Happy New Year! And man was last year a great time for seeing films at my favorite local theaters, but to be honest, every time I go to the cinema to see a film on the big screen, it makes for a great year as there is just something so amazing about the theater experience, sitting in the seats with your family and friends with a drink and snack and being taken to a new world in so many different genres. The cinema is a great escape from the stress of the real world and is a great way to unwind. And this year I mostly once again went to see as many horror films as possible but did also watch The Day The Earth Blew Up, Fantastic Four, Captain America: Brave New World, Thunderbolts and Karate Kid, all of which I enjoyed in their own ways.
So like last year, I will be sharing my countdown of the best horror films that I saw in the theater, and man, did I see a lot! But again, due to a few ongoing health issues, I did miss a few that I did want to see like Frankenstein, Self Help and Dies Irae to name a few. I also want to thank many of my friends and family that joined me in watching films at Cinemark and Regal Cinemas this year so Juliet, Jeff, Theresa, Dave and Stephen thanks for watching many of these flicks with me on the big screen in ’25.
Let’s dive into the horrors I saw in 2025 in the theater. I was a good year for horror in my opinion as we had many great original scares, foreign frights as well as some franchise returns that brought new life into the legacies. So with that, let me present to you my Countdown of Horror Films I saw in theaters from worst to best, and really besides the film in last place, most of the others that ranked lower are not terrible, they just had lots of competition this year.
# 54
A tourist town in Japan known for their hot springs is under attack by sharks that are living in the springs and are coming through the pipes and killing people! The sheriff fails to stop them and is bitten by one and falls very ill with the only cure being from one of the hot springs sharks’ fins. The Japanese government now wants to bomb the town in order to kill the sharks and not allow them to spread. But a wacky female doctor, the town’s Mayor, and Macho a strange body builder get inside of a 3-D printed submarine to go on the attack and save the town from the sharks and being bombed and are also able to get the fin to save the sheriff’s life…they even have a fight with a massive King Hot Spring Shark in order to win the good fight. This is a very silly and low budget horror comedy film from Japan that had a very limited release in America as it showed only once at the local chain theater. The film is very cheesy and the shark attacks are a mix of bad CGI and shark dolls being moved around by actors. The jokes fell flat for the viewers at the theater I saw it with as no on laughed at all. The film stars Shoichiro Akaboshi, Masaki Naito, Mio Takaki and Shigeo Osako to name a few of the film’s cast. The film did okay for Utopia at the domestic box office bringing in $26,260.00. I am not sure but I think that this film might have been crowd funded and for me was just sort of an unfunny, cheesy dud.
# 53
In 1928 Emma Schmidt has been possessed by demons and is in need of help and the church of Father Joseph Steiger has been selected to house the young woman’s exorcism that will be done by Father Theophilus Riesinger. But this small Iowa church is not ready for the evil that has arrived as nuns are getting injured, the townspeople are getting scared and Father Joseph is losing grip on his mind and faith. But when the church comes together, they are able to defeat these demons who are many from Judas to Beelzebub to save this woman’s soul. This film is based on the real story of Emma Schmidt, who had one of the biggest and well documented true exorcisms in American history that spawned many films in the horror genre, but the issue is that it brings nothing new to possession films and truly has a been there and seen that feel as even the jump scares have a familiar feel. The film stars such actors as Al Pacino, Dan Stevens, Patricia Heaton, Ashley Greene, Patrick Fabian and Abigail Cowen with many being good in their roles…Pacino not being one of them. The film had a limited release and did okay at the domestic box office bringing in $527,118.00 on an unknown budget for XYZ Films. Over all this was not a bad film, just a very middle of the road one that brings some cheap scares and another possession films to cinemas and home media for fans of that sub genre in horror.
# 52
Abraham Van Helsing, along with his wife Mina and two sons Max and Rudy, has moved away from England to America to escape as he thinks that the vampires are after them and that Dracula might have returned and wants revenge. Along the way he has also left a trail of dead bodies, all of whom he claims were vampires. But when Mina passes away, his son Max starts to question his father’s sanity and if there really are vampires or if he has been killing innocent people for all these years. When Abraham sets his sights on killing a camp of railroad workers that he claims are infected, Max must make a decision to join his father’s quest or put a stop to him once and for all. This vampire film is based on a short story by Joe Hill and is a weird twist on the Dracula story and makes you question the acts and ways of Van Helsing, and while an interesting concept, this film is a very slow burn with a middle of the road twist that I was able to spot very early into the film. The film is well acted with such names as Titus Welliver, Brady Hepner, Judah Mackey, Jocelin Donahue and Aurora Perineau being the main cast. The film had a limited release and did ok for RLJE Films at the domestic box office bringing in $212,706.00 on an unknown budget. If you like slow burn horror films with a dash of vampire lore surrounding mostly one location with a twist to the Dracula story, then check this one out.
# 51
Kris and Celina have a internet show where they visit haunted locations along with their camera man Jay. As a surprise, Kris does not take the group to a haunted cemetery that they thought they were going, but instead takes them to a haunted house in the middle of woods that no one has covered yet called the House On Eden. They discover that the house is in perfect shape with no dust on the furniture, but it does not have electricity or running water and once inside strange things start to happen like Kris blacking out and Celina talking in strange ways. Finally Kris learns that she is not alone as Celina and Jay go missing and that she is in the house of Lilith, who is looking for be reborn and claim her unborn child as her own, and she has a cult of followers to help her claim what she wants. This is a found footage horror film that is written, directed and starring YouTuber Kris Collins as well as fellow social media stars Celina Myers, Jason-Christopher Mayer and even has cameos from Sam Golbach and Colby Brock and is clearly influenced by The Blair Witch Project as well of the story of the Garden Of Eden and Lilith. The film has some good jump scares, cool old house setting and a likable cast of characters. I would like to see Kris do more horror films in the future and see how she will grow as a genre director and creator. The film had a limited release and did well for IFC Films bringing in $455,830.00 on an unknown budget. A cool first film that should please fans of found footage paranormal films as well as those of you who like ghost hunting shows on social media as this is a mix of scares as well as a dash of humor at the start before going full horror by the end.
# 50
Actress Lauren Lane is loved by the American people as she has grown up before their eyes on one of the most popular sitcoms on TV, but she is finding herself in some controversy when her personal accounts are hacked and sexy images as well as a picture of a positive pregnancy test have caused her to be the target of the media who wants answers as to who the father is. To get away from it all, she, along with her pet dog, head to a remote Air BNB in the woods to get away from the drama, only for her to find herself in danger as the baby’s father has hired a man to kill her so as to not ruin his career as he is connected to the young actress via the TV Show. She has three thieves that have broken in to try and steal, her dog is injured and rescued by a store clerk and the cops are trying to figure out what is going on…oh and poor Lauren is trapped in a room that has bad wiring and it is filling up with water. Can Lauren survive or will this be her final curtain call. This is a pretty average and yet entertaining thriller that has a bunch of characters that all end up in the same location and all hell breaks loose and the bad people get what is coming to them and the good survive…well, mostly. The film is well cast and stars such names as Sophie Turner, Katey Segal, Peter Mensah and Billy Campbell to name a few. The film had a limited release and did okay for Republic Pictures bring in $368,186.00 on an unknown budget. If you like Sophie Turner or enjoy thrillers where your lead is in lots of trouble then check this one out.
# 49
Scott is a comic book artist who lives in a big fancy home in Hollywood with his wife Liv and daughter Chloe, and things get really bad for them as they have rats in the walls and have to call in a creepy exterminator, the next door neighbor Trip has ladies of the night come visiting, a massive storm has came through and knocked out their power and worse they are no trapped inside their home as a wild pack of coyotes are on the attack and killing any person or animal that is getting in their way and the house next door is on fire with the flames spreading! Scott must get over his weakness of seeing blood and must do what he can to save his family in this horror comedy that stars the likes of Justin Long, Kate Bosworth, Mila Harris, Brittany Allen and Norbert Leo Butz. The film is an animal attack one with the coyotes ripping into human flesh and even hunting people down in their own homes and is filled with some fun bloody effects. The downside is that some of the humor falls flat, it should have been a little shorter and the ending is a little silly. I also have to say the exterminator is supposed to be a big part of the comedy, but I just found him to be a jerk and annoying. The film had a limited release and did ok for Aura Entertainment at the domestic box office bringing in a so-far unannounced amount on an unknown budget. If you like animal attack films with a dash of humor and Justin Long, give this one a watch.
