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2025 has been an incredible year for horror, and I wanted to take a moment to highlight the films that are keeping the theatrical experience alive. While plenty of other blockbusters have carried their weight at the box office, I’d argue horror deserves its own recognition. As anyone in the fandom knows, it’s one of the most loyal, dedicated audiences around.

This isn’t a ranked list — I’ll save that for the end of the year — but these are the eight films I’ve placed firmly in my “top horror” category so far. Some of them bend genres, and I know there will be debates about whether they’re truly horror. But for me, each of these earns a spot in the genre, whether through atmosphere, imagery, or the way they confront fear head-on.

So, without further ado, here are my top horror films of 2025 (so far):

Companion

Director: Drew Hancock

Starring: Sophie Thatcher, Jack Quaid, Lukas Gage, Megan Suri, Harvey Guillén, Rupert Friend

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A strong start to the year, Companion put Sophie Thatcher and Jack Quaid on full display as two stars fully coming into their own. What begins as a sleek sci-fi premise — a near-future society shaped by hyper-advanced AI — slowly curdles into something uncanny, unsettling, and deeply human. The film asks the questions so many of us are already wrestling with: can a machine develop a soul, or at least something indistinguishable from one? Where do we draw the line between empathy and programming? And if they think and feel, can they be considered “alive”? The genius of Companion is how it keeps pulling the rug out from under you: just when you think you know who the villains are in this battle of humans versus machines, the lines blur. It’s chilling, provocative, and strangely moving — a reminder that horror doesn’t need monsters when humanity itself is under interrogation.

Sinners

Director: Ryan Coogler

Starring: Michael B. Jordan, Hailee Steinfeld, Wunmi Mosaku, Miles Caton, Jack O’ Connell, Delroy Lindo, Jayme Lawson, Omar Benson Miller

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From the moment it hit theaters, Sinners felt less like a horror release and more like an event. Ryan Coogler takes a premise steeped in dread and turns it into a soulful, expansive meditation on faith, morality, and what it means to live with the weight of history. Michael B. Jordan delivers one of his most nuanced performances, surrounded by a cast that feels alive with texture and personality. Yes, the film is frightening in moments — its quietest scenes hold a kind of spiritual terror that lingers — but Sinners is also breathtaking in its beauty. Its soundtrack, rich with soul and rhythm, taps into something visceral, giving the film a heartbeat you can feel pulsing long after the credits. Horror, in this case, is less about jump scares and more about reckoning with a truth that unsettles you from the inside out.

Bring Her Back

Director(s): Danny and Michael Phillippou

Starring: Sally Hawkins, Billy Barratt, Sora Wong, Jonah Wren Phillips, Mischa Heywood

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The Philippou Brothers’ follow-up to Talk to Me proves they’re not interested in repeating themselves. Bring Her Back is a leaner, darker, and far more emotionally raw film, anchored by a career-defining performance from Sally Hawkins. As the story unravels, Hawkins’ antagonist becomes both terrifying and sympathetic, a character who haunts you not just because of what she does, but because of what she feels. The atmosphere is thick from the very first frame, every shot humming with unease, and yet the film also manages to break your heart in quiet, devastating moments. At just under 100 minutes, it’s remarkable how much ground it covers: grief, obsession, vengeance, and the lengths we’ll go to cling to what’s already gone. The result is a horror film that doesn’t just scare — it devastates.

28 Years Later

Director: Danny Boyle

Starring: Alfie Williams, Aaron Taylor-Johnson, Jodie Comer, Ralph Fiennes, Edvin Ryding

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Few films arrived with higher expectations, and few films have split audiences so sharply. But 28 Years Later isn’t trying to please everyone. Instead, Danny Boyle and Alex Garland craft a haunting, morally complex entry that dares to shift the series’ focus. The infection is still there, of course, and its bursts of rage are as terrifying as ever, but this is a film more interested in human frailty than viral carnage. Much of that rests on the shoulders of Alfie Williams, the young actor who delivers a staggering breakout performance — carrying sequences of action, despair, and quiet reflection with equal force. Alongside seasoned veterans, he shines, grounding the film’s themes of survival, innocence, and responsibility. The result is a sequel that feels less like a repeat and more like a fable, timeless in its allegory and unshakable in its imagery.

