Dread Central’s 18 Must-See Horror Movies to Die For in 2025
In 2024, we saw an incredible year of both indie and mainstream horror alike, showing off both a festering rage and a growing sense of playfulness in the face of that rage. And that trend doesn’t show any signs of stopping in 2025.
This year’s release calendar is already shaping up to be an incredible one, from reimagined horror franchises to the return of contemporary genre icons like Bryan Bertino with his upcoming Vicious. It felt impossible, but out of everything slated to release this year, we’ve chosen 18 horror titles we can’t wait to see in 2025, whether in theaters or streamers.
Heart Eyes (dir. Josh Ruben)
Release Date: February 7
For the past several years, the “Heart Eyes Killer” has wreaked havoc on Valentine’s Day by stalking and murdering romantic couples. This Valentine’s Day, no couple is safe…
The Monkey (dir. Osgood Perkins)
Release Date: February 21
When twin brothers Bill and Hal find their father’s old monkey toy in the attic, a series of gruesome deaths start. The siblings decide to throw the toy away and move on with their lives, growing apart over the years.
In The Lost Lands (dir. Paul W.S. Anderson)
Release Date: March 7
A witch travels to the Lost Lands in search of a magical power that allows a person to transform into a werewolf.
Sinners (dir. Ryan Coogler)
Release Date: April 18
Trying to leave their troubled lives behind, twin brothers (Michael B. Jordan) return to their hometown to start again, only to discover that an even greater evil is waiting to welcome them back.
Until Dawn (dir. David F. Sandberg)
Release Date: April 25
A group spends the weekend in a ski lodge on the anniversary of their friends’ disappearance, unaware that they are not alone. This adaptation is said to feature a totally new slate of characters as seen in the video game it’s based on.
Final Destination: Bloodlines (dir. Zach Lipovsky and Adam Stein)
Release Date: May 16
Details are still being kept under wraps about the latest installment of the Final Destination franchise, but we do know that Brec Bassinger (Stargirl), Teo Briones (Chucky), and Kaitlyn Santa Juana (Dear Evan Hansen) will star. We also know that it’ll follow the core idea that after someone has a premonition of a violent event and escapes death, death then comes back to collect…
28 Years Later (dir. Danny Boyle)
Release Date: June 20
It’s been almost three decades since the rage virus escaped from a biological weapons laboratory. Still living in a ruthlessly enforced quarantine, some have found ways to exist amid the infected. One such group of survivors lives on a small island connected to the mainland by a single, heavily defended causeway. When one of them decides to venture into the dark heart of the mainland, he soon discovers a mutation that has spread to not only the infected but other survivors as well.
M3GAN 2.0 (dir. Gerard Johnstone)
Release Date: June 27
Gerard Johnstone and Akela Cooper return with more android violence led by the iconic M3GAN. While not much is known about the plot, it has been confirmed that Allison Williams and Violet McGrew will reprise their roles, with Jemaine Clement joining the cast.
I Know What You Did Last Summer (dir. Jennifer Kaytin Robinson)
Release Date: July 18
This is a legacy sequel that we don’t know many details about, but we do know that Jennifer Love Hewitt and Freddie Prinze Jr. will be reprising their iconic roles from the original 1997 slasher. Most likely, the film will follow the conceit of a group of teenagers involved in a hit-and-run accident who are subsequently hunted and killed off one-by-one by a mysterious killer.
Insidious 6
Release Date: August 29
Insidious: The Red Door was meant to close the chapter on the franchise, but its tremendous financial success has ensured the story will continue. Sony Pictures has confirmed the development of Insidious 6, a new installment separate from the upcoming spin-off Thread: An Insidious Tale, which is still underway. While no specifics about Insidious 6 have been revealed, the film is already poised to become another major hit in the series.
The Conjuring: Last Rites (dir. Michael Chaves)
Release Date: September 5
The Conjuring: Last Rites is the next chapter of the expansive horrorverse, again directed by Michael Chaves. Patrick Wilson and Vera Farmiga return as Ed and Lorraine Warren, the infamous paranormal investigators and authors. Serving as a sequel to The Conjuring: The Devil Made Me Do It (2021), this film marks the ninth and final chapter in the main series of The Conjuring Universe.
The Bride! (dir. Maggie Gyllenhall)
Release Date: September 26
Maggie Gyllenhaal takes the helm as writer, director, and producer of the upcoming film The Bride!, featuring a star-studded cast that includes Jessie Buckley, Christian Bale, Penélope Cruz, Peter Sarsgaard, and Annette Bening. The movie reimagines themes from James Whale’s classic 1935 film Bride of Frankenstein, which was itself a cinematic adaptation of Mary Shelley’s groundbreaking 1818 novel Frankenstein; or, The Modern Prometheus.
The Black Phone 2 (dir. Scott Derrickson)
Release Date: October 17
The Black Phone 2 is an upcoming Blumhouse horror sequel directed by Scott Derrickson, who co-wrote the script with C. Robert Cargill. It follows 2021’s The Black Phone, based on Joe Hill’s 2004 short story, stars Mason Thames, Madeleine McGraw, Jeremy Davies, and Ethan Hawke, all reprising their roles. Derrickson revealed that Hill had pitched a compelling idea for a sequel, inspired by the iconic imagery of the Grabber’s masks.
Hell House LLC: Lineage (dir. Stephen Cognetti)
Release Date: October 2025
Terror Films Releasing and writer/director Stephen Cognetti are teaming up for Hell House LLC: Lineage, the franchise’s fifth installment. Production was set to kickstart this past November, with an exclusive Shudder release set for October 2025. The film explores deeper backstories while introducing new characters and plots. Watch the teaser above.
Five Nights At Freddy’s 2 (dir. Emma Tammi)
Release Date: December 5
Five Nights at Freddy’s 2 releases on December 5, 2025, via Blumhouse, directed by Emma Tammi. Josh Hutcherson, Elizabeth Lail, and Matthew Lillard reprise their roles in a sequel exploring deeper mysteries at Freddy Fazbear’s Pizza with new animatronic threats. Jim Henson’s Creature Shop returns to create the iconic animatronics, promising more suspense and horror for fans of the franchise. The original film was a gigantic box office success.
Return to Silent Hill (dir. Christophe Gans)
Release Date: TBD
When a mysterious letter calls him back to Silent Hill for his lost love, James finds a once-recognizable town, encounters terrifying figures, both familiar and new, and questions his sanity. This is the third film chapter in the Silent Hill franchise amid a resurgence of video game releases. Originally slated for a 2024 release, the current street date is unknown.
Frankenstein (dir. Guillermo del Toro)
Release Date: TBD
Guillermo del Toro’s Frankenstein, an adaptation of Mary Shelley’s classic 1818 novel, is set to debut on Netflix in 2025. This Gothic sci-fi horror film boasts a stellar cast, including Oscar Isaac, Jacob Elordi, Mia Goth, Lars Mikkelsen, David Bradley, Christian Convery, Charles Dance, Felix Kammerer, and Christoph Waltz, bringing the timeless tale of creation and monstrosity to life under del Toro’s visionary direction.
Silent Night Deadly Night (dir. Mike P. Nelson)
Release Date: TBD
From the moneybags behind the gnarliest Christmas horror film ever made, Terrifier 3, comes a reboot of the meanest 80s Santa slasher there ever was. Expect this remake to be gory and downright sacrilegious. Don’t pretend like you’re not excited.
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