And who says there are no good movies coming out these days? For the last couple of years, my Best Viewings of the year have mainly been recent releases, most from that current year. And 2025 was no different. There are 2 from the ’60s, 1 from 2023, 1 from 2024, and the rest from 2025. That tells me a couple of things. That either in past years, I was busy playing catch up with a lot of older great titles that I had never seen before, or that there are some still people out there busting their ass to make some original and entertaining horror films.
I didn’t think I was going to make it, but I set a new personal record for me, barely, but still did it. I manage to knock out 447 films this year, with 209 being new viewings. It sometimes amazes me how many I actually get through each year, but honestly, there are some nights when I can get through 3 movies with no problem. It really has to do with the love of cinema.
One good thing about this time of year is that everyone seems to have their Top Ten, or some other kind of list of their favorites from the last year. That means you get to see what films really hit home with other fans, maybe seeing a title or two in there you either miss or never even heard of. Start jotting down those titles because it’s always a good way to have a nice Need-to-See list to start off the year with!
Below is the top ten from my viewings this year, as well as some special shout-outs at the end. They are in alphabetical order, as usual. Enjoy!
The Bride from Hades aka Peony Lantern (1968) – From director Satsuo Yamamoto, a tale of a man willing to go against his family’s wishes and do what he feels is right. But he makes the mistake of falling in love with a young woman, who happens to be a ghost, who slowly drains away his life. But does he care? It’s very different than the usual fare of ghosts out for revenge story that is used quite a bit in Japanese horror cinema.
Not only does this have a tragic tale of love and longing, but the special effects, both in make-up and visuals were so well done, that I was amazed they were from a film made almost six decades ago. This was released on that first Dai Gothic set, which I would obviously highly recommend, for this movie as the other two in the set.
Bring Her Back (2025) – There’s not too many movies that can make me squirm these days. This one did. And more. Not only did it have a very original story, but it was also portrayed extremely well with some incredible performances, especially by the young cast. Not diminishing Sally Hawkins’ role, because she did the very difficult job in playing the antagonist but still making you understand why she’s doing what she is. But a big shout out to Jonah Wren Phillips, the one on the poster, that really stands out here, with very, very little dialogue but saying so much more with such an amazing physical performance. And kudos out to Sora Wong, for being her first movie, and killing her performance as a young girl who suffers from the same optical issue that her character does!
From the twisted brothers who gave us Talk to Me (2022), Danny and Michael Philippou, they wrote and directed this very dark tale about grief and how some people deal with it on many different levels. There were more than a few times this film made me squirm in my chair, almost making me turn away. This is definitely my favorite of the year. Very powerful, terrifying, and still very moving.
Marshmallow (2025) – I first became aware of director Daniel DelPurgatorio from this 2012 short film Other, which is pretty amazing. When I heard news of this one, his first feature film, I was interested to see what he could do with something longer. Now the funny thing about this movie is you have to put in the time to keep watching it. Because there is going to be a couple of times where you will stop and think “oh man… really? I’ve seen this storyline many times before.” And then it turns left. And then left again. So do yourself a favor, sit tight and keep watching.
The story is about a young boy named Morgan, played by Kue Lawrence, who is going to summer camp and isn’t too happy about it. We know right from the beginning that he doesn’t have an easy time fitting in with other kids and is pretty worried about going. He also has an extreme fear of the water, due to a previous incident where he almost drowned, which is going to make being at a summer camp even more awkward and difficult.
Once he gets to the camp, he does make a couple of new friends, other misfits just like him. But at the campfire at night, the counselors give one to those usual tales to scare the kids, about a mad scientist on the loose in the area that is experimenting on little kids. And then that night, young Morgan sees something outside the camp to make him believe that scary story around the campfire was more than just something to scare the kids. Will others believe him, or will they think he’s just trying to frighten the other kids. But as you’ll discover, many things are not as they seem.
The Monster of London City (1964) – Earlier in the year, I got on a huge kick for the German krimi sub-genre, sort of a second cousin to the Italian giallo, but all based on the stories from Edgar Wallace or his son, Bryan Edgar Wallace. So, I was knocking out quite a few of them. While most krimis came from the Rialto studio, there was another one called Central Cinema Company, better known simply as CCC. A box set of some of that companies’ films came out in 2025, and this particular film was one of them.
The story is about a series of murders taking place in London at the same time there is a popular stage play running about a sort of Jack the Ripper type, where the murders are very similar to the ones really happening. Of course, the main actor, is being seriously considered as the real-life killer. One of the things that you’ll immediately notice, which is what really got me about this one, is the way it was shot. There are some incredible sequences, or camera set ups where they were going out of their way to make it look amazing. Shooting through a streetwalker’s legs as a mysterious figure approaches her, to the black cloaked killer, with the giallo style white covered face and black hat, it makes an impact.
If you’re not familiar with the krimi, I would highly recommend this one being a great place to start. But then don’t blame me when you go down the same path it did and go a little overboard!
