In 2025, horror has earned a well-earned place as one of the most popular — and critically acclaimed — genres in cinema. And nobody is demonstrating this shift better than Zach Cregger, whose new film, Weapons, is part of a growing wave of horror flicks outperforming dramas and comedies at the box office by a mile.
Starring Julia Garner as a primary school teacher, the real panic begins when all but one of the students in her class mysteriously disappear on the same night, at exactly the same time. Without giving too much away, you should run, not walk, to your nearest movie theatre to watch it.
But if, like us, you've already devoured Weapons, don't fret. There's plenty more unsettling cinema where that came from. Below, we're rounding up six films like Weapons that prove horror films are a genre to be reckoned with.
1. Longlegs (2024)
One of the most disturbing horror films of the decade, Longlegs stars Maika Monroe and Nicolas Cage, Longlegs follows an FBI agent in the 1990s who is tasked with finding the serial killer responsible for murdering several families in Oregon. There are elements of occult horror, and as with all good horrors, what the film suggests is a lot scarier than what's actually shown.
2. Talk To Me (2024)
Starring our very own Sophie Wilde and backed by A24, Talk To Me charts a group of friends who discover a way to communicate with spirits and, inevitably, take it too far. Without saying too much, some incredibly scary supernatural forces are unleashed.
3. Bring Her Back (2025)
After the death of their father, siblings Andy and Piper move in with their new foster mother, Laura — only to uncover a disturbing truth: Laura is obsessed with resurrecting her dead daughter, and the siblings are soon caught in the middle of a terrifying occult ritual. Grief, possession and dark family secrets collide in this tense supernatural horror, also from the directors of Talk to Me.
4. Hereditary (2018)
After the death of her mother, Annie and her family begin to unravel — haunted by grief, trauma, and a horrifying truth about their family's legacy that slowly begins to unfold. Hereditary blends the psychological with the supernatural — and the film is anchored by an incredible performance by Toni Collette.
5. Together (2025)
Another new addition to the horror canon, Together stars real-life couple Alison Brie and Dave Franco. When they decide to leave everything behind and move to the countryside, they find themselves entranced by a mysterious force that slowly (and horrifically) begins to alter their bodies. This is body horror at its best.
6. Heretic (2024)
Heretic is about two sister missionaries who find themselves trapped when they knock on the door of Mr. Reed (played by Hugh Grant). What begins as a routine visit quickly turns into a nightmare when Reed kidnaps them, forcing the sisters to confront their faith, and fight for survival in a chilling battle against their captor.
