An explosion of horror movies has torn through movie theaters and streaming services. Up and coming directors have taken a stab at the genre while prominent actors have decided to enter the sinister playground of horror. In the world of heart-pounding jump scares, pea-soup vomit, eerie phone calls, and the sharpening of knives, far and few make it through the twists and terror in one piece. All watchers can do is bury themselves in their blankets and munch on buttery popcorn as their adrenaline spikes. Horror cinema has truly become an art form, even more so with intricate cinematography and revolutionary visionaries that are horror directors.

Once a horror flick stuns with box office numbers and a committed audience, the yearn for sequels, remakes, and prequels comes into play. And in 2025, this is no exception, with a slew of additions in the horror franchise universe releasing this year. Megan 2.0, Final Destination: Bloodlines, The Black phone 2, and 28 Years later are just some of the many frightening continuations set to release this year. Horror adaptations have also come into play, with novel adaptations like The Housemaid and The Monkey as well as an adaptation of the adrenaline-fueled videogame Until dawn. Of course, many of these films will most likely be a box-office success and spark additional installments in the franchise, but nothing is quite the same as the first scare.

An onslaught of horror films with fresh pulse-pounding concepts were released in 2024. This included Heretic, The Substance, Longlegs, Cuckoo, and Trap, amongst several others. An innovative concept proposed to a critical audience is a risky move for any studio or producer. However, this recent year proved that the risk can, indeed, be worth it. A serial killer trapped inside a pop concert, a cursed swimming pool, a tethered rope as the only defense against a supernatural force, and a drug that makes you reproduce a younger version of yourself, were all unique visions that had audiences immersed. And 2025 will be a one-up to it all.

Presence – January 19

The plot: A family moves into a suburban home that already hosts a supernatural entity.

What to look forward to: The film is shot from the perspective of the paranormal presence that lives in the house. The audience will be able to witness the hauntings and unexplained phenomena through the eyes of a ghost. It is a unique approach as more and more horror films are being shot through different perspectives, such as 2024’s In A Violent nature which was filmed through the perspective of a hellbent killer. Using this distinctive approach can help with the redundancy of families in horror films moving into preoccupied houses.

Another factor to lure audiences in is the film’s director, Steven Soderbergh. The acclaimed director is a master at genre hopping, whether it’s shooting the well-known Ocean’s heist movies, the seductive Magic Mike (2012) franchise, or a disturbingly accurate portrayal of a pandemic like in Contagion (2011). The Oscar-winning director always manages to have innovative approaches to any genre up his sleeve. Additionally noteworthy is the fact that the Soderbergh-directed Unsane (2018), a horror-thriller depicting a woman involuntarily committed to a mental institution, was shot on an iPhone in just ten days. Soderbergh welcomes any challenge, and Presence is likely to bring cutting-edge chills and thrills to the big screen.

Companion – January 31

The plot: Purposefully kept under wraps, audiences only have sparse details and a trailer to go off of. From what we can tell, the film shows a complicated and bloody relationship between an android and her owner.

What to look forward to: The leading duo are no strangers to blood and guts. The android is played by Sophie Thatcher, who has a collection of horror film credits under her belt. Most likely her most notable performance is her portrayal as Nat in the Showtime hit series Yellow Jackets (2012). Last year, she starred in A24’s Heretic (2024) about two Mormon girls trapped in a psycho’s house. Additionally, she starred in a reimagining of The Boogeyman (2023) as Sadie Harper. The most prominent role of the male lead, Jack Quaid, is his character Hughie Campbell in the equally popular and equally gruesome Amazon series The Boys. Furthermore, he starred in the 2022 spinoff of the Scream series. Companion is sure to be a bloody good time.

Heart eyes – February 7

The plot: Every year, the infamous “Heart-eyes Killer” descends upon a town to murder romantic couples.

What to look forward to: Let’s face it, slasher fatigue has set upon us. Freddy Kreuger, Chucky, Jason, Michael Myers, Jigsaw, and Leatherface have inspired franchises with continuous releases to this day. Art the Clown from the Terrifier (2016) series gained cult-classic status with a wildly successful third installment released last year. Heart eyes is backed by the same producers of the Scream franchise, which gives this new killer a lot of promise. Plus, as far as holidays go, Halloween is the usual setting for killers, so a rampage on Valentine’s Day is a nice twist. Other than My Bloody Valentine (2009), not a lot of slasher films center around the romantic holiday. Hopefully, the Heart-eyes Killer adds a fresh take and fresh blood to the holiday.

