Why exactly are we entering a gloriously gory golden age of horror?

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After covering horror and fantasy films for over forty years, I’ve noticed a pattern: whenever a low-budget horror film unexpectedly becomes a hit, industry professionals declare the genre is ‘back.’ But then, when a big-budget horror film fails, they quickly claim the genre’s popularity was just a temporary ‘bubble.’ It just goes to show that, as screenwriter William Goldman famously said, predicting success in the movie business is impossible.

However, the situation has changed significantly. Despite concerns from industry experts about the future of movie theaters – especially after more people started watching adult entertainment at home during the pandemic – horror fantasy films have consistently proven to be a reliable source of profit.

As a film buff, I’ve been consistently blown away by this movie – it just keeps exceeding what anyone expected. The critics absolutely love it, which is fantastic, but what really got me excited was seeing it dominate the BAFTA and Oscar nominations – it really shook things up this year!

It’s already impressive that films like Weapons, 28 Years Later, and a new Frankenstein adaptation are getting recognition. But with the unexpected success of the horror film Sinners – which has broken records with 16 Oscar nominations and 13 BAFTA nominations, including Best Film – this surge in horror’s popularity feels especially noteworthy.

Jordan Peele’s acclaimed thriller Get Out (2017) and the recent horror film The Substance (2024) helped open doors for the genre with their Academy Award nominations. While Get Out won for Best Original Screenplay and The Substance for Makeup and Hairstyling, simply being nominated was a significant achievement for a type of film often dismissed by mainstream audiences. Though there had been previous successes—like Rosemary’s Baby (1968), The Exorcist (1973), Misery (1990), and The Silence of the Lambs (1991)—these films were all backed by major studios.

To find truly innovative horror, look beyond big-budget films and famous actors. The most exciting horror comes from independent creators who prioritize original ideas and imagination. They excel at building suspense with simple, effective techniques, and rely on enthusiastic fans spreading the word – often without any cost. Horror fans are dedicated and constantly seeking that initial, thrilling experience that first drew them to the genre.

Classic horror films like Night of the Living Dead, The Texas Chain Saw Massacre, Halloween, and Re-Animator were often made with very little money, frequently funded by the filmmakers themselves. This was common practice for many years, and continues with modern cult hits like The Blair Witch Project, Saw, Paranormal Activity, and Terrifier.

Hollywood’s shift towards mainstream acceptance began during the rise of slasher films. Paramount Pictures, a major studio, decided to distribute the independent film Friday the 13th (1980) simply because they wanted to profit from its success, as smaller companies were making a lot of money with these films. At the time, many critics were shocked by what they saw as a purely money-driven approach to filmmaking.

The horror landscape changed again with new directors like Eli Roth, James Wan, Jordan Peele, and Ari Aster. They deliberately aimed to recreate the shocking and graphic horror they loved from the “video nasty” era, but with new and compelling stories. This time, critics took notice, though they often used terms like “elevated horror” or “post-horror” to subtly acknowledge their appreciation without appearing to enjoy something considered lowbrow. Ironically, this cautious praise actually helped bring horror into the mainstream.

Social media and the rise of influencers played a big part in bringing attention to overlooked films, as did the growing number of film festivals around the world that are welcoming to a wider range of people. Plus, it’s now easier than ever to create a movie – all you need is an iPhone.

Read more: Best horror films and TV series of all time – from Sinners to Twin Peaks

As the artistic director for film festivals like FrightFest in London and Trieste Science+Fiction, I review a huge number of films each week to find the best ones. I’ve seen countless low-budget horror movies, often featuring the filmmaker’s friends and family as actors. But every once in a while, a truly talented filmmaker submits something special, and knowing I can help them reach an audience makes all the time spent watching less impressive films completely worth it.

Director Zach Cregger was already known within the film festival community before his success with Barbarian in 2022. His upcoming film, Weapons (scheduled for 2025), has received three BAFTA nominations for its original screenplay, Amy Madigan’s supporting performance, and its editing. This highlights that it’s not just horror fans driving current trends. The current cultural moment – a sense that anything is possible, impacting everything from personal lives to professional pursuits – is making horror films more popular and widely accepted than ever before.

Why is horror so popular right now? Simply put, going to the movies offers a safe place to experience the excitement of fear and share those intense feelings with others who are also enjoying a good scare. It’s a way to collectively face and release anxieties in a thrilling, but controlled, environment.

Right now, with wars, climate change, rapidly advancing AI, and politicians struggling with huge global problems, recent horror movies are increasingly tackling difficult and previously avoided topics. These include dementia (Relic, 2020), racial issues (The Blackening, 2022), trauma (The Woman in the Yard, 2025), and religious conflict (28 Years Later: The Bone Temple, 2026).

Last year saw a surge in great horror movies, and now a lot more are on the way! We’re getting a flood of new releases like Scream 7, Hokum, Obsession, Evil Dead Burn, Clayface, Insidious 6, Werwulf, Spider Island, and Other Mommy – and that’s just the beginning. It looks like horror fans are in for a lot of thrills in the coming months.

Winning BAFTA and Oscar awards would solidify the film’s status as a masterpiece. I predict ‘Sinners’ will win several awards because it successfully blends artistic and gritty filmmaking styles, classic horror elements with meaningful symbolism. This unique combination of commercial appeal and experimental artistry is exactly what will attract BAFTA and Academy voters.

John Squires, who leads the horror magazine Bloody Disgusting, jokingly observed that when horror movies receive Oscar nominations, they’re often reclassified as supernatural thrillers. Let’s be clear: ‘Sinners’ is a horror film, and we hope it will soon be an award-winning one.

Authors

Alan Jones

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2026-02-18 12:11