For some, the summer months bring about visions of quintessential theatrical blockbusters, be they MCU extravaganzas, alien invasion thrillers, or the latest cautionary tales about dinosaur DNA. But given just how many big and small upcoming horror movies are on the way in the near-ish future, I’m already prepared to declare 2025 the Year Of Summer Horror, with the Philippou brothers’ Bring Her Back as a truly harrowing pace-setter.
Don’t get me wrong, the rest of the 2025 movie schedule is filled with exciting and promising movies that have nothing to do with freaky monsters, jarring jump scares and nerve-rattling teeth sounds. In fact, there’s even a Stephen King adaptation on the non-horror side in Mike Flanagan’s heightened drama The Life of Chuck. But there’s another King tale getting the big screen treatment later that definitely does make this list, so let’s take a look at some of the fright fests I’m most excited to see this summer.
The Ritual – June 6 (Theaters)
- STARRING: Al Pacino, Dan Stevens, Ashley Greene, Abigail Cowen, Patrick Fabian, Patricia Heaton
- DIRECTED AND WRITTEN BY: David Midell; David Midell and Enrico Natale
- ONE-SENTENCE LOGLINE: Two priests cast aside conflicts to cast out the demons supposedly possessing a young woman.
- ONE-SENTENCE SELLING POINT: Al Pacino in manic exorcist mode is already worth watching in a best- or worst-case scenario, but the solid supporting cast implies it’s actually gonna be a winner.
guaranteed its unrated and uncut release, which is exactly the way this movie should be shown.
upcoming horror TV shows, but you’d be wrong. And if you think seeing Bring Her Back in theaters twice in one week is ill-advised….well, the jury’s still out on that one.