The Rule of Jenny Pen (2024) – I’ve been a huge fan of John Lithgow since The World According to Garp (1982), which we had at the theater I worked at. Then follow that up with his bit in The Twilight Zone: The Movie (1983), and of course as the one-and-only Lord John Whorfin in The Adventures of Buckaroo Banzai Across the 8th Dimension (1984), it showed me his range and this talent. From Brian DePalma’s Blow Out (1981) and his stint on the show Dexter, I knew he could play a really good bad guy. Then add in Geoffrey Rush as his co-star and I figured at least with those two, the film had to be pretty decent. But what I didn’t expect is just how creepy and downright terrifying he could be, as well as how sad and depressing the story was!
Rush plays a judge that has a stroke, which puts him in a facility to recover. While he thinks he’s in there only temporarily, there are several other patients there that keep waiting for their family to pick them up, not realizing it’s been years since they got dropped off. But to make it worse for Rush, Lithgow plays the deranged Dave who has a hand puppet named Jenny Pen, that during the night he secretly tortures the residents there with. The helplessness of these poor people to have to deal with it, while nobody believes them because not only is there no proof, but the staff just assumes the older patients are just imagining it and/or have started to lose their mental faculties. Again, very sad.
But don’t worry, when Lithgow comes on screen, he is damn terrifying, so this is definitely a horror film. Rush tries to figure out how to fight this psychopath, who will believe him enough to help, and who will come out on top?
Sinners (2025) – There was a lot of hype on this film, and I really wanted to go see it in the theater, but just never made it. All I knew about it was that it had vampires in it, so I was in. What I didn’t realize was how similar it was to From Dusk Till Dawn (1996), but not only did I think this version of it was actually good, it is still a very different movie. This movie has so much depth and meanings in it, but it doesn’t fall so heavy on them that the film doesn’t work as a straight up vampire movie.
Director Ryan Coogler gives us a film about two twin brothers, the south, the blues, loss, and love. Music is a very big part of this film, and if you are a blues lover, then it will really connect with you. But it is the characters that you follow throughout the story, from the two brothers, both played by Michael B. Jordon, to newcomer Miles Caton, to even the minor characters, we all feel their hopes and dreams, as well as the daily struggles. A special shoutout to Caton, who not only really performs the music you hear, but has an incredible voice. It’s amazing that this was his first picture.
There are a lot of traditions in this film, from the kind of vampires to the music, and everything in between. This one got a lot of hype when it came out, and I think it was well deserved.
Strange Darling (2023) – I had tried to get this watched by the end of 2024 but just didn’t get to it. So, I knocked it off early in 2025 and here we are… it made my Best Viewing list. One of my favorite parts of this is how writer/director JT Mollner sets up the viewer with what we think we know and then continues to show that our perception is off. When the two main characters are named “The Lady” and “The Demon”, it’s pretty easy to follow the path you’re sent down. Very crafty there, Mr. Mollner!
The film opens up with a woman being chased by a guy, who is seemingly trying to kill her. But once again, like Marshmallow, just sit tight because what you think you’re seeing isn’t necessarily what is really happening. It’s a well written and very smart script, that is one that will have you sitting up a couple of times thinking “Wait…what?” Well worth your time if you missed it.
The Ugly Stepsister (2025) – This is a very different take on the Cinderella story from Norwegian writer/director Emilie Blichfeldt, making this her first feature film. This is not the same story from Disney, nor the countless other variations over the decades. I have to admit, there were parts of this film that were hard to watch, only because of what we see some women doing to their bodies to make themselves “beautiful”. Lea Myren does an outstanding job as the young Agness that wants nothing more than to marry Prince Charming, putting herself through hideous procedures to “fix her”.
At face value, it might not seem like a horror film, but there are definitely some horrific moments, enough to make you squirm, as well as a very dark tale behind the age-old story of Cinderella, and what some will do to themselves and their bodies, all for something they think they have to have. If anything, I feel that is the strongest point the story is trying to make. Because as it is shown here, sometimes after all that work, sometimes it just didn’t matter.
Vicious (2025) – Writer/director Bryan Bertino’s follow-up to his 2020 film The Dark and the Wicked. And wow, did he knock it out of the park again! This was a very recent viewing after I had already had my top ten films picked out, that I had to re-adjust to make sure this one is in there. Bertino is definitely one director to keep an eye out, since he has a pretty good track record delivering very emotionally impactful, and damn scary films.
Dakota Fanning plays Polly, a young woman who seems to be at a crossroads, very confused at what she’s doing with her life. One night before a big job interview, there is a knock at the door. It is an older lady who seems very confused, almost lost. It’s cold and snowing outside, so Polly does the nice thing and tells her to come in while she can figure out how to help her. But then the lady tells her she is going to die tonight and sets a wooden box on the table in front of her. And that’s all I’m going to say about the plot.
