{'It’s like they’ve erupted out of someone’s subconscious': how horror has come to dominate contemporary film venues.

The biggest jump-scare the film industry has witnessed in 2025? The return of horror as a dominant force at the British cinemas.

As a category, it has remarkably exceeded earlier periods with a 22% rise compared to last year for the UK and Irish box office: over £83 million this year, compared with £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,” comments a cinema revenue expert.

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

Although much of the industry commentary centers on the unique excellence of prominent auteurs, their successes indicate something shifting between moviegoers and the category.

“Many have expressed, ‘You should watch this even if horror isn’t your thing,’” explains a film distribution executive.

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

But beyond artistic merit, the consistent popularity of horror movies this year indicates they are giving cinemagoers something that’s greatly desired: emotional release.

“Currently, cinema mirrors the widespread anger, fear, and societal splits,” observes a film commentator.

“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,” says a respected writer of classic monster stories.

In the context of a real-world news cycle featuring war, border tensions, far-right movements, and environmental crises, ghosts, monsters, and mythical entities connect in new ways with audiences.

“Some research suggests vampire film popularity correlates with financial downturns,” comments an performer from a popular scary movie.

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

Historically, public discord has always impacted scary movies.

Experts point to the boom of early cinematic styles after the the Great War and the unstable environment of the post-war Germany, with features such as early expressionist works and the iconic vampire tale.

This was followed by the 1930s depression and Universal Studios’ Frankenstein and The Wolfman.

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

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

The specter of immigration inspired the newly launched rural fright a recent film title.

The creator 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.”

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

Maybe, the modern period of celebrated, politically engaged fright cinema started with a sharp parody released a year after a divisive leadership period.

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

“Those years were remarkably vibrant,” comments a filmmaker whose film about a violent prenatal entity was one of the era’s tentpole movies.

“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.”

The same filmmaker, who is writing a new horror original, adds: “During the past decade, viewers have become more receptive to such innovative approaches.”

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

Earlier this year, a nicke l venue opened in a major city, showing underground films such as The Greasy Strangler, a classic adaptation and the modern reinterpretation of Dr Caligari.

The re-appreciation of this “gritty and loud” genre is, according to the theater owner, a straightforward answer to the algorithmic content churned out at the cinemas.

“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.

“On the other hand, [these indie works] feel imperfect. They seem to burst forth from deep creativity, free from commercial constraints.”

Horror films continue to upset the establishment.

“Horror possesses a dual nature, feeling both classic and current simultaneously,” notes an specialist.

Alongside the revival of the mad scientist trope – with two adaptations of a well-known story upcoming – he anticipates we will see horror films in the coming years addressing our current anxieties: about tech supremacy in the coming decades and “vampires living in the Trump tower”.

In the interim, “Jesus horror” The Carpenter’s Son – which tells the story of biblical parent hardships after Jesus’s birth, and features celebrated stars as the sacred figures – is set for release in the coming months, and will definitely create waves through the faith-based groups in the America.</