The Best Halloween Movies of 2025 are here, and this year’s horror landscape is one of the most exciting in recent memory. From blood-curdling blockbusters to indie nightmares that burrow under your skin, 2025 has proven that horror cinema is in its golden age. Whether you’re chasing a supernatural thrill, psychological suspense, or a good old-fashioned monster flick, these top 20 films — ranked by critics, audiences, and IMDb — deliver the best of terror and artistry this spooky season.
So, grab your pumpkin spice latte, dim the lights, and scroll through the definitive list of this year’s Best Halloween Movies of 2025.
1. Sinners (IMDb: 8.5/10 | 97%)
Directed by: Ryan Coogler (Black Panther, Creed)
Starring: Michael B. Jordan, Hailee Steinfeld, Miles Caton
A groundbreaking blend of music, mysticism, and morality. Michael B. Jordan shines as a troubled man haunted by his past, while Steinfeld brings emotional depth to this visually charged supernatural thriller. Critics call it “a fusion of soul and sin — horror with heart.”
2. Oddity (IMDb: 8.2/10 | 96%)
Directed by: Damian McCarthy (Caveat)
Starring: Carolyn Bracken, Gwilym Lee
This Irish ghost story resurrects classic haunted-house terror with arthouse precision. Bracken’s performance as a woman caught between grief and the afterlife is unforgettable — her portrayal has already earned early award buzz.
3. The Ugly Stepsister (IMDb: 8.1/10 | 96%)
Directed by: Emilie Blichfeldt
Starring: Lea Myren, Thea Sofie Loch Næss (The Last Kingdom)
A feminist horror retelling of Cinderella, where beauty and brutality dance in the blood-soaked ballroom. Loch Næss’s performance as Elvira has been praised for its chilling emotional realism.
4. V/H/S Halloween (IMDb: 7.9/10 | 95%)
Directed by: Bryan M. Ferguson, Paco Plaza (REC)
Starring: Anna McKelvie, David Haydn
This anthology’s found-footage format keeps every story unpredictable. With cult director Paco Plaza’s signature flair, it’s a gruesome, nostalgic nod to 2000s horror classics.
5. MadS (IMDb: 7.8/10 | 94%)
Directed by: David Moreau (Them)
Starring: Lewkowski Yovel, Lucille Guillaume
An experimental techno-horror that traps viewers inside a drug-fueled nightmare. Critics compare its intensity to Climax and Requiem for a Dream — hypnotic, terrifying, unforgettable.
6. Companion (IMDb: 7.7/10 | 93%)
Directed by: Drew Hancock (Barbarian producer)
Starring: Jack Quaid (The Boys), Sophie Thatcher (Yellowjackets)
Blending dark comedy with horror, Companion takes domestic life to disturbing extremes. Quaid and Thatcher’s chemistry turns everyday arguments into scenes of surreal dread.
7. Weapons (IMDb: 8.0/10 | 93%)
Directed by: Zach Cregger (Barbarian)
Starring: Josh Brolin (Dune 2), Julia Garner (Ozark)
This horror-mystery follows a town gripped by strange disappearances. Garner’s haunting performance elevates the tension, while Brolin’s gravitas grounds the story in grit and realism.
8. Cloud (IMDb: 7.6/10 | 93%)
Directed by: Kiyoshi Kurosawa (Pulse, Cure)
Starring: Masaki Suda, Kotone Furukawa
A slow-burn Japanese techno-thriller that turns social media obsession into existential terror. Kurosawa once again proves he’s the master of digital dread.
9. The Devil’s Bath (IMDb: 7.9/10 | 91%)
Directed by: Veronika Franz & Severin Fiala (Goodnight Mommy)
Starring: Anja Plaschg, David Scheid
A period horror set in 18th-century Austria where religion, repression, and madness collide. It’s bleak, mesmerizing, and deeply human — perfect for Halloween night.
