“Weapons” poster art.
Warner Bros. Pictures
With October right around the corner, here’s a list of the 10 highest-rated horror movies by Rotten Tomatoes critics and where you can see them as we enter the final month of spooky season.
The list is based on RT’s 100 Best Horror Movies of 2025 list, but the compilation also includes 2024 releases. As such, only the top 10 films released in theaters in 2025 were selected for this top 10 list of movies below.
Each entry in the list below includes a summary for the film, as well as Rotten Tomatoes critics’ “fresh” rating and the Critics Consensus for the movie.
The list also notes which streaming video on demand services the films are playing on. If the titles are only available for purchase or rent on premium video on demand on such digital platforms, the titles can be found on such PVOD platforms as Apple TV, Fandango at Home, Prime Video and YouTube.
10. ‘Presence’
An indie film directed by Steven Soderbergh and written by David Koepp, Presence was released in theaters on Jan. 25.
Lucy Liu and Chris Sullivan star as the parents of two teen children (Callina Liang and Eddy Maday) who move into an empty suburban house that has a haunting presence that may be connected to one of them.
RT Critics Rating: 88% “fresh” based on 242 reviews.
RT Critics Consensus: “A slow-burning spectral thriller, Presence reaffirms that Soderbergh plays with form as deftly as he flits between genres.”
Where To Stream: Presence is streaming on Hulu.
9: ‘28 Years Later’
Directed by Danny Boyle and written by Alex Garland — the same creatives behind the 2003 classic horror film 28 Days Later — 28 Years Later was released in theaters on June 20.
The film picks up nearly three decades after the onset of the rage virus as father (Aaron Taylor-Johnson) and son (Alfie Williams) travel from their safe, secluded island to the mainland where “the infected” roam. While on the trip, meant to be a survival exercise, the boy learns of a mad doctor (Ralph Fiennes) who may be able to cure his ailing mother (Jodie Comer).
RT Critics Rating: 88% “fresh” based on 386 reviews.
RT Critics Consensus: “28 Years Later taps into contemporary anxieties with the ferocious urgency of someone infected with Rage Virus, delivering a haunting and visceral thrill ride that defies expectations.”
Where To Stream: 28 Years Later is streaming on Netflix.
8: ‘Bring Her Back’
Directed by twin brothers Danny and Michael Philippou, Bring Her Back was released in theaters on May 30.
In the film, Billy Barratt and Sara Wong play a pair of step-siblings who are sent to live with a foster mother (Sally Hawkins), who, unbeknownst to the teens, is hiding her troubled past.
RT Critics Rating: 89% “fresh” based on 261 reviews.
RT Critics Consensus: “A domestic nightmare that draws its most profound scares from Sally Hawkins’ deranged performance, Bring Her Back is an exemplary chiller that reaffirms directors Danny and Michael Philippou as modern masters of horror.”
Where To Stream: Bring Her Back begins streaming on HBO Max on Friday, Oct. 3.
7: ‘Together’
Written and directed by Michael Shanks, Together was released in theaters on July 30.
Real-life married couple Dave Franco and Alison Brie star in this body horror thriller about a couple whose crumbling relationship takes a terrifying turn when they encounter a malevolent force at their new home in the countryside.
RT Critics Rating: 90% “fresh” based on 230 reviews.
RT Critics Consensus: “Given an extra sinew of authenticity by the metatextual casting of Alison Brie and Dave Franco at the top of their game, Together is a body horror that’s as emotionally sticky as it is memorably gnarly.”
Where To Stream: Together is only available for purchase or rent on premium video on demand.
6: ‘Strange Harvest’
Written and directed by Stuart Ortiz, Strange Harvest was released in theaters on Aug. 8.
An indie horror mystery movie filmed in the mock documentary format, Peter Zizzo and Terri Apple star as a pair of detectives investigating the return of a serial killer who begins a new reign of terror after going dark for 20 years.
RT Critics Rating: 91% “fresh” based on 44 reviews.
