By Dominic DiIorio

Staff Writer

For years, the horror genre has been a largely forgotten one. Award ceremonies have rarely acknowledged horror films for much of their existence.

However, there has now been a resurgence.

Just this year alone, we have gotten an array of diverse horror movies that are more fun, experimental, bold, and relevant than they have ever been before. The genre is finally earning recognition and respect for many reasons. One major reason is the rise of new movie companies like A24 and Neon, which have given many first-time directors opportunities to express themselves through an original lens, backed by a proper budget.

YouTuber and movie reviewer Chris Stuckmann achieved his dream of making a horror movie after a successful Kickstarter campaign raised over $1.3 million in 2022. Its success led to a distribution deal with Neon for his project, “Shelby Oaks,” set for release on Oct. 24, 2025.

“This is honestly everything that I have been working for since I was 14 years old and decided that I wanted to make movies,” Stuckmann said in a YouTube video.

This dream has happened for many other directors and writers, new and old, who wanted to express themselves creatively in a way that was theirs and free from studio intervention.

We have also gotten movies like “Sinners” this year, directed by Ryan Coogler, which has gained a whopping $367 million worldwide. It is a movie that touches on deep themes of racism and culture while also being a horror thrill ride that clearly resonated with audiences. It is proof that originality in horror is thriving and wanted.

Other examples from this year include “Bring Her Back,” “Together,” and “Weapons,” all from directors relatively new to the genre who proved to be successful.

For example, Zach Cregger, director of “Weapons,” made his debut with “Barbarian.” The film took a risk but earned enough recognition to greenlight his next movie. “Weapons” received global praise with a worldwide box office of $264 million, finally giving him the attention he deserved.

“It doesn’t feel real … look, it feels great,” Cregger stated in Fangoria. “I don’t know how else to describe it. … I couldn’t be more happy with how ‘Weapons’ has turned out. I’m so proud of it.”

The common thread with all these films is how unafraid they are of not playing it safe. Filmmakers are finally trusting audiences with films that are ambiguous, narratively unique, mix genres, and rely on atmosphere rather than jump scares.

None of the examples listed above play it safe. They yearn for risk and earn the interest of not only regular moviegoers but also those who usually avoid the genre, and it is showing.

“One of the things I always tell the filmmakers is, if you pull out the genre parts, does the movie stand on its own as a great dramatic story?” Jason Blum, CEO of Blumhouse Productions, stated in Filmmaker Magazine. “Most horror movies don’t, but I like to think that our movies do. … I think that’s one of the reasons the audience responds to our movies – they feel different.”

The genre is taking risks, treating horror as art rather than following basic plot points for easy marketability and entertainment. If this renaissance for horror films continues, we may be looking back at 2025 as the year that started a new golden age for an overlooked genre.