Horror movies have dominated the box office this year, but it wasn’t always that way. Horror films first emerged in the 1930s with monsters galore, which lasted well into the 1950s, but sizzled out due to audience burnout. The horror genre hit another surge of popularity in the 1970s with classics such as John Carpenter’s Halloween and Wes Craven’s A Nightmare on Elm Street, otherwise known as the slasher era. All of this to say, the horror genre has been around forever, but it’s never been considered a box office dominant genre, until now.
2025 is shaping up to be the year of horror. The year has delivered films that are redefining the genre with horror originals such as Ryan Coogler’s Sinners, Danny Boyle’s 28 Years Later, and most recently, Zach Cregger’s Weapons and the latest and last of the iconic Conjuring franchise, Michael Chave’s The Conjuring: Last Rites. These films have lured in large flocks of audiences and critics alike that the horror genre has never seen before, even converting the usual non-horror moviegoer. And there’s a reason why: they’ve reached a prestige level this year.
Out of the various horror films that were released this year, many served as a form of escapism, offering distinctive storytelling and narratives, all while reflecting the chaos of modern society. The stories continue to be original and unique, reaching deeper themes that go beyond the surface level slasher story or antagonist villain, allowing audiences to connect to the stories like never before. The horror genre has now proven to be, surprisingly, relatable in a frenzied world.
Horror Continues to Win at the 2025 Box Office
The highly anticipated Warner Bros. and New Line’s horror film, Weapons, soared to the top of the box office on its opening weekend. It’s safe to say, Barbarian’s Zach Cregger has officially earned himself the title of horror master, with his second solo directed horror film earning $42.5 million, beating out its premiere weekend confidant, Freakier Friday, which rang in a $29 million domestic start. Weapons went as far as surpassing its own box office predictions by $10 million. And, it’s a feat not many horror directors can say they’ve accomplished, but Weapons outperforming Freakier Friday proves audiences have been craving more from the horror genre longer than anyone may have realized.
2025 marks the year audiences and critics can note that a horror film surpassed a nostalgic sequel, starring Lindsay Lohan and Jamie Lee Curtis, no less. Much like Weapons, Sinners had, prior to their respective releases, a box office competition with A Minecraft Movie, as they came out the same weekend. According to The Hollywood Reporter, Sinners surpassed A Minecraft Movie’s $40.5 million opening weekend domestic box office earnings, with Sinners earning $48 million. Above all, this proves that horror is a dominant presence at the box office, and it’s here to stay.
Weapons gained gracious leverage and momentum from Sinners, which became the fifth-biggest horror movie in global box office history. Not only has horror performed remarkably well at the box office, since its initial release in April, Sinners has received signigicant Oscar buzz from critics and even fans, another unusual attainment for a film within this genre. Historically, the horror genre has been grossly underrepresented at the Oscars, with only a handful of horror films being nominated over the years, out of thousands of films. If Sinners ends up making it to the Oscar race, it would be monumental for the genre; a genre that has otherwise been known as a cash cow for studios, and nothing else.
And that’s not all. According to Variety, The Conjuring: Last Rites had an outstanding box office performance, earning $194 million worldwide in its opening weekend and $84 million domestically. This earned the Conjuring franchise its best opening ever. It was also the biggest global opening for a horror film of all time. 28 Years Later can share in the glory, with its release making it the most successful of its franchise as well. With The Conjuring: Last Rites officially tipping horror over the $1 billion threshold at the box office, this trend shows no signs of slowing.
Anticipated Horror Releases for the Rest of 2025
A certain contributor to the success of horror films at the box office this year has been the highly anticipated and ongoing slate of new releases, and the genre isn’t done yet. Riding off the coat-tail of The Conjuring: Last Rites is the upcoming The Black Phone 2 slated to release on October 17. For those that are fans of video game-turned-movie adaptations, Five Nights at Freddy’s 2 is set to be released on December 5.
Last, but certainly not least, Guillermo del Toro’s long-awaited rendition of Frankenstein will hit select theaters on October 17th, and will be available on Netflix shortly after its theater release, on November 7. With a star-studded and brilliantly talented cast including Jacob Elordi, Mia Goth, Oscar Isaac, Christoph Waltz, Ralph Ineson, and Felix Kammerer, Frankenstein will undoubtedly give the genre the send-off it rightfully deserves, into 2026.
So far, horror ranks third for the top grossing genre of 2025, behind action and adventure. With the year not quite over yet and new releases coming our way, 2025 has been a sure-fire success for horror. Will Frankenstein get the genre to the top? Nonetheless, with Oscar buzz, overwhelmingly positive criticism from audiences, and box office domination, 2025 has unquestionably been an influential year for the horror genre.