# 48
As a kid, Blake Lovell lived on a farm with his father in the middle of nowhere. His father was very strict with him as the woods around their placed seemed to have been stalked by a missing hiker who got a disease called Hills Fever that turned him into an animalistic ravenger that acted like a wild wolf. Decades later Blake must return to his fathers farm after he has gone missing and been declared dead by the state. He brings along his wife Charlotte and daughter Ginger, only for them to be attacked by a strange beast man who infects Blake with a scratch giving him Hills Fever. Now he must fight not only to stay alive and keep his wits but also to get his family away from the farm house and to safety. Will Blake be able to save them or will the beast man outside rip them apart or will Blake become a beast himself? Watch this Universal Monster remake and find out for yourself. I’m not going to lie, this was very much a big letdown for me as I am a fan of the Universal Monsters with The Wolf Man being my favorite, not to mention I really liked writer and director Leigh Whannell’s take on the Invisible Man in 2020, but his version of The Wolf Man is a mostly boring lackluster fright film with only a few moments of creepiness and even some bland acting in spots. The Wolf Man in the film is not so much a werewolf as it’s a person infected with a disease that makes them into a beast like person who takes on some elements of a wolf, and while the effects of the “werewolves” are not great, they are not as bad as others have said. The cast was all right with actors like Christopher Abbott, Julia Garner, Matilda Firth and Sam Jaeger being the leads, and while I don’t mind actress Julia Garner, at times in this film her acting was like a cardboard box. The film did not do well for Universal at the domestic box office bringing in $20,707,280.00 on a budget of $25 million. Word of mouth hurt the box office of this film and I hope that it does not also hurt more Universal Monster films being reimagined in the future as I really do think Whannell and Blumhouse dropped the ball here. While not a totally bad movie and it is one I will watch again, I would just say I wish it was better and less of a letdown.
# 47
Cam Cade has been pushed into football by his late father and grew up idolizing Isaiah White, the quarterback for the Saviors who has won 8 rings and has overcome many injuries to become the greatest of all time. Cam is now slated to be the next big QB in football but is attacked before the draft and left with a brain injury and is passed on, only for White to take a chance on him wanting to privately train with him to give him a chance at playing for the Saviors as he might be retiring. But soon Cam finds that this is more like a cult and weird things are going on all around him with some pushing him to go forward and others telling him to run away as people are being hurt, he is cut off from his family and keeps getting strange injections. Will Cam become the next big football star or will he get away from this strange group that are being the Saviors franchise? Watch this weird Jordan Peele produced film and find out! This really is a horror film that blends football, a cult, having a message, being a little silly, arty shots and some blood splatter all together to make a weird hybrid that was meet with mix reviews from viewers and critics. The film has a good cast with such names as Tyriq Withers, Marlon Waynes, Julie Fox, Jim Jefferies and Don Benjamin making up some of the leads. This film did okay for Universal at the domestic box office bringing in $25,009,605.00 on a budget of $27 million. I enjoyed the film for the most part but did find it also a little boring in spots as well as goofy as a character screaming “I Am Football” during a fight to the death really is one of the goofiest bits of dialogue I had heard in 2025.
# 46
Eva is a young woman who is in charge of a fishing outpost as well as the ship and its crew after her husband passed away during a fishing outing, and worse the season has been rough with food and catching being very low. One day Eva and the fisherman make a grim decision to not rescue any survivors from a boat they see that is sinking in the distance, and only after a day passes do they journey out when they find a barrel of salt pork washed ashore…but once near the wreckage the crew of the sinking ship appear and try to get aboard looking for help but they are beaten and left in the water by Eva and her crew…killing them as their bodies wash ashore later and this causes superstition to run wild at the fishing outpost of a creature of the sea who would be looking for revenge for the sins they committed and things start to get worse when what food they do have goes missing and members of the outpost are dying. This leaves Eva and what’s left of her fishing crew fighting for their lives and a way to kill this creature that has marked them for death, that is if the creature is real at all and their minds are not just turning on them. This was the first horror film I saw on the big screen in 2025, and it was a very slow burn fright flick that used atmosphere and jump scares to bring the terror. The film is really well shot and the snow covered fishing outpost and the beautiful bay helped add to the dreadful feel of the story. It is also well acted with Odessa Young playing Eva and she was fantastic with other actors as Joe Cole, Lewis Gribben, Michael Og Lane making up some of the other cast. The film had a very limited release and did okay for Theatrical Film Distribution at the domestic box office bring in $1,371,951.00 on an unknown budget. While it’s a slow watch, fans that like folk style horror should enjoy this one.
# 45
Eddie Barrish is a man that is down on his luck as he is a repeat criminal who is trying to get his life straight for his daughter, but finds himself short for cash when it comes to getting his car repaired and decides to go and rob cars to find items he can sell. He soon enters a very expensive looking car only to find himself trapped inside it as he is taken prisoner by the car’s owner William who has rigged the car to teach thieves a lesson. Eddie is surrounded by smash proof one way glass with William being able to control the heater, the radio, the AC and more from his phone. He torments Eddie with no food and water and even controls the car to commit a few hit and runs that leaves people dead. As Eddie is injured and weak, he must use his street smarts in order to outsmart William whose end game is the death of Eddie to truly teach him a lesson to honor the memory of his daughter. This is a wild horror thriller that mostly takes place inside of a car where a man is being tortured for trying to steal from it all the while the cars owner is hell bent on watching him suffer in order to teach some sort of twisted message that crime never pays. The film stars Bill Skarsgard as Eddie and Anthony Hopkins as William with other cast members being Ashley Cartwright, Michael Eklund and Navid Charkhi all who do well in their parts. The film did okay for The Avenue Entertainment at the domestic box office bringing in $1,632,758.00 on an unknown budget. This film was produced by Sam Raimi, and fans who like their horror a little claustrophobic should check it out.
# 44
Liz is going to a cabin in the woods with her boyfriend Malcolm, who is a doctor and treats her very well. She is having a good time as they have a nice dinner, she meets his weird cousin and his new girlfriend and even has a piece of cake that was made by the caretaker of the cabin…but after eating that cake is when everything seems to start to go wrong for her! Liz is starting to have terrible nightmares, is seeing and hearing things and even has been left alone in the cabin, as Malcolm has to get to the hospital to check on a patient. She soon learns that her perfect relationship might not be so and that she is being prepped for something not so wonderful…what terrors await her in this cabin in the woods and what does Malcolm have to do with them…watch this folk horror film from Osgood Perkins and find out for yourself. This is a slow burn fright film that builds to a pretty cool and creepy ending, but while the ending was good, I did feel the build up was just lacking a little something to make it a true must see classic for me. The creature effects are well done and the setting in the woods adds to the folk horror feel but I for one just did not like the characters as none of them I felt connected to in any way. The film is well casted with such names as Tatiana Maslany, Rossif Sutherland, Birkett Turton, Eden Wiess and Tess Degenstein in the cast. The film did well for Neon at the domestic box office bring in $4,200,165.00 on a budget of $6 million. If you like slow burn folk fright films or just enjoy the work of Osgood Perkins, make sure to give this one a watch.
# 43
Dre is holding a drag rave party in New York when all hell breaks loose and a zombie outbreak happens leaving her trapped inside the club with her performers, staff and brother in law as they try and survive the night…but she is also worried about her wife who works at the hospital when she cannot get ahold of her, as in reality she and a patient are on their way to the club, but can any of these members of the LGBTQ+ community and the brother in law survive this night of the undead or will they all be eaten and join the ranks? Watch this horror comedy by Tina Romero, daughter of George A. Romero, and find out for yourself. This is a pretty fun fright film that has likable characters and the classic slow moving zombies that were featured in her father’s films. It even has some nice throw backs to those films in the music and dialogue. The film is a mixed bag of humor with some parts making you laugh with other parts falling flat. The main flaw it has is that at times it drags a little and the zombies are very much a second thought as the focus is the characters and a message about acceptance and the different groups that make up that LGTBQ+ community. The film is well cast with such names as Katy O’Brian, Jaquel Spivey, Jack Haven, Riki Lindhome, Nina West, Tomas Matos and Margaret Cho being some of the main cast. The film did well for IFC at the domestic box office during its limited run bringing in $113,123.00 on an unknown budget. If you enjoy zombie horror comedy films or just want to see a film done by Tina Romero, give this one a watch.
# 42
Rosario is a very successful stockbroker who finds out that her grandmother has passed away and during a massive snow storm she must go to her apartment and wait for the ambulance to take the body away. While stuck inside this small apartment, she soon learns that an entity named Kobayende is after her soul as someone in her family may have placed a curse on her that is causing her to see visions of her own dead mother who is hunting her around the apartment. Rosario must dive into the faith of Pola and figure out why and or who has cursed her and find a way to survive until morning as this entity wants what is owed to him. This is a pretty entertaining supernatural fright film that is mostly set inside of a run down apartment building complete with a few weird tenants and a creature that can shape shift into looking like the dead body of a loved one. The film relies heavily on the isolation of the apartment and the bad snow storm outside to make you feel like Rosario really is in a dangerous spot with Kobayende after her very soul. The film is well cast with Emeraude Toubia as Rosario. She is fantastic as are David Dastmalchian, Paul Ben-Victor and Jose Zuniga. The film had a limited release and did ok ayfor Mucho Mas Releasing bringing in $866,466.00 on an unknown budget. Some cool effects, a creepy creature and Emeraude being beautiful is just some of the reasons you should check this one out.
