🔗 Share this article

The largest surprise the movie business has experienced in 2025? The comeback of horror as a leading genre at the British cinemas.

As a genre, it has notably surpassed earlier periods with a 22% rise compared to last year for the UK and Ireland film earnings: £83.7 million in 2025, versus £68.6 million last year.

“Last year, no horror film reached £10m at the UK or Irish box office. This year, five films have,” says a cinema revenue expert.

The major successes of the year – Weapons (£11.4 million), another hit film (£16.2 million), the latest Conjuring installment (£14.98 million) and 28 Years Later (£15.54m) – have all remained in the theaters and in the popular awareness.

Although much of the expert analysis focuses on the unique excellence of certain directors, their achievements suggest something evolving between moviegoers and the genre.

“Many have expressed, ‘You should watch this even if horror isn’t your thing,’” says a film distribution executive.

“Such movies experiment with style and format to produce entirely fresh content, connecting with viewers on a new level.”

But outside of creative value, the steady demand of spooky films this year implies they are giving moviegoers something that’s greatly desired: emotional release.

“Right now, there’s a lot of anger, fear and division that’s being reflected in cinema,” observes a genre expert.

“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,” remarks a respected writer of classic monster stories.

Amid a current events featuring geopolitical strife, enforcement actions, extremist rises, and ecological disasters, supernatural beings and undead creatures strike a unique chord with viewers.

“Some research suggests vampire film popularity correlates with financial downturns,” 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 European artistic movements after the WWI and the unstable environment of the post-war Germany, with features such as The Cabinet of Dr Caligari and the iconic vampire tale.

Subsequently came the economic crisis of the 30s and classic monster movies.

“The classic example is Dracula: you get this invasion of Britain by someone from eastern Europe who then causes this infection that gets spread in all sorts of ways and threatens the Anglo-Saxon heroes,” says a historian.

“Thus, it mirrors widespread fears about migration.”

The specter of border issues influenced the newly launched folk horror The Severed Sun.

Its writer-director explains: “I aimed to delve into populist rhetoric. Specifically, calls to restore a mythical past that favored a privileged few.”

“Additionally, the notion that acquaintances might unexpectedly voice extreme views, leaving others shocked.”

Arguably, the modern period of acclaimed, socially switched-on horror began with a brilliant satire launched a year after a divisive leadership period.

It ushered in a fresh generation of visionary directors, including several notable names.

“That period was incredibly stimulating,” comments a creator whose movie about a deadly unborn child was one of the era’s tentpole movies.

“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: “In the last ten years, public taste has evolved to welcome bolder horror concepts.”

Concurrently, there has been a revival of the overlooked scary films.

Earlier this year, a independent theater opened in London, showing underground films such as The Greasy Strangler, The Fall of the House of Usher and the 1989 remake of Dr Caligari.

The re-appreciation of this “gritty and loud” genre is, according to the venue creator, a clear response to the calculated releases pumped out at the cinemas.

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

“In contrast [these alternative films] are a bit broken. It’s like they’ve erupted out of someone’s subconscious and been planted out there without corporate interference.”

Fright flicks continue to upset the establishment.

“Horror possesses a dual nature, feeling both classic and current simultaneously,” observes an expert.

Alongside the return of the mad scientist trope – with two adaptations of a classic novel imminent – he anticipates we will see fright features in 2026 and 2027 addressing our present fears: about tech supremacy in the coming decades and “supernatural elements in political spheres”.

In the interim, a biblical fright story The Carpenter’s Son – which depicts the events of holy family challenges after Jesus’s birth, and includes famous performers as the sacred figures – is set for release soon, and will undoubtedly create waves through the religious conservatives in the US.</