Horror as a genre has always served as a transgressive force — it seeks to interrogate that which we find disgusting, to draw near to that which makes us want to recoil in fear. This kind of subversiveness has allowed the genre to frequently and historically serve as a mechanism for social commentary, a mode of examining what corrupts and confuses within our society. These examples range far and wide, from John Carpenter’s “The Thing” drawing inspiration from Cold War horror paranoia to Jordan Peele’s “Get Out” serving as a potent mechanism for discussing systemic racism. Horror — specifically original horror — has been on the rise in recent years and has proved itself to be a dominant force in the 2025 film scene, starting in January with the quiet hit “Companion.”
“Companion” — directed by Drew Hancock and starring Sophie Thatcher and Jack Quaid — follows Iris (Thatcher) and her boyfriend Josh (Quaid) as they spend a weekend lakeside with their friends and things go horrifically wrong. The film flips on its axis, as Iris discovers she is actually a robot, purchased and programmed by Josh to be his sexual and relational toy. However, within the film, Iris finds this out and fights to take back her own programming and identity. In Iris’ moves to reclaim herself, the film sends a clear message about female empowerment and the fight that women often have to undergo to clearly lay claim to themselves and their own identity. Furthermore, the cyborg genre is one frequently dominated by men and subservient women — Blade Runner serving as a chief example. In delivering a clever twist on this, “Companion” clearly situates Iris as breaking free from the chains of her abusive relationship, pushing against her programming — analogous to the patriarchy — to free herself and fully become her own being. The social commentary didn’t stop there either, because only a few months later came the most talked about film of the year, Ryan Coogler’s “Sinners.”
“Sinners” released in April and quickly became a massive hit, rising to become the sixth-highest-grossing film of 2025, the ninth-best opening weekend of all time for any R-rated movie, the 11th-highest-grossing R-rated film of all time and the highest-grossing original horror film of all time. The film follows twin brothers — both played by Michael B. Jordan — as they return to their hometown in 1932 in the Mississippi Delta and work to open a juke joint. The film also stars Hailee Steinfeld, Miles Canton, Jack O’Connell and Wunmi Mosaku. The film isn’t an ordinary historical fiction film — instead, it features a vampiric twist. The vampires, led by the Irish Remmick (O’Connell), attack the juke joint on its opening night.
The film’s key themes are anchored in community, explorations of racism and its effects and the power of music. The proposition of the Irish vampire within the film is an important one. White Irish immigrants to the United States did face their own kinds of discrimination but often disregarded the extreme discrimination and hate that Black people faced at the same time. In other words, the oppressed sought to further oppress those they saw as below them, which in most cases was defined on lines of race. Yet, the film also relishes in Black resistance and community. The creation of the juke joint is an act in rebellion, an act in moving towards freedom, an act in creating a Black community where it has tried to be destroyed. Even when things don’t go to plan, that notion still carries force to help someone move forward. This is articulated most clearly in Sammy’s (Canton) performance on the opening night. As he sings, spirits from the past and the future appear — dancing in and out among the crowd. This scene defines the very essence of the film, that Black people have always and will always be here and that Black culture has had a profound impact on American culture. “Sinners” is the defining horror — if not regular — film of the year, but the horror movement didn’t stop there.
Zach Cregger’s buzzy second feature “Weapons” dropped at the beginning of August to much acclaim. The film takes place in a small town, where one night at 2:17 a.m., every child but one from Ms. Gandy’s third-grade class left their homes and never came back. “Weapons” juggles a lot of ideas — collective trauma, how communities can be affected by school shootings and addiction. The film weaves many of these themes throughout the narrative without ever explicitly stating them, leaving much of the film’s interpretation to the viewer. The power of the horror film, in fact, lies in this idea — the movie has the potential to spark conversation and a multitude of interpretations.
Horror films are an incredibly audacious and effective way to spark conversations about social issues and change — something that this year has proved beyond belief — and I can only hope that we continue to see even more in the future.
Lauren is a senior studying English literature, communications and film. You can connect with her at [email protected].