# 41
Chloe is a teenage girl who has lost two of her friends to drug overdoses, and while her father is understanding of her pain, her mother and brother are a little less so. When they move into a new home, a presence is around and watches the family as they have personal issues. It also seems to be watching out after Chloe. When a young man keeps coming around who might not have pure intentions towards her, it becomes clear that its not there to harm the family but watch after one of them. But who or what is the presence and what will it do to truly keep Chloe safe? Well watch this Neon horror film that takes place from the point of view of the presence. This is a slow burn horror film that is not about the scares as it’s about the pain of loss as well as how cruel people can be to one another as it also touches on being there for your family during the hard times. The film is well casted with Callina Liang as Chloe being the standout and other cast including Lucy Liu, Chris Sullivan, Eddy Maday, West Mulholland and Natalie Woolams. The film also does something very interesting as it all takes place from the view of the presence so we see what it sees and know what it knows. The film did well for Neon at the domestic box office on its limited release bringing $6,900,044.00 on a budget of $2 million. This movie is not for everyone as it really is more of a arty style slower paced film, but I found it entertaining and am glad to have seen it on the big screen.
# 40
Violet is a single mother who survived an abusive husband and is finally going on a first date with a man named Henry Campbell (a photographer for the mayor) at a very posh restaurant called Palate, but her date turns deadly when an unknown person keeps dropping her messages that is ordering her to kill her date. She also finds that a masked killer is in her home and if she looks for help, word will be given to kill her son as well as her sister that is babysitting! Violet must play this sick game, all the while trying to figure out who is behind these threats as well as not alerting others to her dilemma as if she fails then those who mean the most to her will die. This is fun thriller horror film that plays sort of like a modern Hitchcock film as it builds the suspense and dread for our main character as she does not want to kill her date but also does not want to lose her son. The film is well cast with such names as Meghann Fahy, Brandon Sklenar, Violett Beane, Reed Diamond, Gabrielle Ryan Spring and Jeffery Self making up the main cast. The film did pretty well for Universal at the domestic box office bringing in $16,600,805.00 on a budget of $11 million. If you like thrillers that is the right amount of suspense as well as a touch of humor, make sure to give this one a watch. Also a cool bonus: when we saw this film, in attendance were the cousins of the film’s writers.
# 39
As a child, Bruce Tucker survived a shark attack and now gives swimming with the shark experiences, but he has a truly dark side as he will kidnap two women and then take them out into the ocean and film as he feeds them to the sharks! He is able to capture surfer Zephyr and young lady Heather, and after feeding Heather to the sharks, Zephyr fights to survive. Her new love interest Moses comes looking for her, and they both find themselves at the mercy of Tucker who wants to feed the sharks and make his videos, but will Zephyr become chum in the water or will this surfer girl fight back and let the sharks finish what they started with Tucker those many years ago…watch this horror thriller and find out for yourself. This is a weird and twisted film that is mostly set out at sea as the killer is obsessed with sharks as well as filming the painful deaths of his victims as they are munched on by sharks. It’s almost like he gets off on their screams and the fear in their eyes as he watches the death tapes as he eats his meals. Another weird thing he does is snip off some of their hair in order to use them on lures. The film is well cast and acted with such names as Hassie Harrison, Josh Heuston, Jai Courtney and Ella Newton making up the main cast. The film did well for IFC Films at the domestic box office bringing in $2,733,481.00 on an unknown budget. While this is an entertaining film, it is one that sort of just runs middle of the road that does have an interesting story as well as a crazy killer. I do think you should see it at least once as who knows, this might be the next Wolf Creek for you when it comes to horror set in Australia.
# 38
Sergeant Ryan Baker leads a platoon called The Vultures in the Vietnam war with them being sent on high risk rescue missions. When they get sent out to find some missing Green Berets, they soon find themselves in big danger as deep in the jungle they are under attack by a group of Russian soldiers as well as even more deadly dinosaurs and now Ryan and his men must fight for their lives against these deadly beasts as well as try and finish their mission and stop a crazed plot of time portals being done by a crazed Russian general whose motivations are unclear. This is a fun action packed horror film that is like a war film meets Jurassic Park with lots of dinosaurs eating people and soldiers blasting things with their guns while all your typical music used for Vietnam War films (like CCR) plays in the background. The film does have some cool blood deaths, and The Vultures are all likable characters and you can never go wrong with t-rex’s and raptors on a rampage. The film is well cast with such names as Ryan Kwanten, Tricia Helfer, Nick Wchsler, Anthony Ingruber and Jeremy Piven, to name a few. The film did ok for Fathom Events at the domestic box office in a limited run bringing in $1,005,222.00 on a unknown budget. If you like killer dinosaur films or weird war ones, make sure to check this one out.
# 37
Maya and her fiancé were attacked by The Strangers, a trio of masked killers, and she is the only survivor who barely escaped with her life. While she’s in the hospital, the trio end up arriving and try to finish her off but Maya is a fighter and ends up escaping the hospital, fleeing through the woods, being attacked by a wild boar, and meeting some locals who may not have her health in mind. All the while she is being stalked by The Strangers who are killing anyone that tries to help her, but in the end Maya is able to take out one of their members, the Pin-Up Girl, as the film leaves us on a cliffhanger for Chapter 3, the final film in this new trilogy. This film is pretty much one big chase scene as Maya is always on the run while the killers are tracking her down wanting to make her dead meat, and it also adds in elements that just maybe The Strangers are connected to a church or religious cult of some kind. But we will not get that answered until the next film. The film is your normal slasher film where the killer(s) play cat and mouse games with their victim and some moments will make you wonder why they’re happing, like the attack and killing of a wild boar. The film stars Madelaine Petsch, Ema Horvath, Rachel Shenton and Gabriel Basso, to name a few and was plagued with bad reviews when released. The film did so-so for Lionsgate at the domestic box office bringing in $15,153,346.00 on a budget of around $8.5 million. While it is a flawed film with some cool kills as well as head scratching moments, it is one that you should check. out if you like the other films in the series.
# 36
Riley Brennan is the host of a paranormal YouTube show. Since she was a kid, she has had terrible nightmares and saw a demonic figure through her window always watching her. When she goes missing for 12 years and her crew is found dead, her sister Mia is part of a documentary about the killing and disappearance when a man shows up to her house with a tape from her sisters show and shoots himself dead. Now Mia travels to Shelby Oaks, Ohio to find her missing sister and unfolds a sinister trail that has a demonic being named Tarion that has followed the sisters since their youth, the reason for the man’s suicide, and the reason for her sister’s disappearance.Mia must face her own fears…will she find her sister and if so will she still be alive? Check out the film and find out for yourself. This is a good fright flick that blends both found footage and supernatural horror together and adds some twists as well as turns as well is set in Ohio. The film has a cool demon character in Tarion who lurks around and at times is even played by Derek Mears and it also is well casted with such names as Camille Sullivan, Sarah Durn, Brendan Sexton III, Robin Bartlett, Charlie Talbert and even an appearance by Keith David. Shelby Oaks did well for Neon at the domestic box office bringing in $4,500,051.00 on a budget of around $2.8 million showing that movie goers really do enjoy seeing scares on the big screen. If you like films about found footage as well as a demon who just wants his chaos to continue on by using the young, make sure to check this one out.
# 35
Clover and her friends are looking for her missing sister Melanie who has went missing, and the last location she was known to be around is Glore Valley, a strange place that’s town center is surrounded by raging thunderstorms and appears to be deserted, but when a hourglass on the wall turns over on its own, all hell breaks loose as Clover and her friends are killed over and over again by monsters, killers and spirits only to wake back up and repeat the night only gaining some small clues on how to survive as they need to last until dawn on the eleventh night as well as find a way to stop Dr. Hill who is responsible for this hellish nightmare. Will Clover and her pals be able to survive or will they just become more lost souls trapped in this loop of terror, and also will Clover find her sister and discover her fate? This film is based on the popular Playstation video game, but those who are the fans of the game might be a little annoyed as the fright flick swerves very far away from the game’s plot. The film has many gruesome kills and many cool creatures, as they are the highlights for this entertaining fright flick. The film is well cast with such names as Ella Rubin, Odessa A’zion, Ji-young Yoo, Michael Cimino, Belmont Cameli and Peter Stormare making up the main cast. What works for this film is the setting of a strange town surrounded by bad weather that is populated by a crazed doctor and supernatural killers all looking to kill and strike fear on those foolish enough to enter this cursed forgotten town. The film did ok for Sony at the domestic box office bringing in $20,172,192.00 on a budget of $15 million. While the film got lots of hate from critics on horror news websites, it really was a fun watch in the theater and is one I bought on home media when released.
