Horror is alive and well in 2025, with the genre delivering frightening and terrific films throughout the year. From evil witches to bloodthirsty vampires, this year’s standouts have reimagined classic horror tropes through fresh, inventive storytelling.

With Halloween creeping even closer, grab your popcorn, dim the lights, and settle in for the ultimate scare-fest with one (or all!) of these five films:

1. Sinners

Stylish, daring, and bloody good, director Ryan Coogler’s Sinners blends vampire horror with sharp social commentary as it tackles systemic racism, colonialism and cultural appropriation through music. Set in 1930s Mississippi, twin brothers Smoke and Stack (both Michael B. Jordan) open a “juke joint” or a place for African Americans to dance, drink, and play music. One night, white vampires violently attack the establishment, unleashing a night of terror on the black community.

2. Weapons

Zach Cregger is fast becoming one of horror’s must-watch auteurs with the one-two punch of 2022’s Barbarian and his latest film, Weapons. The latter kicks off with a spine-chilling premise: seventeen children from the same classroom mysteriously vanish at exactly 2:17 a.m. on the same night. The story unfolds through the perspectives of several townspeople, revealing massive twists, startling jump scares, and a memorable villain that make Weapons one of the best films of the year.

3. Bring Her Back

This Australian horror film from the directors of Talk to Me is a bleak study of grief and trauma, and definitely not for the faint of heart. After siblings Andy and Piper lose their father, they move in with the eccentric Laura and her mute foster child, Oliver. But Laura is still mourning the recent loss of her own daughter. The film slowly uncovers just how horrifyingly far she is willing to go to bring her child back to life.

4. The Ugly Stepsister

This Norwegian film reinvents the classic Cinderella tale through a body-horror lens, drawing inspiration from the graphic Brothers Grimm version. The focus shifts to Elvira, one of Cinderella’s infamous stepsisters, who is coerced by her mother into undergoing brutal 19th-century “beauty” procedures— including nose jobs and eyelash extensions—all depicted in gruesome detail, in order to look good for the Prince.

5. Black Phone 2

Not for the squeamish, this sequel to The Black Phone is darker and more vicious, with the gore turned up to the next level. Leaning further into the supernatural elements of its predecessor, Black Phone 2 finds traumatized siblings Finney and Gwen facing off with the serial killer known as The Grabber once again. This time, however, The Grabber has become a powerful, malevolent spirit haunting their nightmares.

The 2025 horror lineup proves the genre’s pulse is stronger than ever, blending traditional scares with bold new storytelling. Whether you crave supernatural chills, psychological terror, or unflinching body horror, these five films promise nights of terror perfect for your Halloween lineup. Ready to face your fears? Turn off the lights and press play—if you dare!