10. Strange Harvest (IMDb: 7.5/10 | 91%)
Directed by: Stuart Ortiz (The Divide)
Starring: Peter Zizzo, Terri Apple
Presented like a true-crime documentary gone wrong, Strange Harvest evolves into a disturbing psychological maze that leaves audiences shaken.
11. Together (IMDb: 8.1/10 | 91%)
Directed by: Michael Shanks
Starring: Dave Franco (Now You See Me), Alison Brie (GLOW)
Real-life couple Franco and Brie bring eerie authenticity to this twisted relationship horror. The film balances intimacy with grotesque transformation — body horror meets love story.
12. Heretic (IMDb: 7.9/10 | 90%)
Directed by: Scott Beck & Bryan Woods (A Quiet Place writers)
Starring: Hugh Grant, Sophie Thatcher, Chloe East
Hugh Grant’s career-defining turn as a charming yet sinister recluse anchors this smart, faith-based thriller. It’s The Exorcist meets Get Out.
13. V/H/S/Beyond (IMDb: 7.6/10 | 90%)
Directed by: Jay Cheel, Justin Long
Starring: Dane DiLiegro, Thom Hallum
This sequel merges cosmic horror with analog nostalgia, keeping the V/H/S franchise fresh and ferocious.
14. The Damned (IMDb: 7.5/10 | 89%)
Directed by: Þórður Pálsson
Starring: Odessa Young (The Staircase), Joe Cole (Gangs of London)
Atmospheric and chilling, The Damned explores isolation, guilt, and the slow decay of sanity — perfect for fans of The Witch and The Lighthouse.
15. The Substance (IMDb: 8.0/10 | 89%)
Directed by: Coralie Fargeat (Revenge)
Starring: Demi Moore, Margaret Qualley
Demi Moore’s shocking performance headlines this feminist body-horror masterpiece about self-image and obsession. It’s as disturbing as it is empowering.
16. Good Boy (IMDb: 7.8/10 | 89%)
Directed by: Ben Leonberg
Starring: Larry Fessenden (The Ranger), Arielle Friedman
A supernatural story with heart, Good Boy combines horror and loyalty into an emotional, eerie experience that hits harder than expected.
17. Bring Her Back (IMDb: 8.2/10 | 89%)
Directed by: Danny & Michael Philippou (Talk to Me)
Starring: Sally Hawkins (The Shape of Water), Billy Barratt
With Sally Hawkins at her most unhinged, this terrifying tale of family and ritual cements the Philippou brothers as modern masters of horror.
18. 28 Years Later (IMDb: 8.4/10 | 88%)
Directed by: Danny Boyle (Trainspotting, 28 Days Later)
Starring: Jodie Comer (Killing Eve), Aaron Taylor-Johnson
Boyle and Garland return to the Rage Virus universe with raw intensity and modern urgency. A perfect blend of dystopia and despair.
19. The Long Walk (IMDb: 7.9/10 | 88%)
Directed by: Francis Lawrence (The Hunger Games)
Starring: Cooper Hoffman, David Jonsson
A gripping adaptation of Stephen King’s early novel. Hoffman delivers a breakout performance as a young man forced to walk until death — both poetic and horrifying.
20. Presence (IMDb: 7.6/10 | 88%)
Directed by: Steven Soderbergh (Contagion)
Starring: Lucy Liu, Julia Fox
A minimalist ghost story with emotional precision. Soderbergh blends subtle terror and human vulnerability, crafting a film that lingers like a cold whisper in the dark.
Horror Is Alive and Evolving
The Best Halloween Movies of 2025 show that horror is no longer confined to clichés — it’s thriving in creativity and character depth. From big-budget spectacles like 28 Years Later to arthouse dread in Oddity and The Devil’s Bath, filmmakers are pushing the genre beyond fear — into emotion, identity, and reflection.
This Halloween, turn down the lights, log into your favorite streaming service, and embrace the dark. Because 2025 proves once again — horror isn’t dying. It’s evolving.
Source: Rotten Tomatoes
