Here are Cinephile Corner’s 10 recommendations for horror movies like Black Phone 2:
The Woman in the Yard
In a time when many horror films try to be either thinkpieces or thrill rides and fail to be either, The Woman in the Yard hits a rare sweet spot. It’s a horror film that’s genuinely tense, emotionally grounded, and smartly contained. It may not be a game-changer, but it’s a solid, satisfying entry in the modern horror canon—and a reminder that even filmmakers with inconsistent track records like Jaume Collet-Serra can deliver when the right material lands in the right hands.
Bring Her Back
Bring Her Back may satisfy diehard fans of A24-style horror or those looking for a few jarring images, but for most viewers, it will likely feel like an echo of better films. This is the kind of horror that thinks it’s elevated but forgets to be compelling. For the Philippous, it’s a clear step back—stylistic confidence without a story worth telling.
The Monkey
The Monkey is a middling but watchable entry in the 2025 horror slate. It doesn’t reach the high bar set by of Oz Perkin’s best films, nor does it fully honor the emotional undercurrents of King’s original story, but it’s never boring. If nothing else, it reaffirms Oz Perkins as a horror director worth watching—even when the material doesn’t quite land.
Cobweb
Cobweb might be accused of adhering to some familiar horror tropes, but its commitment to its genre roots is what makes it stand out. The movie surpasses expectations with its tight narrative, commendable performances, and a commitment to delivering unadulterated horror.
Weapons
Weapons opens with one of the most chilling hooks you’ll hear in any movie this year: at exactly 2:17 a.m., every child from Mrs. Gandy’s class woke up, walked downstairs, opened the front door, stepped into the dark… and never came back. It’s the kind of premise that immediately grabs you, the kind of logline that sells itself in a trailer and sticks in your head for days. Writer-director Zach Cregger, who burst onto the horror scene with 2022’s Barbarian, proves once again that he knows how to start a story with an irresistible, terrifying question.
Presence
Presence is another fascinating experiment from Steven Soderbergh, a filmmaker who has spent the last decade pushing his own creative boundaries. With films like Kimi and Magic Mike’s Last Dance, he’s proven he can reinvent genres with an auteur’s touch, and Presence continues that trend—this time through a unique first-person POV horror/thriller. While the movie doesn’t entirely stick the landing, its technical craftsmanship and conceptual ambition make it an intriguing entry in Soderbergh’s ever-evolving filmography.
Y2K
The best way to approach Y2K is to go in completely blind. Seriously, avoid trailers and marketing if you can. The film’s absurd twists and genuinely hilarious moments are what make it so enjoyable, and knowing too much beforehand could spoil the fun. Kyle Mooney makes his directorial debut here, and he nails it. Throughout the brisk 91-minute runtime, he keeps the pace sharp and entertaining. The movie is often exhilarating, always self-deprecating, and has just enough 1999 nostalgia to hit the right notes without feeling overdone or cheesy.
Heretic
Scott Beck and Bryan Woods have steadily built themselves a career since their breakthrough writing credit for A Quiet Place nearly a decade ago. The duo has parlayed their success into multiple directorial efforts, including the pulse-pounding Haunt and the sci-fi thriller 65. Now, they return to their horror roots with Heretic, a chilling and twist-laden movie about two young religious missionaries who knock on the wrong door on a cold, snowy night.
Last Night in Soho
Few directors are as defined by their style as Edgar Wright, and Last Night in Soho is a movie that thrives when it fully embraces that signature flair. From its bold lighting choices and meticulously curated soundtrack to the seamless fusion of past and present, this film is an exercise in aesthetic precision. Starring Thomasin McKenzie and Anya Taylor-Joy, it’s a visually dazzling, nostalgia-drenched psychological thriller that starts strong but ultimately falters in its final act.
Apartment 7A
The long, long line of mediocre to terrible horror franchise reboots within the last few years did not instill any sort of hope that Apartment 7A would buck the trend and offer some refreshing new takes on the genre. After all, it was quietly dumped on Paramount+ and given nearly zero marketing, making it a tall task to find a decent audience in the vast landscape of horror streaming options.
