# My Top 10 Horror Movies of 2025! | Spookyastronauts
**Channel:** spookyastronauts
**URL:** https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RopcHHFlysY
**Date processed:** 2026-01-31
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## Summary
An Australian horror YouTuber presents their personal top 10 horror films of 2025, emphasizing that the list reflects individual taste rather than consensus rankings (one film is under 5/10 on IMDb). The host explicitly excludes thrillers like *Beonia* and *The Plague*, and notes that festival films not yet in wide release (like *Obsession*, which they rated 10/10) are excluded for fair comparison.
The list spans diverse horror subgenres—comedy horror, folk horror, body horror, dystopian thriller, supernatural period drama—with a recurring appreciation for atmospheric filmmaking, complex character development, and films that use horror as a vehicle for deeper emotional or philosophical themes. The host repeatedly praises films that take risks with structure and tone, don't explain themselves fully, and deliver gut-punch endings.
Notable throughout is the emphasis on cinema as experience: the host celebrates seeing films like *Frankenstein* and *Sinners* on the big screen, and discusses how timing and expectations shaped their reception of each film.
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## Key Points
- **Personal taste matters**: List includes a film rated 4.7 on IMDb (*Rabbit Trap*) that the host gave 8/10—demonstrates divergence from consensus
- **Horror as vehicle**: Best horror uses genre tropes to explore grief, trauma, identity, and social critique in "twisted" ways
- **Atmosphere over explanation**: Several top picks (*Rabbit Trap*, *Best Wishes to All*, *Weapons*) praised for not fully explaining themselves
- **Genre-blending praised**: Films that resist easy categorization (*Sinners*, *Companion*) ranked highly
- **Slow-burn appreciation**: Host values films that take time with character/world-building before horror payoff (*Sinners*, *The Long Walk*)
- **Dark fairy tales/folklore**: Recurring interest in reimagined folk stories (*Rabbit Trap*, *Frankenstein*, *The Ugly Stepsister*)
- **Cinema experience valued**: Multiple mentions of how theatrical viewing enhanced the experience
- **Body horror + emotion**: Best body horror combines visceral elements with genuine emotional stakes (*Brer Back*, *The Ugly Stepsister*)
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## Detailed Notes
### The Top 10 List
| Rank | Film | Subgenre | Key Praise |
| ---- | --------------------- | ------------------------- | ----------------------------------------------------------------- |
| 10 | *Dead Talent Society* | Taiwan comedy horror | Fast-paced, out-of-the-box, great background details |
| 9 | *Best Wishes to All* | Japanese folk horror | Philosophical, uncomfortable tension, beautiful framing |
| 8 | *Rabbit Trap* | Welsh folk/eco horror | Stunning atmosphere, "felt in my bones," great sound design |
| 7 | *Frankenstein* | Gothic dark fantasy | Del Toro's vision, Jacob Elordi's performance, emotional ending |
| 6 | *The Long Walk* | Dystopian psychological | Stephen King adaptation, soulful characters, jarring moral weight |
| 5 | *Companion* | Comedy horror/thriller | Sophie Thatcher, rewatchable, balances comedy and horror |
| 4 | *Brer Back* | Body/psychological horror | Philippou brothers, cult elements, devastating emotional core |
| 3 | *The Ugly Stepsister* | Norwegian body horror | Stunning set design, dark fairy tale, gut-punch ending |
| 2 | *Sinners* | Period supernatural drama | Ryan Coogler, Michael B. Jordan, epic slow-burn, bloody payoff |
| 1 | *Weapons* | Mystery/psychological | Zack Greger, *Magnolia*-style structure, layered performances |
### Honorable Mentions
- *28 Days Later* (third in the trilogy—host defends it)
- *Final Destination Bloodlines*
- *Dangerous Animals* (Australian shark film)
- *Presence* (interesting approach to ghost genre)
- *Silent Night, Deadly Night*
### Excluded but Noted
- *Obsession* — rated 10/10 but not in wide release until 2026
- *Beonia* and *The Plague* — considered thrillers, not horror
### Recurring Themes in Host's Taste
**Atmosphere > Jump Scares**
Films praised for "sitting under your skin," creating discomfort through framing and tension rather than cheap scares.
**Horror as Emotional Container**
Repeated emphasis on films dealing with grief, trauma, family dysfunction—horror as vehicle for exploring "deepest fears" in both dark and light-hearted ways.
