The Big Picture – “The 10 Best Horror Movies of 2025 and ‘Black Phone 2’”

Podcast: The Big Picture (The Ringer)

Hosts: Sean Fennessey, Chris Ryan

Guest: Alex Ross Perry

Date: October 21, 2025

Overview

This episode dives into the current state of horror cinema in 2025, offering spirited reviews, critical reflections, and debates about the year’s genre highlights. Sean and Chris, joined by frequent guest and filmmaker Alex Ross Perry, cover the highly anticipated “Black Phone 2,” discuss the health of horror franchises and anthologies, dissect trends like exposition overload and “elevated” horror, and deliver an enthusiastic run-down of the year’s best—and most twisted—flicks. The conversation is rich with recommendations, loving critiques, and playful banter, making it a must-read for horror buffs and movie fans alike.

Major Discussion Points & Insights

Recent Movie News and Industry Buzz

• Christopher Nolan’s “Odyssey” Trailer (00:32–04:45):

  • Sean and Chris muse about the value of trailers, with Chris expressing appreciation for directors like Nolan and PTA who master the art of the teaser, lamenting trailers that give away too much.
  • “[Nolan] is so good at cutting trailers…an art unto themselves.” – Chris Ryan (03:04)
  • They speculate on whether “Odyssey” will live up to monumental expectations following “Oppenheimer.”

• Michael Mann’s “Heat 2” & De-aging (05:31–08:44):

  • Updates on Mann’s “Heat 2”: Mann moving studios for creative freedom, de-aging discussions, and delays.
  • Chris compares his nervous excitement to the hypothetical “Daniel Plainview Prison” sequel.

• Tony Gilroy’s “Behemoth” & Ava Victor Casting (09:11–10:27):

  • Gilroy’s first feature since “Duplicity,” with Pedro Pascal and Ava Victor.
  • Sean: “Tony Gilroy hasn’t made a movie since Duplicity…one of the great [profiles] in recent history.”

Deep Dive: “Black Phone 2” (10:56–22:00)

[Begin: 10:56]

Plot: Gwen (15) receives supernatural calls and visions involving a killer (the Grabber, Ethan Hawke), facing him at a wintry youth camp alongside her brother, Finney.

Key Impressions:

• Strong Opening, Disappointing Payoff:
  • The first 45 minutes praised for atmosphere and Derrickson’s visual flair, but the film falls into the trap of excessive dream sequences and heavy-handed exposition.
• Structural Issues:
  • Momentum gets bogged down by attempts to retroactively connect the sequel’s storyline to the original—especially through long, dialogue-heavy scenes explaining mythology and backstory.
  • Chris: “Too many dream sequences…relying so much in the first act on mood and creep that the second act…is a tough example of something plaguing horror movies: overreliance on expository dialogue.” (13:23)
• Supernatural Turn & Retcons:
  • A major retcon changes the fate of the kids’ mother to tie her directly to the Grabber, making the trauma more visceral but feeling forced.
• Villain Dilemma:
  • Discussion of the “mantle” problem: Should the Grabber have become supernatural, or should the villain role pass to new characters, “Ghostface”-style?

Box Office & Franchise:

• Despite negative reviews, the film is a commercial hit, outpacing Blumhouse’s other recent horror offerings, suggesting inevitable sequels.

Notable Quote:

• “It’s really hard because it seems like Derrickson just wants to make a very different movie…But he needs what he hopes will be an iconic villain.” – Sean Fennessey (13:41)

The State of Horror in 2025 (22:00–36:41)

[Begin: 22:00]

Trends & Challenges:

• Franchise Fatigue and Exposition:

  • Modern studio horror often bloated by explanations and convoluted mythology.
  • “A lot of it just feels very barren…overindexed for the trauma of the characters instead of the scares of the movie.” – Chris Ryan (34:03)

• Auteur “Elevated Horror”:

  • Top-tier horror this year from auteur-driven projects: "Sinners", "Weapons", "28 Years Later."
  • Chris: “Three of my five or six favorite movies of the year are horror movies…Sinners, Weapons, 28 Years Later all auteur-driven…with huge swings…” (26:56)

• Diminished Middle Class:

  • While the elite “festival horror” is thriving, the mid-budget, fun, and inventive horror space (the “Sleepaway Camp” and “Shocker” category) is struggling, with most success coming from either prestigious directors or very low-budget indies.

