(Photo by A24/ Courtesy Everett Collection. DEATH OF A UNICORN.)
The latest: The latest from Blumhouse and A24, respectively: The Woman in the Yard and Death of a Unicorn.
‘Twas a March of madness with at least 8 new horror movies: New Blumhouse horror The Woman in the Yard, Dolled-up The Rule of Jenny Pen, slasher Bloody Axe Wound, Eiza Gonzalez and Aaron Paul in Ash, Sam Raimi-produced Locked, 70-minute chaotic Invader, Alfonso Cuaron-produced Revelations, and Kelly Marie Tran’s Control Freak.
Welcome to the best horror movies of 2025 (and 2024), ranking every dark and dreary delight coming out this year by Tomatometer! We start the list with Certified Fresh films (these movies have maintained a high Tomatometer score after enough critics reviews), followed by the pulp-pounding Fresh movies (these are rated at least 60%), and then concluding with the morbidly Rotten.
#1
Critics Consensus: Delightfully dark, Late Night with the Devil proves possession horror isn’t played out — and serves as an outstanding showcase for David Dastmalchian.
#2
Critics Consensus: An elegant and spooky ghost story punctuated with clever jolts, Oddity hews to the fundamentals of fright and achieves shout-inducing results.
#3
Critics Consensus: A chillingly effective creature feature with more on its mind than simple creepy-crawlies, Infested draws viewers into its web with stylish efficiency.
#4
Critics Consensus: Conjuring fear with its sense of encroaching unease instead of cathartic jolts, In Flames is an exemplary horror film with something profound to say about the oppression of women.
#5
Critics Consensus: Breathing New Life to the genre, this excellently acted brooding horror thriller marks a propitious debut for John Rosman.
#6
Critics Consensus: A fiendishly clever contraption that doesn’t rest on the laurels of its twists, Companion thrillingly puts the demented into domestic bliss.
#7
Critics Consensus: Immersing audiences in pure pandemonium with technical ingenuity and an unblinking point-of-view, MadS is a thrill ride that never lets up.
#8
Critics Consensus: Hugh Grant has infectious fun playing against type in Heretic, a religious horror that preaches the gospel of cerebral chills over cheap shocks.
#9
Critics Consensus: Stopmotion takes the conflict between art and artist to chilling, visually thrilling extremes, distinguished by director Robert Morgan’s excellent effects work.
#10
Critics Consensus: Heavy on mood and existential terror, The Damned‘s patient approach to horror pays off with cerebral chills.
#11
Critics Consensus: A squirm-inducing period piece that locates true horror in both mind and spirit, The Devil’s Bath might be Severin Fiala and Veronika Franz’s most chilling directorial effort yet.
#12
Critics Consensus: The V/H/S series shows no signs of the tape wearing out with this terrifying entry, boasting an assortment of shorts that’ll sate the appetite of horror and sci-fi aficionados alike.
#13
Critics Consensus: Audaciously gross, wickedly clever, and possibly Demi Moore’s finest hour, The Substance is a gasp-inducing feat from writer-director Coralie Fargeat.
#14
Critics Consensus: A slow-burning spectral thriller, Presence reaffirms that Soderbergh plays with form as deftly as he flits between genres.
#15
Critics Consensus: Grounded in raw humanity by Lupita Nyong’o and Joseph Quinn, this sideways entry into A Quiet Place finds fresh notes of fright to play amid the silence.
#16
Critics Consensus: Blessed with a nerve-jangling star turn by Naomi Scott, writer-director Parker Finn broadens Smile‘s conceit into a pop stardom nightmare that’ll leave a rictus grin on horror fans’ faces.
#17
Critics Consensus: Saturated in disquieting mood while leveraging a nightmarishly gonzo performance by Nicolas Cage, Longlegs is a satanic horror that effectively instills panic.
#18
Critics Consensus: Marvelously orchestrated by director Robert Eggers, Nosferatu is a behemoth of a horror film that is equal parts repulsive and seductive.
#19
Critics Consensus: With a distinctive visual aesthetic that enhances its emotionally resonant narrative, I Saw the TV Glow further establishes writer-director Jane Schoenbrun as a rising talent.
#20
Critics Consensus: Harnessing sick suspense from the glimmer in James McAvoy’s eye, Speak No Evil is the rare remake that hushes up concerns of “been there, done that.”
#21
Critics Consensus: Carrying off well-worn vampire tropes with a balletic flourish, Abigail dances around the familiarity of its premise with a game cast and slick style.
#22
Critics Consensus: Frequently frightening even as it plays within the confines of a nearly 50-year-old film series, this prequel is The First Omen of a bright future for the franchise in quite some time.
#23
Critics Consensus: A mixture of gory slasher and sweet rom-com that ingeniously nails both formulas, Heart Eyes serves up a bloody valentine that’ll make the heart skip a beat.