**Anti-Explanation**
Multiple films praised specifically for *not* fully explaining themselves (*Rabbit Trap*, *Weapons*, *Best Wishes to All*).
**Structure and Patience**
Appreciation for films that take time with setup (*Sinners*' slow-burn, *The Long Walk*'s character development, *Weapons*' multi-perspective structure).
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## Connections
*Links to related vault notes will be added here*
- Consider linking to any film notes for these titles
- Horror aesthetics / what makes effective horror
- Del Toro as director
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## My Notes
*Space for your own thoughts, reactions, and connections after watching*
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## Full Transcript
<details>
<summary>Click to expand transcript</summary>
[0:00] Hello friends. It is time for my top 10
[0:02] of 2025. This is horror movies. I will
[0:05] be doing a video very shortly for non
[0:08] horrors. So, make sure you're
[0:10] subscribed. But I'm Do we have to do the
[0:13] disclaimer? Not really. This is my list.
[0:15] You know how it goes. We all have
[0:17] different tastes. That's what makes us
[0:19] all so unique. And this list definitely
[0:22] has films on here that honestly one is
[0:24] under a five out of 10 on IMDb. So
[0:27] really, this is my own list. But also,
[0:29] don't be surprised at my number one or
[0:31] two. I think you already know what it
[0:32] is. Very quickly, I did not put films
[0:35] like Beonia or The Plague on this list.
[0:38] I consider them thrillers, but there are
[0:40] movies on here that some people consider
[0:42] horror. I really did try and keep to the
[0:44] niche, but again, all the good ones you
[0:47] can't fit in a box. I'm doing my best.
[0:49] Also, these are wide release films. So
[0:51] although I saw Obsession in 2025 and I
[0:55] gave that film a 10 out of 10 if you
[0:57] don't know that film is not out until
[0:59] 2026 for wide release and for the sake
[1:02] of comparing and contrasting it makes
[1:04] sense that I do a hard rule only films
[1:07] that are coming out for wide release for
[1:09] my top 10s. Otherwise I'm putting that
[1:11] against everything this year and last
[1:13] year. So I just need to make those hard
[1:16] rules which are really annoying. But
[1:17] let's get into it. Starting with number
[1:19] 10, which is Dead Talent Society. This
[1:23] is available for you guys to watch in
[1:24] most countries on Netflix, and it
[1:26] follows the underground society in which
[1:29] ghosts want to be remembered, and
[1:31] therefore they aim to become spooky
[1:33] legends. And it's a play on the
[1:35] successful stars of this underworld and
[1:38] how they are famous in their own right.
[1:41] The Taiwan comedy horror is really
[1:43] fast-paced and extremely out of the box.
[1:46] I love how fastm moving the film was,
[1:48] but also there were these intricacies in
[1:51] the background. So although you'll learn
[1:53] about the main character and their
[1:55] haunting journey, you see different
[1:57] glimpses into the world and the motives
[1:59] of different characters, you pick up
[2:01] along the way. And I love that it was
[2:03] really direct in its messaging, but
[2:04] there's so much more to see in the
[2:06] background if you're paying attention.
[2:08] The best thing about horror is it's a
[2:09] vehicle for our deepest fears, and I
[2:11] love seeing something like this tackled
[2:13] in such a light-hearted way. It's doing
[2:15] something that dark horror is doing. You
[2:17] know, horror about grief and trauma, but
[2:19] it's bringing it out in a twisted way
[2:21] that still makes you feel fulfilled, but
[2:24] also walk away feeling something. And I
[2:26] think that's really great if you can do
[2:27] that with some comedy. And it's just a
[2:29] marvel to look at. There's so much going
[2:30] on and it's just a very enjoyable film.
[2:33] I highly recommend it. Next is Best
[2:35] Wishes to All. And I feel like this one
[2:37] is underrated, but also it's very hit
[2:39] and miss. The last film I think most
[2:41] audiences, especially people who like
[2:43] comedy horrors, will love. But Best
[2:45] Wishes to All is a very nuanced film.
