MONTH IN REVIEW: APRIL 2025

It's not always easy to keep track of the world of horror day-to-day. So here's a round up of what's happened last month and a glimpse of what we can expect in the coming weeks...

After a rather barren March in terms of genre releases, April delivered a welcome surge of horror titles for us to sink our teeth into - and, on the whole, they were pretty solid. Leading the pack was undoubtedly Ryan Coogler’s southern-set period vampire tale Sinners. It’s a richly textured and beautifully shot film, elevated by an exhilarating score and effective horror sequences - the second half evokes shades of both From Dusk Till Dawn and From. With a substantial $90 million budget and a runtime exceeding two hours, it was a financial gamble, but one that paid off handsomely, having nearly doubled its investment at the box office. Coogler is reportedly eyeing a reboot of The X-Files, which could prove fascinating. Drop offered a thoroughly enjoyable cinema experience, with Chris Landon effortlessly channelling that cosy, Hitchcockian thriller vibe so many of us enjoy. It’s not flawless and lacks a bit of bite, but it’s an entertaining watch. It earned a modest $26 million at the box office, but with a budget of just $10 million, that still qualifies as a success. Also hitting cinemas was Until Dawn, a fun if insubstantial entry from director David F. Sandberg. It’s about on par with most video game adaptations - lower your expectations and you’ll likely enjoy the ride. It’s already recouped its budget in its first week, so it’s no financial misfire. At the start of the month, we also had Death of a Unicorn, starring Paul Rudd and Jenna Ortega. A film about a vengeful unicorn certainly sounds like a wild ride, but the tonal inconsistencies hold it back. It has its moments and delivers some enjoyable splatter, but overall, it feels like a missed opportunity. Audiences were similarly unsure - box office returns just about matched its budget.

Over on streaming, Shudder delivered the standout offerings of the month. The Rule of Jenny Pen was the clear highlight. Starring Geoffrey Rush and John Lithgow, it follows a cantankerous judge (Rush) recovering from a stroke in a care home, where he uncovers that a fellow resident (Lithgow) is a long-time psychopath who’s been tormenting others. It’s a grim yet darkly comic slice of horror, with Lithgow at his unhinged best. Also of note was Dead Mail, a gritty retro crime thriller centred on the discovery of a bloodstained plea-for-help letter found in a mailbox. Don’t expect a tightly wound whodunit - this one is more of a slow-burn character study in obsession. Director Stephen Cognetti, best known for the Hell House LLC franchise, released his first non–found footage feature, 825 Forest Road, on Shudder this April. Unfortunately, it’s an uneven, trope-heavy effort that fizzles out rather than finishing strong. Cognetti is due to return later in the year with the final Hell House instalment, hopefully a return to form. Finally, fans of folk horror will dig Frewaka (review to come!), a film about a care worker who is sent to a remote Irish village to care for an agoraphobic woman. Director Aislinn Clarke’s last feature The Devil’s Doorway (2018) is a bit of an underseen gem and Frewaka further highlights her talent behind the camera.

Looking ahead to this month, we’ve got a solid line-up of big screen releases to get excited about. Clown in a Cornfield arrives on the 9th, and it’s great to see another slasher making its way into cinemas. Based on the 2020 novel of the same name, it centres on a girl and her father who move to the seemingly quiet town of Kettle Springs. However, the town has fallen on hard times, tensions are rising - and then along comes Frendo, a sadistic, grinning clown who begins “cleansing” the community, one victim at a time. It’s directed by Eli Craig (Tucker and Dale vs Evil), so expectations are high. Also arriving on the 9th is The Surfer, not strictly horror, but it looks wild and intense enough to warrant interest. Plus, it stars Nicolas Cage, so there’s that.

Final Destination finally returns after more than a decade, and excitement is understandably high. Final Destination: Bloodlines hits cinemas on the 16th, and if the trailer’s anything to go by, we could be in for a treat. Also arriving that day is Hallow Road, starring Rosamund Pike. A taut mystery thriller, it follows two parents who receive a panicked call from their daughter claiming she’s hit a pedestrian. They race to find her before anyone else stumbles on the scene - but they may not be the only ones on Hallow Road…

On the streaming front, Netflix has a couple of titles worth watching. Thai supernatural horror The Haunted Apartment: Miss K lands on the 8th and early reviews have been promising. Then, on the 23rd, the Fear Street trilogy returns with Fear Street: Prom Queen. While we weren’t quite as enamoured with the original trilogy as others, we’re still intrigued by this next instalment. For physical media fans, the slasher/rom-com hybrid Heart Eyes gets a Blu-ray release on the 19th, while another slasher, He Never Left, drops on the 12th - definitely worth a look as well.

As for Shudder, their social team hasn’t yet published an official release schedule for May, but it’s expected that brutal Scandi body horror The Ugly Stepsister will arrive this month.

In terms of news, there’s been plenty happening. Jessica Chastain has signed on to star in Incidents Around the House, a film adaptation of Josh Malerman’s novel of the same name, directed by Rob Savage (Host). Speaking of Malerman, another of his books, Decorum at the Deathbed, is heading to the screen - it’s a psychological thriller about a grieving widow who begins a strange relationship with a mysterious detective.

Dev Patel will write, direct, and star in The Peasant, a 1300s-set period revenge thriller about a shepherd who seeks vengeance against mercenary knights, revealing himself to be far more than he appears. Jamie Lee Curtis is producing Darkly for Blumhouse, a new series based on Marisha Pessl’s YA novel. It follows Arcadia “Dia” Gannon and her obsession with terrifying toys and games from the mysterious Darkly empire.

A reboot of Urban Legend is officially moving forward, with Gary Dauberman (Until Dawn, Annabelle Comes Home) producing and Shanrah Wakefield writing. While plot details remain under wraps, the project reportedly explores what urban legends look like in a post-digital world.

In sequel news, casting updates for the Ready or Not follow-up were announced recently, with Shawn Hatosy (The Faculty), David Cronenberg, Nestor Carbonell, Elijah Wood, and Sarah Michelle Gellar joining the ensemble. Safe to say, we’re excited. Meanwhile, Ryan Gosling is producing a reboot of cult classic Killer Klowns from Outer Space for Amazon. Sounds like an April Fool’s joke, but apparently not.

Stampede Entertainment, the original creators of Tremors, have regained some script rights to the 1990 film, allowing them creative control for future projects including possibly persuading Kevin Bacon to return.

April also saw the release of several promising trailers. Primitive War looks like a hybrid of Jurassic Park and Apocalypse Now, and stars Ryan Kwanten and Jeremy Piven. Aussie horror The Moogai blends supernatural and folk elements, and Fear Below - another Australian offering - features a group of divers trying to salvage a car from a river while facing off with a particularly aggressive bull shark. Who doesn’t love a good shark movie?

Now to the heavy hitters: we finally got a trailer for 28 Years Later and it looks bloody fantastic. Jordan Peele-produced Him also dropped a trailer - following a rising football star invited to a secluded training compound where a legendary quarterback (Marlon Wayans) introduces him to the dark side of fame, power, and ambition.

Lastly, the trailer for I Know What You Did Last Summer - a sequel, not a reboot - has landed. It looks like it’s retaining that glossy, earnest charm of late ‘90s slashers, which we’re all for. And following the success of Prey, Dan Trachtenberg has revealed Predator: Badlands. Drawing from the franchise’s expanded universe, it’s set on a Predator planet and features both a Predator protagonist and a Weyland-Yutani android. It’s a bold move that might split the fanbase, but it could be just what the franchise needs.

And that’s your lot! A packed month of horror to look forward to and with any luck, some sunshine too.