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The most significant surprise the cinema world has encountered in 2025? The return of horror as a leading genre at the British cinemas.

As a style, it has impressively outperformed past times with a 22% year-on-year increase for the UK and Irish box office: £83.7 million in 2025, against £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 box office editor.

The top performers of the year – Weapons (£11.4 million), another hit film (£16.2m), the latest Conjuring installment (£14.98 million) and 28 Years Later (£15.54 million) – have all remained in the cinemas and in the audience's minds.

While much of the industry commentary highlights the standout quality of renowned filmmakers, their triumphs point to something changing between moviegoers and the category.

“I’ve heard people say, ‘Even if you don’t like horror this is a film you need to see,’” states a content buying lead.

“Films like these play with genre and structure to create something completely different, and that speaks to an audience in a different way.”

But apart from creative value, the ongoing appeal of spooky films this year indicates they are giving moviegoers something that’s much needed: emotional release.

“These days, movies echo the prevalent emotions of rage, anxiety, and polarization,” 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,” explains a respected writer of horror film history.

In the context of a current events featuring geopolitical strife, enforcement actions, extremist rises, and ecological disasters, witches, zombies and vengeful spirits strike a unique chord with viewers.

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

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

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

Experts reference the surge of German expressionism after the first world war and the chaotic atmosphere of the early Weimar Republic, with movies such as classic silent horror and the iconic vampire tale.

Subsequently came the 1930s depression and iconic horror characters.

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

“Thus, it mirrors widespread fears about migration.”

The specter of immigration inspired the just-premiered rural fright The Severed Sun.

The creator elaborates: “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.”

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

Arguably, the modern period of praised, culturally aware scary films commenced with a brilliant satire debuted a year after a polarizing administration.

It ushered in a new wave of visionary directors, including various prominent figures.

“Those years were remarkably vibrant,” says a filmmaker whose film about a violent prenatal entity was one of the time's landmark films.

“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: “During the past decade, viewers have become more receptive to such innovative approaches.”

At the same time, there has been a revival of the underrated horror works.

Earlier this year, a nicke l venue opened in the capital, showing obscure movies such as The Greasy Strangler, The Fall of the House of Usher and the late-80s version of Dr Caligari.

The fresh acclaim of this “raw and chaotic” genre is, according to the theater owner, a straightforward answer to the calculated releases churned out at the cinemas.

“This responds to the sterile output from major studios. Today's cinema is safer and more repetitive. Many popular movies feel identical,” 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.”

Horror films continue to disrupt conventions.

“They have this strange ability to seem old fashioned and up to the minute, both at the same time,” notes an expert.

Alongside the return of the insane researcher motif – with multiple versions of a well-known story imminent – he predicts we will see horror films in 2026 and 2027 addressing our present fears: about tech supremacy in the near future and “vampires living in the Trump tower”.

In the interim, a religious-themed scare film The Carpenter’s Son – which narrates the tale of holy family challenges after Jesus’s birth, and stars famous performers as the holy parents – is scheduled to debut soon, and will certainly create waves through the religious conservatives in the US.</