[2:49] It's very layered. So, this is a
[2:50] Japanese folk horror film and it's based
[2:52] on a short film about a young woman who
[2:55] goes back to visit her grandparents and
[2:57] upon her arrival to their house, she
[3:00] discovers that something is not quite
[3:01] right. But is this something that she
[3:03] had always lived with and she had just
[3:05] ignored? The movie is very
[3:06] philosophical. It's a self-discovery
[3:08] journey in parts. not only about who she
[3:11] is and where she fits into the world,
[3:12] but how the world truly works. I think
[3:14] that this film is actually quite
[3:16] relatable to a lot of audiences. People
[3:18] going home, returning home for a
[3:20] reunion, for a celebration, for
[3:23] holidays, and realizing something that
[3:25] was right in front of them the whole
[3:26] time and how they operate and fit and
[3:29] move within their own world and society.
[3:31] It's like when you grow up and you
[3:33] realize who your family truly is and how
[3:36] the world sees them. But of course
[3:37] there's a very horrific spin on this
[3:39] one. I don't want to give too many
[3:41] details because again it's a very
[3:43] interesting unraveling. But it is a
[3:45] scary film. But what I would say is it
[3:47] holds the tension in a very
[3:49] uncomfortable way. The framing is
[3:51] beautiful and awkward and it's just one
[3:53] of those creepy movies that stay under
[3:55] your skin. And I really enjoyed it. I
[3:57] had to put this here because I went
[4:00] through and ordered my favorite films of
[4:02] the year and I ordered them by what
[4:04] score I gave them as well. And I gave
[4:06] Rabbit Trap a pretty big score. I gave
[4:08] it an eight out of 10. And this film is
[4:10] sitting at a 4.7 on IMDb, which is
[4:12] insane. Some of you would have heard me
[4:14] talk about it recently in my worst
[4:16] horror movies of the year, where I took
[4:18] a bunch of horror movies that everyone
[4:21] had rated below a five and I ranked
[4:23] them. I just could not believe that this
[4:25] was on the list because I really enjoyed
[4:27] this film. It's so stunning. This is a
[4:30] folk horror set in Wales in the
[4:32] countryside and it's about a married
[4:34] couple who are musicians and they move
[4:36] from London to this cottage and because
[4:38] they're out there working on music and
[4:39] they're sampling sounds they spend a lot
[4:41] of time in the forest and this is quite
[4:42] an eco horror very nature focused and
[4:45] they run into this very strange person
[4:49] who becomes very attached to their
[4:51] family. The movie of course it does
[4:53] delve into trauma and how this person
[4:56] influences their lives and how it
[4:58] changes or impacts their relationship
[5:01] definitely reflects back on past
[5:03] relationships. I think that the film is
[5:05] a lot about the atmosphere for sure and
[5:07] I think that's one of the biggest issues
[5:09] people had with it that it was a lot
[5:11] about the surroundings and it didn't
[5:13] fully explain itself. But it's
[5:15] definitely a film I felt in my bones and
[5:18] I love a little bit of obsession and
[5:20] let's just say the person they meet gets
[5:22] a little bit too attached and I just
[5:25] felt like it itched that scratch for me.
[5:27] I find that quite terrifying but also
[5:29] the surrounding. The sound design of
[5:32] course is fantastic. It has to be in a
[5:34] film about soundsscape and the
[5:36] beautiful, beautiful atmosphere where
[5:38] they are and how they incorporate nature
[5:41] into the house and the setting and the
[5:44] set design. It's it's flawless. It's
[5:46] just a devastating dream. I love dark
[5:50] nursery rhymes or folktales. So, this
[5:52] was really up my alley. Talking about
[5:54] dark stories re-imagined, this time we
[5:57] have Frankenstein and this is Del Toro's
[6:00] version. Oh my god. I had a lot of
[6:03] people really angry about my review on
[6:04] this one because I said I hated the
[6:07] start and a lot of people got really
[6:09] upset about [laughter] that. Uh but I
[6:11] love the rest of it. I just didn't like
[6:13] the opening and that's just my opinion.
