by Andrew Buckner
In celebration of the Halloween season, I am delighted to present my thirty-one favorite horror films, with one film representing each day in the month of October, of the year so far.
* Please note that all the films featured on this list are based on the criteria of an original 2025 release date in the United States.
31. Clown in a Cornfield
Director: Eli Craig
30. Match
Director: Danishka Esterhazy
29. The Damned
Director: Thordur Palsson
28. The Black Phone 2
Director: Scott Derrickson
27. Wolf Man
Director: Leigh Whannell
26. Bone Lake
Director: Mercedes Bryce Morgan
25. Marshmallow
Directors: Daniel DelPurgatorio
24. The Rule of Jenny Pen
Director: James Ashcroft
23. Final Destination: Bloodlines
Directors: Zach Lipovsky, Adam B. Stein
22. Death of a Unicorn
Director: Alex Scharfman
21. Companion
Director: Drew Hancock
20. Flesh of the Unforgiven
Director: Joe Hollow
19. The Monkey
Director: Osgood Perkins
18. The Long Walk
Director: Francis Lawrence
17. Dead Mail
Directors: Joe DeBoer, Kyle McConaughy
16. The Severed Sun
Director: Dean Puckett
15. Best Wishes to All
Director: Yuta Shimotsu
14. Dangerous Animals
Director: Sean Byrne
13. The Conjuring: Last Rites
Director: Michael Chaves
12. V/H/SHalloween
Directors: Bryan M. Ferguson, Casper Kelly, R.H. Norman, Alex Ross Perry, Micheline Pitt, Paco Plaza, Anna Zlokovic
11. 28 Years Later
Director: Danny Boyle
10. Together
Director: Michael Shanks
9. Bring Her Back
Directors: Danny Philippou, Michael Philippou
8. The Ugly Stepsister
Director: Emilie Blichfeldt
7. Cannibal Mukbang
Director: Aimee Kuge
6. Strange Harvest
Director: Stuart Ortiz
5. Presence
Director: Steven Soderbergh
4. Good Boy
Director: Ben Leonberg
3. The Shrouds
Director: David Cronenberg
2. The Girl with the Needle
Director: Magnus von Horn
1. Weapons
Director: Zach Cregger
Runners-up:
Bloat
Director: Pablo Absento
Bone Lake
Director: Mercedes Bryce Morgan
Coyotes
Director: Colin Minihan
Heart Eyes
Director: Josh Ruben
Jimmy and Stiggs
Director: Joe Begos
Night of the Reaper
Director: Brandon Christensen
Shelby Oaks
Director: Chris Stuckmann