10 Exciting Horror Movies To Look Forward To In 2025

For many people around the world, there is no better way to find some satisfying scares than by heading to the movie theater and watching a Horror movie. For decades, horror films have been providing audiences with the frights they crave, whether it be through jarring visuals, unsettling stories, or a haunting combination of the two and more. As 2024 draws near a close, many people have already begun looking ahead to what scary stories will be told in 2025.

✕ Remove Ads

Although specific details of many films have yet to be released, 2025 is already shaping up to be another exciting year for horror lovers. With highly anticipated sequels, spooky reboots, and plenty of fright-filled original stories, the upcoming year is sure to have something for all types of horror fans. It’s impossible to know which of these films will prove to be the scariest, but audiences are already on the edge of their seats waiting to see what kinds of twisted horror these movies will bring in 2025.

10 Frankenstein

Release Date: TBC

Oscar Isaac looking concerned in Moon Knight and the monster in Frankenstein Custom Image by SR staff

✕ Remove Ads

Few stories are more iconic in the world of horror than that of Frankenstein. First appearing in the form of Mary Shelley’s 1818 novel, Frankenstein tells the story of an overly ambitious scientist who successfully gives a new life to a creature he designed from the parts of various corpses, only to discover the grim consequences of his actions far too late. Now, although an exact release date has not yet been revealed, Netflix has announced that horror legend Guillermo del Toro will be providing his own take on the classic tale.

One element that already has audiences excited about Guillermo del Toro’s Frankenstein is its star-studded cast. Oscar Issac will be stepping into the role of the scientist, Victor Frankenstein, with Jacob Elordi set to assume the role of the iconic monster. Mia Goth and Christoph Waltz are among the other actors set to appear in currently undisclosed roles. With a timeless story and the writing-direction of a horror icon like del Toro, expectations are very high for this latest adaptation of Frankenstein.

9 28 Years Later

Release Date: June 20, 2025

Brendan Gleeson, Cillian Murphy, and Naomie Harris against a shadowy backdrop in 28 Days Later
✕ Remove Ads

More than two decades after the release of 28 Days Later, and 18 years after 28 Weeks Later, fans are finally being given the next long-awaited sequel they have been craving. Years after the events of the original sequel, 28 Years Later will explore what remains of the world after it has been largely destroyed by the Rage Virus, and how the remaining survivors adapt when the virus makes its shocking return.

To the delight of the fans of the first film, 28 Years Later will feature the return of Danny Boyle as the director and Alex Garland as the writer, both reprising their behind-the-scenes roles from 28 Days Later. Cillian Murphy, riding on his recent Oscar win for Oppenheimer, is also returning to star as Jim once again. Aaron Taylor-Johnson, Jodie Comer, and Ralph Fiennes are set to appear in the film as well.

8 The Monkey

Release Date: February 21, 2025

Theo James holding his hand out and yelling in The Monkey
✕ Remove Ads

In the world of horror literature, few names are better known than Stephen King. Numerous stories by the acclaimed author have been adapted into classic horror films over the years, including Misery, The Shining, and The Shawshank Redemption. Now, one of King’s lesser-known stories is getting an exciting new cinematic adaptation. Expected to arrive in February, The Monkey follows a pair of twin brothers who believe that their father’s vintage monkey toy is somehow responsible for a string of grotesque, unexplained deaths.

The Monkey is being written and directed by Osgood Perkins, who rose to prominence in 2024 as the writer and director of Longlegs, another major horror film. Theo James will star as Hal and Bill, the two twins, with Tatiana Maslany and Elijah Wood among the other confirmed members of the cast. The idea of combining a Stephen King story with the inspired direction of Perkins has potential viewers very excited about this upcoming film, especially with it coming soon after the success of Longlegs.

✕ Remove Ads

7 Wolf Man

Release Date: January 17, 2025

Wolf Man 2025 poster cropped

Over 80 years after the release of The Wolf Man, the classic horror creature is making a dramatic return to the big screen. Simply titled Wolf Man, the upcoming reinvention of the horrifying monster story will follow a family of three as they move to rural Oregon following a mysterious death in the family. The trio is soon pitted against each other after one of them is scratched by a werewolf, causing him to gradually morph into a version of the beast as well.

Wolf Man is being written and directed by Leigh Whannell, a decision that has made many horror aficionados happy. Whannell is perhaps best known for having written the groundbreaking 2004 horror film, Saw, and for directing the 2020 sci-fi/horror feature, The Invisible Man, which received ample praise from critics. Other notable figures like Jason Blum and Ryan Gosling are also attached to the project as producers. Wolf Man will help set the tone for the 2025 horror lineup, released in theaters on January 17.

✕ Remove Ads

6 Sinners

Release Date: March 7, 2025

Close up of Michael B Jordan looking pensive in Sinners

Whenever a typically non-horror director finally takes the leap into making something scary, audiences are bound to be very curious. This is the case for Sinners, the upcoming horror film written and directed by Ryan Coogler. Coogler is an acclaimed filmmaker, best known for his work on the Creed and Black Panther franchises, but he has not yet ventured into the genre of horror — until now. Fans of his previous works will surely be rooting for him to be successful in this major genre change.