[6:15] But what a gem to see this one in the
[6:17] cinema. Of course, there's so much talk
[6:19] right now with Netflix and what they're
[6:21] doing in terms of changing the
[6:24] landscape, the future landscape of film
[6:27] and seeing films in the cinema. and what
[6:29] a joy this was to see in the cinema
[6:30] before it went to Netflix. So, I mean
[6:33] there's that's a whole different
[6:34] conversation, but seeing this on the big
[6:35] screen was a total dream. This of course
[6:38] is considered a monster horror, a dark
[6:40] fantasy, and I think that the cast had a
[6:44] lot to do with that. Jacob Alli, Mia
[6:46] Goth, and Oscar Isaac playing
[6:48] Frankenstein himself. But Jacob Allorti,
[6:51] he's just so good in this film. So
[6:54] fantastic. Mia Goth. She you know
[6:57] exactly how she's going to play it and
[6:58] she does play it very well. She's very
[7:00] soft. But I just love Frankenstein's
[7:03] monster. The way it came together, the
[7:05] look of it, beautiful. And I just didn't
[7:07] think they were going to take his
[7:08] journey that particular way. So I was
[7:11] glad to see something a reimagining done
[7:13] in a different way or the focus being on
[7:15] different elements. I wish this film
[7:17] went for an hour longer to be completely
[7:19] honest. I loved the set design, which is
[7:22] exactly what we were hoping for, and the
[7:24] creature design. I shed a tear at the
[7:26] end. It really got me. It's sappy, but
[7:28] it turned into exactly what I hoped for
[7:30] a Gothic version of a del Toro
[7:33] adaptation of Frankenstein. It really
[7:35] hit the mark for me. I think this is one
[7:37] that had people split. Even though it
[7:39] does have a higher score online, I think
[7:41] people truly split down the middle. They
[7:43] either loved it or hated it. And I felt
[7:45] both at the same time. But ultimately it
[7:47] turned into one of my favorite films
[7:49] that I just kept thinking about. Okay,
[7:50] we're at number six now already. And the
[7:53] next film is The Long Walk.
[7:56] Again, another film I I just didn't know
[7:58] how this was going to go to be honest. I
[8:00] hadn't read the original Stephen King
[8:02] book that it's set on. I had no idea how
[8:04] they were going to make a movie about
[8:06] kids walking so electric, but the
[8:08] characters are just so soulful and that,
[8:10] you know, they got that Stephen King
[8:12] edge where it's very stereotypical or
[8:14] they really fall into certain boxes. He
[8:16] always does characters that fit certain
[8:19] elements of his stories to a tea and I
[8:22] felt like they were able to turn this
[8:23] into a film where the characters
[8:24] actually felt real and it didn't feel so
[8:27] much like a Stephen King story or just a
[8:30] Stephen King story. Definitely felt like
[8:32] a concept, but I felt like this is a
[8:34] really cool way of bringing certain
[8:36] elements out. I do want to say I love
[8:38] Mike Flanigan pairing with Stephen
[8:39] King's works, but sometimes I feel like
[8:41] because their the beat or their
[8:43] stylization is so memorable or iconic,
[8:47] you can kind of feel exactly what
[8:48] they're going to do. So, it was really
[8:50] interesting having this different
[8:51] director take this work, Francis
[8:53] Lawrence, and make it into something
[8:55] that felt a little bit different. I'm
[8:57] not saying it felt a lot different. I
[8:58] was just really surprised with how the
[9:00] characters developed over time. The
[9:02] movie, of course, if you don't know,
[9:03] it's about a group of teenage boys who
[9:05] have to compete in an annual contest
[9:07] which is known as the long walk. They
[9:09] have to maintain a certain walking speed
[9:11] over a long stretch. Basically, it's a
[9:13] knockout battle royale, if you will.
[9:15] It's the first battle royale, or it's
[9:17] not really the first battle royale, but
[9:19] it's coined as one of the first to come
[9:21] up with the concept, and whoever
[9:23] survives wins a grand prize. So, of
[9:25] course, as they're going through these
[9:26] walks, we learn about their different
[9:27] motives. And although they're
[9:29] competitors, they're just kids and they
[9:32] begin to develop friendships and
[9:34] relationships and it's just brutality at
[9:36] its finest in a corrupt society. You
[9:39] know, we love that, right? Dystopian
[9:40] movies in 2025 and 2026. Oh god, it's
[9:45] depressing. I really liked how this
[9:47] ended. I do know how the book ended.
[9:49] It's a little bit different, but I just
[9:50] think it really worked on the big
[9:52] screen. And it's that soft spot where
[9:54] you really think about what
[9:56] psychological horror truly is. It's not
[9:58] so much are they alive or are they dead?
