{'It’s like they’ve erupted out of someone’s subconscious': how horror came to possess today's movie theaters.

The most significant shock the film industry has witnessed in 2025? The return of horror as a main player at the UK film market.

As a category, it has notably exceeded past times with a 22% rise compared to last year for the UK and Ireland film earnings: over £83 million this year, against £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 film industry analyst.

The big hits of the year – Weapons (£11.4 million), another hit film (£16.2m), the latest Conjuring installment (£14.98m) and the sequel to a classic (£15.54 million) – have all hung about in the multiplexes and in the popular awareness.

While much of the industry commentary focuses on the singular brilliance of prominent auteurs, their successes indicate something shifting between audiences and the style.

“Many have expressed, ‘You should watch this even if horror isn’t your thing,’” says a head of acquisition.

“These productions twist traditional elements to craft unique experiences, resonating deeply with modern audiences.”

But apart from aesthetic quality, the steady demand of spooky films this year suggests they are giving cinemagoers something that’s much needed: therapeutic relief.

“These days, movies echo the prevalent emotions of rage, anxiety, and polarization,” notes a genre expert.

“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,” remarks a prominent scholar of classic monster stories.

Amid a real-world news cycle featuring war, border tensions, far-right movements, and environmental crises, witches, zombies and vengeful spirits resonate a bit differently with audiences.

“Some research suggests vampire film popularity correlates with financial downturns,” states an star from a successful fright film.

“The concept reflects how economic systems can drain vitality from individuals.”

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

Experts point to the surge of early cinematic styles after the the Great War and the turbulent times of the post-war Germany, with movies such as classic silent horror and a pioneering fright film.

Subsequently came the economic crisis of the 30s 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 commentator.

“Therefore, it embodies concerns related to foreign influx.”

The specter of border issues inspired the newly launched rural fright The Severed Sun.

The filmmaker explains: “I wanted to explore ideas around the rise of populism. Firstly, slogans like ‘Let’s Make Britain Great Again’, that harken back to some fantasy time when things were ‘better’, but only if you were a rich white man.”

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

Arguably, the present time of acclaimed, socially switched-on horror began with a brilliant satire launched a year after a polarizing administration.

It introduced a new wave of horror auteurs, including several notable names.

“It was a hugely exciting time,” comments a creator whose project about a murderous foetus was one of the era’s tentpole movies.

“In my view, it marked the start of a phase where filmmakers embraced wildly creative horror with artistic ambitions.”

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

At the same time, there has been a reconsideration of the underrated horror works.

In recent months, a independent theater opened in the capital, showing cult classics such as The Greasy Strangler, The Fall of the House of Usher and the 1989 remake of the expressionist icon.

The fresh acclaim of this “rough and rowdy” genre is, according to the theater owner, a direct reaction to the algorithmic content churned out at the cinemas.

“This responds to the sterile output from major studios. Today's cinema is safer and more repetitive. Many popular movies feel identical,” he says.

“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.”

Scary movies continue to disrupt conventions.

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

Alongside the re-emergence of the insane researcher motif – with multiple versions of a well-known story imminent – he anticipates we will see fright features in 2026 and 2027 reacting to our current anxieties: about tech supremacy in the coming decades and “supernatural elements in political spheres”.

In the interim, a religious-themed scare film a forthcoming title – which tells the story of holy family challenges after Jesus’s birth, and includes well-known actors as the sacred figures – is scheduled to debut in the coming months, and will certainly cause a stir through the Christian right in the United States.</