# 34
Elliot Kintner and his daughter Ridley are guests at the Leopold estate that is in the middle of a nature reserve. While driving up they accidentally hit and kill a unicorn and out of fear they hide it in their car and try to act normal, but they also find out that the creature’s blood cures them of small ailments like sinuses and acne. When the unicorn wakes up and the Leopold family find out about the healing properties (that even cures Odell Leopold of his cancer), they want to harvest the creature’s blood and horn shavings as a way to help cure people…well those who can pay lots of money for the limited treatments. But they all soon find themselves in trouble as the unicorn they have is a child and its two very pissed off parents are on a rampage to heal it back to life and get revenge on those who have been keeping it and with Ridley being the only one besides the family butler to see how wrong this all is. She must find a way to save herself and father from the deadly horns of the Unicorns in this A24 horror comedy creature feature. This is a pretty silly and bloody film as the Unicorns impale bodies with their horns as well as use their teeth to rip out the guts of their victims, and the humor is dark at times it brought a few laughs to the almost filled theater. The films unicorns are CGI and are pretty cool looking in my opinion even thought some critics slammed the effects. The film is well cast with such names as Jenna Ortega, Paul Rudd, Richard E. Grant, Tea Leoni, Will Poulter, Jessica Hynes, Sunita Mani and Anthony Carrigan making up the leads. The film did well for A24 at the domestic box office bringing in $12,899,252.00 on a $15 million budget. While this horror comedy might not be for everyone, I found it to be an enjoyable, bloody creature feature that had a few good laughs.
# 33
Ambi has lost her husband and has to return to his home town to get his last wish of selling his family manor done, along with her daughter Shweta they face a town that has been plagued with missing young woman who are taken into the jungle and return a few days later very much different as there is talk of a demon that is transforming the girls into his demonic army in order to fight the Goddesses and take over the world! And when this Demon takes Shweta, it is up to Ambi to get the power of the Goddess Kali in order to save her as well as the other girls of the village from his evil clutch as well as end his reign of terror in the village as well as the whole world once and for all. This is a spinoff film from the 2024 Bollywood fright flick Shaitaan and continues the world of demons and black magic and for the most part is a pretty interesting and entertaining film…just not as good as Shaitaan. The Demon whose name is Ambika has a tree like appearance and is creepy, the film does have some deaths and gruesome moments and is well casted with such names as Kajol, Ronit Roy, Indraneil Sengupta, Kherin Sharma and Roopkatha Chakraborty all being great in their roles. I will say that I think the film does start off a little slow and builds to a battle between mother and demon that was well done.The film had a limited release in America and for the screening I went to the theater was almost fully packed! This is one I enjoyed and was a demon film that also had some Evil Dead like moments.
# 32
A small fishing village in India has been cursed since the 1980’s as any time fishermen head out to sea, they are found washed ashore dead. Now in 2025 the village is getting their money from Thomas, a smuggler from a neighboring village who pays them to work for him. He tells the villagers that they need to sacrifice ladies once in awhile to the spirits in the ocean who are angry. King and his friends once worked for Thomas, but when their young crew member Benji is killed and they find out that they have been smuggling drugs and not sea cucumbers like they were told, they fight against their former boss and set out into the cursed ocean to find out its deep dark secrets that includes a razor teethed zombie ghost, the zombie ghosts of the ladies that have been sacrificed, waves filled with bones and skulls and the true secret of why these waters are cursed and who holds the power to stop it all. Kingston is a cool Bollywood Horror film that has elements of The Fog mixed in to deliver some scares in-between a crime plot that is unfolding and once the film’s setting is switched to a boat on the ocean the pace for the terror really picks up. The zombie ghosts effects are a mix of practical and digital, and they are effective when they appear. I really liked King as well as his crew and lady Rose; they made for a team that I found myself cheering on to make it through this deadly journey. The film is well cast with such names as G.V. Prakash Kumar, Divyabharathi, Chetan, Nithin Sathya and Sabumon Abdusamad making up some of the main cast. The film had a limited theatrical release in America, and I am not sure how well it did at the domestic box office, but seems to have done well overseas. If you like your horror films set in the ocean with evil zombie like spirits on the loose and some musical numbers that will get stuck in your head, give this one a watch.
# 31
Riya wakes up injured and with no memory in a space station on another world and finds the bodies of her fellow crew members that all have been murdered with one of them missing. She soon is joined by Brion who claims that she sent out an SOS, but as the stations oxygen levels drop and her memories start coming back, she does not trust her own mind as she thinks she might have been the one that killed them all…but also that there might be an alien life form loose on the ship that might have infected the missing crewmember…but will her memories return in time for her to save herself from the lack of oxygen and the alien…or is she doomed to die like all the others. This is a weird sci-fi horror flick that is a slightly slow burn but does a great job of presenting a mystery that unravels a little at a time as the plot moves forward, and it’s also shot really well and makes great use of lighting and its score. And Spoiler…the alien once inside the body of Brion is really cool a creepy as his head is split and tentacles are flying around. The film is well casted with such names as Eiza Gonzalez, Aaron Paul, Flying Lotus, Kate Elliot, Iko Uwais and Beulah Koale all doing great in their roles. The film had a limited released in America and did okay for RLJE Films bringing in around $1,083,743.00 on an unknown budget. This was a really well done fright film and it was great seeing Juliet jump out of her seat at least three times during the screening, and it’s one I bought when released on home media.
# 30
Hank was a high school football star who’s home town is being overran by a plant like organism called Ick that ends up the reason Hank breaks his leg and is forced to stay in the small town and become a science teacher as he lost his cheerleader girlfriend Staci, is battling alcoholism and his father dies of a heart attack. The Ick has now turned deadly and is attacking the locals, and Hank learns that Staci’s teenager daughter Grace could be his and does what he must to save her from The Ick as well as fight back against The Ick who ruined his life and is once more trying to take everything from him. This sci-fi comedy horror film is very much inspired by The Blob and has some pretty gruesome deaths as well as likable characters making for a very fun watch. The film is also filled with songs from 2000’s bands like Creed, Blink 182 and All American Rejects and is well casted with such names as Brandon Routh, Mena Suvari, Malina Weissman, Jeff Fahey and Taia Sophia all who do great jobs. The film had a limited release and did well for Fathom Events at the domestic box office as it brought in unknown profits on a unknown budget. If you like sci-fi horror that has comedy mixed in, make sure to check this one out.
# 29
Max is a 15 year old girl who has a hard time fitting in as she is quiet and into performing magic tricks. On Halloween night she is mocked by her fellow classmates and ends up being entwined with The Jester, a demonic being that is going around collecting souls that he shows a magic trick to, and after Max gets him with a trick, he has to have her with him to pull off the collecting as they both have to do so before a candle runs out or they are doomed to burn. Max must play his game and lead people to their deaths via tricks, all the while trying to figure out how to beat The Jester at his own game. This is a fun indie slasher film that takes place during Halloween, and this makes it feel like a more bloody version of a Goosebumps or Are Your Afraid Of The Dark episodes. The Jester is very much cut from the same villain cloth as Art The Clown from Terrifier as he is a mute killer that pantomimes his sinister deeds, and I will say I really liked the Max character as I felt bad for her as so many people were just mean to her for no reason. The film is well casted with such names as Kaitlyn Trentham, Michael Sheffield, Dingani Beza and Jessica Ambuehl in main roles and all doing a great job. The film did alright for Fathom Events during its limited run in the theaters bringing in unknown profits on a unknown budget. If you liked the original film or just enjoy modern slashers, give this one a watch.
# 28
Quinn Maybrook and her father have moved to Kettle Springs after her mother passed away from a drug overdose, she soon starts a friendship with Cole and his friends who make horror themed internet videos based around Frendo, the clown mascot for the town’s old corn syrup brand called Baypen. But one night Quinn and her friends become the target for a batch of masked Frendo killers who are out to slaughter them as this town’s mascot is not to be mocked as it has it crazed followers who want things to remain the same…can Quinn and her friends survive this clown massacre or will she be just another victim of this town’s dirty little secret that has been going on for decades? Give this slasher film a watch and find out for yourself. This is based on the book of the same name that was written by Adam Cesare and does a good job of following it. It’s rated R and packs in some bloody kills as well as clown masked killers that I am sure will chill some viewers’ blood. The film is well cast with Katie Douglas, Cassandra Potenza and Verity Marks stealing the show and Carson MacCormac, Vincent Muller, Aaron Abrams, Will Sasso and Kevin Durand all being fantastic as well. The film did well for RLJ Entertainment bringing in $7,251,799.00 at the domestic box office on a budget of only $1 million. If you like the book, like slasher films with masked killers, like horror films geared toward young adults that still have a R rated bite, then check this one out.