[10:00] Is it a ghost or is it alive? All those
[10:02] elements that we see over and over and
[10:04] over in horror. It was really the battle
[10:06] of watching it and considering the
[10:08] concept or the situation they're in and
[10:11] only one could survive. It's really
[10:13] jarring. They made you really care about
[10:15] these people. I think they did a
[10:16] fantastic job. And of course, hats off
[10:18] to Cooper Hoffman, who plays the lead
[10:21] guy in this film, the protagonist you're
[10:24] meant to be following as he, you know,
[10:25] creates these bonds, who is Philip
[10:27] Seymour Hoffman's son. Maybe unpopular
[10:29] as well. I love this film, Companion.
[10:32] This was the only one I wasn't sure if
[10:33] people were going to say is horror or
[10:35] not, but I saw it on a bunch of other
[10:36] people's horror list. I saw Beonia on
[10:38] other people's horrors list, but I don't
[10:40] really I don't know. It's hard to
[10:41] consider what is what, but there's a lot
[10:43] of bloodshed in this, so I do think it's
[10:45] horrific. But it is another comedy
[10:47] horror one that I luckily didn't have so
[10:51] much spoiled for me, but there is a lot
[10:54] to be spoiled. The concept was in the
[10:57] trailer. It's on the poster. It's
[11:00] basically in the name. Uh, which was
[11:02] kind of devastating for the marketing of
[11:04] this and I think it put a lot of people
[11:05] off, but I moved past it pretty quick
[11:07] because I think there's so much other
[11:08] fun elements within this story. Drew
[11:11] Hancock directed and wrote this film
[11:13] which stars Sophie Thatcher and Jack
[11:16] Quaid. And also Lucas Gage. I felt like
[11:18] this really solidified him on my map. I
[11:22] know he's been in a bunch of horror over
[11:24] the last couple of years, but I don't
[11:26] know why this one I he just this is kind
[11:29] of like the one I remember him from the
[11:31] most. But of course Sophie, I love her.
[11:33] And with Heretic, uh it's really nice to
[11:36] see her pop up again in a completely
[11:37] different role. This film follows a
[11:39] couple who go on a weekend getaway to a
[11:41] remote cabin with a bunch of friends.
[11:43] But Sophie Thatcher's character, she's
[11:44] not really invited in very easily. It
[11:47] doesn't seem like people like her. And
[11:49] before you know it, an incident takes
[11:51] place that will change everyone's lives
[11:53] forever. It's so vague. I have to stay
[11:56] vague just in case you haven't seen it.
[11:58] If you haven't seen it yet and you
[11:59] haven't had it spoiled for you, go watch
[12:01] it. Make up your own mind. You are so
[12:03] lucky if you haven't had this spoiled. I
[12:05] thought it was funny. It was touching,
[12:07] action-packed, and there was a lot to
[12:09] think about. I'm pretty sure I did a
[12:10] breakdown on this one. I felt like there
[12:11] was so much to talk about. I feel like
[12:13] it has a really good rewatchable factor,
[12:15] even if you know what's happening. All
[12:16] of the performances are really fun and
[12:19] interesting. Again, some real
[12:20] characters, even though they're a little
[12:21] bit hyperbolic, I think it's the sweet
[12:24] spot between comedy and horror and other
[12:27] genres. I won't say. [laughter]
[12:29] Okay, since we're getting into the
[12:30] territory of films I've done complete
[12:32] breakdowns on, uh, Brer Back is my next
[12:35] film. This is my fourth favorite horror
[12:37] of 2025. And I did a complete breakdown
[12:40] on this because there was so much to
[12:41] talk about. This is a very sad I think
[12:44] they labeled it as body horror,
[12:46] psychological horror, and mystery. It's
[12:48] about a brother and sister who are
[12:49] fostered out to this woman who seems to
[12:52] be really struggling and she has issues,
[12:56] intense issues, and you can just imagine
[12:58] following them. An awful incident
[13:00] happens in their house which causes them
[13:02] to be fostered into this family. That is
[13:04] not right. Something is not right from
[13:06] the start as soon as they enter the
[13:07] house. This is by the Philippu brothers,
[13:09] Danny and Michael, who are from South
[13:12] Australia. They're known for the film
[13:13] Talk to Me and hopefully Talk to Me Too,
[13:16] but they really wanted to make this film
[13:17] because they were dealing with grieving
[13:20] themselves and they wanted to write
[13:22] something from that grief. The movie
[13:24] again, a killer cast with Sally Hawkins
[13:27] playing the creepy woman. Uh Billy Barat
[13:30] and Sora Wong who play the siblings and
[13:33] there's also Oliver who is in the film
[13:35] played by Jonah Ren Phillips and I
[13:38] dressed up as him for Halloween.
