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The biggest shock the movie business has encountered in 2025? The return of horror as a dominant force at the UK box office.

As a genre, it has impressively exceeded earlier periods with a annual growth of 22% for the UK and Ireland film earnings: £83.7 million in 2025, versus £68 million the previous year.

“In the past year, not a single horror movie hit £10 million in UK or Irish theaters. Now, five have achieved that,” notes a cinema revenue expert.

The big hits of the year – a recent horror title (£11.4m), Sinners (£16.2 million), the latest Conjuring installment (£14.98m) and the sequel to a classic (£15.54m) – have all remained in the theaters and in the popular awareness.

While much of the professional discussion centers on the unique excellence of certain directors, their achievements indicate something changing between moviegoers and the category.

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

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

But outside of aesthetic quality, the steady demand of frightening features this year indicates they are giving moviegoers something that’s much needed: therapeutic relief.

“These days, movies echo the prevalent emotions of rage, anxiety, and polarization,” notes a film commentator.

“Scary movies excel at tapping into viewers' fears, amplifying them, allowing you to set aside daily worries and concentrate on the on-screen terror,” says a noted author of classic monster stories.

In the context of a global headlines featuring war, border tensions, far-right movements, and environmental crises, supernatural beings and undead creatures strike a unique chord with audiences.

“It’s been noted that vampire cinema thrives during periods of economic hardship,” says an performer from a recent horror hit.

“It’s the idea that capitalism sucks the life out of people.”

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

Analysts highlight the boom of German expressionism after the first world war and the unstable environment of the post-war Germany, with films such as classic silent horror and Nosferatu: A Symphony of Horror.

This was followed by the Great Depression era and classic monster movies.

“Consider the Dracula narrative: an outsider from the east brings a corrupting influence that permeates society and challenges its heroes,” notes a historian.

“Therefore, it embodies concerns related to foreign influx.”

The boogeyman of migration shaped the recently released folk horror The Severed Sun.

The filmmaker 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 modern period of praised, culturally aware scary films started with a sharp parody debuted a year after a divisive leadership period.

It sparked a new wave of visionary directors, including several notable names.

“Those years were remarkably vibrant,” recalls a director whose film about a murderous foetus was one of the period's key works.

“I believe it initiated a trend toward eccentric, high-concept horror that aimed for artistic recognition.”

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

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

In recent months, a new cinema opened in a major city, showing obscure movies such as a quirky horror title, a classic adaptation and the modern reinterpretation of Dr Caligari.

The renewed interest of this “raw and chaotic” genre is, according to the theater owner, a direct reaction to the algorithmic content 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 disrupt conventions.

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

In addition to the re-emergence of the deranged genius archetype – with several renditions of a classic novel on the horizon – he predicts we will see scary movies in 2026 and 2027 reacting to our modern concerns: about artificial intelligence control in the coming decades and “supernatural elements in political spheres”.

In the interim, a biblical fright story The Carpenter’s Son – which tells the story of holy family challenges after Jesus’s birth, and includes celebrated stars as the holy parents – is planned for launch later this year, and will definitely cause a stir through the faith-based groups in the US.</