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The biggest surprise the film industry has witnessed in 2025? The return of horror as a leading genre at the UK film market.

As a genre, it has remarkably exceeded earlier periods with a 22% rise compared to last year for the British and Irish cinemas: over £83 million this year, compared with £68.6 million last year.

“In the past year, not a single horror movie hit £10 million in UK or Irish theaters. Now, five have achieved that,” says a film industry analyst.

The top performers 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 hung about in the cinemas and in the popular awareness.

Even though much of the industry commentary focuses on the unique excellence of certain directors, their achievements suggest something shifting between viewers and the category.

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

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

But outside of artistic merit, the steady demand of frightening features this year indicates they are giving cinemagoers something that’s highly necessary: therapeutic relief.

“Right now, there’s a lot of anger, fear and division that’s being reflected in cinema,” observes 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,” remarks a respected writer of vampire and monster cinema.

Against a current events featuring geopolitical strife, enforcement actions, extremist rises, and ecological disasters, witches, zombies and vengeful spirits resonate a bit differently with audiences.

“I read somewhere that the success of vampire movies is linked to economically depressed times,” comments an actress from a popular scary movie.

“This symbolizes the way modern economies can exhaust human spirit.”

From film's inception, societal turmoil has shaped horror.

Experts highlight the rise of German expressionism after the first world war and the turbulent times of the 1920s Europe, with films such as early expressionist works and Nosferatu: A Symphony of Horror.

Subsequently came the economic crisis of the 30s and iconic horror characters.

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

“Thus, it mirrors widespread fears about migration.”

The boogeyman of border issues influenced the recently released supernatural tale The Severed Sun.

Its writer-director explains: “I wanted to explore ideas around the rise of populism. Firstly, slogans like ‘Let’s Make Britain Great Again’, that harken back to some fantasy time when things were ‘better’, but only if you were a rich white man.”

“Also, the concept of familiar individuals revealing surprising prejudices in casual settings.”

Arguably, the current era of praised, culturally aware scary films commenced with a clever critique launched a year after a divisive leadership period.

It ushered in a recent surge of innovative filmmakers, including several notable names.

“That period was incredibly stimulating,” says a creator whose movie about a murderous foetus 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.”

This creator, now penning a fresh horror script, notes: “During the past decade, viewers have become more receptive to such innovative approaches.”

Concurrently, there has been a revival of the underrated horror works.

Recently, a nicke l venue opened in London, showing cult classics such as The Greasy Strangler, The Fall of the House of Usher and the modern reinterpretation of the expressionist icon.

The fresh acclaim of this “gritty and loud” genre is, according to the cinema founder, a straightforward answer to the calculated releases pumped out at the box office.

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

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

Fright flicks continue to upset the establishment.

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

Besides the re-emergence of the insane researcher motif – with two adaptations of a classic novel on the horizon – he anticipates we will see scary movies in the near future addressing our modern concerns: about tech supremacy in the near future and “supernatural elements in political spheres”.

At the same time, a biblical fright story a forthcoming title – which narrates the tale of holy family challenges after the nativity, and includes well-known actors as the sacred figures – is planned for launch soon, and will definitely create waves through the faith-based groups in the US.</