Kult-Zilla’s – Top Ten Movies – 2025!

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1. // Frankenstein

Guillermo Del Toro’s Frankenstein finally released this autumn. A labour of love for the visionary filmmaker, and a movie which has been in the works, at least in the back of his mind, for over 30 years. In fact there may just have been a little piece of Frankenstein in virtually all of his films to date. With monsters and their relationship with man very much at the heart of many of his movies. Finally, and with the help and finance of streaming giant Netflix, Del Toro has been able to realise his dream, an epic and perhaps definitive adaptation based of course on writer Mary Shelley’s gothic literary classic Frankenstein; or, The Modern Prometheus – which first published over two hundred years ago in 1818.

Guillermo Del Toro has not only leaned heavily on Mary Shelley’s original source material, but has also taken inspiration from the numerous adaptations filmed over the last century. He crafts a version of Frankenstein which lovingly pays homage to everything that has come before, brought together with his own creative flair as a film-maker, as well as a sizeable budget allowing him to bring his true vision to fruition. In doing so he has created his own masterpiece, and an emotional Horror story with powerful performances – especially that of Jacob Elordi (Saltburn) as The Creation – in a movie which deserves to be considered a modern classic. KZ

2. // Weapons

Comedy writer Zach Cregger made his mark on the Horror scene back in 2022 with Barbarian starring Georgina Campbell (Bird Box: Barcelona), Bill Skarsgård (It) and Justin Long (Drag Me To Hell). His reputation following this release was sky-high, and there was a bidding war when he delivered and pitched his screenplay for Weapons to the market in January 2023. New Line Cinema put up a reported $38 million to secure the rights, with $10 million going to Cregger as writer / directer. And he brought together a fine cast to bring this unique Horor-mystery to life, including Julie Garner (Wolf Man), Josh Brolin (No Country For Old Men) and Alden Ehrenreich (Solo: A Star Wars Story).

Weapons is best viewed blind and as spoiler-free as possible. It had done incredibly well for a movie with so much hype to keep its cards relatively close to its chest on release, and for the most part managed to keep its Horror sub-genre a secret. Pre-release it only teased the one inciting incident which lays down the premise for the mystery; “When all but one child from the same class mysteriously vanish on the same night at exactly the same time, a community is left questioning who or what is behind their disappearance.” (IMDB). And well, Weapons delivers on just about every level. The mystery is thoroughly absorbing, the Horror is tense, the narrative is dark yet often funny. And when it finally shows it’s hand to the audience in the final act … it absolutely goes for it! KZ

3. // Sinners

Sinners was one of the surprise hit films of 2025, taking around $350m in its first six weeks of box office. Not at all bad for an ambitious period Horror movie which cost approx $90m to make, proving that the Horror genre is absolutely red-hot right now. Written and directed by Ryan Coogler (Black Panther), Sinners stars Michael B. Jordan (Creed) in a duel role playing twin brothers Smoke and Stack. Two hoodlums returning to their small rural Louisiana hometown in 1932, full of bravado and stolen cash after spending some-time away working for the Mob in Chicago. They purchase a disused saw-mill from a rascist landowner, and set about creating a juke-joint with the help of a handful of old friends..

It is a simple premise, with the narrative largely taking place over the course of one day leading up to the opening night of their music club. And when the sun goes down, the action ramps up as it transpires a local Vampire wants in on the celebrations. This is a movie which is shot beautifully with gorgeous cinematography and a unique period style and tone. Coogler has created a film which will stand the test of time, and will likely be thought of alongside the likes of From Dusk Till Dawn (1996) and The Lost Boys (1987) in terms of classic Vampire-flicks which stand out in their respective eras. The connective theme of music which runs throughout is conveyed so brilliantly, and a cast including Hailee Steinfeld (Bumblebee), Jack O’Connell (Eden Lake), and newcomer Miles Caton support perfectly. KZ

4. // Bring Her Back

In 2022, Australian film-makers Danny & Michael Philippou announced themselves with their debut movie Talk To Me – a dark and twisted take on the possession sub-genre. Which added a unique main hook, and gained momentum and notoriety the following year when it was picked up and distributed by A24. The renowned Horror production company soon signed the duo to make Talk 2 Me, but slotted in between came Bring Her Back – a sophomore release from the pair who previously made their name creating videos for YouTube. And if anything, this film is even more disturbing than their debut, as it explores thoroughly bleak themes while providing some gut-wrenching Body-Horror visuals.

