The Best Horror Films of 2025

From major blockbusters, through to thrilling independent features, these are the must-see films that defined the landscape of 2025's horror cinema.

As 2025 comes to a close, here at Dead Northern, we have compiled the ultimate list of this year's most horrific of frights.

Presence - Directed by Steven Soderbergh 

Legendary filmmaker Steven Soderbergh ('Erin Brockovich' [2000], 'Ocean's Eleven' [2001]) rang in the new year with 'Presence', an unparalleled horror film following a family whose move into a new home is documented solely from the perspective of a paranormal entity.

The entirety of Presence is steeped in mystifying intrigue, where enigmas and curious puzzles are played that seemingly have no end or solution in sight, but all of that changes when the conclusion arrives.

"Presence falls into the rare category of an instant re-watch"

Like a sudden lightning bolt or a jaw-dropping rupture, Presence's conclusion is shockingly violent, both in its aesthetic displays and in its instantaneous revelations, cementing the already moving, haunted tale to be even more rife with emotion and conspiracy. Presence falls into the rare category of an instant re-watch, where as soon as the credits roll, you are awfully tempted to rewind to the beginning just to process what the hell just happened!

Bring Her Back

Directed by Danny and Michael Philippou 

The Australian-hailed directing duo, the Philippou brothers, left jaws on the floor in the wake of their follow-up horror to the acclaimed 'Talk To Me' (2022), the one and only 'Bring Her Back'. 

The film sees orphaned siblings Andy (Billy Barratt) and Piper (Sora Wong), in their new foster home, headed by grieving mother Laura (Sally Hawkins), who will do anything to bring her deceased daughter back from the dead. Bring Her Back lives up to its staggeringly impressive reception, with the film being equally heart-wrenching as it is befuddling and genuinely quite frightening.

"Bring Her Back lives up to its staggeringly impressive reception"

Throughout, the Philippou brothers display a narrative that is entirely vicious, willingly shredding the characters apart and, in turn, scarring the audience in a brutal mirage of ways, akin to a grisly collage of misery and fear.

All of the jarring events become crystallised at the hands of the varying performances, but a wholeheartedly earned mention belongs to Hawkins, whose portrayal of a desperate mother is entirely rattling and disturbingly authentic and integral to the entire viewing experience.

28 Years Later

Directed by Danny Boyle

23 years ago, screens were blessed as we watched Cillian Murphy as Jim, a bicycle courier, awaken from a coma only to discover that the UK had been ravaged by the zombie-like 'Rage Virus'. History was made with the iconic '28 Days Later' (2002), and now over two decades later, Danny Boyle reunites with writer Alex Garland to deliver the highly anticipated '28 Years Later'. Nothing could have prepared audiences for the unnerving and at times bizarre events from 28 Years Later, with the film tackling some very unexpected commentary, which was engrossingly woven together by a saturated, chaotic iPhone-assisted cinematography and unheralded character development. The film is a maddening experience that modernises the same hectic and frenzied atmosphere that made its excellent origin feature the contemporary classic that it is.

The Ugly Stepsister

Directed by Emilie Blichfeldt

It always bodes well when a horror film's consensus revolves around audiences retching and fainting at the filmic sights to behold. This year's bodily provocateur comes from Norwegian director Emilie Blichfeldt's 'The Ugly Stepsister'. The film centres on Elvira (Lea Myren), whose position in a newly blended family leads to disastrous physical extremes. Blichfeldt was inspired to make the film when she began exploring the body horror subgenre, watching David Cronenberg's gory catalogue of films and Julia Ducournau's 'Raw' (2016). Calling upon her own struggles with body image, she began forging a body-centric horror story taken from the original Brothers Grimm's version of Cinderella. Born from this bold idea is a film that is rich with satire dressed in otherness and the grotesque. Digging into the surface reveals a film about impossible beauty standards and the rollercoaster of self-acceptance, and so forth. But if metaphorical analysis is not your cup of tea, The Ugly Stepsister is still one heck of a watch, just make sure you're not eating at the same time. 

Weapons

Directed by Zach Cregger 

No one could have expected 'Weapons to be the smash-hit that it was. Of course, the film was in expected good hands with Zach Cregger ('Barbarian' [2022]) behind the camera, filming the ever-impressive cast featuring Josh Brolin, Julia Garner, Alden Ehrenreich, Austin Abrams and Amy Madigan; but somehow Weapons still managed to exceed every expectation.

"Delightfully dark and utterly drenched in tension, 
Weapons is definitely one of 2025's must-see horror films." 