RT Critics Consensus: “Getting the little details of true crime documentaries right before unleashing some truly unsettling twists, Strange Harvest reaps a bountiful crop of scares from its inventive structure.”
Where To Stream: Strange Harvest is only available for purchase or rent on premium video on demand.
5: ‘The Long Walk’
Directed by Francis Lawrence and written by JT Mollner (Strange Darling), The Long Walk — adapted from Stephen King’s first novel — opened in theaters on Sept. 12.
Cooper Hoffman, David Jonsson, Ben Wang, Charlie Plummer, Judy Greer and Mark Hamill are among the stars in the large ensemble piece about a group of teen boys participating in The Long Walk, an annual competition for a huge amount of cash. Whenever one of the competitors falls below the walking speed of 3 mph, they are executed on site.
RT Critics Rating: 88% “fresh” based on 263 reviews.
RT Critics Consensus: “Cooper Hoffman and David Johnsson’s soulful performances bring a lot of heart to Stephen King’s dystopian tale, making The Long Walk a life-or-death ordeal for its characters but a riveting ride for audiences.”
Where To Stream: The Long Walk is currently only playing in theaters.
4: ‘Companion’
Written and directed by Drew Hancock, Companion opened in theaters on Jan. 31.
Jack Quaid (The Boys) and Sophie Thatcher (Yellowjackets) star as Josh and Iris, a couple whose weekend retreat with another couple goes completely haywire when it is revealed that one of them is a companion robot and commits a murder.
RT Critics Rating: 93% “fresh” based on 258 reviews.
RT Critics Consensus: “A fiendishly clever contraption that doesn’t rest on the laurels of its twists, Companion thrillingly puts the demented into domestic bliss.”
Where To Stream: Companion is streaming on HBO Max.
3: ‘Weapons’
Written and directed by Barbarian filmmaker Zach Cregger, Weapons was released in theaters on Aug. 8.
Julia Garner stars as an elementary school teacher who becomes hounded by the public after all but one of her students take off running to an unknown destination in the middle of the night. Josh Brolin also stars as one of the parents of the missing children who eventually teams with the teacher to unravel the disturbing mystery and the sinister motivation behind it.
RT Critics Rating: 94% “fresh” based on 359 reviews.
RT Critics Consensus: “Zach Cregger spins an expertly crafted yarn of terrifying mystery and thrilling intrigue in Weapons, a sophomore triumph that solidifies his status as a master of horror.”
Where To Stream: Weapons is only available for purchase or rent on premium video on demand.
2: ‘The Ugly Stepsister’
Written and directed by Emilie Blichfeldt, The Ugly Stepsister opened in limited release on April 18.
The twisted fairytale stars Lea Myren as Elvira, one of a pair of “ugly” stepsisters to the beautiful Rebekka (Ane Dahl Torp) after their parents marry. When Rebekka’s father dies and the family is broke, she attempts to improve Elvira’s looks through cruel cosmetic procedures so she can marry her off to a rich prince to regain wealth.
RT Critics Rating: 96% “fresh” based on 129 reviews.
RT Critics Consensus: “Taking a hammer and chisel to a quintessential fairy tale, The Ugly Stepsister’s masterful application of gore and subversion are the stuff that nightmares are made of.”
Where To Stream: The Ugly Stepsister is streaming on Shudder and AMC+.
1: ‘Sinners’
Written and directed by Ryan Coogler, Sinners was released in theaters on April 18.
Michael B. Jordan stars as identical twin brothers Smoke and Stack, who, after serving in World War I return to their hometown in the Deep South to start a juke joint to get a new lease on life, only to discover the area is infested with vampires.
RT Critics Rating: 97% “fresh” based on 412 reviews.
RT Critics Consensus: “A rip-roaring fusion of masterful visual storytelling and toe-tapping music, writer-director Ryan Coogler’s first original blockbuster reveals the full scope of his singular imagination.”
Where To Stream: Sinners is streaming on HBO Max.