Bring Her Back stars Billy Barrett as Andy, a teenager who along with his visually impaired sister Piper (Sara Wong) is taken in by foster-career Laura (Sally Hawkins – The Shape Of Water) following the death of their father. Living with Laura is Oliver (Jonah Wren Phillips), a mute and somewhat disturbed child, and we discover that Laura is suffering from an intense grief due to the loss of her own daughter who had drowned in their swimming pool. From here the journey the film takes us on is certainly a disturbing one, dealing with themes of grief and anguish which never let’s up – heading down one very twisted path. But it’s a journey well worth taking, as the Phillippou brothers cement themselves as an impressive new creative force in the Horror genre. KZ

5. // Keeper

Osgood Perkins, son of Norman Bates himself Anthony Perkins (Psycho) is an intriguing modern director of Horror. His indie film-making career began with writing and directing movies on the left-field of cinema. Films such as The Blackcoat’s Daughter (2013) and I Am The Pretty Thing That Lives In The House (2016) which were slow-burning and considered somewhat of an acquired taste. It was the release of Gretel & Hansel (2020) which really cemented his name as one of the up and coming Horror directors to watch. And this sentiment was rubber-stamped with the enormous commercial success of his next endeavour – Longlegs – released in 2024 with backing from distributors Neon, who crafted a slick marketing campaign.

Since then Perkins has been nothing if not prolific, and is absolutely on something of a roll right now. He started 2025 with the release of his Stephen King short story adaptation; The Monkey, and less than a year later he has already followed this up with Keeper. And well, while his last few movies may have had a slightly more mainstream Horror-edge to them, Keeper certainly nods back to his earlier work. It is a slow-burn and it is very strange. Perkins’ creates a deeply unsettling feeling from the opening credits, as well as an intriguing mystery as the romantic getaway of Liz (Tatiana Maslany) and Malcolm (Rossif Sutherland) at his isolated cabin in the woods, descends into a hellish fever dream … from which there is no turning back! KZ

6. // Together

So the first half of 2025 proved to be another fine era for modern Horror movies, with Weapons, Sinners and Bring Her Back all massively hitting the right spot. And with Indie-Horror flick Together, came another excellent darker movie to add to the list. The supernatural Body-Horror was written and directed by Michael Shanks in what is his debut feature-length film. It stars real-life couple Dave Franco (Love Lies Bleeding) and Alison Brie (Glow), as fictional couple Tim and Millie. The film joins the pair some years into their relationship, and at somewhat of a crossroads as they relocate from the city to a new life in the countryside … where it is fair to say things quickly spiral out of their control.

Together plays out as an intriguing look at the dynamics of a slowly fading long-term relationship, while introducing a unique concept which leans heavily into the Body-Horror, a particular sub-genre which was thrust into the mainstream conscious with the success of last years The Substance and its subsequent Oscars exposure. Together is sick and twisted but with a healthy dollop of dark humour. Premiering at the 2025 Sundance Film Festival back in January, it created a nice buzz with strong word of mouth. Before securing a deal with Neon and hitting the silver-screen in July. KZ

7. // Companion

Produced by New Line Cinema and Weapons director Zach Cregger, Companion was a surprisingly strong January Sci-Fi / Thriller release starring Jack Quaid (Scream / The Boys) and Sophie Thatcher (Heretic / The Boogeyman). The film’s marketing did draw some criticism for giving away the major plot turn of the movie, with many suggesting a completely blind viewing is the best way to experience the film. But much like Abigail last year, the premise of the twist is very much integral to the hook of the story – and the cat was very much out of the bag early with this one.

