ASHEVILLE, N.C. (828newsNOW) — With Halloween right around the corner, picking the perfect horror movie for your Samhain celebration is of the utmost importance.

Whether you are a horror aficionado who has seen all the classics or a cultural connoisseur who likes to keep up with the latest releases, we have your scary movie trick-or-treating covered. Read on for a list of the treats.

For more 2025 horror, check out our list of the five worst horror movies of the year here.

The 5 best horror movies of 2025

Honorable mentions

• “28 Years Later”
• “Dog of God” – Review
• “Heart Eyes” – Review
• “The Rule of Jenny Pen”
• “The Ugly Stepsister” – Review
• “V/H/S/Halloween”

5. “DANGEROUS ANIMALS” (2025, 98 min., directed by Sean Byrne)

“Jaws” turned 50 years old this year, but “Dangerous Animals” is proof that the shark movie is still alive and wriggling. One of the most surprising horror flicks of the year is this gnarly little Australian thriller. “Dangerous Animals” stars Jai Courtney as a serial killer who uses sharks as his weapon of choice. Courtney is terrific in the part, balancing incredible menace with a biting sense of humor.

Opposite Courtney is “Yellowstone” actress Hassie Harrison as Zephyr, the scream queen of the piece. The grit-teethed Harrison plays a perfect foil to Courtney’s over-the-top bravado, making for an exhilarating seabound battle of wills. Plus, unlike Bruce in “Jaws,” these sharks are the real deal.

Rating: 4/5

“Dangerous Animals” is now streaming on AMC+ and Shudder.

4. “THE MONKEY” (2025, 98 min., directed by Osgood Perkins)

Probably the goriest, grossest horror movie of the year is also laugh-out-loud funny. Oz Perkins’ followup to “Longlegs” is “The Monkey,” a bloody Stephen King extravaganza starring Theo James. In the film, a cursed, wind-up toy monkey – you know, the creepy ones with the bug eyes and musical instruments? – wreaks deliriously absurd death on the members of a family. Without spoiling any of the carnage, you will never see bees or bowling balls the same way again.

In an odd, additional accolade for the film, James gives a great performance as two vastly different twin brothers. His dual role plays second fiddle, however, to #3 on our list…

Rating: 4/5

“The Monkey” is now streaming on Hulu and Disney+.

3. “SINNERS” (2025, 138 min., directed by Ryan Coogler)

Before the stakes come out in outrage over why “Sinners” isn’t higher on this list, hear me out. While “Sinners” is undoubtedly one of the best movies of 2025 – we even called it as such in the headline of our review – its component parts are so strong that its horror elements are outclassed by its scarier, gorier competitors.

That being said, Ryan Coogler’s blockbuster hit is thick with syrupy blood and rife with eerie atmosphere. The pinprick lights of the vampires’ eyes are one of the defining horror images of the year, to say nothing of the final form Jack O’Connell’s Remmick takes in the third act.

The film is as smart as it is scary, too: the real terrors of “Sinners” are embodied in the metaphor the vampires represent more than the bloodsuckers themselves. “Sinners” is a beautiful example of the horror movie’s ability to tackle big ideas and grapple with important themes.

Rating: 4.5/5

“Sinners” is now streaming on HBO Max.

2. “FINAL DESTINATION: BLOODLINES” (2025, 110 min., directed by Zach Lipovsky and Adam B. Stein)

Reviving a dormant horror franchise is one thing, but delivering the best installment in the series yet is a legitimate feat. “Final Destination: Bloodlines” does just that.

In a franchise notorious for characters who skew more “cannon fodder” than “memorable,” “Bloodlines” crafts a family you can feel for. When the sister gets crushed in a trash compactor or the cousin gets his septum ring caught in a ceiling fan, there is a genuine emotional hook behind their hilariously demented demise.

From the brilliant cold open to the Easter egg-studded finale, “Bloodlines” is a lifeline for the future of “Final Destination.”

Rating: 4.5/5

“Final Destination: Bloodlines” is now streaming on HBO Max.

1. “WEAPONS” (2025, 129 min., directed by Zach Cregger)

“Weapons” stabs at greatness and lands there. Zach Cregger’s ambitious, novelistic follow-up to “Barbarian” is scary, timely and, best of all, instantly iconic. Aunt Gladys, Amy Madigan’s stellar villain turn, is one of the most indelible movie characters from this decade in horror film.

If you only watch a single horror movie this year, make “Weapons” it. You won’t regret it.

Rating: 5/5

“Weapons” is now streaming on HBO Max.