Anastasia Elfman’s Top 10 Horror Movies of 2025 [Dread Central Selects]

As a lifelong horror fanatic, 2025 was a great year to go to the movies. We had quite a diverse lineup: quirky foreign gems, some familiar yet enjoyable franchise fare, and wildly original takes on classic monsters and vampires. So pass the garlic and pass the popcorn—here are my top ten.

#10 Final Destination: Bloodlines

I’ll say it: I love the Final Destination franchise and can’t get enough of these killer films. They remind me of classic Agatha Christie whodunits, trying to put the pieces together before Death does.

Zach Lipovsky and Adam B. Stein’s Final Destination: Bloodlines delivers exactly what fans want: bloody freak-accident kills, clever twists, and Death’s diabolical devices fully back on display.

Ah, Death—never change.

#9 Wolf Man

As a lifelong Monster Kid, I grew up watching all the Universal classics, and Lon Chaney Jr.’s Wolf Man was no exception.

So I’m always a little tentative when Hollywood announces another remake of our beloved horror classics. What sold this film for me was how closely star Christopher Abbott channels the spirit of Lon Chaney Jr. without copying him outright. The horror comes not just from transformation, but from watching a man slowly unravel. It’s tragic and oddly tender—as a Wolf Man story should be.

This film doesn’t replace the original, but it enhances it for a modern audience.

#8 The Rule of Jenny Pen

The terror of James Ashcroft’s The Rule of Jenny Pen isn’t supernatural—it’s neurological. Or is it? That’s the trick question that had me spinning after watching veteran actors Geoffrey Rush and John Lithgow battle it out.

Set in a rest home, retired judge Mortensen’s identity is tied to authority, while Crealy is an elderly, puppet-wielding psychopath who terrorizes other residents without consequence. A fine mind trapped in an ailing body versus a twisted mind free to sow chaos.

The Rule of Jenny Pen is an underappreciated sleeper very much worth seeing.

#7 Companion

My favorite way to experience a new horror film is to go in blind—tough when you listen to as many horror podcasts as I do. The little game is: “Can I avoid all spoilers from the interwebs?” Luckily, the answer was yes in the case of Drew Hancock’s Companion.

You can imagine my surprise in learning Iris’s little secret. On top of that, her boyfriend sucks, and almost everyone around her is terrible and deeply misogynistic. I understood her struggle for autonomy in a world now ruled by all-encompassing artificial intelligence.

Sophie Thatcher’s dynamic performance as sweet-and-innocent-turned-boss-bitch had me saying, “Good for her!” I also enjoyed Lukas Gage’s Patrick and the relationship he shared with Harvey Guillén’s Eli (“not you, Guillermo!”). Both were hilarious and hit my heartstrings. Another standout was Marc Menchaca as Deputy Hendrix, a character you love to hate.

I especially enjoyed the practical effects. I went deep diving into the behind-the-scenes work on fitting bionic arms—the effects team really hit it out of the park.

I totally enjoyed Companion and think you will too.

#6 Aztec Batman: Clash of Empires

I have a particular fondness for animation and also loved Tim Burton’s Batman and Batman Returns. So I was beyond myself when I learned Warner Bros. was releasing a reimagining of Batman in a new animated feature.

Juan Meza-León’s Aztec Batman: Clash of Empires trades Gotham noir for sixteenth-century Mesoamerica, using spectacular animation to capture that shift into a rich mythology. Ego Plum’s Indigenous-infused score even includes Danny Elfman’s classic Batman cues.

This isn’t just Batman’s origin—it also incorporates a wide variety of favorite characters and their brutal beginnings that aren’t just boring carbon copies, like Yoka (Joker), who is deliciously insane. The female characters Jaguar Woman (Catwoman) and Forest Ivy (Poison Ivy) are integral to the narrative and serve as a guiding force instead of existing purely for sex appeal (but hey, they can be both).

Juan Meza-León’s Aztec Batman took a big risk rewriting the narrative, but it’s one of the most refreshing and entertaining Batmans ever.

#5 The Ugly Stepsister

As an “Anastasia,” I’ve always felt a strange connection to the classic Disney retellings of Cinderella that include a stepsister named Anastasia (I’m not evil, I swear). That said, Emilie Blichfeldt’s The Ugly Stepsister is the kind of fairytale twist that charts new territory and feels frightfully overdue.