Together

Director: Michael Shanks

Starring: Dave Franco, Alison Brie, Damon Harriman

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Together may have arrived under a cloud of controversy, but the film itself ultimately silenced the noise. Michael Shanks directs an ambitious, unnerving body-horror romance that literalizes the idea of being consumed by love. Alison Brie and Dave Franco, a couple both on and off-screen, use their real chemistry to fuel the story’s unraveling, portraying the messy complications of intimacy until those emotions spill over into grotesque, surreal territory. It’s unsettling not just because of the visuals — though the imagery certainly lingers — but because of how recognizable the dynamics feel. Yes, the CGI falters at times, but the film’s themes, atmosphere, and commitment to pushing boundaries elevate it into something unforgettable. Horror this personal is rare, and Together makes a strong case for love as the scariest possession of all.

Weapons

Director: Zach Creggar

Starring: Julia Garner, Josh Brolin, Amy Madigan, Austin Abrams, Benedict Wong, Cary Christopher, Alden Ehrenreich

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With Weapons, Zach Cregger cements his place as one of the genre’s most daring new voices. Following the surprise hit Barbarian, expectations were sky-high, and he met them with a film that’s just as unorthodox and uncompromising. What begins as a deceptively simple story about missing children blossoms into a chilling mosaic of violence, paranoia, and the systems that enable them. Cregger’s structure is bold, weaving multiple perspectives into a narrative that feels both sprawling and precise, and by the time it reaches its unforgettable conclusion, the film has left a scar. Cary Christopher’s performance as a child caught in the nightmare gives the story its emotional center, and the finale ranks among the most hauntingly satisfying of recent memory. Not everyone will agree on its methods, but its impact is undeniable.

The Long Walk

Director: Francis Lawrence

Starring: Cooper Hoffman, David Jonsson, Mark Hamill, Ben Wang, Charlie Plummer, Tut Nyuot, Garrett Wareing, Judy Greer, Joshua Odjick

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Stephen King adaptations are always tricky, but The Long Walk is one of the few that feels not only faithful but urgent. Francis Lawrence doesn’t lean on traditional horror tropes — instead, he embraces the brutality of King’s dystopia, letting its violence and despair speak for themselves. The horror here isn’t supernatural; it’s systemic, societal, and uncomfortably close to reality. That’s what makes it so chilling. Anchored by standout performances from Cooper Hoffman and David Jonsson, the film explores camaraderie, endurance, and the numbing effect of constant violence. The single-road setting forces the audience to live in the same repetitive, punishing rhythm as the characters, and when the emotional gut-punches come, they hit all the harder. It’s bleak, yes — but also strangely human.

Final Destination: Bloodlines

Director(s): Zach Lipovsky, and Adam Stein

Starring: Kaitlyn Santa Juana, Teo Briones, Tony Todd, Richard Harmon, Brec Bassinger, Owen Joyner, Anna Lore, Gabrielle Rose, Alex Zahara, Rya Kihlstedt

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Horror fans love a good comeback story, and Final Destination: Bloodlines delivers in spades. This entry brings back everything that made the franchise iconic: the elaborate, cartoonishly grotesque death sequences; the creeping paranoia that even the most mundane object could kill you; and the sheer fun of watching it all unfold. At the same time, it adds new depth, honoring Tony Todd with a touching nod and twisting the familiar premonition conceit into something fresh. The cast leans into the chaos, keeping things light without undercutting the stakes, and the result is a film that feels both nostalgic and revitalized. In a year filled with heavy, experimental horror, Bloodlines is proof there’s still a place for the crowd-pleasing, roller-coaster thrill ride.