Quaid plays Josh who is accompanied by his new girlfriend Iris (Thatcher) to spend the weekend with some of Josh’s friends at an isolated lake house. And that is as little as you need to know if you haven’t yet seen Companion, managing to avoid trailers, marketing and all reviews thus far. Either way this is a film which is well worth your time, a slickly written script by director Drew Hancock which develops at a good pace, flying through its swift 97 minute run-time. While the performances from the two leads are both excellent, with Thatcher especially proving herself to be an incredibly strong genre actress, who seems to be picking a succession of intriguing projects right now. KZ

8. // The Long Walk

2025 has been an extraordinary year for Stephen King adaptations. Starting with Osgood Perkin’s The Monkey, we’ve also seen Mike Flanagan’s take on The Life of Chuck, Edgar Wright’s reinterpretation of The Running Man, as well as TV series The Institute and It: Welcome To Derry. But arguably the finest is the adaptation of his 1979 novel The Long Walk from director Francis Lawrence (Constantine). Likewise with The Running Man, King wrote The Long Walk under his Richard Bachman pseudonym, both set in bleak dystopian societies. The Long Walk is a competition in which a young male adult from each state is picked to walk continuously at over three miles-per-hour … until there is only one left standing.

If they drop below this speed they are given a warning, and must pick their pace up within 10 seconds to avoid receiving a second warning. Failing to do so after three warnings results in a bullet to the head. The prize on offer is for unimaginable riches, and the granting of one wish. The story plays out as a harrowing psychological drama, focusing on the relationships built between the contestants as they walk together. King wrote the story a number of years prior to its publishing, and it stands as a metaphor for the Vietnam draft of America’s young adults. The movie stars Cooper Hoffman (Licorice Pizza), David Jonsson (Alien: Romulus), and Mark Hamill (Star Wars), in what is a harrowing story that lingers long in the mind. KZ

9. // Final Destination: Bloodlines

The Final Destination series of films is one of the most recognisable Horror franchises of the 2000s. Beginning with the James Wong (The X Files) directed Final Destination (2000) starring Devon Sawa (Idle Hands), the initial run of films rolled on until Final Destination 5 in 2011. Its original premise was a relatively unique one at the time, and was originally written to be an episode of The X Files. A young man has a premonition of a plane crash which sees him and a number of others vacate the aircraft before take-off. The plane then explodes in the sky just as he had foreseen, with the hook of the movie being that Death has now been cheated … and will come for those who escaped its grasp in weird and inventively gruesome ways.

The formula did become a little tired by the time the fourth and fifth films hit the screen, and with the release of Bloodlines from New Line Cinema some fourteen years later, it would appear that the break has worked wonders for the concept. Directed by Zach Lipovsky & Adam B. Stein (Freaks), the film introduces a fresh spin on the concept with Death coming for the bloodline of a character who had cheated the Grim-Reaper a number of decades ago. And Bloodlines has been nothing if not a welcome surprise, as against all odds it is one of the finest entries in the franchise. The film is also forever immortalised, as it features the last scenes ever filmed by Horror legend Tony Todd (Candyman), prior to his sad passing in 2024. KZ

10. // Black Phone 2

In 2021, director Scott Derrickson (Sinister / Doctor Strange) visualised his version of a sadistic child abductor and killer conjured up in the mind of writer Joe Hill (Horns / Locke & Key). The Grabber appeared in Hill’s 2007 short story The Black Phone, and was portrayed by Ethan Hawke (Training Day) in Derrickson’s film of the same name. The Black Phone was a great success, one of the best Horror / Thrillers of the year whilst making over $160,000 at the box office. A huge return for all involved including producers Blumhouse and distributor’s Universal. A sequel was not obvious for a standalone tale adapted from a short story, but money talks, and with Hill’s blessing, the writing team of Derrickson and C. Robert Cargill got to work on developing Black Phone 2.

But where to take the story next? In The Black Phone, The Grabber had kidnapped teenager Finney (Mason Thames), locking him in a basement in which a solitary black phone would ring with the voices of The Grabber’s previous victims making contact with him from beyond the grave. By the end of movie (spoiler alert!) Finney escapes and The Grabber dies. Finney’s sister Gwen (Madeleine McGraw) and her sixth sense also played a key role in the story, and Black Phone 2 sees all three leads return four years later – with both Finney and Gwen haunted by their encounter with the killer. The sequel takes the story deeper into a supernatural realm, with dreams playing a key role in the story and drawing natural comparisons to A Nightmare On Elm Street. But this does things it’s own way … in a deliciously bleak and cold wintery setting. KZ

Words by Mark T. Bates

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‘The Curious Dark (Vol.1)’ – By Mark T. Bates