GBHBL’s Top 10 Horror Movies of 2025
It has been another interesting year for horror, both in the mainstream and in the indies, with major franchises returning/wrapping up, strong debuts, and even some really well received TV shows such as IT: Welcome to Derry and Alien: Earth.
With the mainstream, we’ve seen the return of the I Know What You Did Last Summer and Final Destination franchises, the start of a new trilogy of films set in the world of the rage virus courtesy of 28 Years Later, the ‘end’ of The Conjuring films with Last Rites, and memorable films like Sinners, The Monkey, and Weapons blow critics and audiences away, alike.
With the indies though, that’s where the madness can be found, and a lot of talented and creative people have brought us unforgettable experiences. Experiences like the Twisted Childhood Universe hitting a creative high with Peter Pan’s Neverland Nightmare and Indy the dog capturing hearts with the impressive Good Boy. We’ve had scares via 825 Forest Road, gleeful gore with Silent Night, Deadly Night, another great entry in the Horror in the High Desert series, and have sat in awe of the likes of Bring Her Back and The Ugly Stepsister.
Which brings us to this article and ten films we want to crow about particularly. Ten of this year’s finest horrors. This is our top ten horror movies of 2025.
10. Silent Night, Deadly Night
Written and directed by Mike P. Nelson, Silent Night, Deadly Night stars Rohan Campbell. Alongside Ruby Modine, David Lawrence Brown, David Tomlinson, and Mark Acheson, Rohan Campbell helps turn this film into an utter delight. A violent, bloody, and dark delight with some black comedy sprinkled in, here and there.
This film had no right being as good as it was in the end. It has its flaws, and some are more glaring than others, but as piece of festive horror entertainment that goes so much further than most remakes/reimaginings/reboots, it deserves its praise.
9. The Toxic Avenger
Written and directed by Macon Blair, The Toxic Avenger stars Peter Dinklage, Jacob Tremblay, Taylour Paige, Julia Davis, Jonny Coyne, Elijah Wood, and Kevin Bacon.
I had so much fun with this film, and as a big fan of the original, I can say wholeheartedly that this is its own thing too. The Toxic Avenger isn’t supposed to be a film you take seriously, not just because the premise is so absurd, but because Troma has always been proud of that kind of absurdity. The spirit of that thinking is here, and in many ways, more expressive than ever. All because we don’t get films like this anymore.
The Toxic Avenger is a blast from beginning to end. An over the top, silly, funny, gorefest that pays loving tribute to the original film, the series as a whole, and the universe that Troma created.
8. Horror in the High Desert 4: Majesty
Written and directed by Dutch Marich, this is a series of films that consistently deliver strong stories stepped in mystery, unsettling atmosphere, and moments of horror. It’s a series that requires patience, but willing viewers will find themselves extremely immersed by what it has to offer. I have found myself enamoured with the series, and while the bar that Horror in the High Desert 3: Firewatch isn’t quite reached here, Horror in the High Desert 4: Majesty is another strong entry.
Were, to move forward, we first must go back. Which isn’t as regressive as it sounds.
7. Peter Pan’s Neverland Nightmare
The latest entry in Jagged Edge Productions’ ‘Twisted Childhood Universe’, Peter Pan’s Neverland Nightmare is a brutal and gorier reimagining of the iconic Peter Pan story by J. M. Barrie.
Written and directed by Scott Chambers, it stars Megan Placito, Martin Portlock, Kit Green, Peter DeSouza-Feighoney, Teresa Banham, Olumide Olorunfemi, Campbell Wallace, and Nicholas Woodeson.
A brutal watch, Peter Pan likes nothing better than to snatch little boys and take them away to Neverland, alongside his ‘fairy’ Tinker Bell. The latest boy to be snatched is Michael Darling and his older sister, Wendy sets to find him and stop Pan once and for all. To do this she will have to enter his world and take on the horrors that await her.
6. Sinners
Written and directed by Ryan Coogler, and starring Michael B. Jordan, Hailee Steinfeld, Jack O’Connell, Wunmi Mosaku, Jayme Lawson, Omar Miller, and Delroy Lindo. Sinners is a vampire epic that focuses on the African American community, the power of music, and how blood is thicker than water.
An exciting watch that slowly builds dread as the vampiric threat increases, with some of 2025’s most compelling characters. Sinners takes its time but is all the better for it. Eventually descending into full blown horror with tons of action. You might find yourself holding your breath several times throughout.
5. Good Boy
Indy isn’t just a good boy. He is the best boy. Delivering a jaw-dropping performance, often in challenging circumstances, and leaving the viewer overcome with emotion. Good Boy sells itself on the fact that a dog named Indy is the star and the horror story here is told from his perspective, and that is what director/writer (alongside Alex Cannon), Ben Leonberg delivers.
A frightening, intriguing, and highly watchable supernatural horror that also deals with real life issues around long-term illness and impending death. Good Boy is a film that will be remembered not for its supernatural scares and horror, but for its portrayal of the relationship between a person and a dog, and the star-making performance of its lead, Indy.
4. 28 Years Later
Written by Alex Garland and directed by Danny Boyle, 28 Years Later is the much anticipated third film in the ’28 Days Later’ film series.
28 years after the ‘rage’ virus decimated Britain, what remains?
28 Years Later is not the film you think it is better for it. Perhaps some did just want 28 Days/Weeks Later again, but I didn’t. This is a fresh and bold offering that speaks strongly of the talent involved. It’s far from perfect, but it has turned out so much better than anyone could have expected.
3. Weapons
Love it or loathe it, no-one can deny the impact that Weapons had this year on mainstream horror. Written and directed by Zach Cregger and starring Josh Brolin, Julia Garner, Alden Ehrenreich, Austin Abrams, Cary Christopher, Toby Huss, Benedict Wong, and Amy Madigan.
One night at around 2am, seventeen children from the same classroom got out of bed and disappeared into the night. What happened and why? That is what Weapons explores in a compelling, thrilling, and frightening way. It is a very creative horror with one of the most polarising endings seen in some time. Personally, I enjoyed it.
2. The Ugly Stepsister
A Norwegian body horror (Den Stygge Stesøsteren) written and directed by Emilie Blichfeldt, in her directorial debut. The film stars Lea Myren, Thea Sofie Loch Næss, Ane Dahl Torp and Flo Fagerli. It is a retelling of the Cinderella fairytale where the focus is on the character of Elvira, one of the ‘ugly’ stepsisters.
To watch The Ugly Stepsister, one requires a strong stomach. It is a body horror film, and a grim one at that, yet its approach to this and how it combines psychological horror and black comedy, is what makes it noteworthy. Not only being downright disgusting in places, but with graphic sex scenes and nudity, and impressively, potent emotion too.
1. Bring Her Back
Directed by Danny and Michael Philippou, and starring Billy Barratt, Sora Wong, Jonah Wren Phillips, and Sally Hawkins. Bring Her Back is an experience that stays with you. Telling the story of two stepsiblings who find themselves suddenly orphaned and placed in the care of a middle-aged woman who has her own trauma to deal with, namely the loss of her young daughter. Trauma that has driven her to start an occult ritual to bring her back from the dead.
I don’t think I’ve felt this tense watching a film all year. Bring Her Back is an experience that stays with you. A sumptuous example of storytelling and character work, turning an initially mundane idea into something spectacular and terrifying. It’s bold, and that boldness pays off.