This satirical Norwegian body-horror film stars Lea Myren as Elvira, who drags us into the cold, brutal lights of the operating theatre. This Cinderella version is cruel, darkly funny, and unapologetically female, with a focus on the insanity that comes with the delusions of “perfection.”

For me, The Ugly Stepsister hits because it refuses to soften its rage-fueled message: “To what lengths would you go?” Uncomfortable and disgusting—a wild blend of horror that winks at its nail-biting audience. This film may not be for everyone, but I loved it.

#4 The Conjuring: Last Rites

Watching James Wan’s The Conjuring: Last Rites was a hard one for me—not because I didn’t like the film, quite the contrary, I thoroughly enjoyed it—but because I absolutely love The Conjuring franchise and all the spinoffs. At this point, Vera Farmiga and Patrick Wilson as Lorraine and Ed Warren are family to me (along with our darling Annabelle).

This rendition jumps around time-wise: Lorraine revives her seemingly stillborn child, they later retire due to Ed’s heart condition—but of course, they come out of retirement to exorcise a nasty demon for a deserving family. Familiar? Yes. But still totally tasty and enjoyable.

Last Rites was everything I expect from a tailored James Wan film and so much more: expertly built jump scares, skillful camera work, stellar practical and VFX work, and a killer story. I’m sorry to see this franchise pack up shop, but we were given a beautifully bittersweet goodbye at the end. I do hope our fearless leader of horror will reconsider kicking The Conjuring back into high gear one day.

#3 Frankenstein

I’ve loved Guillermo del Toro ever since I first watched The Devil’s Backbone. My excitement for a new Frankenstein adaptation was magnified once I learned he was involved.

We were lucky to have Frankenstein screen in theaters locally in Hollywood. We ended up catching a showing at the classic Egyptian Theatre, having waited with bated breath as showing after showing immediately sold out.

Frankenstein is a project del Toro has apparently held in his heart for decades—from first reading Mary Shelley’s original novel to finally evolving the script. It’s a labor of love, and it shows.

I might be the only person on the planet who didn’t watch Euphoria, so I wasn’t aware of Jacob Elordi—but WOW. I was blown away by his nuanced performance as the Creature. Those moments with the stunning Mia Goth and the deer were so moving they literally brought me to tears. Christoph Waltz is always incredible, and del Toro really let him play.

The practical makeup by renowned makeup effects artist Mike Hill was exquisite, and the set design and costuming were to die for—and for this classic horror gal, it totally killed.

#2 Weapons

I’ve been a fan of Zach Cregger ever since I blindly stumbled into our local Alamo Drafthouse to watch Barbarian—I was hooked. And nothing could have prepared me for the non-linear treat in store with his follow-up film, Weapons.

As a parent myself, the twisty turns and prolonged uncertainty were heartbreaking. Zach’s use of fragmented storytelling was unnerving yet wildly entertaining. And of course, his effective use of practical effects had this horror gal smiling.

I was in awe of Amy Madigan’s evil aunt—deliciously devious, yet nuanced and enigmatic. Please expect some masterful character development here.

Recently shortlisted for an Oscar—I don’t have my hopes up, knowing the Academy’s history of ignoring horror—but I’ll throw a few prayers at Weapons.

#1 Sinners

Ryan Coogler’s Sinners was a big cultural event out here in Hollywood. I remember going to our local arthouse theater, The Vista—owned by the patron saint of film, Quentin Tarantino—and seeing the massive line around the block. (Did you know I’m a vampire and almost burned up in the sun that day?) A full house of four hundred excited horror fans was an incredible way to experience Sinners. The reverence for the film was palpable.

A genre-straddling movie taking inspiration from both Coogler’s personal life and a love letter to a diverse range of film favorites, including John Carpenter’s The Thing, Robert Rodriguez’s The Faculty and From Dusk Till Dawn, and of course, Stephen King’s ’Salem’s Lot.

In our day and age of “Faster! Cheaper!” I think it’s important to mention that Coogler and his choreography team collaborated with cultural and regional experts to ensure authenticity and high production value in the dance scenes.

Coogler definitely got what he paid for, and Sinners will stand the test of time. A great example of what can be achieved when studios let artists be artists—and also offer audiences what they actually want to see.

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