[13:40] [laughter] I really did like this film.
[13:42] Uh but it's very creepy. I love anything
[13:45] to do with a cult and it has a lot of
[13:48] elements to do with tapes and they did a
[13:50] lot of really cool things with the
[13:51] marketing and finding clips online,
[13:53] secret clips. It has kind of that I
[13:56] wouldn't say it's mixed media, but they
[13:58] do incorporate, you know, VHS tapes into
[14:00] it. The look of certain elements really
[14:03] cool, very unique, and there's a couple
[14:05] of scenes that you will never be able to
[14:07] forget. iconic uh very scary, very
[14:10] intense, very bloody, very gory, and
[14:13] it's very sad. I cried at the end of
[14:15] this film. I think it has a very
[14:17] effective mix of gore, scares, and
[14:22] trauma [laughter] for the viewers as
[14:24] well. So, there's a lot to take away and
[14:26] it's definitely a film that sits with
[14:27] you really deep in the soul. And it it
[14:30] feels kind of bad. It feels it's a very
[14:32] sad story, a very tragic film, but
[14:35] that's what I like about it. Uh, it
[14:37] definitely stuck with me for a long
[14:39] time. Okay, we're getting up to it.
[14:40] We're getting to the final three. Can
[14:41] you guess? I wish I could tell if you're
[14:44] cheating or not. Guess. My third
[14:46] favorite 2025 horror film is The Ugly
[14:50] Stepsister. This is a Norwegian body
[14:53] horror that is insane and very on the
[14:56] nose, but oh my god, the set design is
[14:59] flawless in this film. And it's an indie
[15:01] horror movie. It's beautiful. Again, I
[15:03] said I had something for like dark fairy
[15:05] tales and folklore and those kinds of
[15:07] things. And this is definitely obviously
[15:08] dark fairy tale. It's a twist on the
[15:11] original stepsister Cinderella story
[15:14] where we follow Alvara who battles her
[15:17] gorgeous stepsister in a realm where
[15:19] beauty is everything. It's her value and
[15:22] she is awkward. She doesn't fit in and
[15:24] she tries everything to get what she
[15:27] wants. The film has you feeling bad for
[15:30] her as the underdog, but she's also
[15:32] awful in so many respects, but also
[15:35] quite relatable. And I really love this
[15:37] twist on the tail. And then although the
[15:40] film is kind of gory and silly along the
[15:42] way, it's very fantasy. The way it's
[15:45] shot, the way they color grade it,
[15:47] again, the set design, where it ends is
[15:50] absolutely insane. And I just love films
[15:53] that go for it and really have a gut
[15:55] punch at the end and don't care. They
[15:58] just don't care. And this film has that.
[16:00] It's so gorgeous and so satisfying in
[16:04] the worst way. It has you cheering for I
[16:06] always cheer for the underdog, but has
[16:07] me cheering for the underdog. Even
[16:09] though I think maybe she needs some time
[16:11] out, some severe timeout. If you haven't
[16:14] seen it, you really need to check it
[16:15] out. I promise it will stick with you
[16:16] and it's definitely worth your time. If
[16:18] you don't enjoy this film, you'll get a
[16:20] lot out of the gore elements that you
[16:22] will not be able to pick. It's very
[16:24] surprising. For number two, I have
[16:26] Sinners. Sinners for me like rocked my
[16:30] world. When I went to the cinema to see
[16:32] this film, no one else was really
[16:34] talking about it yet. Not because, you
[16:36] know, I was the first one, but more so
[16:38] because of my time zone. I'm in
[16:40] Australia, so I was 12 hours ahead of a
[16:42] lot of people seeing it. It didn't have
[16:44] a huge release here. didn't have preview
[16:46] screenings or anything like that. So, I
[16:48] went in thinking, okay, like I've heard
[16:50] a little bit about this film, it got
[16:51] slated for another month and then it
[16:53] moved back and it moved forward, but it
[16:55] did end up coming out with the American
[16:58] release at the same time. So, I was
[16:59] really happy. And when things get moved
[17:01] around a lot, especially towards the
[17:03] start of the year, I get a little bit
[17:05] worried. So, I didn't look into it at
[17:06] all. And I was
[17:09] flawed. If you watch my review, I'm
[17:11] floored. I'm like, I had no idea I was
