2025 is shaping up to be an incredible year for horror movies, with so many exciting releases lined up that some of them are even getting pᴀssed over by the hype. Already, 2025’s current best horror movies have put the year in a strong position, from original hits like the groundbreaking Sinners to adaptations like The Monkey. In all the excitement, it’s surprisng to see a few key upcoming horror films go relatively undiscussed as the heavier release seasons approach.

For the most part, many of these films have been overshadowed by other big-name blockbuster sequels, from 2025 Blumhouse horror movies like Five Nights at Freddy’s 2 and M3GAN 2.0 to legacy тιтles like 28 Years Later and The Predator: Badlands. But it’s always important to stay aware of upcoming original horror movies, not to mention sequels to lower-profile films that might even start whole new franchises. Some 2025 horror releases might not have a high profile, but they should be being talked about way more.

10

Clown In A Cornfield

Releasing May 9th

One of the most rapidly-approaching horror releases in 2025 that still hasn’t gotten much fanfare is the upcoming slasher Clown in a Cornfield. The simply-тιтled film will allegedly be exactly what it sounds like, introducing a new horror mascot, Frendo the Clown, as he murders a group of unsuspecting teenagers. Funnily enough, the film is actually an adaptation of a 2020 young adult novel of the same name.

It’s been a while since a horror movie has been able to truly tap into a familiar fear like coulrophobia, with the Terrifier franchise’s Art the Clown perhaps being more demonic than jester-like. It’s clear that the original novel took some inspiration from the bizarre real-life phenomenon of creepy clowns that invaded various countries in 2016, an odd bit of folklore officially old enough to be made into a horror movie. It’s surprising more horror fans aren’t seemingly on-board with this fun-looking straightforward slasher.

9

Bring Her Back

Releasing May 30th

One of the best supernatural thrillers in recent memory was the Australian horror film Talk To Me, in which a teen girl desperate to reconnect with her ᴅᴇᴀᴅ mother abuses a ghostly ritual that exposes her to all manner of dangerous ghouls. Now, the same directors, Danny and Michael Philippou, will be back at it again with a similar-looking premise in Bring Her Back. The plot will focus on a brother and sister who meet their foster sister for the first time, only to learn that their new sibling harbors a terrifying secret.

It’ll be interesting to see if the Philippou twins’ sophomore feature at A24 will tie into the same world as their first, with the тιтle Bring Her Back evoking the idea of a similar method of resuscitating the ᴅᴇᴀᴅ. The film will star Sally Hawkins of The Shape of Water fame, setting it up for performances on the same caliber as those of Talk To Me. With how many people were won over by Talk To Me, it’s interesting that Bring Her Back isn’t generating more buzz.

8

The Black Phone 2

Releasing October 17th

The Black Phone was one of Blumhouse’s best original successes in recent years, doing smashing numbers at the box office in a movie market that was still cautiously recovering from the COVID-19 pandemic. Adapted from the works of Joe King, the son of Stephen King, the film describes the haunting ordeal of a young boy escaping the clutches of the terrifying masked child killer known as The Grabber, using a mysterious phone to communicate with his past victims from beyond the grave. An incredible return on investment for Blumhouse, it’s no wonder The Black Phone will be getting a sequel.

It’ll be interesting to see how the story continues considering how self-contained the original film was. However, the universe has already had some expansion, with a short film тιтled Dreamkiller that acts as a prequel to the first movie appearing in the V/H/S horror anthology series. It’s a shame more people aren’t clamoring for The Black Phone 2, but hopefully future details and promotional materials can properly stir up the hype it deserves.

7

Fear Street: Prom Queen

Releasing May 23rd

The Fear Street trilogy may be the most underrated thing Netflix has ever produced as an original series. Based on the works of the same name by famed Goosebumps children’s horror writer R.L. Stine, the Fear Street movies examine a long, overarching story across multiple decades surrounding an ominous curse that plagues the small town of Shadyside. With the first three movies covering the 90s, 70s, and even the earliest days of American settlement in the 1660s, Fear Street: Prom Queen will be an 80s throwback.

As the тιтle implies, the plot will see a cadre of “It Girls” all vying for the coveted crown of Prom Queen suddenly realize they’re disappearing one by one. It’ll be fascinating to see how the film fits into the broader lore of the franchise, considering it will take place between two decades that have already been explored. The Fear Street movies deserve more attention, and hopefully Fear Street: Prom Queen can finally raise their profile in horror fandom.

6

Weapons

Releasing August 8th

It can be hard for completely original films to make an impact when it comes to anticipation for horror movies, but Weapons deserves a great deal more of it. Writer and director Zach Cregger previously endeared himself to horror fans with his 2022 hit Barbarian, which flipped the home invasion subgenre on its head. Weapons will center on a class full of children that mysteriously go missing at the same time, save for one, prompting a creepy investigation as to what is behind the disappearance.

