It’s the end of another year, and that means you’re probably being slammed with Top 10 lists. Well, here’s one more.
Keep in mind that I am the “horror guy,” and honestly, this is the first year in a long time that my “horror” list and my “normie” list of top tens are exactly the same. So that tells you what a memorable year in horror we’ve had.
Also keep in mind that these are my choices and mine alone. Your mileage may vary.
So on with the show…
2025’s Top 10 Movies:
10 – Presence
Presence is one of two major American Steven Soderbergh releases this year, and while Black Bag may have been his commercial offering, Presence is his artistic one. It’s a haunted house story with a twist – the story is told from the point of view of the ghost. So, it’s basically a fly-on-the-wall movie about a family in turmoil, but once all the pieces fit into place, it’s unforgettable.
9 – Keeper
And speaking of two major American releases…director Oz Perkins got to try his hand at a Stephen King adaptation with The Monkey, and while that wasn’t bad, it wasn’t very “Oz Perkins.” Keeper is much more his style, in the same vein of Longlegs and The Blackcoat’s Daughter. It’s an atmospheric slow-burn tale about two lovers in a remote location, but it’s not your average cabin-in-the-woods movie. It’s one of those movies that has the viewer just hoping and praying that it sticks the landing, and luckily, in the end, it does.
8 – Vicious
Vicious is a movie that earns its name. It’s a Bryan Bertino movie, who also brought us The Strangers, The Monster, and The Dark and the Wicked, and it fits neatly into his usual dirty, mean-spirited mold. It’s about a young woman who receives a spooky gift that keeps on giving. Dakota Fanning playing against type helps bring this nasty little story to vivid life.
7 – The Long Walk
It’s been a banner year for Stephen King with projects like The Monkey and The Life of Chuck, but director Francis Lawrence’s The Long Walk is the most impressive of the bunch. This post-apocalyptic tale is, as the title implies, mostly a bunch of young men walking and talking, only the deep conversations are broken up by violent gunfire every now and then.
No one writes dialogue quite like screenwriter JT Mollner, and no one could bring that dialogue to life quite like Cooper Hoffman and David Jonsson. A heel turn by Mark Hamill is just icing on the cake. And with the talented ensemble cast, The Long Walk may be this generation’s Stand by Me.
6 – Bugonia
Bugonia is, quite simply, Yorgos Lanthimos being Yorgos Lanthimos. It’s more accessible than the filmmaker’s previous works, and it feels like he’s giving his actors a bit more freedom to craft their own characters, but it’s still full of that quirky, reality-grounded fantasy for which he has come to be known. It’s about a pair of conspiracy theorists who believe they have uncovered an alien plot to destroy the Earth. This modern dystopia tale is both thought-provoking and highly entertaining.
5 – Bring Her Back
Bring Her Back is the second outing from the Philippou Brothers, the duo who scared the heck out of us with Talk to Me a few years back. This is more of the same watch-through-your-fingers, make-you-cringe-in-discomfort type of horror – very visceral, very disturbing, and very, well, terrifying. Sally Hawkins is absolutely brutal as a foster mother who has big – and unscrupulous – plans for the kids she takes in. Bring Her Back will follow you home after it ends.
4 – Weapons
The simple premise of Zach Cregger’s Weapons – that an entire class of school children except for one kid could run off into the night and vanish – provides a far deeper mystery that ends up in pure mayhem. Some people hated that mayhem, but personally, I thought it went off the rails in the perfect way. And Amy Madigan’s Aunt Gladys is destined to become one of modern horror’s most iconic villains.
3 – Good Boy
Sort of like Presence earlier, Ben Leonberg’s Good Boy is a haunted house movie with a twist – it’s told from the viewpoint of the faithful dog. It sounds like a gimmick, and it is, but it works. Indy, the dog at the heart of the film, is both charming and talented, and honestly should be nominated for some Best Actor awards. Only the most heartless of viewers will find themselves not squarely on his side. And for those wondering, yes, the dog lives.
2 – Companion
One of the things this year that I am eternally grateful for is the fact that I got to see Drew Hancock’s Companion before the “twist” was spoiled in the marketing. If you haven’t heard anything about it, watch it cold. It’s not the movie it starts out as. What begins as a simple-albeit-creepy little romcom turns into…something else. And I don’t want to say any more about Companion just in case anyone else is lucky enough to have not heard anything about it before they see it.
1 – Sinners
Ryan Coogler’s Sinners is the whole package. Script, music, acting, direction – they’re all top-notch. It’s going to be fun to see the Academy Awards crowd try to spin Sinners as “not horror” just because it’s so good. It’s a vampire movie! But, because it’s set in the Jim Crow era deep south, it’s also so much more than that. It’s quite simply the year’s best movie.
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