The best horror movies of 2025 (in my opinion)

No doubt about it, there were a lot of solid horror movies released in 2025. And not every horror fan will agree on which were the best, but I consider myself a pretty well-rounded follower of the scary stuff, so I have come up with my own list.

Keep in mind, your own favorite might not be included. I may not have seen it, or I may have skipped it just because I knew it wouldn’t be my cup of tea. I tried to include a variety on my short list, so you will see “serious” horror, as well as fun or just plain campy horror on it.

Dangerous Animals – Jaws is a film I consider to be one of my most formative horror movies. And yes, I consider it horror; more or less in the “monster movie” category. It's pretty hard to impress me with a shark-centered flick, but Dangerous Animals hit all the right notes for me. It was genuinely intense, and I cared about Hassie Harrison’s character of drifter Zephyr. Jai Courtney was a fantastic counterpart as the evil Tucker, just over the top enough to be entertaining, while also being realistically chilling. The gore level was perfect. Dangerous Animals is streaming on Shudder.

Night of the Reaper – I love a good 80s horror film, and that’s the time setting of this Shudder Original. It just feels like a real 80s movie, while not focusing on stereotypical 1980s fashion and gadgets. It’s a typical plotline, with an opening scene that involves the murder of a babysitter, but as the movie goes along, it becomes clear that it’s offering something new to the sub-genre. Jessica Clement mostly carries Night of the Reaper, and she is up to the task, showing a lot of spunk while also appearing vulnerable at times. Night of the Reaper is streaming on Shudder.

Heart Eyes – As soon as I heard that this comedy/slasher was directed by Josh Ruben, I was on board. I loved Werewolves Within, and I absolutely adored Scare Me, so I was really jazzed to see what he would do next. I was not disappointed – Heart Eyes takes a standard slasher trope and makes it an absolutely fun roller coaster ride. The Heart Eyes serial killer travels around the country, choosing a different place to commit murders each Valentine’s Day. This year, the killer has targeted Seattle, putting Ally and Jay (charmingly played by Olivia Holt and Mason Gooding) in the crosshairs. Heart Eyes is streaming on Netflix.

Clown in a Cornfield – Boy, was this one a fun, campy romp! There is absolutely nothing deep and meaningful about it (despite the fact that the main teen character is going through a tough time with her dad), it’s just gory and often laugh out loud funny. At one moment, the endangered teens are hiding out in a house and come across an old rotary dial phone. At first, they are relieved…but then none of them can figure out how to dial it. Add a killer dressed in a clown costume, and you have the recipe for comedy/horror done right. Clown in a Cornfield is streaming on Shudder.

The Long Walk – Based on a book by Stephen King (under his Richard Bachman pseudonym), this one was a pretty hefty undertaking for Francis Lawrence. It stayed fairly true to the original tale of a future in which an annual event called The Long Walk pulls a teenage boy from each state to see who can walk the furthest. The catch is that failing to hold out the longest results in death. There were a few changes from the book, including the number of participants, the speed at which they must walk, and the actual ending. But, overall, as a fan of the book, I left the theatre moved and satisfied. The Long Walk can be rented on multiple streaming platforms.

Bring Her Back – Danny and Michael Philippou’s second feature film focuses on themes of grief and trauma, something they also did with Talk to Me. This time around, a recently orphaned brother and sister are placed with Laura, who has offered to foster them. Older brother Andy wants to take responsibility for his blind sister Piper, but at 17, he is not quite old enough yet. When the two move in with Laura and her nephew Oliver, some very strange stuff starts to happen, and it soon becomes obvious that Laura has some deep issues to resolve – issues involving the death of her young daughter Cathy. Bring Her Back manages to give viewers moments of terror, shock and sadness. Bring Her Back is streaming on HBO Max.

Weapons – Oh boy, was this film a crazy one. It comes to us from Zach Cregger, who also gave us Barbarian (one of my favorite WTF horror movies), so I knew I needed to buckle up. Weapons is set in a small Pennsylvania town, where 17 third-grade students, all in the same classroom, disappeared one night. The townspeople suspect their teacher, Justine Gandy (played by the amazing Julia Garner) and have some doubts about Alex, the only student in her class that didn’t vanish. We learn the entire story (including a very satisfying ending) through the eyes of multiple characters, and that story is a doozy that involves Alex’s Aunt Gladys (Amy Madigan, in an Oscar-worthy performance). Weapons is streaming on HBO Max.

The last film on this list was my favorite of 2025

Good Boy – Even though I loved each and every film on this list, Good Boy was my favorite of the year. That should surprise nobody who knows me, because I am a passionate dog lover. Indy is a good boy indeed, and moves with his human bestie Todd into Todd’s grandfather’s spooky house in the woods. Right away, Indy hears and sees things that Todd does not, and soon finds himself fighting hard to protect his human from the forces that are taking him over. Good Boy is unique in that its story is entirely told through the vantage point of Indy. Indy’s real-life owner Ben Leonberg wrote and directed, and it took him three years to film the ambitious movie. Good Boy is streaming on Shudder.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QKHySfXqN0I