Coming Soon… Whether You Like It Or Not

2025’s New Horror Movies – Part 1

I’m sure I’m the last to the party, but there seems to be an abundance of new horror movies making their way into theaters in 2025, and I thought this would be a good time to give my thoughts on some of the upcoming titles.  And if you haven’t made it out to watch Tony Todd’s last hurrah in Final Destination: Bloodlines, I recommend you do, even if only to say goodbye to a legend of horror cinema, served up with a bundle of gore!  I know I’ll never look at a garbage truck or an MRI machine the same way again!

28 Years Later

First up is 28 Years Later, the third film in the series, and a return for Danny Boyle, who directed the original entry, 28 Days Later.  The trailer suggests that the film style will be very similar to the original movie, giving off a claustrophobic feeling that I suspect will draw in audiences enamored with the modern zombie flick.

That said, though, I’ve always had a love/hate relationship with this survivalist type of zombie film.  I’m sure some of you are thinking, “Well, they’re not zombies, they’re infected with the rage virus,” and while that is true, after 28 years, or even 28 weeks, I’m thinking they’ve made the transition from infected to reanimated dead.  And my own experience with nerve issues within my own body tells me that these zombies should not be running around the way that they are. 

And then there’s this idea of what appears to be a father taking his teenage son off the island where they are safe, and onto a mainland where they seem to be chased off rather quickly.  I guess the pressing question I am left with is WHY???

My verdict: pass on seeing it in the theater, though I may see it when it comes out on streaming.

I Know What You Did Last Summer

Next up is I Know What You Did Last Summer, which may sound like a reboot, though, apparently, Jennifer Love Hewitt reprises her role as Julie James, this time as a mentor to a group of young people who are being killed off by someone who looks an awful lot like the original Fisherman.

The trailer gives off a Scream kind of vibe, which should be no surprise as Scream seemed to inspire the original I Know What You Did Last Summer.  However, at the risk of sounding a little bit annoyed with what feels like out-of-touch filmmaking, how the heck do these young people always seem to live in these nice, upscale homes? 

Seems like this time they’ll be finding inspiration in Halloween (2018), with the ‘old guard’ teaching the new how to survive, but I have to admit I’m already bored by the thought of this one even before thinking about what David Gordon Green did to Halloween.  At some point, I plan to cover the list of unrealized DGG projects, which could be interesting as it’s quite long.

My verdict: definite pass on seeing it in the theater!

The Conjuring: Last Rites

For the next trailer, The Conjuring: Last Rites, I was struck by how much I just genuinely trust Vera Farmiga and Patrick Wilson to deliver compelling performances in what is usually an intelligently written film.  In this one, the story apparently details the last case of Ed and Lorraine Warren, and the trailer depicts some genuinely scary scenes, so color me intrigued.

Not much to tell beyond that, however, as the trailer seems intentionally vague, and the Wikipedia write-up is even more elusive as to what to expect, leaving me to put my trust in Wilson and Farmiga to deliver.  I just hope Ed & Lorraine’s Amityville experience isn’t going to be the inspiration. 

My verdict: I think I’ll take my chances and smash down the cash to see it in the theater! 

Five Nights at Freddy’s 2

Okay, I’ll admit, I played Five Nights at Freddy’s, and I have genuinely enjoyed watching Josh Hutcherson ever since I first saw him in the black-comedy slasher film Detention from 2011. So, it was a good bet that I’d be interested in seeing Five Nights at Freddy’s 2.  Indeed, I thought the first film was better than expected; though certainly not a great film, it was a fun watch for what it was.

The teaser seems to suggest the animatronics are no longer bound to the now-defunct family restaurant, and as the games were created by Scott Cawthon, who also apparently wrote the story here, perhaps that was always meant to happen.  If that’s the case, then like the original game and the first movie, I guess we should prepare for more jump scares.

My verdict: I’ll pass on seeing it in theaters, but will watch it on streaming later.

M3gan 2.0

I will admit I genuinely laughed when I saw what M3gan was relegated to in order to prove she could be trusted.  Mind you, after that, I was far more conflicted: are they really stupid enough to trust that AI in a lethal exoskeletal body again? 

The trailer for M3gan 2.0 features Brittany Spears’ “Oops!…I Did It Again,” a song from 2000 (M3gan came out more than 20 years later), in the hopes that it will make it entertaining, but to me, it seems like the film makers are just making fun of the audience at this point!

My verdict: I’m curious about the robot CGI battle, but won’t be seeing this one in theaters.  Maybe on streaming if I can’t find anything else to watch.

Black Phone 2

And the final trailer I have to talk about is Black Phone 2, the sequel to the surprisingly effective The Black Phone, which brings back Mason Thames and Madeleine McGraw as siblings Finn and Gwen, and Ethan Hawke as the menacing Grabber who kidnapped Finn in the previous film.

It’s always a rare treat to have performers that previously performed so well return to reprise their roles, and while I have an idea of where the story might go (damn you Halloween (2018)!), there’s no question that the trailer hints at a very dark and scary new chapter in the legacy of the Grabber!

My verdict: Will definitely be smashing my money down to see this one in theaters, and will look to add the film to my collection of Blu-rays if it meets my expectations.

Next week, I’ll offer my thoughts on more trailers for new horror movies coming to theaters in 2025, so I hope you found this at least a little interesting. 

Until then…

JK away!  

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Want more of JK’s reactions to trailers for the upcoming horror films of 2025?

Part 2 and Part 3 are now live! 

What do you think about all of the new horror movies of 2025? Drop us a comment below and let us know!