"By most metrics, 2025 was a brutal year to be alive - but a comparatively gentle one for horror fans. Set against the anxiety-soaked, near-apocalyptic churn of real-world news, this year's genre output felt like a warm bath of softer, cuter scares, each hitting (or missing) with a lighter touch. Playfulness eclipsed the nihilism of the previous two years, while romantic love emerged as a surprising throughline, from A24's sticky "Together" to Neon's robotic "Companion.""
"Narrative originality and character relatability were paramount even as throwback franchises reclaimed the spotlight in theaters, and sequels to recent horror hits tested the still-forming legacies of emerging filmmakers. The Philippou brothers' "Talk to Me" didn't make our 2022 list, nor did its spiritual successor "Bring Her Back" from this year. But if it was an uphill battle for YouTubers in horror ( see Chris Stuckmann's "Shelby Oaks"), it was open season for revived IP coming out of the studio system. Four major franchise reboots cracked our top 10, proving that familiarity can still feel sharp if it's done right, but that's a tougher and tougher line to walk."
"Not everything stuck the landing. We welcomed Sean Byrne's return but wanted more from "Dangerous Animals." Meanwhile, "Until Dawn" kept the horror video-game adaptation fight alive, while "Five Nights at Freddy's 2" became the genre's biggest box-office win (and a much-needed comeback for Blumhouse after the genre-pivot disaster that was "M3GAN 2.0") - but neither did much to advance the state of play in that particular filmmaking arena. Also in adaptations, it was a banner year for Stephen King with "The Long Walk" leading the fascist-driven pack."
2025 horror offerings leaned toward softer, more playful scares, often incorporating romantic throughlines in films like A24's "Together" and Neon's "Companion." Story originality and relatable characters became priorities even as studio-driven franchise revivals returned to prominence. Sequels tested emerging filmmakers' legacies, while some YouTuber-led projects struggled. Big franchise reboots performed well, and video-game adaptations and sequels delivered box-office successes without necessarily advancing the form. Stephen King adaptations were prominent, exemplified by "The Long Walk." Not every title landed perfectly, with some filmmakers welcomed back but their new work seen as uneven.
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