October is in full swing, and the spooky season has plenty of upcoming horror releases to sink your fangs into. But over the course of 2025 I’ve already seen some spectacular films. While I’m still looking forward to catching The Black Phone 2, The Running Man and the 20th anniversary special of The Descent in cinemas, I’m pretty sure I’ve already found my definitive top five for the year so far.
Of course, there have been some stinkers – The Woman in the Yard bored me almost to tears, while Good Boy tried to do something interesting with its central character but ultimately failed on every level. But in terms of horror I’ve had fun with this year? Here are my recommendations.
5. I Know What You Did Last Summer
The long awaited (third) sequel to the 1997 release, I went into I Know What You Did Last Summer expecting a reboot. Little did I know that Freddie Prinze Jr. and Jennifer Love Hewitt were returning, with some incredibly fun twists to boot.
It might not be high-brow cinema, but the film was campy and fun, with enough pretty visuals and exciting kills to keep me invested. The younger cast of characters all had me rooting for them in one way or another, and the final showdown felt satisfying – the perfect popcorn flick.
4. Final Destination: Bloodlines
The sixth instalment in the Final Destination series, Bloodlines isn’t afraid to go back to the franchise’s roots. It’s even based on an unused script from the original creator Jeffrey Reddick, whose direct involvement in the series ended after the second film.
Far from flogging a dead horse, Bloodlines was an entertaining jump back into the franchise with some truly creepy elements. We start off in the 1960s at the grand opening of a high-rise restaurant where things quickly start to go wrong – and everything about the design of the intro scenes was perfect. It felt inspired by The Twilight Zone.
Later on in the film, we get some truly gory death scenes – but even worse are the teases before the actual deaths (piercing studio scene, I’m looking at you). It’s definitely a fun way to spend 110 minutes.
3. The Ugly Stepsister
Pitched as a comedy horror film, Norwegian flick The Ugly Stepsister might be one you need subtitles for, but it’s so worth it. It’s a blend of body horror, feminist theory and fairy tale. And despite the promise of ‘comedy’, the whole thing is grim.
I’d pitch it as 2025’s answer to The Substance. It follows Elvira, who dreams of marrying the shallow Prince Julian and is determined to do anything to get him, including a complete and dramatic overhaul of her appearance. There’s sadness inherent in the movie’s themes, but there’s also hope. Definitely a must-watch if you haven’t had the chance already.
2. The Long Walk
I’ve been waiting years for Stephen King’s thriller The Long Walk to be adapted for the big screen. As a huge fan of the novel, I was desperate to see how Garraty and McVries’ friendship would be brought to life on screen – and lead actors Cooper Hoffman and David Jonsson captured them perfectly.
In a dystopian society where 50 young men volunteer to walk for days and days on end in the hopes of scooping an unimaginable prize – and where anyone who drops below three miles an hour gets shot dead – the camaraderie was the thing that stuck out the most for me. The casting is impeccable, the cinematography was beautiful to look at, and the feeling this film leaves you with lasts far beyond the closing credits.
1. Opus
Blending horror with psychological thriller, Opus follows the story of a music journalist who travels to the private compound of an enigmatic pop star for the launch of his new album. But things soon turn twisted – with some truly horrific scenes and a pervading sense of foreboding taking over.
Ayo Edebiri brings such authenticity to her role as protagonist Ariel Ecton, while John Malkovich is characteristically terrifying as reclusive pop icon Alfred Moretti. One of the scariest scenes for me was the harrowing puppet show – you’ll know what I mean when you get there.