2025 Has Ushered in a New Golden Age for Horror 

Image Courtesy of Time Out 

By Luis Zonenberg

The last few years have seen an interesting shift in the horror genre. From last year’s The Substance garnering a best picture nomination at the Oscars to audiences flocking to see Ryan Coogler’s vampire flick Sinners, it’s puzzling how much audiences’ tastes have changed for the genre. This year has been an especially strong year for the genre, revitalizing it to new heights not reached since the 1980s. Are audiences currently witnessing the beginning of a new Golden Age for horror?

This pattern arguably started in the fall of last year, with films like Smile 2, Terrifier 3 and The Substance scoring big with both critics and audiences. This winning streak continued into the new year with the release of the nerve-wracking thriller Companion. The film defied all logic, offering an intelligent script with great commentary that scored over $36 million against a $10 million budget. The film was even released at the tail end of January, which is usually viewed as a dead zone for most blockbusters. 

March may have been a bump in the road with the release of The Woman in the Yard, with the film garnering mixed reviews and failing to break even in the box office. By the time April rolled around, though, there were clear signs of a huge comeback for the genre. It was all but cemented with the release of Ryan Coogler’s Sinners, an incredibly fun genre-bending thriller that combined elements of crime dramas with incredible music and, oh yeah, vampires.

Sinners received near-universal acclaim for its incredible story, stacked cast and gorgeous cinematography. The film was also a huge box-office success, grossing $367 million against its $90 million production budget. Even before Sinners came out, April still delivered fun thrillers like Christopher Landon’s Drop, an incredibly entertaining film that put a modern take on Hitchcock’s style of filmmaking. The film won over many critics and even racked in an impressive $29 million against its $11 million budget. 

This hot streak kept going all summer, delivering a whole slew of crowd-pleasing and thought-provoking films. The first in that lineup was the highly anticipated Final Destination: Bloodlines. This film really proves how great 2025 is for the horror genre, providing a deliciously twisted story that actually had audiences on the edge of their seats. The film was the best received entry in the franchise, garnering an incredible 93% on Rotten Tomatoes while also bringing in the money. The film was a huge success at the box office, grossing over $314 million against a $50 million production budget. 

Other films, like the long awaited 28 Years Later and the underground hit body horror film Together, were highly acclaimed, winning over both critics and audiences alike. The biggest winner came in August with the release of Zach Cregger’s Weapons, with the film going toe to toe with Disney’s Freakier Friday. This was arguably the biggest win for the genre aside from Sinners, delivering an original story with clever commentary and nerve-wracking chills that made audiences cheer in the aisles. 

Weapons significantly outperformed Freakier Friday at the box office, beating it to the No. 1 spot. Weapons pulled in an incredible $42.9 million domestically, with original projections estimating it to pull between $25 to $35 million. Freakier Friday came in second, pulling in $29 million domestically the same weekend. As of right now, Weapons has amassed $266 million, which more than covers its meager $38 million production budget.

 September even saw a massive win for TheConjuring Universe, with the latest entry, The Conjuring: Last Rites, becoming the highest-grossing film in the entire franchise! Despite its mixed reviews, the film grossed over $460 million, which more than covers its $55 million production budget. This year has proven to be an impressive win for the horror genre, with an incredible lineup of films that has proven to be both critically and commercially successful. It really does seem like the beginning of a new era for the genre, but only time will tell if this hot streak continues in the months to come.