🔗 Share this article

The biggest shock the movie business has encountered in 2025? The resurgence of horror as a main player at the UK film market.

As a category, it has impressively outperformed previous years with a 22% rise compared to last year for the British and Irish cinemas: over £83 million this year, against £68 million the previous year.

“Previously, zero horror films made £10 million in the UK or Ireland. Currently, five have surpassed that mark,” says a film industry analyst.

The big hits of the year – Weapons (£11.4 million), another hit film (£16.2 million), The Conjuring Last Rites (£14.98 million) and the sequel to a classic (£15.54m) – have all remained in the multiplexes and in the audience's minds.

While much of the professional discussion focuses on the singular brilliance of certain directors, their triumphs indicate something shifting between viewers and the category.

“Viewers often remark, ‘This is a must-see regardless of your genre preferences,’” says a head of acquisition.

“These productions twist traditional elements to craft unique experiences, resonating deeply with modern audiences.”

But beyond artistic merit, the steady demand of horror movies this year suggests they are giving cinemagoers something that’s greatly desired: emotional release.

“Currently, cinema mirrors the widespread anger, fear, and societal splits,” says a horror podcast host.

“Horror films are great at playing into people’s anxieties, while at the same time exaggerating them. So you forget about your day-to-day anxieties and focus on the monster on the screen,” says a noted author of horror film history.

Against a real-world news cycle featuring war, border tensions, far-right movements, and environmental crises, supernatural beings and undead creatures resonate a bit differently with viewers.

“I read somewhere that the success of vampire movies is linked to economically depressed times,” says an performer from a recent horror hit.

“The concept reflects how economic systems can drain vitality from individuals.”

Since the early days of cinema, social unrest has influenced the genre.

Analysts reference the boom of early cinematic styles after the the Great War and the turbulent times of the 1920s Europe, with films such as The Cabinet of Dr Caligari and the iconic vampire tale.

Subsequently came the 1930s depression and classic monster movies.

“Take Dracula: it depicts an Eastern European figure invading Britain, spreading a metaphorical infection that endangers local protagonists,” says a commentator.

“So it reflects a lot of anxieties around immigration.”

The specter of border issues inspired the newly launched supernatural tale The Severed Sun.

The creator explains: “My goal was to examine populist trends. For instance, nostalgic phrases promising a return to a 'better' era that excluded many.”

“Secondly, the idea that you could be with someone you know and then suddenly they blurt out something round the dinner table or in a Facebook post and you’re like, ‘Where did that come from?’”

Maybe, the present time of celebrated, politically engaged fright cinema started with a clever critique debuted a year after a polarizing administration.

It introduced a new wave of innovative filmmakers, including various prominent figures.

“Those years were remarkably vibrant,” comments a creator whose project about a violent prenatal entity was one of the period's key works.

“In my view, it marked the start of a phase where filmmakers embraced wildly creative horror with artistic ambitions.”

The director, currently developing another scary story, continues: “Over 10 years, audiences’ minds have been opening up to much more of that.”

At the same time, there has been a revival of the overlooked scary films.

Recently, a independent theater opened in the capital, showing cult classics such as The Greasy Strangler, a classic adaptation and the late-80s version of Dr Caligari.

The fresh acclaim of this “rough and rowdy” genre is, according to the cinema founder, a direct reaction to the algorithmic content produced at the theaters.

“It counters the polished content from big producers. The industry has become blander and more foreseeable. Numerous blockbusters share the same traits,” he explains.

“Conversely, [such movies] appear raw. As if they emerged straight from the artist's mind, untouched by studio control.”

Scary movies continue to challenge the norm.

“These movies uniquely blend vintage vibes with contemporary relevance,” notes an expert.

In addition to the revival of the deranged genius archetype – with two adaptations of a classic novel upcoming – he anticipates we will see horror films in the coming years addressing our present fears: about AI’s dominance in the coming decades and “vampires living in the Trump tower”.

Meanwhile, a biblical fright story The Carpenter’s Son – which narrates the tale of Mary and Joseph’s struggles after the nativity, and stars famous performers as the holy parents – is set for release soon, and will definitely send a ripple through the Christian right in the United States.</