Dread Central’s Lead Writer Selects His Top 10 Horror Movies of 2025

Courtesy of A24

It’s that time again. That point in the year when the air grows cold, snow covers the land, and an eerie darkness pulls the sun down earlier and earlier. Dreary as winter can be, December also means we here at Dread get to look back on the best horror films of the year. And what a year it has been.

Filmmaker Ryan Coogler stunned the world with his powerful vampire movie, Sinners. Major franchises rose from the grave with new entries such as 28 Years Later, Final Destination: Bloodlines, Predator: Badlands, and The Toxic Avenger reboot. Meanwhile, films like Josh Ruben’s Heart Eyes seem destined for sequels down the line. Beloved filmmakers Guillermo del Toro (Frankenstein) and Steven Soderbergh (Presence) returned, while exciting new voices in Emilie Blichfeldt (The Ugly Stepsister) and Yûta Shimotsu (Best Wishes to All) emerged.

Below, you’ll find my ten favorite genre outings of the year. These are the films that scared me, entertained me, and in some cases, had me sobbing like a baby. Hopefully, some of them did the same for you.

The Monkey

One of two Stephen King adaptations on this list, I haven’t been able to stop thinking about The Monkey. Let’s be clear, Osgood Perkins (Long Legs) film has plenty of flaws. But this tale about a pair of brothers who discover a toy monkey that kills a random person with each wind-up has a wicked, infectious sense of humor. Priests drop F-bombs during a funeral. Bodies explode upon hitting electrified pools. The film’s human villain shows up in that outfit (you know the one). At any given second, you never know quite what to expect from this delirious horror comedy. Yet what really struck me was the film’s ultimate message of everybody dies, so you might as well enjoy life while you can. A necessary but straightforward reminder during tough times that has had me coming back to The Monkey again and again.

Companion

Companion tells the story of Iris (Sophie Thatcher), on a weekend getaway with her boyfriend, Josh (Jack Quaid), and his friends. We soon learn that Iris is a robot programmed to love and cherish Josh. Upon realizing this, she rightfully rebels. A bevy of AI-driven horror films jumped onto the train of worry over artificial intelligence this year. Still, I’d argue Companion was the only one of them with a meaningful destination (sorry, M3GAN 2.0). That’s because, rather than simply indulging in AI fears, Hancock wires in themes of male manipulation and gaslighting. Iris isn’t the villain, here. Through her character (and an excellent performance from Thatcher), Hancock’s film expresses rage and frustration at the men who seem damn near incapable of viewing women as human beings. Laughs and bloody catharsis ensue.

Frankenstein

Guillermo del Toro’s version of Mary Shelley’s sci-fi classic embodies the gothic romance of Frankenstein, while also incorporating the violent rage inherent to the story. Jacob Elordi had some large shoes to step into with the role of the monster, first played to perfection by Boris Karloff back in 1931. I had my doubts, but the actor proves more than up to the task, managing complex emotions through heavy (and stunning) makeup. No surprise here, but the film also happens to be downright breathtaking, featuring gorgeous production design, costumes, and cinematography that have me devastated I missed it in theaters. Once again, del Toro presents a monster movie that offers the empathic understanding that the tragic creature at the undead heart of it all deserves.

28 Years Later

It isn’t easy to follow up bangers like 28 Days Later and 28 Weeks Later. And while I view 28 Years Later as the weakest of the three, it still manages to deliver on the terrifying intensity we’ve come to expect from the franchise. Original creators Danny Boyle and Alex Garland return with a sequel steeped in pulse-pounding thrills and chaotic violence, leaving me riveted. Not to mention, it’s one of the most visually stunning horror films of the year. That bone temple? My lord. No, the story about a boy training to survive in a world overrun by infected doesn’t pack quite the same punch as its predecessors. Yes, the tonal change in the end arrives like nails on a chalkboard. But once you understand the implications of it, 28 Years Later offers a chilling preview of what’s to come that’s more than worthy of the franchise.

The Ugly Stepsister

For those who hated The Substance, The Ugly Stepsister is everything you wanted Coralie Fargeat’s film to be. Emilie Blichfeldt’s debut feature turns the classic Cinderella story upside down by focusing on “evil” stepsister, Elvira (Lea Myren). In doing so, the filmmaker drops audiences into a world dominated by ridiculous beauty standards, one that encourages Elvira to meet the impossible bar by any means necessary. Unfortunately for her and audiences without an iron stomach, those methods come in the form of brutal body modification and the willing ingestion of a nasty tapeworm. Though far different from The Substance in premise, The Ugly Stepsister is an intense body horror film that arguably handles similar themes better than The Substance. And for the sickos, the film also happens to feature one of the most revolting scenes of the year.

