2024 was a great year for horror. The genre is flourishing, and it has me even more excited for what is to come in 2025. Looking ahead, we are in for another year of great films. I have a Letterboxd list with all the announced horror movies we can expect this year. However, the following list will feature 25 films I believe should definitely be on your watchlist for 2025.
Wolf Man – January 17th
Universal Monsters returns to the big screen with this Leigh Whannell feature, Wolf Man. Whannell has already taken on a Universal Monster (The Invisible Man) in the past, so I’m looking forward to his adaptation of this classic story.
Presence – January 24th
Steven Soderbergh is flipping the haunted house subgenre on its head with his latest feature, Presence. In this film, everything is filmed from the POV of the one doing the actual haunting— which, in itself, is intriguing. I look forward to seeing how Soderbergh approaches this on screen.
Grafted – January 24th
Sasha Rainbow’s first feature film, Grafted, drops on Shudder in January. The film explores what could happen when a skin grafting experiment gets weird. This sounds like a body horror lover’s dream.
Companion – January 31st
More Sophie Thatcher? Yes, please! After seeing her in Heretic, I’m even more excited to see her in this sci-fi horror film about a sex-bot gone rogue. This is Drew Hancock’s first feature film.
Dark Match – January 31st
Wrestling and backwoods horror takes center stage in this Lowell Dean film, where a cult leader puts on an event where participants learn that they have to fight to the death.
Heart Eyes – February 7th
If you’re a fan of Werewolves Within, get excited because filmmaker Josh Ruben is back with a new slasher perfect for Valentine’s Day. The script was co-written by Christopher Landon and Michael Kennedy. We’re expecting a bloody time because the film just earned an “R” rating.
The Gorge – February 14th
Scott Derrickson takes on horror romance? Elite snipers fall in love while on a secret mission where they are tasked to guard a gorge with a threat down below. This film will be released on Apple TV+.
The Monkey – February 21th
Longlegs director Osgood Perkins returns for his adaptation of a Stephen King short story, The Monkey. The film has a stacked cast that includes Elijah Wood and Tatiana Maslany.
Death of a Unicorn – Spring 2025
A24 is now a household name in horror. So, I expect nothing less than a good time with their films. Even a horror comedy featuring a father and daughter (played by Paul Rudd and Jenna Ortega) who accidentally hit a unicorn on the road and said unicorn gets its revenge.
Opus – March 7th
Ayo Edebiri. That’s it. That’s all you need to know. But if you must know more, Opus is another 2025 release backed by A24. Edebiri stars as a writer invited to a legendary pop star’s remote compound.
Ash – March 21st
Coming from Flying Lotus, the Grammy Award Winner and filmmaker, this sci-fi horror film is about a woman who wakes up on Planet Ash to find her crew slaughtered. This one will be a visual feast, I’m sure.
The Woman in the Yard – March 28th
In the latest from Jaume Collet-Serra (House of Wax (2005), Orphan), a Black family is being visited by a woman standing in their front yard— delivering unsettling and chilling messages. The film stars Danielle Deadwyler and Russell Hornsby.
Sinners – April 18th
Ryan Coogler and Michael B. Jordan take on horror in the upcoming vampiric film Sinners. I don’t know much about the plot details because not much has been released. However, I’m excited to see what this duo does in horror.
The Ritual – April 18th
Directed by David Midell, the film is about two priests who must put aside their differences to save a possessed girl. I’m a big fan of possession films, so I can’t wait to see Al Pacino and Dan Stevens as priests.
Final Destination: Bloodlines – May 16th
Continuing a long-standing franchise, Bloodlines will give us more insight into the Tony Todd character, William Bludworth. Looking forward to creative death sequences and a final goodbye to the horror legend Tony Todd.
28 Years Later – June 20th
In the first installment of an upcoming trilogy, Danny Boyle and Alex Garland return to continue the 28 Days Later storyline. The second installment will be directed by Nia DaCosta and will be released next year.
Untitled I Know What You Did Last Summer Sequel – July 18th
There aren’t many details about the plot available at the moment. However, we know that some previous stars (Jennifer Love-Hewitt and Freddy Prinze Jr.) are on board to return to the IKWYDLS universe. My fingers are crossed to see Brandy Norwood also return.
The Conjuring: The Last Rites – September 5th
This is the end of this chapter of The Conjuring Universe. In this final installment, Michael Chaves directs as Ed and Lorraine Warren investigate their final case.
Him – September 19th
There aren’t enough sports-themed horror films. Justin Tipping is taking on this Monkeypaw-backed script about a young athlete who goes to train with a team’s retiring star at his secluded compound. The film stars Marlon Wayans and Tyriq Withers.
The Black Phone 2 – October 17th
Scott Derrickson and Ethan Hawke return to The Black Phone Universe. I’ve had debates about the plot for this one and would love to know your thoughts, so @ me on BlueSky! Hawke returns as The Grabber, along with Mason Thames (Finney), Madeleine McGraw (Gwen), and Jeremy Davies (Terrence).
Hell House LLC: Lineage – October 2025
Lineage is possibly the final entry in the Hell House LLC franchise. The film will give more background on the characters and how they came to be.
Predator: Badlands – November 7th
Prey is probably my favorite in the Predator franchise right now. The director, Dan Trachtenberg, is taking on another Predator film. However, this time, the Predator is the hero.
The following films currently do not have release dates:
Fear Street: Prom Queen
The Netflix adaptations of R.L. Stine’s Fear Street series continue. Directed by Matt Palmer, prom season is in high gear in 1988 when girls from the court begin disappearing.
Shelby Oaks
As a YouTuber and content creator, it is inspiring to see another creator not only make a film but have the project acquired by NEON. Chris Stuckmann’s Shelby Oaks is a found footage film about missing paranormal investigators.
V/H/S/8
And another one! The V/H/S franchise continues with a new installment being released sometime this year on Shudder.
Be sure to check out my full list of 2025 horror films on Letterboxd to stay up to date with all the upcoming horror releases.