The old lady is played by Kathryn Hunter and while she’s not in the movie a lot, she gives a stunning performance. Fanning is onscreen pretty much the entire movie, so it really rests on her shoulders, and she also does a fantastic job. Again, like a few of our movies in our top picks of the year, there are a few moments that will make you squirm in your chair. But what I love the most is a pretty original story, that doesn’t explain every single thing in its mythology. Sure, there are nods to a few other films, but it is executed really well and has you guessing what is actually going to happen next. I knew right away when the movie was over that it had to be on my list of Best Viewings. And here we are.
Weapons (2025) – This was another one that got a lot of attention when it hit theaters, but I didn’t see it until it hit the streaming services. This also seemed to divide a lot of fans, either loving it, hating it, or just not caring for the ending. I also went into this with no nothing about the story, so that was nice going in fresh.
An entire class, except one child, all disappear into the night at the same time, without any clues. In trying to find answers, the town starts to question whether the teacher of the class had something to do with it, who is as freaked out by the whole thing as everyone else, but it doesn’t stop that mob mentality from increasing and demanding answers. Julie Garner plays the teacher, who wants answers too, even going a little too far in trying to get them.
Directed by Zach Cregger, who had given us Barbarian (2020), has once again given us a pretty original and often times terrifying story. There are some gory parts for the gorehounds, and plenty of nightmare inducing sequences. A good part of that terror is because of the incredible performance by Amy Madigan who shows up later in the film. She has created a character that will live on for many, many years in the genre.
Shout-Outs for 2025 Viewings
These are the ones that didn’t quite make it into the Top Ten spot but were good enough that I wanted to make sure you added it to your Need-to-See list if you haven’t. So many great films this year.
Frankenstein (2025) – I had been waiting for del Toro to make this film ever since I can remember him mentioning it. I went to see it in the theater because I wanted that experience, since I figured it would be rather cinematic, as well as showing support. And it was. Obviously, this is del Toro’s Frankenstein, not Shelley’s, which is fine. A few changes in the story had me scratching my head, but as I said, it is his version. No matter the changes, I do feel that he still kept the heart of the novel. It does look gorgeous, with the different designs and sets, and locations, a real feast for the eyes. On a second viewing, watching it without the judgement I had originally, there is so much depth in the story that I missed the first time. It really does have the essence of tragedy and a very moral tale on how to treat people. So, if you haven’t seen it yet, make sure you go into it with an open mind, without any expectations of how the story should or shouldn’t go. And if you have already seen it, watch it again. So much in there to be amazed by.
Heart Eyes (2025) – This one really surprised me at how entertaining it was. For a modern-day slasher, I wasn’t expecting to like it, but it was pretty fun, sort of original, and had some great kills in it. Definitely worth seeing.
The Long Walk (2025) – I did not like how they changed the ending from the book. At all. But I did like the positive view of life that Peter had. I do think that it was well adapted for a film made today from a book that came out in 1979. Maybe with all that’s going on in the world, it was the perfect time for that kind of story. If you’d never read the original story, maybe your take will be a little different, but I still think it was worth seeing.
Monster Island (2024) – Stumbled across this one on Prime, mainly because it had a Creature from the Black Lagoon type monster on it and figured it would be cheesy as hell. Turns out it was pretty well done. Great creature design which really makes the movie. But it is an old story where two opposing soldiers from WWII get trapped on an island where this creature lives. They don’t speak the same language and don’t trust each other but must work together against this monster that is hunting them. Again, nothing new, but interesting enough to see. Plus, again, the creature is worth seeing alone.
The Red House (1947) – The oldest film in my recommendation list this year. I had known about this for quite some time but never got around to seeing it. Borderline horror, but enough that I’m including it. Plus, it has some great performances, especially by Edward G. Robinson.
Together (2025) – Heard a lot of things about this one but just finally got around to it near the end of December. And it didn’t disappoint, to the point where it almost made its way into my Top Ten. With a strong Cronenberg feel to it, it still comes up with a very original concept and stunning performances by real life husband and wife, Dave Franco and Alison Brie. There are a few moments that will make you squirm, which seemed to be a theme this year. But I loved the story where more things are hinted at then having everything explained. The first feature film from writer/director Michael Shanks is well worth watching.
Trouble Every Day (2001) – This has also been on my “need-to-see” list for quite some time and I finally checked that box. But damn. For a film that is more bloody than gory, it is what you’re not actually seeing that really made this one a tough watch. It’s a very dark tale of cannibalism but not in a way you’d think. Not over the top or gory as if it was from Italy in the ’80s, but it’s what you know is happening but are not seeing it that makes it powerful. Strong performances, but man… it will hit you like a ton of bricks.
Wolfkin (2022) – I liked this French tale because it was a very different take on the werewolf mythology and I love when someone comes up with something like that. You think you know where the story is going but it goes into somewhere I wasn’t expecting. Really well done.
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