#24
Critics Consensus: A small film brimming with big ideas, Things Will Be Different effectively teases the brain while shredding the nerves.
#25
Critics Consensus: Visually and sonically distinctive, You’ll Never Find Me heightens its spooky atmosphere and claustrophobic setting with a story that’ll keep viewers guessing.
#26
Critics Consensus: Honoring its nightmarish predecessors while chestbursting at the seams with new frights of its own, Romulus injects some fresh acid blood into one of cinema’s great horror franchises.
#27
Critics Consensus: Cleverly constructed and leaping off the screen with stylistic verve, It’s What’s Inside centers around a party from hell that audiences can enjoy from a safe remove.
#28
Critics Consensus: Directed with inventive flair by Tilman Singer while given flavorful personality by stars Hunter Schafer and Dan Stevens, Cuckoo is a madcap madhouse horror that’s on the right side of deranged.
#29
Critics Consensus: Cruelly clever with some unforgettably gory set pieces, The Monkey reaffirms director Osgood Perkins’ horror bona fides while revealing he also has a surprising — albeit sick — sense of humor.
#30
Critics Consensus: As single-mindedly focused on mayhem as its demonic monster, In a Violent Nature serves up a deliciously disgusting feast for gore aficionados.
#31
Critics Consensus: Led by a trio of strong performances, Arcadian blends family drama and post-apocalyptic horror to visceral, emotionally stirring effect.
#32
Critics Consensus: Taking an axe to yuletide cheer and everything else in its path, Terrifier 3 is a bloody fantastic stocking stuffer for the holiday season.
#33
Critics Consensus: A wickedly delightful genre mashup led by Melissa Barrera, Your Monster is pleasantly packed with songs, guts, and heart.
#34
Critics Consensus: A windingly intricate and delirious sci-fi thrill ride washes over the senses and steadily flows through Caddo Lake.
#35
Critics Consensus: Michael Keaton’s devious poltergeist still has plenty of juice left in this madcap return to form for Tim Burton, marrying charming practical effects and ghoulish gags to provide a fun fun time.
#36
Critics Consensus: Werewolf horror with some extra socially conscious bite, Blackout reaffirms Larry Fessenden as a smart genre filmmaker who prioritizes character-building over kills.
#37
Critics Consensus: A grounded zombie picture with emotional bite, Handling the Undead shuffles along at a patient pace but succeeds as a poignant and thoughtful addition to the genre.
#38
Critics Consensus: Drawing blood and yucks from its literal tourist trap setting, Get Away is uneven as comedy and horror but makes for a highly unique blending of the two genres.
#39
Critics Consensus: Intoxicating with its maxxximal style, MaXXXine is an uneven but vibrant pastiche that drives a stiletto through Hollywood’s heart.
#40
Critics Consensus: No consensus yet.
#41
Critics Consensus: No consensus yet.
#42
Critics Consensus: No consensus yet.
#43
Critics Consensus: No consensus yet.
#44
Critics Consensus: No consensus yet.
#45
Critics Consensus: Hell Hole pokes much needed life into an aging genre, going back to basics and delivering the gory goods.
#46
Critics Consensus: A potent metaphor for toxic relationships, The Dead Thing unfolds slowly but proves haunting thanks to its eerie mood and Blu Hunt’s committed performance.
#47
Critics Consensus: No consensus yet.
#48
Critics Consensus: No consensus yet.
#49
Critics Consensus: No consensus yet.
#50
Critics Consensus: Flying Lotus’ Ash delivers the phantasmagorical goods with vivid visuals and a throbbing soundscape, elevating a predictable sci-fi story into a memorably stylish head-trip.
#51
Critics Consensus: Don’t Move gets a reasonable amount of mileage out of its self-imposed limitations, making for a slight but effective thriller that’ll get the blood pumping.
#52
Critics Consensus: John Lithgow’s frighteningly unhinged performance reigns over The Rule of Jenny Pen, a nasty chiller that’s by turns monotonous and haunting.
#53
Critics Consensus: Lead by another bloody fantastic performance from Samara Weaving, Azrael sacrifices depth on the altar of storytelling economy but delivers pure adrenaline in the bargain.
#54
Critics Consensus: No consensus yet.
#55
Critics Consensus: Immaculate in conception if not always in execution, this religiously themed horror outing is saved by a divine performance from Sydney Sweeney.
#56
Critics Consensus: Humane‘s twisted psychological thrills are diverting enough in the moment to distract from its occasionally awkward attempts to balance sociopolitical commentary against high-concept horror.
#57
Critics Consensus: No consensus yet.
#58
Critics Consensus: Sting should satisfy horror fans in the mood for a creature feature, even if the end results likely won’t linger in the memory.
#59
Critics Consensus: No consensus yet.
#60
Critics Consensus: No consensus yet.
