"has impressively outperformed previous years (a 22% year-on-year increase for the UK and Irish box office: 83,766,086 in 2025, compared with 68,612,395 in 2024). Last year, no horror film reached 10m at the UK or Irish box office. This year, five films have, says Charles Gant, box office editor of Screen International. The big hits of the year Weapons (11.4m), Sinners (16.2m), The Conjuring Last Rites (14.98m) and 28 Years Later (15.54m) have all hung about the multiplexes and in the public consciousness."
"Although much of the industry commentary focuses on the singular brilliance of Zac Cregger's Weapons and Ryan Coogler's postmodern epic Sinners, their successes indicate something is shifting between audiences and the genre. I've heard people say, Even if you don't like horror this is a film you need to see,' says Laura Wilson, head of acquisition at distributor Altitude. Films like Weapons and Sinners play with genre and structure to create something completely different, and that speaks to an audience in a different way."
Horror returned as a main player at the UK box office in 2025, producing a 22% year-on-year increase to £83,766,086 from £68,612,395 in 2024. Five horror films surpassed £10m in the UK and Ireland, including Weapons (£11.4m), Sinners (£16.2m), The Conjuring: Last Rites (£14.98m) and 28 Years Later (£15.54m). Films such as Weapons and Sinners play with genre and structure to create novel experiences that attract broader audiences. The consistent popularity of spooky films suggests they provide catharsis amid anger, fear and division in society. Horror films amplify anxieties and redirect attention toward on-screen monsters, offering emotional release.
Read at www.theguardian.com
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