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The biggest surprise the cinema world has witnessed in 2025? The return of horror as a leading genre at the UK box office.

As a genre, it has notably surpassed earlier periods with a 22% rise compared to last year for the British and Irish cinemas: £83,766,086 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 box office editor.

The top performers of the year – a recent horror title (£11.4 million), another hit film (£16.2m), The Conjuring Last Rites (£14.98 million) and 28 Years Later (£15.54m) – have all remained in the multiplexes and in the audience's minds.

Even though much of the expert analysis centers on the singular brilliance of renowned filmmakers, their triumphs point to something changing between audiences and the style.

“I’ve heard people say, ‘Even if you don’t like horror this is a film you need to see,’” explains a film distribution executive.

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

But beyond artistic merit, the consistent popularity of frightening features this year indicates they are giving moviegoers something that’s greatly desired: therapeutic relief.

“Right now, there’s a lot of anger, fear and division that’s being reflected in cinema,” observes a horror podcast host.

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

Against a global headlines featuring geopolitical strife, enforcement actions, extremist rises, and ecological disasters, supernatural beings and undead creatures strike a unique chord with viewers.

“I read somewhere that the success of vampire movies is linked to economically depressed times,” comments an star from a successful fright film.

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

Historically, public discord has always impacted scary movies.

Experts point to the rise of early cinematic styles after the WWI and the chaotic atmosphere of the post-war Germany, with movies such as early expressionist works and the iconic vampire tale.

Later occurred 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.

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

The boogeyman of border issues influenced the just-premiered rural fright The Severed Sun.

The filmmaker elaborates: “My goal was to examine populist trends. For instance, nostalgic phrases promising a return to a 'better' era that excluded many.”

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

Arguably, the present time of praised, culturally aware scary films started with a sharp parody debuted a year after a contentious political era.

It introduced a fresh generation of visionary directors, including various prominent figures.

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

“I think it was the beginning of an era when people were opening up to doing a really bonkers horror film which had arthouse aspirations.”

This creator, now penning a fresh horror script, notes: “During the past decade, viewers have become more receptive to such innovative approaches.”

Simultaneously, there has been a reconsideration of the genre’s less celebrated output.

In recent months, a nicke l venue opened in a major city, showing obscure movies such as a quirky horror title, a classic adaptation and the 1989 remake of Dr Caligari.

The fresh acclaim of this “gritty and loud” genre is, according to the cinema founder, a clear response to the formulaic productions produced at the box office.

“It’s a reaction to the sanitised product that’s coming out of Hollywood. You have a film scene that’s more tepid and more predictable. A lot of the mainstream films are very similar,” he says.

“Conversely, [such movies] appear raw. As if they emerged straight from the artist's mind, untouched by studio control.”

Horror films continue to challenge the norm.

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

Alongside the revival of the insane researcher motif – with multiple versions of a classic novel imminent – he anticipates we will see horror films in the coming years responding to our current anxieties: about AI’s dominance in the years ahead and “monstrous metaphors in power structures”.

At the same time, a religious-themed scare film a forthcoming title – which depicts the events of holy family challenges after the nativity, and includes well-known actors as the divine couple – is planned for launch later this year, and will certainly send a ripple through the religious conservatives in the America.</