[17:13] going into the cinema to see an epic. I
[17:15] had no idea. This is a period drama,
[17:18] supernatural horror, and it's by Ryan
[17:20] Cougler, and it has a really stacked
[17:22] cast, including Michael B. Jordan, who
[17:24] plays the lead twins. I mean, the
[17:27] marketing once again kind of spoils a
[17:29] lot of what happens in this film. And a
[17:31] lot of people relate this film to
[17:32] another film. I can see why people say
[17:34] it, but at the same time, it doesn't
[17:35] give the same vibe. It doesn't have the
[17:37] same atmosphere. It's just the same
[17:39] theme. What I loved about this film is
[17:41] the slow buildup. And I think that's
[17:44] where it lost some audiences. But I
[17:46] obviously a lot of people loved this
[17:47] film. But I think a lot of people were
[17:49] lost on the slow buildup of the motives,
[17:52] the character building, the world
[17:53] building, and then it leads to a journey
[17:56] of the core story or the core horror of
[17:59] the story where these twins are trying
[18:01] to outrun their current lives and return
[18:04] to their Mississippi hometown where they
[18:06] hope to put together this juke joint for
[18:08] their community. And everyone you meet
[18:11] along the way has something to do with
[18:13] putting this night together and how it
[18:15] all comes together. But of course, then
[18:17] the horror sets in and they let the
[18:20] wrong people inside. The movie is
[18:22] bloody. It is scary. It is spooky. I
[18:25] know you go in knowing it's a horror
[18:27] movie, but the false sense of security
[18:28] of how far they'll actually go and then
[18:31] when it hits, it hits deep. And this is
[18:32] what I love about what horror is doing
[18:34] now. It's not trying to just fit into
[18:36] slasher boxes and stay really focused on
[18:39] a certain genre. And that's where people
[18:41] say this isn't a horror movie because
[18:42] they're not too sure what is a horror
[18:44] movie. And this movie doesn't let itself
[18:46] be defined by what people know as the
[18:49] horror genre. It has a very extensive
[18:51] backstory and definitely a slowm moving
[18:53] leadup to the tension. But I loved that
[18:56] it took its time and I was really
[18:58] interested in what was going on in the
[19:00] relationships before it hit. So, I can
[19:03] understand it's not for everybody. Not
[19:05] everything is, believe it or not. But,
[19:07] it really worked on me, especially
[19:08] having no hype, no expectation, thinking
[19:11] that this film was just getting like
[19:13] kind of passed around from month to
[19:14] month and then finally seeing it in the
[19:17] cinema. It blew me away. It really did.
[19:19] Okay, before we get to my number one, I
[19:21] do have some honorable mentions because
[19:23] it was really hard. It's always hard to
[19:24] do these lists. I don't need to give you
[19:26] the spiel. I was moving things around
[19:28] until the last minute. But I also wanted
[19:30] to mention some movies that I absolutely
[19:32] loved that I couldn't fit in my top 10.
[19:35] I loved 28 Days Later. I know a lot of
[19:37] people didn't love that film, but
[19:39] honestly, if you go back and watch the
[19:41] first two movies outside this trilogy,
[19:43] they are just as wacky and strange, and
[19:45] I felt like this was such an awesome
[19:48] addition. Final Destination Bloodlines
[19:50] was also such a fun watch and again an
[19:52] amazing addition to an already really
[19:55] fun but sometimes hitand miss franchise.
[19:58] Don't get me wrong, I love all of the
[19:60] Final Destination films in their own
[20:01] right, but this was such a good addition
[20:05] that didn't disrupt what they had
[20:08] already built and added on to it and I
[20:10] really enjoyed that. Then Dangerous
[20:12] Animals, of course, the shark movie set
[20:15] in Australia about a backpacker who gets
[20:17] herself in strife. Presence was also
[20:20] really interesting. I think it was a let
[20:22] down for a lot of people who are
[20:23] expecting a lot more, which I'm
[20:24] included, but I did think it was a
[20:26] really fun approach to the ghost genre
[20:29] and definitely worth a watch. And then
[20:30] of course, Silent Night, Deadly Night.