# 27
Kids are going missing being taken by Peter Pan who claims that he is taking them to Neverland, a place they will never grow up as he will also call and taunt their families. It’s clear that Peter is targeting LGBTQ children who are little boys and to get some of them, he will kill their family as well as other children that do not fit his requirements. When Peter ends up kidnapping young Michael Darling, he learns that his older sister Wendy will not stop until she finds him, and the two have a massive fight in Peter’s drug den home as this scared up killer does not want his delusions and fantasy to be disrupted. This is part of the Poohverse and is an off shoot of Winnie The Pooh Blood And Honey as at some point the two will crossover. Peter Pan is a creepy slasher villain who is clearly insane, as he likes to kill and be around small children and will even make weird voices at time. The film also has a trans drug addict Tinker Bell and a tortured victim in the basement with a hook for a hand that is this twisted world’s version of Captain Hook. The film is also pretty bloody and does borrow some elements from Black Phone and Terrifier. The film is well cast with Martin Portlock as Peter Pan, Kit Green as Tinker Bell and Megan Placito as Wendy Darling who is a pretty cool final girl, and I for one would love to see Placito in more horror movie roles. The film did pretty well for Iconic Events Releasing at the domestic box office for its limited release bringing in around $230,515.00 on a budget of around £250,000. While not a groundbreaking fright flick, it was a fun one to see on the big screen.
# 26
Jason is 24 years old and is returning to be a counselor at Camp Pineway. He is the oldest one and is pretty much considered a dork by his team and that is only by the ones who remember him! But things get really bad for the counselors when a killer in a devil mask starts killing them off one by one and poor Jason is blamed for being the killer and must find the courage to be the lead counselor and save the lives of his fellow co-workers as well as clear his name of being the killer. But can Jason be the hero he wants to be and will be able to stop the killer of killers on the loose? This is pretty fun horror comedy that has some silly laughs mixed in the slasher kills and while it does have some blood being spilled, it’s really not that gory of a fright flick so don’t expect a Friday The 13th style body count or amount of splatter. The film is well acted and the cast is great that includes Fred Hechinger, Abby Quinn, Billy Bryk, Finn Wolfhard, Julia Lalonde and Pardis Saremi being only some of the talents in the film. The film did well for Neon at the American box office bringing in $3,182,678.00 on a budget of $3 million once more showing indie horror is a draw at theaters. If you like horror comedies, make sure to check this one out. It is one I got on home media when released.
# 25
The Long Walk has 50 boys from all the United States walking for hundred of miles nonstop while being televised to bring up the American spirit. The walkers are given no breaks and must keep a pace of 3 miles per hour, and worse they have the military following them and The Major giving them pep talks…and if a boy gets three warnings or breaks the rules, they are shot dead as only one can win the prize. All the boys have their reasons to want to win the walk and among them is Ray who ends up making friends with a boy named Peter as the two watch out for one another as others are dying around them. Who will win this long walk and in the end what will be their big wish? Watch the film and find out. This is a good thriller film that is a character piece as along this walk of death and glory, we get to meet a group of boys who all come from different backgrounds who end up becoming friends, having bonds and then having to watch as members are killed off one by one and each death seems to bring on more dread as the numbers drop and you as a viewer realize that your favorite character could be next. The film is well cast with such actors as Cooper Hoffman, David McVries, Ben Wang, Garrett Wareing, Joshua Odjick, Mark Hamill and Judy Greer to name a few. The film did not great for Lionsgate at the domestic box office bringing in $35,163,573.00 on a budget of $20 million. If you like the more character driven thriller stories of Stephen King as this film is based off his novel of the same name, check this film out.
# 24
Billy Chapman lost his parents at a young age when they were killed by Charlie, a man dressed as Santa Claus on their way home from visiting his grandpa who lived in a retirement home. When the killer is also killed and Billy touches the dying man, he becomes a killer himself as the voice of Charlie drives him to hunt and kill selected people that are killers themselves! Billy ends up meeting Pamela and falls in love with her and is torn between continuing his bloody work or settling down, but his secret to her exposed when killer The Snatcher kills her father and Billy takes her with him to get revenge. This film is lots of blood splattered fun and is like if you mixed Silent Night Deadly Night with Dexter and Venom as our killer Billy only kills the bad people and also has a inner voice that guides him. And it’s weird, this version of Billy is more grounded and just knows that he has been selected to kill bad people via the month of December and also his own parents were killers and he has no brother Ricky. The film is well casted with such names as Rohan Campbell, Ruby Modine, David Tomlinson, Mark Acheson and David Lawrence to name a few and all who do well with what they are given. The film did ok for Iconic Events Releasing at the domestic box office on its limited release bringing in $1,495,324 on an unknown budget. If you are looking for a straight up slasher, you might be a little annoyed by the more goofy supernatural elements, but if you are looking for something goofy to watch or love the other Silent Night sequels, check it out!
# 23
Doug and his friends Griff, Kenny and Claire made and watched many horror films growing up and now all of them have hit a rut in their lives, and they decide to remake one of their favorite films Anaconda and even raise a small budget and head to the jungles and waters of the Amazon! But the friends soon find themselves being hunted by a truly massive anaconda snake as well as being involved with some gold smugglers who are being tracked by the police, and all the while all they want to do is survive and make their movie. This is a really fun, silly, action packed fright flick that did a fantastic job of bringing this film franchise back to the big screen and introduce it to a whole new audience. And while there are some that have grumbled that the film is a comedy with horror elements, it really is an entertaining film with likable characters, plus the story of friends making movies together hit home for this aging SOV filmmaker. The film has a great cast the includes Jack Black, Paul Rudd, Steve Zahn, Thandiwe Newton, Daniela Melchior and Selton Mello with cameos from Ice Cube and Jennifer Lopez the stars of the original film. The film did well for 20th Century Films at the domestic box office bringing in (as of this update’s posting) $29,571,097 on a budget of around $45 million. If you like giant snake films that packs both laughs and scares give this one a watch.
# 22
Young Charlotte saves a boys life in 1982 who was going to be killed by William Afton while at Freddy Fazebear’s Pizza, and she ends up being stabbed and killed and her death ruled an accident by some. Her spirit is inside the animatronic The Marionette where it has been asleep sense the crime and the restaurant was closed down, and when The Marionette is awakened, she wants revenge of parents who she blames for her death and uses Abby who befriended the animatronics in the past to help truly free them and allow them to roam free in the town to kill all those Charlotte deems as being bad as she is the one controlling them now! As things get bad, Abby her brother Mike and ex-cop Vanessa, the daughter of William, must find a way to stop this slaughter while trying to make contact with the original animatronics that had the souls of the killed children in order to fight these more advanced killer bots. Will they be able to stop The Marionette or will the town be doomed for crimes of the past done by one madman who ran a pizza parlor and served murder on the side? The film did well for Universal at the domestic box office bringing in $121,162,630.00 on a budget of around $51 million showing that Blumhouse had a few good hits this year. This is one I will pick up once released on physical media.
# 21
Indy is a dog whose owner Todd that is very sick with a terminal lung illness that has him deciding to live in his grandfathers old home in the middle of the woods. His sister does not agree with this move and she even teases him about it being haunted. As time passes, Indy starts seeing a black shaped figure as well as the ghost of Todd’s grandfather’s missing dog. As his master keeps getting sicker and sicker, Indy does what he must in order to try and save Todd from the unknown all the while having to face that nothing can stop death. This is a haunted house film through the eyes of a dog and is filled with some spooky jump scares as well as some sad and depressing moments. The fact that a dog is the main actor in the film and is not a trained actor dog makes this even more of a fun watch as he does such a great job, as does the human cast who are the following actors Shane Jensen, Arielle Friedman, Stuart Rudin and Larry Fessenden, and I also want to say Max ,who played the Grandfather’s dog Bandit also did fantastic. It has a short run time that makes it move along pretty fast and the use of typical fright backgrounds like thunderstorms and a graveyard help build the creepiness. The film did well for IFC during its limited release bringing in $6,624,062.00 on an unknown budget. If you like your horror films with dogs as lead characters make sure to check this one out.
# 20
Millie and Tim are a couple that end up moving to a small town, as she is a teacher and found a job and he is a musician who is dealing with some issues after he found his father dead and rotting and his mother mentally broke. During a hike in the woods around their home, they get stuck in a storm and end up falling into a cave that is odd as it is filled with church likes vibes, and when Tim drinks some water from the cave, the two find themselves sticking together as well as being drawn to one another in painful and trance like ways. As their bodies start merging and melting together, the couple has to figure out a way to stop it as well as why it’s happing, but will they be able to stop it or will two become one? This is a weird and entertaining body horror film that has interesting characters and some cool effects and once more shows that Neon is a player in the world of Indie horror. The film stars Alison Brie, Dave Franco, Damon Herriman and Mia Morrissey all of whom are fantastic in their roles and help add to the strange events of the film that is unfolding. The film did well for Neon at the domestic box office bringing in $21,273,159.00 on a budget of $17 million. If you like body horror that also has a weird religious cult, make sure to check this one out.