• Streaming and Shudder’s Role:

  • Shudder cementing itself as the primary curator/distributor for indie/experimental horror, often leading to limited theatrical runs before exclusivity on streaming.

• “Trauma” and “Elevated Horror” Fatigue:

  • Hereditary’s influence means many new films trade scares for psychological suffering, sometimes at the genre’s expense.
  • Sean: “These movies don’t actually have scares every 15 minutes anymore…”

The Year’s Standout Horror Films: Recommendations & Reviews

VHS: Halloween (36:41–41:00)

• Anthology reliability: “One of the only reliable things in my life that every year Shudder gives us a new VHS movie.”
• Alex Ross Perry’s Segment “Kid Print”: Lauded as "very fucked up" and a highlight of this installment.

Other Recommended Titles

• Dangerous Animals (39:11):

  • A shark horror film with a sadistic twist—killer uses sharks as weapons.
  • “It’s one of the first…where a killer utilized as a tool a shark as the weapon.” (39:44)
  • Jai Courtney’s villain is singled out as a standout.

• Bring Her Back (41:31):

  • Dark, “talk to me”-style story of a woman enlisting dark web rituals to resurrect her child. Gritty, potent, but perhaps too bleak for some tastes.

• Strange Harvest (43:27):

  • A true-crime style supernatural procedural—blending realism and horror.

• Shelby Oaks (46:26):

  • Noted for its clever use of found footage/YouTuber narrative structure, but criticized for breaking its own conventions.

• Night of the Reaper & Marshmallow (49:07):

  • Two Shudder standouts focused on camp, slashers, and horror-comedy. “Night of the Reaper is…a riff on House of the Devil and Scream and babysitters/serial killers.”

• Invader (49:48):

  • Short, disorienting “run-and-gun” horror film by Mickey Keating and Joe Swanberg, compared to the Dardennes, Haneke, Harmony Korine.
  • “If you turn this on and you get about five minutes in and you feel like you need to throw up because of the camera work, stop the movie, because it doesn’t get any better.” – Chris Ryan (51:26)

• Companion (55:06):

  • A sci-fi tinge, failed to find a box office audience due to odd release timing.

• Good Boy (55:28):

  • A dog’s-eye view of a serial killer, notable dog performance.

• Descendant, Jimmy & Stiggs, Bleeding (56:00–59:31):

  • Among the year’s best in the sci-fi, splatter, and vampirism-as-addiction subgenres, respectively.

• Lighter Fare (59:51):

  • Fear Street: Prom Queen, Marshmallow (again), Clown in a Cornfield – for more fun, group-friendly horror.

Horror Villains, Franchises, and the Need for Innovation (25:26–27:46)

• Sean argues that successful eras in horror aren’t defined only by villains but by bold ideas and execution (Michael Myers, Freddy, Jason are the rare exceptions).
• Chris: “Do you think a healthy horror ecosystem is powered by its villains or by form…?” (24:58)

Segment: Horror Anthologies and the VHS Halloween “Kid Print” (65:09–93:42)

Special Guest: Alex Ross Perry

• On Creating “Kid Print”:

  • Inspiration from a real 1990s Blockbuster promotion.
  • “Just that weird level of quiet combined with analog video hiss…and 30 years later makes it feel creepy.” – Alex Ross Perry (66:54)
  • Alex’s horror comes from grounded, real-world fear—namely, child abduction, rather than the supernatural.

