2025 has been a great year for horror movies! We’ve seen some really impressive films, including the new release Black Phone 2. Whether in theaters with movies like Sinners and Together, or on streaming with titles like Night of the Reaper, the genre has delivered. Films like Good Boy show that there’s still plenty of creativity left in horror, which is exciting for fans looking forward to what’s coming next.
While 2025 brought a wave of new horror films, not all of them were successful. Some sequels failed to meet the standards set by previous installments, and others struggled to effectively blend meaningful themes with a gripping story. Despite a lot of pre-release buzz, these films ultimately fell short of expectations.
The Woman in the Yard Leaned Too Heavily on a Metaphor
Ramona, a teacher coping with the death of her husband, finds her family fractured. Their quiet life is disrupted when a mysterious woman, completely cloaked in black, appears on their property. Initially concerned, Ramona soon realizes this stranger is far from harmless. As the day progresses, the woman draws nearer, and strange occurrences lead the family to believe she’s something other than human.
The Woman in the Yard has received positive attention for its moving portrayal of a widow struggling with grief. While seemingly about a mysterious figure haunting a family, the story is actually a powerful exploration of guilt and depression. However, the film focuses so heavily on this metaphorical aspect that it becomes more of a drama about mental health than a genuinely frightening horror movie.
The Strangers: Chapter 2 Forgot What the Franchise Is All About
The new movie, The Strangers: Chapter 1 (2024), retells the story of the original 2008 film: a couple terrorized by three masked killers while staying in a secluded cabin. A key difference is that Maya, unlike the original character Kristen, survives the first attack. The Strangers: Chapter 2 then reveals who the killers are and follows their attempts to finish the job while Maya recovers in the hospital.
Compared to other horror films today, The Strangers: Chapter 2 is fairly standard, relying on predictable jump scares but featuring strong performances, particularly from Madelaine Petsch. The movie’s biggest weakness is its story, which doesn’t build on the original and results in a confusing series of fights and flashbacks. Most disappointingly, the film reveals who is behind the masks, ruining the core of what made The Strangers so frightening – the terror of being attacked by anonymous, motiveless assailants.
Fans and Critics Are Divided on The Conjuring: Last Rites
Set in the mid-1980s, The Conjuring: Last Rites finds Ed and Lorraine Warren retired from investigating paranormal activity due to their age and Ed’s failing health. Their daughter, Judy, has inherited her mother’s psychic gifts but is overwhelmed by frightening visions. When a family is terrorized by a haunted mirror and the spirits connected to it, Judy feels compelled to help, drawing her parents back into one final, terrifying confrontation with demonic forces.
While longtime fans appreciate The Conjuring: The Last Rites as a respectful conclusion to Ed and Lorraine Warren’s story, it doesn’t quite reach the heights of the original 2013 film. Critics acknowledge the film honors the series’ spooky atmosphere, but many found the plot slow and the villain disappointing, ultimately making it an underwhelming finale for a previously impressive horror franchise.
Wolf Man Couldn’t Live Up to the Iconic Monster Movie Classic
In Wolf Man, Blake relocates his wife, Charlotte, and their daughter, Ginger, from the San Francisco Bay Area to his father’s isolated home in Oregon. Hoping to repair their troubled marriage and give his family a fresh start after his father’s unexplained disappearance, Blake wants them to reconnect. But on their first night, a dangerous animal attacks them and follows them home. As Blake starts acting strangely and the creature continues to prowl nearby, Charlotte must find a way to safeguard her daughter from hidden threats.
I recently checked out the new werewolf flick, and while it definitely gained some traction on streaming, it just didn’t quite hit the mark for me. Compared to the original The Wolf Man from 1941, this one felt a bit slow and the attempt to add a deeper, more emotional layer didn’t really land. Leigh Whannell, who did a fantastic job with his Invisible Man remake, clearly has an eye for talent and atmosphere, but this update to The Wolf Man just didn’t recapture the magic of the classic, and sadly, felt like a missed opportunity.
I Know What You Did Last Summer Wasn’t What Anyone Expected (In the Worst Way)
The new version of I Know What You Did Last Summer follows friends Danica, Ava, Milo, Teddy, and Stevie as they revisit their old hangout spot – a place where they used to watch fireworks. A year ago, while there, Teddy accidentally caused a car accident that resulted in someone’s death, and the friends covered it up. Now, they’re receiving threatening messages – a card that simply says, “I know what you did last summer.” When a masked killer begins targeting them with a hook for a weapon, the friends turn to Julie James and Ray Bronson, two people who survived a similar attack in Southport back in ’97, hoping they can help.
Okay, so I was really hoping the new I Know What You Did Last Summer would be good. As a fan of the original, I was stoked to see Jennifer Love Hewitt and Freddie Prinze Jr. back, even with just a Sarah Michelle Gellar cameo! But honestly, it was a letdown. The new cast had potential, but the movie just didn’t deliver for slasher fans like me. The kills were totally predictable, and the script felt really weak. It tried to recapture the ’90s vibe, but it ended up feeling too familiar and didn’t really do justice to the original film – which is a shame, because I really wanted to like it.
HIM Was an Unexpected Fumble
In the story HIM, Cameron Cade is a talented football player preparing for the NFL draft when a surprise attack leaves him seriously injured, potentially ending his career. Driven to become a professional athlete, Cam accepts an offer from legendary quarterback Isaiah White to train at his secluded estate. But as Cam trains with Isaiah, he becomes worried and unsettled by the strange techniques and behavior he witnesses.
Critics generally considered the movie a disappointment, feeling it didn’t deliver on its potentially powerful themes. However, many fans still appreciated its exploration of the downsides of fame and the pressures faced by professional athletes. While viewers anticipated a similar experience to Jordan Peele’s films like Get Out and Us, it’s important to note he was only a producer on this project, and his name was used in marketing to leverage his previous successes. Ultimately, the movie didn’t meet expectations, and it remains to be seen whether it will be remembered as a failure or a hidden treasure. Marlon Wayans and Tyriq Withers both received well-deserved praise for their performances.
Read More
- AWS crash causes $2,000 Smart Beds to overheat and get stuck upright
- Gold Rate Forecast
- Brent Oil Forecast
- When will Absolum have crossplay? It might take a while, but It’s on the horizon
- Battlefield 6 devs respond to Portal XP farms using up all the servers
- Katanire’s Yae Miko Cosplay: Genshin Impact Masterpiece
- Shape of Dreams Best Builds Guide – Aurena, Shell, Bismuth & Nachia
- Does Escape from Duckov have controller support? Here’s the full breakdown
- Actors Who Voiced the Most Disney Characters
- Silver Rate Forecast
2025-10-23 03:40