# 19
Ramona lives out on a farm with her kids Taylor and Ramona, and things are a little sad as David, the father, has passed away in a car wreck, but things get spooky for them when a woman dressed in all black and her face covered appears in their yard. As time passes she keeps getting closer, and strange things start happening in the house as Ramona and Taylor clash over what to do as his mother’s behavior is off and its clear that this woman in the yard is up to no good. Soon the family is tormented by this dressed in black woman who can use her shadow to slay animals, cause destruction and sneak into places where it can be cast to torment the family as she is on a mission to get to Ramona and cause her to do a life altering act that will change the course of the family forever. This is a pretty good horror thriller that deals in many deep subjects like grief, depression, suicide and trust and ties it around a supernatural element with The Woman In The Yard who on this day is the source of all the families issues coming to the surface. This film is well cast and the short list of actors that appear include Danielle Deadwyler, Peyton Jackson, Estella Kahiha, Russell Hornsby and Okwui Okpolwasili as The Woman, and they all do great jobs in their roles. The film has a few jump scares but really plays off the fear of events that you cannot change. The film did well for Universal at the domestic box office bringing in $22,405,985.00 on a budget of $12 million. This film again deals with dark subject matter like suicide so it will not be for all viewers, but it is one I bought when released on home media as I thought it was a spooky little PG-13 fright film.
# 18
Vyom is a paranormal investigator, who is hired to look into strange suicides that are taking place at a medical collage as the deaths are very gruesome and the bodies show signs of fast decay and rumors of an evil spirit starts to spread around the campus and town. During his investigation, he gets the help of Anthony, a worker at the collage, and meets Avanthika, a PHD student teacher who seems to be a target for this paranormal madness that is tied into the collages library, its past as a church, medical experiments done with sound, hidden secrets, lies, torture, disabled youth, music and bats! Can Vyom crack this case and find out what this spirit or spirits want, or will more deaths happen until their from beyond message is heard? Watch his fun Bollywood fight flick and find out for yourself. This is a really fun and spooky film that brings in ghosts, bats, black magic and a haunted location together to deliver its story of tragedy and sadness with a pretty good hero who is strong willed and keeps at his task until he can solve the case. The film is well cast with such names as Aadhi Pinisetty, Lakshmi Menon, Simran, Redin Kingsley and Rajiv Menon all in featured roles and all do great work. The film does have some musical numbers but they are not ones that feature the characters as are more used to push along the story in almost montages, and many of the effects are done by digital with the colony of bats being the most obvious. The film had a limited release in America ,and I am not sure how well it did her at the domestic box office. If you like supernatural horror films from India, make sure to give this one a watch as it was a fun one.
# 17
Ariel Ecton is a young journalist who is working for a magazine and is looking for her big break in order to get the fame in order to write books and novels, and she is shocked when she is selected to attend a listening party for iconic musician Alfred Moretti, who disappeared 27 years ago and is back with a new album. Ariel is joined by her boss as well as other journalists of all types from TV to social media and she soon finds that this is going to be one weird experience as Moretti is living in a compound with a cult that are called the Levelists. And the journalists start to go missing, Moretti and the cult keep getting weirder and it’s clear to Ariel that this gathering is much more that just a listen party as something sinister is going on and she must find a way to escape this cult in order to tell her story to the world. This is a strange and fun horror film that has a dash of comedy that really works well together as it brings a celebrity twist to the idea of a cult and the quest that people who are creative strive to make their masterpiece. The film is well casted with Ayo Edebiri who plays Ariel being the standout and rest of the cast including John Malkovich, Amber Midthunder, Juliette Lewis, Murray Barlett, Stephanie Suganami as well as the others all being outstanding as well. The film also has a great score and some fun songs done by Malkovich as the Moretti character that will get stuck in your head. The film did ok for A24 at the domestic box office bringing in $1,993,397.00 on a budget of $10 million. This is one that for some reason was met with mix reviews, but is one that I really enjoyed and bought even when released on home media.
# 16
Ally is having a rough time as she has broken up with her boyfriend and her job is in trouble for a jewelry company as her ad campaign has caused bad responses. It’s Valentines Day and she meets Jay Simmons a man who has been hired to help her get things back on track, and the two end up being the target for the Heart Eyes Killer (HEK) who goes around killing couples on this holiday in different states every year. While Ally and Jay are not a couple, they are mistaken for one and must fight back against this masked killer, confront their growing feelings for one another as well as just survive this terrible night filled with love and slaughter. This is a fun romantic comedy horror film that is brought to you by some of the same people who made such films as Happy Death Day and Werewolves Within, and it does a great job of blending all the genres together. The masked Heart Eyes Killer has a cool look and is pretty menacing with his knives and mini crossbow, and it does have some pretty gruesome deaths that spill blood on the scenes. The film is well cast with such names as Olivia Holt, Mason Gooding, Jordana Brewster, Devon Sawa, Gigi Zumbado and Latham Gaines all who did great in their roles. The film did well for Sony at the domestic box office bringing in $30,415,738.00 on a budget of $18 million. A fun slasher with some romance that is worth checking out if you enjoy your horror with some laughs.
# 15
Gemma is now spending her time to try and rope in AI and robotic usage among companies as well as kids, and this is causing her niece Cady lots of annoyance. But when a combat robot made from the same designs for M3GAN named AMELIA goes rogue and is committing murder and killing all those who were responsible for her production, Gemma must rebuild M3GAN who is the only one that might be able to defeat this was machine. But can Gemma trust M3GAN who is still very loyal to Cady and protecting her? Has M3GAN learned from her past programed mistakes? And who or what is behind AMELIA? Well I am not going to tell you as you need to checkout this fun sequel for yourself and find out! I really enjoyed this film and found it to be a good mix of horror, sci-fi, action and comedy and the character of M3GAN shows growth and goes from a robotic terror to a robotic hero of sorts. The film has some cool kills as well as some weird moments that should please fans of the original who don’t mind that the horror aspects are being shared with other genres. The film is well casted with many returning faces like Allison Williams, Violet McGraw, Arnie Donald, Jenna Davis, Jen Van Epps and Brian Jordan Alvarez with new names like Ivanna Sakhno, Jemaine Clement, Timm Sharp and Aristotle Athari all doing great in their parts. The film did well for Universal at the domestic box office bringing in $24,101,280.00 on a budget of around $25 million. I am looking forward to a M3GAN 3 and also got on home media once released, also for some reason this film faced lost of negative vibes before it was even released, but as always, don’t listen to critics or online views, check it out for yourself.
# 14
Winston Gooze is a man that is down on his luck his girlfriend passed away and he is raising her son Wade as his own, he is a janitor for an enhancement drug company, the place that he lives is being bullied by a crime lord to sell the property and he also has found out he is dying from a brain ailment! And when he finds that the companies insurance will not cover his medical treatments, he tries to steal money from them and ends up being shot, killed and dumped in water along with his radioactive mop where he becomes mutated and is called the Toxic Avenger as he runs around defeating crime as well as tries to bring down his old boss who himself becomes a hideous deformed monster of superhuman size and strength and also must save his son who has been kidnapped as well as work alongside an activist who is trying to also expose the drug company for the liars and killers they are. This is a super fun and gory remake of the Troma cult classic film that brings a new character into the Toxic Avenger name and allows him to try and clean up his city from the crime and greed of big business. The film would have such names as Peter Dinklage, Kevin Bacon, Elijah Wood, Taylour Paige, Jacob Tremblay, Julia Davis and Luisa Guerreiro in the main cast. The film had a limited Unrated release in theaters and did pretty well for Iconic Events Releasing bringing in $2,866,783.00 on an unknown budget. While not as good as the original film, this splatter funfest holds its own and is one that I say you should check out if you like your horror films mixed with humor and over the top violence.
# 13
Iris is a companion robot to Josh and they are invited to stay a weekend at his friend Kat’s boyfriends Sergey house in the woods near a lake and miles away from people. But things get crazy when Iris ends up killing Sergey after he comes on to her forcefully and she is quickly shutdown and tied up so that the police can be called and she can be arrested for her crime…but soon Iris finds that she has been set up by Josh as he hacked her programing and caused her to kill to defend herself, and now Iris must get away from the crime scene and her one time lover and his friends before she is shutdown for one final time. This film has lots of bloody fun moments, as it’s a horror sci-fi film that has some gruesome kills, a likable main character even if she is a robot and some caring and humorous moments. The idea of a companion sex robot finding her inner strength and joy of being a living being and fighting back against her abusive, controlling and greedy ex-owner is something to behold. Sophie Thatcher is fantastic as Iris and the rest of the cast that includes such actors as Lukas Gage, Megan Suri, Harvey Gullen, and Rupert Friend. The film did pretty well for New Line Cinema at the domestic box office bringing in $20,809,101.00 on a budget of around $10 million. If you like weird horror films that feature a robot as the main character who is both beautiful and likable, make sure to give Companion a watch.