The film's universal acclaim cites the distinctive storyline, effective marketing campaign, raw character portrayals and notable ending as integral facets to its success.

With that being said, like any good horror film, where Weapons strikes the hardest chord is from its moreish plot, which sees 17 children from the town of Maybrook, Pennsylvania, all run away from their homes at 2:17 am. Delightfully dark and utterly drenched in tension, Weapons is definitely one of 2025's must-see horror films. 

Home Education

Directed by Andrea Niada

Deep in the Southern Italy countryside resides young teen Rachel (Lydia Page), who, along with her mother Carol (Julia Ormond) and father Philip (Salvatore De Santis), lives in near complete isolation. Schooled by her parents' strict, almost Draconian-like, belief system, Rachel, like her parents, has become detached from reality. However, this fallacy becomes all the more dangerous when Philip dies, leading to brutal discoveries and precarious truths illuminating the darkness deep from within the family home. 'Home Education' is extremely layered and nuanced in its approach, with the film imbuing a dark fairytale ambience where the visual language of the film is just as pertinent as the plot itself. Director Andrea Niada also narratively peppers an atypical take on the coming-of-age story throughout, where the audience witnesses Rachel discover the reality of her world whilst remaining true to its otherworldly horrors. 

Watch the Dead Northern interview with Andrea Niada

Black Phone 2

Directed by Scott Derrickson

'The Black Phone' (2021) was a critical and financial hit, with audiences being drawn in from the opening credits as we saw Ethan Hawke become 'The Grabber' (Ethan Hawke), a child-catching sadist, whose latest victim, Finney (Mason Thames), posed a strong challenge. 'Black Phone 2', four years on from the first film's events, circa 1982, follows Finney, his younger sister Gwen (Madeleine McGraw), and newcomer to the series, Ernesto (Miguel Mora), who travel to Alpine Lake Camp to unearth a mystery surrounding the Grabber's first victims. The sequel has been commonly connected to the 'Nightmare on Elm Street' franchise, with the film, notably the characterisation of the Grabber, being akin to that of the iconic Freddy Krueger. Black Phone 2's emphasis on the supernatural element of the Grabber, combined with the camp-esque dark comedy and retro-inspired dream sequences, speaks to a potentially exciting future ahead for this Scott Derrickson directed horror. 

Dangerous Animals

Directed by Sean Byrne 

Dangerous Animals really is a surprising treat, brimming with shocks, twists, an appreciated dose of brilliant acting, gnarly storytelling, hints of twisted comedy, a fantastic ambience and memorable (for the right reasons) dialogue. When this Australian born and bred horror hit screens, many thought this was a run-of-the-mill creature feature, a shark film, possibly inspired by the likes of 'Jaws' (1975), 'Deep Blue Sea' (1999), or even the guilty (!) pleasure, 'Sharknado' (2013). However, this could not be farther from the truth. Dangerous Animals is a Frankenstein horror, mishamshing the narrative and blurring the genre lines, essentially turning the tide as it offers a gritty and claustrophobic cat-and-mouse chase, or to be more thematically apt, a shark-and-plankton chase… Cheesy wordplay aside, director Sean Byrne delivers an ode to the brilliance of horror. It's a genre where atrocious acts of violence fit perfectly alongside scenes of camp, corny fun, commanding attention and opening a space for emotional exploration like no other genre.

Strange Harvest

Directed by Stuart Ortiz 

Director Stuart Ortiz (co-creator of the 'Grave Encounters' [2011]) took note of how quickly 'Tiger King' (2020) had most of Netflix's viewership in a chokehold, with audiences being instantly hooked on the true crime/absurd surreal comedy miniseries. Being no stranger to the world of found footage and mockumentaries, Ortiz set out to make a faux true crime documentary, resulting in 'Strange Harvest', a horror film set in the Inland Empire, California, following a detective duo (Peter Zizzo and Terri Apple) who embark on a mission to unmask the infamous serial killer, Mr Shiny. Just like that of similar origins - 'Lake Mungo' (2008) or 'Hell House LLC' (2015) - Strange Harvest's unique storytelling mode is entirely immersive and extremely addictive to watch. As the mystery of Mr Shiny traverses various terrains, we become increasingly transfixed on not just the narrative but also the exciting way the story is being told. 

