmatched, with a mix of original old-school style blues and traditional Irish folk ballads. The story is bloody, funny and gripping from the get-go. “Sinners” is a love letter to vampire films, blues music, community, family and a good old-fashioned bloodbath. If you have not already, do yourself a favor and grab your guitar and a stake, and take the “Rocky Road to Dublin” on down to watch one of the best films of the year.