It says a lot that famed horror producer Jordan Peele fired his managers after failing to secure the rights for Weapons‘ script in an intense bidding war (Via ᴅᴇᴀᴅline). It’s clear that Cregger has something special with the script of Weapons, which some have speculated will feature themes tied to the trauma of school shootings. High-profile stars like Josh Brolin, Julia Garner, and Benedict Wong make the upcoming release even more exciting.

5

Him

Releasing September 19th

Speaking of Jordan Peele, far be it from the incredibly talented horror filmmaker to not have his hands in an exciting release in 2025. Peele’s Monkeypaw Productions will help produce the upcoming horror sports drama Him, starring Tyriq Withers of Atlanta fame. Him will posit Withers as a promising football star who joins a secretive compound to train under an aging star quarterback, played by none other than Marlon Wayans, known in horror circles for Scary Movie.

It seems as though Him will examine the great lengths athletes will go to in order to achieve greatness, thrusting Withers’ character into the midst of a Faustian bargain that threatens his body, mind, and soul. The teaser trailer already released for the film has already shown off some intriguing imagery, looking like a sort of male equivalent of last year’s horror showstopper The Substance. Him will certainly be a unique horror experience that more viewers should be looking forward to.

4

Guillermo Del Toro’s Frankenstein

Releasing November

Already, many attempts at re-invigorating classic Universal horror movie monsters for modern times have come and gone, from recent duds like Wolf Man to the ill-fated Dark Universe project. However, if there’s one filmmaker with the sensibilities to make such an idea work, it’s creature feature expert and horror extraordinaire Guillermo del Toro. In 2025, Guillermo del Toro will be unleashing his own take on the literary classic Frankenstein.

Guillermo del Toro’s penchant for creepy dark fantasy and morbid stories featuring tragic creatures makes him as perfect a fit for a Frankenstein movie as anyone could ask for. All the better that the film will star Oscar Isaac as Victor Frankenstein and Jacob Elordi as the monster himself, not to mention Christoph Waltz and Mia Goth. It’s been a while since del Toro’s last high-profile film with The Shape of Water in 2017. Hopefully, Netflix exclusivity won’t hurt the film’s profile when it does release in November.

3

Cold Storage

Unspecified 2025 release

With the popularity of the idea continuing to crank up thanks to the second season of The Last of Us, it’s surprising no high-profile horror movie has previously made an attempt at a killer parasitic fungus as a villain. Cold Storage, tentatively slated to be released sometime in 2025, will finally be changing that. The movie will center on a dangerous parasitic fungus that gets released from a government facility, leaving a small team of people standing between it and world domination.

Cold Storage will star Joe Kerry of Stranger Things fame alongside Liam Neeson, who will play a grizzled bioterror operative acting as a sort of mentor figure. It’ll be great fun to see a mutating fungus go up against such familiar faces, and writer David Koepp is a shockingly high-profile Hollywood hit doctor, penning high-profile films like Spider-Man and Panic Room. Even if it’s shaping up to be more fun than truly frightening, Cold Storage should be seeing more discussion.

2

The Ritual

Releasing June 6th

It seems as though demonic possession horror movies are a reliable staple of the genre every year, and 2025 will be no different. The Ritual is an upcoming supernatural thriller that will be the directorial debut of one David Midell. The plot will concern a pair of Catholic priests, each struggling with their own personal demons, who undergo a grueling series of exorcisms in hopes of freeing a young girl from profane influences.

On paper, the concept may sound very derivative of other famous demonic possession movies, but The Ritual stands out for being supposedly based on a true story. Even more appetizing is the fact that Al Pacino will be starring as one of the conflicted exorcists, a rare horror showing for the prestige cinema darling. The Ritual might be the single most overlooked horror release slated to hit theaters in 2025.

1

Anaconda

Releasing December 25th

Perhaps the most hilariously unexpected horror feature that’s quietly slithering its way into the tail end of 2025 is a remake of the classic creature feature, 1997’s Anaconda. Just like its predecessor, Anaconda will essentially be Jaws with a giant maneating snake, but with a clever self-aware twist — The characters will be attempting to relive the glory of the past by remaking one of their favorite films. This means that Anaconda might be the first horror remake ever made whose characters have canonically seen the original film.

This fourth-wall-nudging premise might have some interesting things to say about the current cycle of unoriginality in Hollywood. The comedic talents of Jack Black and Paul Rudd will be leading the chaos, and seeing them both chased by a giant serpent will be well worth the price of admission. Considering the star power at play, it’s a wonder Anaconda isn’t generating more buzz for the upcoming 2025 slate of horror films.