Death of a unicorn – March 28

The plot: A man and his daughter accidentally hit a unicorn with their car, and when it’s harvested by a pharmaceutical company, the unicorn seeks revenge.

What to look forward to: If the plot alone is not intriguing enough, perhaps the shocking violence and almost parody-like humor will draw you in. The film has a recognizably star-studded cast with Hollywood veterans like Paul Rudd and Tea Leoni as well as rising stars like Jenna Ortega and Will Poulter. Jenna Ortega has been referred to as the new “scream queen” face of horror, and it shows. Not only has she starred in the Scream franchise, but she also played a prominent role in T.I. West’s slasher X (2022). Acclaimed director Tim Burton has shown a fondness for Ortega, casting her in the sequel Beetlejuice Beetlejuice (2024) and as the titular character in Netflix’s Wednesday (2022). If Ortega is involved, it won’t be a film to forget.

The studio behind Death of a unicorn, A24, is well-versed in the art of horror cinema. The studio backed director Ari Aster for his nightmare-fueled flicks Hereditary (2018) and Midsommar (2019) as well as T.I. West’s slasher X trilogy. A24 churns out quality horror films every year with an emphasis on originality and talent. Oscar-worthy performances like Toni Collette in Hereditary and Florence Pugh in Midsommar have changed the game in the award field. More and more horror performances are being recognized by the academy. Additional content produced by the studio include Talk to me (2022), The Witch (2015), and It follows (2014), amongst many others. If it’s an A24-produced horror film, the odds of success certainly look good.

Sinners – April 18

The Plot: In 1930s Louisiana, twin brothers return to their hometown only to find an evil presence waiting for them.

What to Look Forward To: To start with, Ryan Coogler and Michael B. Jordan are a recipe for success. From their very first encounter, Ryan Coogler knew Michael B. Jordan’s star potential. The pair have worked together on several prominent movies including Fruitvale Station (2013), Creed (2015), and Black Panther (2018). Each collaboration boasts both critical and cinematic appeal. Not only that but each film explores themes of racism and civil rights, which will be highlighted in the setting of a Jim-Crow era south in Sinners.

Additionally, the film is a bit ambiguous when it comes to the “evil” lurking in the brothers’ hometown. Louisiana, especially New Orleans, is known for its haunting history and is an ideal location for anything horror related. Ghosts, witches, vampires, voodoo, you name it, New Orleans has it. The paranormal mixed with swing jazz is a powerful blend. However, it is also quite plausible that the “evil” is white supremacy and the KKK as the trailer reveals that a group of white folks will play a key part in the madness as well. Whatever the case may be, the audience is in for a swinging good time.

Him – September 19

The plot: A young football player accepts an invitation to an isolated location to train with a well-known quarterback.

What to look forward to: Monkeypaw Productions, founded by horror savant Jordan Peele, is responsible for the production of the film. This is already a telling sign that that Him has promise. Along with Him, Monkeypaw Productions has produced horror gems such as Nope (2022), Us (2019), Get out (2017), and the retelling of Candyman (2021). Although not written by Jordan Peele this time around, the scriptwriters behind Him made the Black List best unproduced screenplays in 2022. Jordan Peele won the 2018 Oscar for Best Original Screenplay for Get out, so he clearly knows a good script when he sees one. Him has a spaghetti western concept with Marlon Wayans as the aging quarterback. The horror flick will no doubt cause a stir.

The future of original horror films

As long as sequels, prequels, and remakes prevail in the box office department, Hollywood studios will continue to churn them out. Not every additional installment in a horror franchise is necessarily lower in value, but in some cases, quality is sacrificed for quantity. However, original concepts can still make waves in the horror scene. Each sequel, prequel, and remake started with an original idea at some point. Inventiveness, adrenaline, a talented cast, and audience appeal are the keys to a successful horror movie. And a horror movie with any budget can do just that.