• Process and Philosophy:

  • Flexibility, fast turn-around, and the practicalities of horror anthology production.
  • “My only criteria was: I just need to make the thing that when it ends, I’m turning and I’m saying, that one was great.” (72:11)

• Anthology Structure:

  • Discussed the merits of one-director vs. multi-director anthologies.
  • Trick ‘r Treat (2007, Michael Dougherty) cited as modern gold standard for single-director anthologies.
  • VHS praised as an annual streaming event and for supporting new voices.

• Anthology Recommendations & Analysis:

  • Highest ranked: Kwaidan, Dead of Night, Tales from the Hood, Black Sabbath, Creepshow, Three Extremes.
  • Noted how anthology viewing is relaxing and communal (“great for parties, but Kid Print will ruin your party vibe!”).

• Industry and TV Cross-Pollination:

  • Anthologies have become rare in theaters, now mostly streaming-driven.
  • TV efforts at horror anthologies (Twilight Zone reboot, Channel Zero, Black Mirror) often fail to catch on.
  • Personal horror viewing rituals: “horror hangover” after Halloween (101:10).

Memorable Quotes

• “Too many dream sequences…not psychologically fascinating…relying so much on mood and creep that the second act…is a tough example of something plaguing horror movies: overreliance on expository dialogue.” – Chris Ryan (13:23)
• “If I do it, could you guys just not address it?” (on going bleach blonde for a Halloween costume) – Sean Fennessey (23:25)
• “These movies don’t actually have scares every 15 minutes anymore. Like, I think we’ve really gotten away from the reliable rewards of this genre.” – Chris Ryan (36:18)
• “What scares me? That’s what I want to make. I don’t find demons upsetting...my thought was just, as a parent, this is upsetting to me. If I’m going to make something to get under your skin, my starting point is what upsets me.” – Alex Ross Perry (68:36)
• “It should be a surprise how awful it is. It’s obvious where this is going because this is a 20 minute segment...but what you should be surprised by is it went further than you thought.” – Alex Ross Perry (75:08)
• “If you give people the prompt of ‘make a 20 minute Halloween thing’...some will do trick-or-treating and some won’t. For me, that’s narrative justification for why I’m keeping it lean and grounded.” – Alex Ross Perry (79:05)

Timestamps for Key Segments

• Christopher Nolan & Industry News: 02:02–10:27
• Black Phone 2 Deep Dive: 10:56–22:00
• Horror Trends & Ecosystem: 22:00–36:41
• Best of 2025 Horror Recommendations: 36:41–65:09
• Anthologies & Alex Ross Perry Interview: 65:09–119:06

Final Reflections

• 2025 is a paradox for horror: auteur-driven genre films are peaking, but mainstream and mid-level horror are struggling with formulaic storytelling and exposition overload.
• VHS: Halloween continues to be a bright spot for inventive horror storytelling.
• Horror anthologies—whether single- or multi-director—offer unique challenges and pleasures, serving as a proving ground for new talent and creative ideas.
• Horror “hangover” post-Halloween is real; fans and filmmakers want more natural calendar alignment for releases.

Essential Watchlist (2025 Highlights)

• Black Phone 2 (Scott Derrickson)
• Sinners, Weapons, 28 Years Later (Auteur-driven successes)
• VHS: Halloween (Shudder anthology; “Kid Print” by Alex Ross Perry)
• Dangerous Animals (Sadistic shark horror)
• Bring Her Back, Strange Harvest, Shelby Oaks (Varied strong indies)
• Night of the Reaper, Marshmallow, Invader (Indie/experimental standouts)
• Companion, Good Boy, Descendant, Jimmy & Stiggs, Bleeding (Variously in sci-fi, splatter, social commentary)
• Fear Street: Prom Queen, Clown in a Cornfield (Teen/slasher fun)
• Bone Lake, Which Board remake, Hell of a Summer, Looky Lou (Further recommendations for completists)

Closing Note

This episode is a deep well of recommendations, critical perspective, and horror genre love, punctuated by the chemistry of its hosts and the wry, creative energy of guest Alex Ross Perry. Whether you’re a diehard genre fan or just need an October movie night pick, this conversation has something twisted for you.