Peacock Just Added One of 2025’s Biggest Horror Movies (And It’s an Instant Streaming Hit)

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2025 was an exceptional year for horror movies, arguably the best of the decade so far. The year delivered a wide range of films, from popular successes like Weapons and Sinners to critically acclaimed independent titles such as Bring Her Back. This variety led to both positive reviews and strong ticket sales, making it a standout year for horror in theaters. Now, as 2026 promises another strong lineup, one of 2025’s biggest horror films is already finding success on streaming, becoming an instant hit on Peacock after its addition in January.

After a successful run in theaters last October, earning $132 million and becoming one of the year’s top horror films, Black Phone 2 started streaming on Peacock on January 16th. The movie quickly became one of the platform’s most popular titles, reaching the No. 1 spot and staying there, even ahead of well-loved films like Shrek Forever After, Despicable Me, and The Hunger Games. Ethan Hawke, Mason Thames, and Madeleine McGraw return in this sequel, which takes place four years after the first movie. It follows Finney, now 17, and his sister Gwen as they grapple with past trauma and a new threat from the Grabber at a winter camp.

Black Phone 2 Is a Surprisingly Strong Horror Sequel

Horror sequels are often disappointing, rarely living up to the original and relying on predictable storylines and cheap thrills. However, Black Phone 2 defied expectations, becoming one of the year’s best horror films. Rather than simply trying to make money, the movie cleverly expands on the first film’s story and mythology, exploring the characters’ trauma in more depth. It also delivers genuine scares with a style reminiscent of 1980s horror, and features more intense horror and gore.

Critics and audiences both loved Black Phone 2, giving it a “Certified Fresh” rating of 72% on Rotten Tomatoes, along with an 83% audience score. These numbers are close to those of the first film (81% and 88%), indicating similar success. Marco Vito Odo from ComicBook gave the movie 3.5 out of 5 stars, praising it for building on the original story with a new twist and continuing the unique blend of genres. He called it a surprisingly captivating and thrilling experience, full of genuine scares.

While a Black Phone 3 hasn’t been officially confirmed, the success of the second film as a standout horror movie in 2025 makes another sequel likely. Both director Scott Derrickson and writer C. Robert Cargill have indicated they’d be open to making a third movie.

What’s New on Peacock?

While Black Phone 2 is currently a streaming favorite, Peacock has a wide variety of other movies to enjoy. Throughout January, they’ve added many popular titles, including Ad Astra, The Green Mile, Jurassic World, The Shining, and The Terminator.

What do you think? Leave a comment below and join the conversation now in the ComicBook Forum!

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2026-01-21 20:40