# 12
Ava and her friends Danica, Teddy, Milo and Stevie are hanging out on the 4th of July in 2024 when at a Dead Man’s curve in the road they pull over to watch the fireworks and goof around and by doing so they cause an accident that has a man named Sam Cooper to wreck and die as his truck goes over the cliff. And they swear to cover it all up with the help of Teddy’s father who is a very rich man. But the next year Daniaca gets a card that alerts her that some one knows what they did last summer during her bridal shower, and now the friends have to come back together to figure out who is threatening them and later killing them off one by one! And they end up getting the help of Julie James and Ray Bronson who survived killing very similar back in 1997, but who is this killer and why are they wearing a fisherman coat and armed with a hook and spear gun and why are they killing the friends as well as others around town? Well watch this fourth film in the series and find out for yourself as the killer might just shock you. This was such a fun throwback film as I feel that the “I Know What You Did Last Summer” films are in the same league as “Scream” when it comes to iconic horror film franchises that were spawned in the 90’s. The film as some good kills, and I have to say it was great seeing Jennifer Love Hewitt as Julie James on the big screen again as it was nice seeing actors like Freddie Prinze Jr., Brandy Norwood and Sarah Michelle Gellar return as well as new faces like Chase Sui Wonders, Madelyn Cline and Sarah Pidgeon being wonderful fresh new faces to the series with Cline having a Florence Pugh charm to her and for me that’s fantastic. The film did well for Sony at the domestic box office bringing in $32,165,634.00 on a budget of $18 million. The film leaves itself open for a sequel and more Julie James, and I am here for it and am looking forward to it if it happens.
# 11
Alok is a reporter who has became an online joke over a segment gone wrong who goes for a hike in the woods and is attacked by a bear. He is saved by Tadaka a female vampire who ends up breaking the rules to keep him safe from her fellow kind who never want him to leave the woods, and she goes into the city to be with him. After a terrible auto accident, she is forced to bite him and this makes him a target of Bhaskar, a werewolf who needs his blood to become stronger as well makes him and her wanted by the fellow vampires for her tasting human blood as its in their rules now that they just feed on animals. And this also allows the vampire master Yakshasan to be freed from his fire chains that has held him prisoner for 75 years as Tadaka is having to take his place! Can Alok and Tadaka’s love bring peace and a new balance to the blood drinkers or will they be a tragedy at the hands of Yakshasan and his followers? Watch this super fun horror comedy and find out for yourself. Thamma was truly one of my favorite Bollywood Horror Films I saw this year as it had lots of cool vampire moments, catchy songs as well as truly was funny in spots as the moviegoers as well as myself laughed out loud several times. The film is well cast with such names as Rashmika Mandanna, Ayushmann Khurrana, Nawazuddin Siddiqui, Paresh Rawal and even cameos from Varun Dhawan and Adhishek Banerjee from Bhediya (2022). And I have to say that actress Rashmika Mandanna is absolutely beautiful and I could not take my eyes off her in this film. The film had a limited release in America and did well. I wish this one as well as several other Bollywood Horror films would get released on DVD and Blu-Ray.
# 10
Ed and Lorraine Warren have stepped away from investigating hauntings and possessions after Ed’s heart attack and are spending their time together as well as giving lectures while their daughter Judy, who is having visions like her mother, is gearing up for her wedding with her fiancé Tony. But the Warrens are sucked back into the supernatural game when the Smurl Family from Pennsylvania are experiencing a very violent haunting that ends up even taking the life of one of their friends as this spirit is using three other spirits to get at the family as well as lure the Warrens back as this spirit has unfinished business with them and wants Judy that it has tagged since her birth. Can The Warren’ finish this final case and come out alive? Will the Smurl Family survive this haunt? Will this evil demon get what it wants? Watch this fourth and final film in the Conjuring series and find out for yourself. What a nice ending to the story of The Warrens as they come together as a loving family to defeat a very dangerous spirit and its minions in a battle of good and evil. Plus it was great to see many returning faces from the series past both human and demons making it feel like a twisted family reunion. The film has a few good jump scares, some cool bloody effects and mean looking demons. The film is well cast with Patrick Wilson, Vera Farmiga, Mia Tomlinson, Ben Hardy, Beau Gadsdon and Steve Coulter all who are fantastic in their roles. The film did great for New Line Cinema at the domestic box office bringing in $177,753,512.00 on a budget of $55 million. While New Line Cinema will forever be the House That Freddy Built, in more modern times The Conjuring Universe have made upgrades and keep the lights on. This is one I bought when it was released on home media.
# 9
Spike is a 12 year old boy who is about to leave the safety of his island home with his father Jamie who is a scavenger for the town bringing back supplies, and his poor mother Isla has an unknown illness that leaves her confused and with terrible headaches and nose bleeds. And on his first time off the island Spike is able to kill one slow moving infected but chokes when he and his father are chased by a pack of them. But he and his father do make it back to the island after being chased by an Alpha infected, and Spike seeing a massive fire set off in the distance showing life is still going on in the mainland. And when Spike finds out that his father might be lying to him about things on his mother’s illness and that the fire that he seen was made by a doctor, he sneaks himself and his mom off the island to get her help. But Spike learns that the mainland is a very dangerous place filled with the infected, scared & crazy people and that some illnesses just cannot be cured. This is the third film in the 28 Days Later series and the first in a new trilogy and brings another intense virus infected scares and gross moments to viewers while showing how the living would have to adapt to this new cruel world. I really enjoyed the mood and feel of this story with my only big complaint being the silly ending of flipping and flopping cult members fighting the infected. The film did well at the domestic box office bringing in $70,446,897.00 on a budget of $60 million showing that these classic film series still have lots of life left in them. I am looking forward to the second part of this new trilogy that will be released in early 2026. This is a film I bought when released on home media.
# 8
Stefan Mortensen is a judge who suffers from a massive stroke and is forced to live in a old folks home in order to try and rehabilitate, and he is placed in a room with a old Rugby player who had messed up his hip and knee named Sonny, but soon Stefan learns that the old folks are being tormented by a fellow resident named Dave Crealy who carries a puppet around named Jenny Pen. Dave is a twisted man who has all the staff fooled as he goes around injuring, torturing, setting up and in some cases killing the others around him all the while making them pledge their loyalty to Jenny. Stefan is wheelchair bound and must find a way to fight back against the psycho Dave and avoid the rule of Jenny Pen. This is a really great fright flick that not only has some creepy moments thanks to Dave and his puppet Jenny but also just the horrors of growing old and having health issues. And truly Dave is a evil and sadistic man as he makes those he is tormenting pledge to Jenny and degrades them the whole time. The film is amazingly casted with John Lithgow as Dave Crealy and Geoffrey Rush as Stefan Mortensen, both of course stealing the show with other cast members including Nathaniel Lees, Ian Mune, Irene Wood, Maaka Pohatu among others rounding it out. The film had a limited release and did well for IFC Films at the domestic box office bringing in $43,817.00 on an unknown budget. A very cool indie horror film that I bought once released on home media.
# 7
Dek is a runt Predator whose father wants him dead and when trying to kill him, his brother fights for his life and ends up dying and Dek is forced off planet to do a hunt to deem himself worthy as well as for the memory of his brother. But during this great hunt he ends up making some friends, battling synthetic beings and getting even with his hateful father. This is a very exciting sci-fi, action, horror Film that makes a Predator the main star of the film who along this dangerous hunt ends up learning that the ways of his race might not be fully right and that being in a clan might not have to be with those who don’t accept you but with your true friends & family who like you for who you are. Who would have thought a Predator film would have a message! The creature effects in the film are really good as is the pacing and musical score. It is well casted with such names as Elle Fanning, Dimitrius Schuster-Koloamatangi, Mike Homik and Cameron Brown being some of the main cast. The film did well for 20th Century Studios at the domestic box office bringing in $90,946,639 on a budget of $105 million. This is a Predator film that is a mix of action, humor and drama and is a fitting sequel to this long running franchise and is one I bought when released on home media.
