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The biggest shock the cinema world has witnessed in 2025? The resurgence of horror as a dominant force at the British cinemas.

As a style, it has notably outperformed past times with a 22% rise compared to last year for the UK and Irish box office: £83.7 million in 2025, compared with £68,612,395 in 2024.

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

The top performers of the year – a recent horror title (£11.4 million), another hit film (£16.2m), the latest Conjuring installment (£14.98 million) and 28 Years Later (£15.54m) – have all stayed in the multiplexes and in the public consciousness.

While much of the industry commentary highlights the standout quality of certain directors, their successes point to something shifting between viewers and the genre.

“Viewers often remark, ‘This is a must-see regardless of your genre preferences,’” states a head of acquisition.

“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 aesthetic quality, the consistent popularity of horror movies this year suggests they are giving cinemagoers something that’s much needed: catharsis.

“Right now, there’s a lot of anger, fear and division that’s being reflected in cinema,” says a genre expert.

“The genre masterfully exploits common anxieties, magnifying them so that everyday stresses fade beside the cinematic horror,” remarks a prominent scholar of horror film history.

In the context of a current events featuring conflict, immigration issues, political shifts, and climate concerns, witches, zombies and vengeful spirits connect in new ways with viewers.

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

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

Historically, public discord has always impacted scary movies.

Experts reference the boom of German expressionism after the the Great War and the turbulent times of the post-war Germany, with movies such as classic silent horror and Nosferatu: A Symphony of Horror.

This was followed by the economic crisis of the 30s and Universal Studios’ Frankenstein and The Wolfman.

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

“So it reflects a lot of anxieties around immigration.”

The phantom of immigration influenced the newly launched 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?’”

Arguably, the current era of praised, culturally aware scary films began with a sharp parody released a year after a contentious political era.

It introduced a fresh generation of innovative filmmakers, including various prominent figures.

“It was a hugely exciting time,” comments a creator whose film 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.”

The same filmmaker, who is writing a new horror original, adds: “Over 10 years, audiences’ minds have been opening up to much more of that.”

Concurrently, there has been a revival of the genre’s less celebrated output.

Earlier this year, a nicke l venue opened in London, showing underground films such as The Greasy Strangler, The Fall of the House of Usher and the modern reinterpretation of Dr Caligari.

The fresh acclaim of this “raw and chaotic” genre is, according to the venue creator, a direct reaction to the algorithmic content pumped out at the theaters.

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

“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.

“These movies uniquely blend vintage vibes with contemporary relevance,” says an expert.

Alongside the re-emergence of the deranged genius archetype – with several renditions of a well-known story on the horizon – he anticipates we will see horror films in the near future addressing our modern concerns: about AI’s dominance in the coming decades and “supernatural elements in political spheres”.

Meanwhile, a religious-themed scare film The Carpenter’s Son – which narrates the tale of biblical parent hardships after the nativity, and features celebrated stars as the holy parents – is scheduled to debut soon, and will definitely create waves through the faith-based groups in the United States.</