#61
Critics Consensus: No consensus yet.
#62
Critics Consensus: Matching up Bill Skarsgård and Anthony Hopkins in a battle of wits, Locked is loaded with plenty of clever jolts even if it doesn’t quite know where to park its story.
#63
Critics Consensus: Mixing multiple genres, The Gorge makes for a surprisingly endearing romance until its action-thriller obligations steer proceedings back onto a more predictable path.
#64
Critics Consensus: No consensus yet.
#65
Critics Consensus: No consensus yet.
#66
Critics Consensus: Director Alexandre Aja’s latest horror offering boasts anxiety-inducing atmosphere and a committed performance from Halle Berry, although audiences will have to let go of some storytelling expectations to enjoy the ride.
#67
Critics Consensus: No consensus yet.
#68
Critics Consensus: Receiving some sparkle from Paul Rudd and Jenna Ortega’s father-daughter rapport, Death of a Unicorn‘s broad satire is a bit too on the horn but makes for an entertainingly splattery creature feature.
#69
Critics Consensus: An affectionate callback to classic horror comedies of the ’80s, Lisa Frankenstein can be fun in its own right despite not quite measuring up to the movies it imitates.
#70
Critics Consensus: No consensus yet.
#71
Critics Consensus: No consensus yet.
#72
Critics Consensus: No consensus yet.
#73
Critics Consensus: An unapologetically schlocky horror flick, Werewolves more or less scratches the genre itch without ever becoming the howling good time it could’ve been.
#74
Critics Consensus: No consensus yet.
#75
Critics Consensus: No consensus yet.
#76
Critics Consensus: Winnie-the-Pooh: Blood and Honey 2 represents an improvement over the original in most respects, although the Poohniverse remains a place made for hardcore slasher fans.
#77
Critics Consensus: An old-fashioned spookfest, this Salem’s Lot won’t be the definitive adaptation of Stephen King’s famed vampire tale but it makes for a passable reintroduction to a new generation.
#78
Critics Consensus: Apartment 7A is slickly assembled and solidly acted, but the lingering memory of Rosemary’s Baby and a predictable prequel template make for a sub(par)lease.
#79
Critics Consensus: The Woman in the Yard has plenty of spooky promise in its premise and a committed performance from Danielle Deadwyler, but the story’s heavy-handed metaphor leaves little room for scares or surprise.
#80
Critics Consensus: Y2K earns points for ambition and sheer audacity, even if it struggles to keep the laughs coming while maintaining a messy tonal blend.
#81
Critics Consensus: The Front Room gets some mileage out of Kathryn Hunter’s memorably grotesque turn as an in-law from hell, but the scatological scares in this family squabble are more off-putting than frightening.
#82
Critics Consensus: Malkovich is clearly having a ball playing a nefarious pop musician in Opus, but unfortunately the rest of this thriller is too conceptually confused for the star’s fun to prove infectious.
#83
Critics Consensus: Whipping up promising ingredients and elegantly plating them, House of Spoils has the presentation down but ultimately delivers empty calories.
#84
Critics Consensus: No consensus yet.
#85
Critics Consensus: Somewhere inside The Beast Within lies a clever riff on the werewolf genre, but it struggles to claw through a lack of incident and specificity.
#86
Critics Consensus: Sarah Paulson is as arresting as ever, but a dearth of incident and scares ultimately robs Hold Your Breath of long-awaited release.
#87
Critics Consensus: No consensus yet.
#88
Critics Consensus: Lee Daniels’ foray into horror works best when it leans into his melodramatic preoccupations, but it fails to deliver the exorcism goods.
#89
Critics Consensus: Heavy on eerie mood but undone by an obtuse script, The Watchers can only hold the gaze for so long before tedium sets in.
#90
Critics Consensus: No consensus yet.
#91
Critics Consensus: The power of Crowe compels up to a point in this metatextual riff on the possession genre, but The Exorcism‘s greatest sin is ultimately falling back on clichés.
#92
Critics Consensus: No consensus yet.
#93
Critics Consensus: Imaginary‘s core concept is solid enough to produce a handful of scares, but too much of its potential is lost in a clichéd story that gets bogged down in world-building.
#94
Critics Consensus: Repeating the beats of better techno-horrors, AfrAId short circuits due to the clichéd software of its script and the uninspired hardware of its craft.
#95
Critics Consensus: Lacking the chilling suspense of the original The Strangers and proving to be just unpleasant, this Chapter 1 closes the book on itself.
#96
Critics Consensus: No consensus yet.
#97
Critics Consensus: Despite a promising start and a handful of solid scares, Night Swim is undone by a premise that just isn’t strong enough to support a feature-length film.
#98
Critics Consensus: No consensus yet.
#99
Critics Consensus: No consensus yet.
#100
Critics Consensus: No consensus yet.
