Sunday Scaries: 2025 Horror Films to Anticipate

The Sunday Scaries are upon us once again! Yes, as the weekend concludes, most of us feel an oncoming sense of anticipatory dread about the week ahead. Anxiety about work manifests itself into a feeling that’s known as the Sunday Scaries. However, we at Awards Radar are here to combat that, by taking back the name. Now, we want you think about a horror-centric piece on the site when you hear the term. So, let us continue on with another installment of the Awards Radar Sunday Scaries! Today, we look forward to some of the 2025 horror efforts that are on our minds…

In years past (here, here, and here for example), I wrote that if you were to peruse my list of the yearly releases to look forward to, you’ll notice that some horror movies are littered throughout. So, I’m once again doing the same this year, based on my 2025 list (here). Below, I’ve collected six films that I think may once again move the horror needle over the next twelve months. Of course, some will underwhelm, like what I just saw, while others will surprise that we’re not even thinking of. That’s kind of the fun here, right?

Here now a half dozen options for horror movies this year that could thrill genre fans throughout 2025…

Honorable Mention: The Black Phone 2, The Bride!, Frankenstein, The Monkey, Presence, and Wolf Man

6. Predator: Badlands – I was way into Prey a few years ago, so continuing that style of Predator flick with Predator: Badlands is right up my alley. There’s still some mystery about this one, but in a way that I appreciate. There’s a formula that works here, but also plenty or space to try out new things, so the combination could prove to be very fruitful here. Alien had 2024, but Predator is back in 2025…

5. Sinners – Ryan Coogler and Michael B. Jordan making a big budget original horror property? Yes, please. Sinners is pretty high concept, with vampires seeming to be a part of it, but this sort of A-list effort is something we don’t see nearly enough these days. Here’s hoping that they’ve knocked this out of the park.

4. Heart Eyes – Writer Michael Kennedy is a fan favorite here at Awards Radar, so his latest clever slasher movie is well on our radar. Heart Eyes brings horror to Valentine’s Day is very fun, and making it a bit of a romantic comedy as well has my attention. Could we have a new horror movie killer to celebrate? I sure hope so…

3. 28 Years Later – The franchise returns after a significant dormant period, much like the RAGE virus. 28 Days Later is a modern zombie movie classic, while 28 Weeks Later has its defenders (and holds a special place in my heart as the very first film review I ever has published), so anticipation has been high. Danny Boyle and Alex Garland being back is even more exciting, alongside knowing that another sequel is coming next year. Give me 28 Years Later now!

2. They Follow – The surprise announcement of a sequel to It Follows, with Maika Monroe and David Robert Mitchell returning, was a welcome bit of news two years ago. There’s been little news since, and it didn’t make it out last year, despite being on my lists, so I’m cautiously optimistic 2025 is the year. Assuming that it does come out this year, They Follow is easily one of the horror titles that I’m most looking forward to. The first one blew me away, so expectations are sky high. I can’t wait.

1. Saw XI – It goes without saying how much of a Saw fan I am. So, following on the rebirth of the property with Saw X, another installment likely gives us at least one more shot at Tobin Bell leading the way. I have no idea where the powers that be will go here with the story, but I know that I could not be more in for whatever it turns out to be. They’re also taking their time with it, which only makes me more intrigued. Bring on Saw XI!

Stay tuned for all of these horror titles throughout the year!