[20:32] Also very much enjoyed this one. Again,
[20:35] another very weird movie that was really
[20:37] fun to see in the cinema. With all of
[20:39] that, I'm sure you can guess which one's
[20:40] missing. My favorite horror movie from
[20:43] 2025 is Weapons. So, written and
[20:45] directed by Zack Kger. I did a breakdown
[20:47] on this as well, and I found from it
[20:50] that a lot of people want it to mean a
[20:52] lot of things, and what it actually
[20:53] means is pretty close to his chest. But
[20:56] it is the story about a bunch of
[20:58] children who go missing in the middle of
[21:00] the night. They're all from the same
[21:01] class, but only one child from this
[21:04] class stays. and the teachers, the
[21:06] parents, and the community are left
[21:08] wondering why. The opening for this film
[21:11] is so unnerving and strange. Even though
[21:13] people laugh about the way the kids run,
[21:15] just the idea that all of these kids
[21:18] disappear and you're going to find out
[21:19] throughout the film, I don't know, just
[21:21] the tension and anticipation giving you
[21:22] a question just drops straight into your
[21:24] lap at the start. I loved it. But it's
[21:26] the structure that truly works for this
[21:28] film. And I was able to see Magnolia as
[21:31] well in the cinemas this year. My local
[21:33] independent cinema plays epic classics
[21:35] and I've seen Magnolia before, but being
[21:38] able to watch it after this film and
[21:39] knowing that this film and the structure
[21:41] of it is really based on that was really
[21:43] cool because just like Magnolia, weapons
[21:45] is separated into different
[21:47] perspectives. So, we go through
[21:49] different characters throughout this
[21:51] story and we learn of their involvements
[21:53] leading up to the day and the
[21:54] disappearance of these children and how
[21:57] they're all connected. Weapons is a
[21:59] weird film because as much as you dig
[22:01] for answers, not all of the answers are
[22:04] there, but it's layered and each
[22:05] performance really brought a different
[22:07] element to the story for me and it
[22:09] turned into something that wasn't just
[22:11] about the mystery. I love Julia Gardner
[22:13] in this. But then my other favorite was
[22:15] Austin Abrams who played James. Again,
[22:18] another kind of I don't want to say it's
[22:20] comedic. It's very dark dark element
[22:23] brought in and the tonal shift. Not
[22:25] everyone likes tonal shift in their
[22:26] horror. I love it, especially if it
[22:28] tells a story and broadens it in a way.
[22:31] And by the end, it didn't matter to me
[22:33] so much what was happening, even though
[22:35] I was dying to know it. I guess more so
[22:37] when I rewatched it, the part that was
[22:39] so interesting was going back and
[22:40] looking at these different characters
[22:42] and how they react. And I have so many
[22:44] theories about I've done a whole
[22:45] breakdown if you want to check that out,
[22:47] but very much enjoyed this film. It
[22:48] stuck with me a lot more than I thought
[22:50] it would. And that's when I can tell how
[22:52] much I love a film. I'm very enthus I'm
[22:54] very enthusiastic about films if you
[22:56] haven't been able to notice. And so
[22:57] sometimes coming out of the cinema I'm
[22:58] like, "Oh my god, that was so great."
[23:00] And we talk about it, if I wake up the
[23:02] next day and I'm still buzzing, that's
[23:03] how I know I really, really enjoy a
[23:05] film. Of course, I'm able to grade it
[23:07] on, you know, my personal score and
[23:09] everything like that. But when it sticks
[23:10] with you and you really want to go see
[23:12] it again, you know, that's how I felt
[23:14] about Weapons. But it it's just a
[23:15] fantastic film and I'm I loved it. I
[23:18] loved it and I'm so happy that Zack
[23:20] Greger is working with Austin Abrams
[23:22] again on his next film, and I cannot
[23:24] wait to see what they come up with next
[23:26] because I really enjoyed that pairing
[23:27] and he really stood out for me in a cast
[23:30] that was filled with really interesting
[23:32] performances. So, there you have it.
[23:33] That's my top 10 for 2025. Again, this
[23:36] will be different to yours. I'm sure
[23:38] you've already told me in the comments
[23:40] below what's yours. If you haven't,
[23:41] what's your favorite film? Not top 10.
[23:43] Just give me a number one. If you can't
[23:45] pick, give me top three. That's kind of
[23:47] a game. What's in your top three? And
[23:49] let me know in the comments below or
[23:51] over on the Reddit Spooky Astronauts.
[23:53] Have a great day.
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