Sun

Directed by Dominic Lahiff

Performative artists and married couple Sunhill (Cordell 'Storm' Purnell) and Ariadne (Laura Kelisha Muller) attend a party in Tribeca, New York, which Ariadne sells to her husband as an opportunity for him to make connections and find an investor for his dream show. Reluctantly, Sunhill attends, but as the night goes on, he loses track of Ariadne, leading him down a hellish spiral in search of his missing wife. Throughout, director Dominic Lahiff utilises the art of dance as a cinematic medium, experimenting with movement as a vessel for horror, with each increasingly chaotic scene being permeated with fervent choreography. As such, the interior becomes the exterior. Sunhill's internal struggles become physical, manifested by the film's intense kinetic energy, and embodying profound subjects such as generational trauma and the search for identity. 

Check out the 2025 Dead Northern Festival interview with Dominic Lahiff

Hallow Road

Directed by Babak Anvari

Hallow Road falls more into the territory of psychological thrillers; regardless, there is no denying that the film is 80 minutes of pure adrenaline-pumping, anxiety-inducing, horrific disarray.

The iconic Rosamund Pike and Matthew Rhys star as husband and wife, Maddie and Frank, who are awakened at night by a phone call from their daughter Alice (Megan McDonnell), alerting them that she has accidentally hit a girl with their car. 

Hallow Road primarily takes place within the car with Maddie and Frank, with the addition of Alice on speakerphone, leaving in its wake a deeply interwoven and claustrophobic story that toys with its characters as the audience witnesses one disturbing revelation after another. 

He Kills At Night

Directed by Thomas Pickering 

On an icy Christmas Eve, Marie (Levi Heaton) comes across an abandoned car in the middle of a rural road. Unbeknownst to her, a dangerous man, Alan (Richard Galloway), is hiding in the shadows, waiting for his moment to pounce. What follows is a gripping, cruel tale of fatal secrecy, gift-wrapped in a foreboding, thrilling chase where a shockingly chilling array of tricks and deceit will have you guessing right up until the very last minute. Despite being a yuletide treat, 'He Kills At Night' does not rely on its festivity as a gimmick, with the film instead using the setting and ambience as a catalyst for the riveting story to unfold. 

Frankenstein

Directed by Guillermo Del Toro 

Famed for his fantastically charged and beautifully twisted worlds, evidenced by the likes of 'Pan's Labyrinth' (2006) and 'Crimson Peak' (2015), is Guillermo Del Toro's lifelong dream project, 'Frankenstein'. The film begins its phantasmic-like journey with a prelude that sets the scene for how Baron Victor Frankenstein (Oscar Issac) created 'the Creature' (Jacob Elordi), eventually recounting the horror that defined the identity of this formidable beast, who has embarked on a path for vengeance, and most importantly, acceptance. The melancholy beauty of horror is what makes Frankenstein the whimsical treat that it is. Although the dialogue is rich and the narrative traverses incredible leaps and bounds of storytelling, the sheer aesthetic and visualisation within the film is what propels it to be one of the best films of the year. 

House of Eden

Directed by Kris Collins 

Going against the grain, House of Eden, was not necessarily the most well-received film of the year, with reviews citing its found footage mode, very indie vibe, and smorgasbord-like ending as being drawbacks to its success. However, it could also be argued that these exact factors are what make it a great low-budget, debut feature. House of Eden follows paranormal investigators, Kris (Kris Collins) and Celina (Celina Myers), alongside their videographer, Jay (Jason-Christopher Mayer), as they set out to film content for their YouTube channel at an 'undiscovered' haunted house. House of Eden takes aim at the popular 'meta' subgenre of horror, with the characters all being social-media personalities, playing a caricature version of themselves, creating a unique window for the found footage aspect to thrive. The film is targeted at fans of lost footage, with each scene being caked in an illusive immersion where instances of shaky cam and drawn-out pacing work to capture a sense of terrifying reality. Irrespective of its reception, what is clear throughout House of Eden is a love for creating horror; throughout, director Kris Collins pays homage to the classics of found footage, consequently mirroring the accessibility that first-person perspectives provide to grassroots horror.

Good Boy

Directed by Ben Leonberg

Good Boy is quite possibly the most unique, inventive and well executed horror film not just from this year, but from the decade so far. The valiant film takes place from the perspective of a dog, Indy, who discovers a supernatural presence coming from his new home. Good Boy, following a haunted house from a canine position, shapes up to be visionary in its scope, as we spend most of the film at Indy's eyeline, seeking out strange noises and eerie bumps in the night — all of which are teemed with a genuine sense of dread and unease. Adding to this is the clever novelty of the entire film. Throughout, we are entirely invested in Indy, watching in both adoration and fear as we witness the cutest, sweetest dog undergo a tumultuous experience that he remains quite powerless to throughout, speaking to the unwavering loyalty that dogs have for others.