# 6
Hal and Bill are two twin brothers whose father has disappeared and after finding a strange toy monkey in his closet of junk he collected as a pilot and when they twist the toy monkey’s key and he plays his drum people around them start to die, and Hal even tries chopping the toy up with a cleaver and the brothers drop it down a well after their mother and uncle die in freaky painful ways. Now as adults the brothers are estranged, and Hal is not being a good father to his teenage son Petey and worse The Monkey has returned and their town is being plagued by crazy over the top deaths as the brothers are truly at odds with one another as one of the siblings wants the other dead, but can they survive The Monkey and its death curse and if they do, what will be left of their mental wellness. This is based on a short story by Stephen King and is a bloody horror comedy that is filled with lots of splatter and laughs as many of the deaths are gooey and so over done they will make you laugh as people explode and heads look like dropped pizza, and what is great is most of the gore effects look great. The film is well cast with such names as Theo James, Colin O’Brien, Rohan Campbell, Tatana Maslany, Christian Convery, Elijah Wood and Osgood Perkins who also wrote & directed. The film did well for NEON at the domestic box office bring in $39,724,909.00 on a budget of $11 million. If you like the work of Stephen King or like horror comedies with splatter, make sure to give this one a watch as its one I got on home media when released.
# 5
In 1968 Iris Campbell saved the lives of over a hundred people when she had a premonition of a tower restaurant blowing up and collapsing and for decades she has kept herself safe and locked away in a cabin in the woods. She has gotten really good at spotting Death’s tricks to get her and because of all this, she has driven her own children away who think she is mentally ill. But in 2025 he granddaughter Stefani is having terrible nightmares about the accident in 1968 and learns that Death is after all of those relatives of Iris that came after the accident as they should not be as Death does not like to be tricked and will take what is owed and when her grandma dies a strange death before her very eyes to prove this theory, and soon Stefani watches as her family start dying off one by one while she tries to find a way to stop this madness and save her bloodline. This is the 6th film in the Final Destination series and proves that this extreme kills and body count fright flick series has lots of gas left in the tank as this one was lots of fun as it has its fair share of smashing and mutilating bodies for the viewers enjoyment. And like most of the films in this series, it really is a “event” film as groups of family and friends gather at the cinema to see how the creators will kill off the characters in bloody ways. The film has a great cast with such names as Tony Todd, Kaitlyn Santa Juana, Teo Briones, Rya Kihlstedt, Brec Bassinger, Richard Harmon and Anna Lore making up just some of the main cast. The film did amazing for New Line Cinema at the domestic box office bringing in $138,130,814.00 on a budget of $50 million, and I am sure they are glad they went to the theaters with it as the original plan was for it to be only on HBO Max, their terrible streaming service that loses money. With the future of A Nightmare On Elm Street up in the air and The Conjuring universe slowing down, it’s clear that Final Destination is going to be a franchise that helps New Line Cinema claim the crown for horror films from other major production companies, and yes I bought it when released.
# 4
One night 17 children go missing all at once as they walked out of their house and ran into the darkness. These kids were all from the class of Justine Gandy, who is being blamed by many of the town for this as only Alex remains, who as well has been questioned by the police. Soon things start getting more and more weird around town as Justine is being harassed, her cheating lover is a cop who has a short temper, Archer one of the fathers of the missing kids is trying to solve the case and young Alex seems to be hiding a secret as his parents are not around and his strange aunt is around and is being seen around town as the people who do see her start acting strange and like they are in a trance and will become violent towards select people and will not stop until they are dead. Where are the kids that went missing? What the Hell is wrong with Aunt Gladys? Will Justine and Archer find them? Will they end up dead or missing themselves? Watch this strange and highly entertaining fright flick for your self to get those answers! This Zach Cregger film is his follow up to Barbarian and is another fun and twisted tale that unfolds for the viewers. The film has some bloody deaths that will gross out some viewers and the film has an amazing cast that includes Julie Garner, Josh Brolin, Cary Christopher, Amy Madigan, Benedict Wong, Austin Abrams and Alden Ehrenreich. The film did well for New Line Cinema at the domestic box office bringing in $151,550,044.00 on a budget of $38 million once more proven horror is a great money maker. This is one I bought when released on home media.
# 3
Finney and his sister Gwen are still dealing with the emotional fallout of him surviving and killing the serial killer The Grabber as he is still being plagued by phone calls or deceased kids looking for help and Gwen is being tormented by nightmares that are plagued with The Grabber as well as their mother who died by suicide. And all this leads them to a camp where their mom use to be a counselor and where three young boys were killed and their bodies never found some of the first victims of The Grabber who is the one that lead them there as he has returned from the grave in their nightmares and wants revenge for his death. This was such a spooky and great sequel to Black Phone as it turns The Grabber into this generation’s Freddy Kruger as if New Line Cinema is not going to deliver a new A Nightmare On Elm Street, the folks at Blumhouse and Universal gave us a good alternative. I really liked the setting of the camp that is surrounded by snow and ice as it helped add to the creepy feeling. Returning to the cast is Madeleine McGraw, Mason Thames, Jeremy Davies, Miguel Mora and Ethan Hawke with such names as Demian Bichir, Arianna Rivas and Anna Lore joining the cast. The film did well at the domestic box office for Universal bringing in $77,378,880.00 on a budget of $30 million, showing horror is a genre that almost always turns a good profit. If you like the first film, enjoy supernatural terrors or like nightmare slashers, give this one a watch. This is one that I got when released on home media.
# 2
In 1932 the Smokestack Twins (Smoke and Stack) have returned to Mississippi from Chicago with the idea to open up a juke joint inside an old sawmill they have bought with cash. They want their cousin Sammie to play the blues at the grand opening and go around town to get their friends to help get it ready including the brothers estranged ladies Annie and Mary as they all want this place to work and give them a place that makes money as well as give the Black community a safe place to let loose. But things soon turn really bad when the music draws in Remmick, who is a vampire musician and sort of a cult leader arrives with a band of vampires and slowly starts turn the guests and the friends of the Twins into bloodsuckers with the goal to get his claws on Sammie and his musical talent. This is a really cool vampire flick that reminded me a little of From Dusk Till Dawn if it was set in the 1930’s and the plot was based around music as well as had the interesting characters like in The Lost Boys as the Smokestack Twins and their cousin Sammie are all likable in their own ways, even if the Twins have done bad things. The film is a slow burn before it gets into the vampires attacking, the character work as well as the soundtrack and score just work so well that you find yourself being drawn into the story. The film has an amazing cast that includes Michael B. Jordan, Miles Caton, Jack O’ Connell, Hailee Steinfeld, Wunmi Mosaku and Delroy Lindo just making up some of the leads and all who are fantastic. The film did well for Warner Brothers at the domestic box office bringing in $278,578,513.00 on a budget of around $100 million, once more proving that horror is a hit at the box office. So if you like horror films that feature vampires, blues music, set in the 30’s and or just enjoy a good fright film make sure to check this one out. I bought this one once it was released on home media.
# 1
Andy and his vision impaired stepsister Piper lose their father in an accident that had him slipping in the shower, and now placed in foster care they are being watched after by Laura, a single mother who lost her blind daughter by drowning. She is also watching after a mute young boy named Oliver. While things at first are odd but okay, Andy starts to see that Laura is not what she seems and neither is Oliver as they are doing some odd things that includes Oliver being a little weird with animals and being locked in his room, while Laura seems to be obsessed with Piper who reminds her of her deceased daughter. Things start to unravel when Laura has really lured Piper to live with her, as she needs to kill her in order to have the spirit of her daughter to take over her body by a weird ritual as a murderous and flesh-eating spirit is inside Oliver needs to consume the flesh in order to bring back life. Can Andy save his sister or will Laura be able to have her lost child return? Watch this awesome indie fight flick for yourself and find out. This film from the brothers who brought you Talk To Me shows that they understand and could be the next faces in horror that will take the genre into a new direction filled with blood, developed characters and brooding atmosphere. The scenes of the demonic Oliver mutilating himself as he eats things like knives and wooden table tops is pure nightmare fuel. The film is well cast with such talent as Sally Hawking, Billy Barratt, Sora Wong, Jonah Wren Phillips and Sally-Anne Upton making up the main cast. The film did well for A24 at the domestic box office bringing in $19,323,752.00 on a budget of only $20 million showing that indie horror is always a hit. Bought when released on home media, as I needed it for my collection.
What can I say, I just love going to one of the many local theaters and seeing a horror film on the big screen as it is a genre that has been with me pretty much my whole life through both good and bad times and has brought me so much joy as well as helped push my imagination to the limits. Well as you can see the projector has been shut off and the lights have been turned on here at the Rotten Ink Theater, but do not worry I am pretty sure that the workers here that are the ticket taker, the concession worker, the usher and the projectionist will not mind if I take a few moments to let you all know that our next update will be all about the 1977 version of Island Of Dr. Moreau and the Marvel Comics adaptation of the film…but also it will be the start of a multiple year event that will be going on here at Rotten Ink as every update will be a “From Horror Movie To Horror Comic” update! It has been something that I have been thinking about doing for awhile now and after talking to some of my family and close friends who thought it was a great idea, I think 2026 is the year to start it. So until next time, read a comic or three, watch a film or two and as always support you local theaters, horror hosts and wrestlers. See you soon as we learn the law of Dr. Moreau as told to use by Marvel Comics and the animal people force to live by these laws.
