Emily von Seele’s Favorites of 2025

Writing this at the end of the year (as one does with year-end lists), and while 2025 has largely been pretty sucky, it has been pretty damn good when it comes to horror. So many amazing films have been released this year. Some of them even dominated the box office and were subjected to outsiders once again asking the question, “Is horror back?” As if it could possibly have gone anywhere.

You and I know that horror is always part of the conversation. You just need to know where to look. And this year, there were box office sensations and indie gems that proved once again that horror is king.

Here are some of my favorites:

Sinners

This is probably my favorite film of the year. Ryan Coogler created a tale that is rich in style and culture. At surface level, it's a fantastic vampire story. Really fun, a little scary, and vicious when it needs to be. It is also a profoundly beautiful statement on the American experience and the many truths that get buried by the way we whitewash our history. The moment where the characters connect with the past through song and dance was one of the most profound experiences I have had in a theater in a long time. Stunning film.

28 Years Later

This film was a really welcome surprise. On the one hand, I’m always down to see what Alex Garland and Danny Boyle come up with. But on the other hand, I was a bit worried that we had already told every story there was to tell in this universe. Happily, I was wrong there. Seeing how this world has changed since the infection first ravaged England is just part of what makes this story so interesting. The rest lies in the rich characters and beautiful themes that populate it. 

Two Osgood Perkins flicks! 

The Monkey and Keeper couldn't be more different in story and tone. The first is a major departure from Perkins' prior works and is a loud and zany story about a killer monkey doll that incorporates themes about the inevitability and constant presence of death. The other is a quiet, claustrophobic tale of a woman struggling within the confines of a new relationship and starting to learn that this man truly might not be what he seems. Both are amazing, and together they showcase the range of Perkins' talent as a filmmaker.

King Sorrow 

Joe Hill's ginormous new novel is the best book I have read in a long, long time. A group of college students do a devil's deal with a dragon and spend the rest of their lives dealing with the fallout—some good and some bad. I fell in love with these characters immediately and was hooked with watching them grow and change over the course of the decades that followed. Part horror, part fantasy, it's a fantastic book. 

M3GAN 2.0 

I was so pissed that people slept on this, because it was goddamn fun. Gerard Johnstone returned to deliver a sequel that doesn't hit the same beats as the first, goes in a completely different direction, turns into a sci-fi adventure movie AND is a blast and a half. I had so much fun with this one. If you haven’t seen it yet, do yourself a favor and check it out. It’s not perfect, but it is such a fun ride that it’s easy to forget any of its flaws. 

Weapons 

I loved Barbarian and Zach Cregger returned this year with another story that kept me guessing until the last 10 minutes. It is so exciting to walk into a film knowing very little about the plot and then having no idea where the next turns are going to take you. I was tense, I jumped, I was in complete suspense, and then at the end, I was cackling like a complete psychopath. Bonus points for Amy Madigan’s absolutely unhinged performance.

Frankenstein 

This was my most anticipated film of the year, and Guillermo del Toro didn't let me down (let's be honest, he never has). I finally read Mary Shelley’s masterpiece a few years ago, and it instantly became one of my favorite books in the world. The melancholy, the horror, and the big questions it asks are all present in del Toro's beautiful adaptation, as are a few more. I loved how faithful this film is to the source material, while also including some beautiful touches from del Toro's own heart into the mix. It's just astounding and is brought to life in the colorful, immaculate level of beauty that only Guillermo del Toro can create. 

Jaws Turned 50!

Jaws is my all-time favorite movie. It is cinema at its finest, and this year, it celebrated its 50th birthday. The celebrations, the screenings, the merch—it was a summer-long party for the film that made us all afraid of the ocean. The film that we quote endlessly. The film that, while being a stone-cold classic, is just as beloved today as it was the year it was released. Some films dim with age, but not Jaws. It’s just as bright and beautiful as we all remember. It is still lauded as a classic by cinephiles and occasional moviegoers alike. I think we’ll still be celebrating it in another 50 years. When we’re all old as dirt and can’t walk, and can barely remember who we are, we’ll remember Jaws, and I’ll see you all at the theater and we’ll celebrate 100 together.

Final Destination Bloodlines

The Final Destination series is one of my favorite horror franchises. I’ve always found them to be endlessly entertaining. Their commentary on the inevitability of death is insanely fun when paired up with the Rube Goldberg scenarios that will come for you if you happen to piss off Death and avoid your spot on its list. This latest entry was welcome for two reasons. Number one: it has been too freaking long since we last had a Final Destination movie. Final Destination 5 came out 14 years ago. 14 years!!! Reason number two is that it’s one of the last projects that Tony Todd was able to participate in before his death. Getting to see him as Bludworth one final time made my heart happy. He is only ever on screen for a few minutes in these films, but his presence is gigantic. In this film, we see that Bludworth, like Todd, is sick, and nearing the end of his time on Earth. And he chooses to walk away to make the most of the time that he has left. It was a beautiful moment to experience as a fan, seeing the great actor one more time, and hoping that he was able to do exactly as Bloodworth said. Seeing a giant of cinema take a final bow like that is something we don’t often get, and it was a beautiful way to say goodbye to an absolute legend.

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I’m wrapping up this piece the day after we lost Rob Reiner, and I have to confess: I’m not in the greatest headspace. This year has brought horror after horror (the real-world kind, not the fun ones that live on screen). If you’re like me, you cope by losing yourself in a story. A scary movie or a good book is the best medicine on the days where it feels like the world is too much and we’re just not going to make it as a society. To the artists that bring these stories to life, I am eternally grateful. 

I am so grateful for all of the amazing stories that we have gotten this year, and for the moments that remind me of how amazing this world can be when there is not a dark cloud hovering over everything. And even when there is, there are always little pockets of light. So let’s keep finding them. Find the movies, the books, the stories that shake up your reality, excite you, and show you something new. Because they’re always out there.

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Go here to catch up on all of Daily Dead's Favorites of 2025!