Heart Eyes

I’m not sure how well-known Josh Ruben is, but at this point, he’s one of my favorite filmmakers working in the genre today. Both his films Scare Me and Werewolves Within made my top ten horror list during their respective years. Now, Heart Eyes joins the pack, making him three for three in my book. The rom-com slasher about a pair of will they, won’t they lovers who go up against a couple-killing serial killer on Valentine’s Day delivers a bouquet of bloody entertainment. It’s Sleepless in Seattle meets My Bloody Valentine, packed with references to both respective genres. Ruben may be one of the few filmmakers able to imbue an otherwise sweet and charming tale with loads of gruesome kills. Somehow, some way, he makes it work. If Heart Eyes doesn’t become an annual Valentine’s Day slasher classic, my own eyes will transform into question marks.

Weapons

If there’s one thing we can say for sure about Zach Cregger, it’s that he’s going to deliver one wild horror film. The filmmaker behind Barbarian proved that once again with Weapons. Despite the insidious atmosphere lurking around every corner, I found myself highly amused during this tale of a classroom of students who all vanish overnight, causing an eruption of anger in a small town. One moment, you’re clutching the arms of your chair. The next, Cregger throws something utterly insane at you (how about that ending?). Centered around issues of school shootings and the manipulation of the one percent, Cregger’s latest bottles the tension of our current society and offers some much-needed catharsis. Frightening, weird, and deliciously entertaining, Cregger solidifies his greatest weapon as knowing how to balance fear with wicked fun.

The Long Walk

Originally written under the pen name of Richard Bachman, I wasn’t sure what to expect from the latest adaptation of Stephen King’s work. But with director Francis Lawrence (Constantine) and writer JT Mollner (Stranger Darling) adapting, I expected something good. Still, I could not have been prepared for the gutting power of this latest addition to the long list of King films. Following a group of teenage boys who participate in a deadly annual event where they walk until there is only one left, it feels like a film perfect for the moment. Depicting a world where books are burned, knowledge is kept secret and the people kept poor, it’s a dystopia that doesn’t seem far off. And that’s terrifying. More importantly, Lawrence’s film reminds us of our humanity. That despite what separates us, we’re all in this long walk through life together.

Bring Her Back

No horror film this year tore into my soul as deeply as Bring Her Back. Hot off the success of their debut feature, Talk to Me, fans highly anticipated the sophomore effort from the Philippou brothers. As far as I’m concerned, they delivered. A tale about a pair of siblings adopted by a foster mother with insidious plans for them, the film captures the all-consuming nature of grief better than anything I can recall in recent memory. Yes, it’s brutal. Yes, it’s shocking. But it’s the tremendous sadness at the heart of it all that makes Bring Her Back resonate like a throbbing wound. Not to mention, astounding performances, especially from Sally Hawkins, who plays the rare villain that the audience empathizes with. Two features in, and the Philippou’s are establishing themselves as premier filmmakers when it comes to telling horrific stories centered around grief.

Sinners

Is there any film that shook the world harder than Sinners this year? That’s a rhetorical question, because no. Nothing comes close. Ryan Coogler’s 1930s-set film follows a pair of Black twins (Michael B. Jordan) as they return home from a life of crime. There, they open a juke joint, only to see it overrun by vampires on opening night—a simple set-up, but one that bleeds overwhelming power thanks to jaw-dropping execution. Coogler fuses music, culture, and abject horror into a profound tale, elevated even further by breathtaking performances and an evident passion that shouts from the screen. There’s good reason for how it managed to claw its way to having the highest domestic opening at the box office for an original film this decade.

As we close out 2025 and approach 2026, I’m already looking forward to what next year has to offer. At this moment, I’m most excited for Nia DaCosta’s 28 Years Later: The Bone Temple and Ready or Not 2: Here I Come, as well as originals such as Curry Barker’s Obsession and the new film from Oddity director Damian Mc Carthy, Hokum.

Follow me on Bluesky @werematt and let me know some of your favorite horror films from the year!

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