While not too much is known about the original story, it has been revealed that Sinners will follow Elijah and Elias, two twin brothers who discover a mysterious evil waiting for them when they return to their hometown. Both twins will be played by Michael B. Jordan, a frequent collaborator of Coogler. Hailee Steinfeld and Delroy Lindo have also been announced as part of the cast. Sinners is currently expected to be released on March 7, 2025, which will certainly be an exciting day for horror lovers.

✕ Remove Ads

5 The Conjuring: Last Rites

Release Date: September 5, 2025

Patrick Wilson and Vera Farmiga from The Conjuring

One of the most iconic modern horror franchises is undoubtedly The Conjuring, which has been routinely frightening its audiences for over a decade. In 2025, fans will be gifted with the latest installment set in this universe. Serving as the ninth film in the franchise as a whole, The Conjuring: Last Rites will act as a direct sequel to the 2021 feature, The Conjuring: The Devil Made Me Do It. Beyond this, not much has been revealed about what kind of haunting story will lie at the center of the film.

The Conjuring: Last Rites will be the fourth horror film directed by Michael Chaves, and his third project for the Conjuring universe, after The Conjuring: The Devil Made Me Do It and The Nun II. Patrick Wilson and Vera Farmiga will be reprising their roles as Ed and Lorraine Warren, the duo of paranormal investigators featured in the previous film. Though the story is still a mystery, audiences can be certain to expect plenty of supernatural horrors.

✕ Remove Ads

4 Fear Street: Prom Queen

Release Date: TBC

Sadie Sink's Ziggy stares in Fear Street: 1978

In 2021, Netflix introduced the world to the Fear Street trilogy, the streaming service’s adaptation of another book series by Goosebumps author, R.L. Stine. The trilogy became very popular with audiences upon its release, as fans loved how it managed to present stories from three distinct time periods, while also maintaining a cohesive, overarching narrative. Now Fear Street series is expanding to another new era: the 1980s. Fear Street: Prom Queen will present a new horror story for the students of Shadyside High.

✕ Remove Ads

Set in 1988 (putting it right between the events of the second and third movies), Fear Street: Prom Queen will follow a competitive race between popular girls trying to become their class’s prom queen, only for mysterious circumstances to arise when some of the girls start disappearing. This new addition to the franchise will be directed by Matt Palmer, making it the first installment to not be directed by Leigh Janiak. An official release date has not been confirmed, but viewers can expect Fear Street: Prom Queen to be on Netflix by the end of 2025.

3 The Woman In The Yard

Release Date: March 28, 2025

Danielle Deadwyler as Berniece in The Piano Lesson

One popular subset of horror is the genre of psychological horror, a category of film that relies on mental and emotional elements to frighten its audience, rather than things like gore and jump scares. People who enjoy these types of films will definitely want to check out The Woman in the Yard, an upcoming feature from Blumhouse Productions. This original film will highlight the ways a family reacts when a mysterious woman repeatedly appears on their front lawn to deliver disturbing messages with no explanation.

✕ Remove Ads

The Woman in the Yard is written by Sam Stefanak and directed by Jaume Collet-Serra. Over the course of his career, Collet-Serra has directed numerous films, including recent blockbusters like Jungle Cruise and Black Adam, as well as horror features like Orphan and The Shallows. The film will star Danielle Deadwyler, who has recently gained acclaim for her work in various dramatic films, including Till and The Piano Lesson. While the plot is still mostly a mystery, The Woman in the Yard is sure to leave viewers thinking about it for long after the credits roll.

2 M3GAN 2.0

Release Date: June 27, 2025

M3GAN talking to Cady in the Testing Room in M3GAN

✕ Remove Ads

In 2022, M3GAN pleasantly surprised its audiences, becoming an unexpected hit thanks to its entertaining blend of science fiction, horror, and even humor. Because of its massive commercial success (earning well over 10 times its budget), it came as no additional surprise that the film would be getting a sequel. M3GAN 2.0, which will serve as a continuation of the original story, will be released in theaters in the summer of 2025, with another spin-off confirmed for 2026 as well.

Specific details of the plot have not yet been disclosed, but viewers can surely expect to see much more horror and humor surrounding the titular artificially intelligent doll. Allison Williams and Violet McGraw will be reprising their roles as Gemma and Cady, the aunt/niece pairing at the center of the original film. Additionally, writer Akela Cooper and director Gerard Johnstone will both be returning to their same production roles for the sequel. In an era when artificial intelligence is a major focus, M3GAN 2.0 is bound to be as topical as it is horrifying.

1 Vicious

Release Date: February 28, 2025.

Abby Winbury (Dakota Fanning) looking ahead in The Perfect Couple Image via Netflix
✕ Remove Ads

In 2008, Bryan Bertino wrote and directed The Strangers, an unsettling horror film that gained him much recognition, even going on to inspire a series of sequels/spin-offs years later. Now, after nearly five years without another new film, Bertino is stepping back into the spotlight, writing and directing the upcoming horror feature, Vicious. The film, which has already piqued the curiosity of many, will follow a woman who is forced to fight for her own existence after entering a rabbit hole within a mysterious gift she receives.

Vicious will star Dakota Fanning, who just received her first Golden Globe nomination for her supporting performance in the Netflix drama series, Ripley. Kathryn Hunter and Rachel Blanchard are among the other performers set to appear in the film. With such a unique, unsettling premise, Vicious is yet another 2025 horror film that is certain to receive a great deal of attention when its release rolls around.

Leave a Comment