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The biggest surprise the film industry has experienced in 2025? The comeback of horror as a leading genre at the UK box office.

As a category, it has impressively outperformed previous years with a 22% rise compared to last year for the British and Irish cinemas: over £83 million this year, against £68 million the previous year.

“Last year, no horror film reached £10m at the UK or Irish box office. This year, five films have,” comments a box office editor.

The top performers of the year – a recent horror title (£11.4m), Sinners (£16.2m), the latest Conjuring installment (£14.98 million) and the sequel to a classic (£15.54 million) – have all stayed in the multiplexes and in the public consciousness.

Although much of the industry commentary focuses on the unique excellence of certain directors, their triumphs suggest something shifting between moviegoers and the genre.

“I’ve heard people say, ‘Even if you don’t like horror this is a film you need to see,’” 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 beyond aesthetic quality, the consistent popularity of frightening features this year suggests they are giving moviegoers something that’s much needed: catharsis.

“Currently, cinema mirrors the widespread anger, fear, and societal splits,” notes a horror podcast host.

“Horror films are great at playing into people’s anxieties, while at the same time exaggerating them. So you forget about your day-to-day anxieties and focus on the monster on the screen,” explains a noted author of horror film history.

Amid a global headlines featuring conflict, immigration issues, political shifts, and climate concerns, supernatural beings and undead creatures resonate a bit differently with filmg oers.

“Some research suggests vampire film popularity correlates with financial downturns,” states an star from a recent horror hit.

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

Since the early days of cinema, social unrest has influenced the genre.

Scholars highlight the surge of early cinematic styles after the first world war and the chaotic atmosphere of the 1920s Europe, with films such as The Cabinet of Dr Caligari and the iconic vampire tale.

Subsequently came the 1930s depression and classic monster movies.

“Take Dracula: it depicts an Eastern European figure invading Britain, spreading a metaphorical infection that endangers local protagonists,” explains a academic.

“Thus, it mirrors widespread fears about migration.”

The phantom of border issues shaped the just-premiered supernatural tale The Severed Sun.

Its writer-director explains: “My goal was to examine populist trends. For instance, nostalgic phrases promising a return to a 'better' era that excluded many.”

“Also, the concept of familiar individuals revealing surprising prejudices in casual settings.”

Arguably, the present time of praised, culturally aware scary films commenced with a brilliant satire released a year after a contentious political era.

It introduced a fresh generation of innovative filmmakers, including several notable names.

“It was a hugely exciting time,” recalls a director whose film about a violent prenatal entity was one of the era’s tentpole movies.

“I believe it initiated a trend toward eccentric, high-concept horror that aimed for artistic recognition.”

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.”

Simultaneously, there has been a reconsideration of the underrated horror works.

Recently, a new cinema opened in London, showing underground films such as The Greasy Strangler, The Fall of the House of Usher and the late-80s version of the expressionist icon.

The renewed interest of this “raw and chaotic” genre is, according to the venue creator, a clear response to the calculated releases churned out 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 explains.

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

Fright flicks continue to disrupt conventions.

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

In addition to the revival of the deranged genius archetype – with multiple versions of a literary masterpiece imminent – he predicts we will see scary movies in the coming years reacting to our modern concerns: about tech supremacy in the coming decades and “monstrous metaphors in power structures”.

Meanwhile, a biblical fright story a forthcoming title – which narrates the tale of Mary and Joseph’s struggles after Jesus’s birth, and stars celebrated stars as the sacred figures – is planned for launch later this year, and will undoubtedly cause a stir through the Christian right in the United States.</